Chatting, Networking and Researching


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 is a great way to learn new ideas, and get feedback on your progress. There are many librarians in my district with many years of experience that I would surely benefit from. I can also profit from talking to other teachers at my school, attending conferences and professional-development seminars. These opportunities allow teachers to improve their skills, learn new technology and stay up to date with current pedagogy.

Online

Current educators also benefit from the myriad of online options for professional growth. Teachers from all over the world are sharing their ideas and even posting lesson plans online. After only a quick Google search, I was able to find dozens of blogs, twitter feeds and teacher sharing websites that were extremely helpful. There is information about new technology, resources, ideas and information about library development. Maintaining your own blog and online presence (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter) is also a great way to share your own ideas and get feedback from other teachers online.

Fig. 2. Blogs. Best Colleges Online. Web. Accessed 10 Oct 2017.

Helpful blogs and websites:
-   https://www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/top-blogs/school-library/
-   https://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com
    http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2012/08/great-teacher-websites.htm
      
     There are also many different social networking sites, such as Twitter, which have steady feeds from teacher librarians across the world. Following these feeds will be really helpful for gaining inspiration and finding out about newly available literature that appeals to students of all ages.

Useful twitter feeds:
-           https://twitter.com/TeacherLibrn
-     https://twitter.com/sljournal

Teachers of the modern age are certainly using these resources to maximize their knowledge and improve their libraries and classrooms. There are also professional learning communities online that are beneficial to join, such as the BC Teacher Librarian Association (BCTLA). Organizations such as this disseminate research about professional practice and new ideas, share resources and give you an opportunity to meet with colleagues and expand your knowledge through their meetings.

Link to their website: http://bctf.ca/bctla/index.html.

There are also so many other resources online, such as videos (TEDtalks for example) which are readily available and worthwhile to watch. We can learn a lot from these inspirational videos!



Through all of these mediums, it is possible to stay connected with other teacher librarians from your hometown and across the world. In building your own online presence and attending meetings and/or collaborating with others, you can create your own network (both online and in person). Using all of these different resources, both in-person and online is how I intend to stay informed, learn from others and expand my knowledge about my professional practice.
                                               
Work Cited

BestCollegesOnline.com. “25 Ways Teachers Can Connect More With Their Colleagues.” BestCollegesOnline.com, 26 Jan. 2017, www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/25-ways-teachers-can-connect-more-with-their-colleagues/.

“Top School Library Blogs.” Teacher Certification Degrees, www.teachercertificationdegrees.com/top-blogs/school-library/.

TEDtalksDirector. YouTube, YouTube, 23 June 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=YsA_JTeHJ6A.

Comments

  1. Aaron MuellerOctober 14, 2017 at 7:29 AM

    A good overview of many useful resources, feeds, videos, websites and communities that you can lean on for connections, ideas and opportunities for growth in your own future. Taking ownership over our own professional development, especially in regards to our technology and ICT skill set is so vital and you have collected and started a great set of tools and resources. Good post with links, images and labels!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownOctober 14, 2017 at 8:37 PM

    Hi Katelyn,

    Wow! I love all of the resources that you provided in your post. I will definitely be taking a good look at them. I particularly found the Teacher Certification Degrees helpful in that it provided so many blogs in one place. I have to admit that I found myself getting lost in all of the great links you provided and had to force myself to work on my coursework. I find being in school has limited my ability to network and collaborate as much as I would like, especially outside of work. I will definitely be looking to extend my networks and you have some great ways to do just that.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Blogging GingerOctober 15, 2017 at 1:36 PM

    Thank you for the useful links - those will definitely be added to my PLN. TedTalks is one of my go to places for anything and everything that I'd like to explore in teaching pedagogy too!
    - Cara

    ReplyDelete
  4. mmeerricoOctober 15, 2017 at 9:12 PM

    Hi Katey,

    Thank you for providing some suggestions for blogs and twitter feeds to follow. In looking for new people to follow I often get lost in the options so I appreciate recommendations from others!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Read and Discover

Image
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...
Read more

Collaboration is key

Image
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...
Read more