Katey's Blog

Vision . Beyond Access. Web. Accessed 23 October 2017. Internet access, books, databases of all kinds and mobile devices are all resources that we take for granted here in Canada. Accessing these resources and the important information they contain is still a luxury in many developing nations across the world. Most libraries in developing countries contain only books, and the selection is often limited. Librarians do not have training or access to technology. However, there are many organizations who are working hard to provide internet access, books and knowledge to developing nations. An organization I discovered in my research, called Beyond Access, is “a group of people and organizations who believe that libraries can power social and economic development”. (Beyond Access 2017)  Th ey are responsible for many different programs to bring literacy and technology to developing nations. They spent three years in Myanmar, bringing technology and literacy to different co...

Fig. 2 Teacher Librarians. No More Dusty Shelves. Web. Accessed 16 October 2017. The role of the teacher-librarian is rapidly evolving,  and “teacher-librarians have come a long way from the time when they were considered caretakers of the book collection.  Now they are information providers, consultants, curriculum activists, instructional designers, instructional leaders, production specialists and most important, teachers.” (Bev Shreirer 2000) With all of these new responsibilities, teacher librarians need to be prepared to not only run the library, but inform others about information technology, advocate for new resources, collaborate with others, develop lesson plans to integrate new curriculum (and technology) and  disseminate important information. Teachers, as we know very well, are extremely busy. I feel that the best way to encourage educators to try new technology and resources is to make it really easy (and painless) for them to inform themselves...

Fig. 1 Connect with Colleagues . Best Colleges Online. Web. Accessed 10 Oct 2017. Maintaining my explorations and development during and after this class will involve networking with colleagues in-person and online. Luckily, we live in an age where dissemination of information and ideas is widespread, and we can keep informed on the latest trends, book series and pedagogical research with a click of a mouse. I have compiled a list of ways (and some helpful links) that teacher-librarians can use to stay informed and meet colleagues. In-person collaboration There are many opportunities across the lower mainland and the Fraser Valley for teacher collaboration in person. In Chilliwack, we have bi-monthly collaboration meetings for many different groups, and everyone is welcome to sign up for their preferred subject. I will certainly attend the meetings for Chilliwack Teacher Librarians, who work on developing literacy and improving their libraries. Working with colleagues...

Fig 1.  Keep Calm and Love Reading. Pinterest. Web. Accessed 2 Oct 2017. Reading has always been my absolute favourite pass-time. I could read all day and feel completely fulfilled. Therefore, it came as a shock to me when I realized that some others disliked reading and would avoid it at all cost! How I promote literacy in the classroom: With this realization, I knew that there had to be ways to make reading more interesting and engaging for students who were reluctant to open a book. In my classroom, I had what I called “book talks” after silent reading. This was unstructured time for students to discuss what they had read about that afternoon and what had struck them, what they found interesting, and to dive into some concepts that they had come across in their readings. I found that allowing students to make their own choices for pleasure reading really enhanced their enjoyment, which is why I also was very flexible with my choices for literature c...