Using PBL to Create a Space for the Arts in the School Library (Part 1)

During the summer, I had a chance to share information regarding the project based learning (PBL) activities I worked on with students last year.  One of the PBLs I worked on involved an artist and an organization called Young Audiences of Maryland.

Young Audiences of Maryland (YAMD) is an organization that offers schools the chance to request various artists and performers for school assemblies, workshops, and residencies, the organization reached out to me to share an opportunity.  Each year, they offer schools in Maryland a chance to apply for a residency program.  Last year, I applied and our school was selected.  

First, were a series of meetings which allowed me a chance to meet the artist with whom I was paired. My partner was McKinley Wallace, a painter.  During the meetings, we shared our visions, meshed our ideas, and planned a series of lessons. YAMD did a wonderful job of preparing the artist with the expectations of sound lesson planning, as well as preparing me with knowledge of my role during the residency process. 

Next, Mr. Wallace met with the students before the lessons officially began.  He introduced himself and shared the proposed outcome of the lesson.  During the visit, the students had a chance to share information they had learned in previous lessons related to bullying.  This information was used a foundation for the four-panel mural that was created.   During a series of five lessons held in the library, the students were introduced to the basics of art and were able to apply their knowledge to the mural design.

The result was a beautiful four-panel mural which depicts four types of bullying: cyber bullying, verbal bullying, physical bullying, and isolation.  During the process, the students showed growth and it was a wonderful way to work with a classroom teacher that I had not had a chance to collaborate with in the past.  

The PBL also enhanced the perception the students and the classroom teacher had of the library program in our school.  Instead of seeing the library as just a place to store books, 

the students and classroom teacher found the space inviting and realized that the library was not just a place to store books but a place where they could be creative and express themselves using art.

What can we do?: The Power of Educators

The past week has been a sea of emotions.  Last Thursday, I was reveling in my role as a school librarian.  As an first-time attendee of the National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL) in Atlanta, Georgia, I had the chance to meet authors that my students and I had talked about on numerous occasions.  Not only did I have a chance to meet Sharon Draper, Nikki Grimes, Susan G. Flake, Carole Boston-Weatherford, and Jason Reynolds, I was able to talk to them and ask questions.  

The conference was also a chance for me to meet with librarians in college libraries and public libraries. I was in heaven as we discussed ways to build communities within our library programs. I was entranced whenever someone shared new initiatives in their library spaces, and I was ecstatic when we could just sit down and talk about the various challenges we faced as librarians. In each encounter, there was honest conversation and a desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others. I felt empowered.

Cut to last Friday. I saw a few images on Twitter and I decided to skip the updates related to Charlottesville. I wanted to continue to bask in the glow of positivity at the conference. On Saturday, the glow of positivity changed.  By 2:30 pm, there was news of an incident. Without knowing the details, I prayed that there were no life threatening injuries.  By that evening, there were reports of three deaths. The talk at the conference turned to Charlottesville. We worried about those who were harmed. I prayed for those who had lost their lives.

On Sunday, as I listened to news reports. I grew even more concerned about the state of the world we live in (more specifically the state of the world my students live in).  Just two days prior, I had asked a group of strangers to pray for the children growing up today. Now on a bright, Sunday, I was faced with the realization that we needed to pray for our nation and the world in which we lived. Young and old, we all had some work to do.

The past few days, we have been inundated with images, press conferences, tweets, and news reels.  Each image a carrier of emotions for the speaker.  Each word a carrier of emotions for the viewer.  The question then becomes, what do we do with those emotions? How do we filter through the chaos and come through singed but not burned to a nothingness? How do we ensure that we don't fall into a state of decay?

Yesterday, a hashtag appeared on my Twitter feed that gave me a bit of hope.  #CharlottesvilleCurriculum appeared and I could have a moment of clarity. Educators can make a difference (if they choose) in their classrooms by trying to provide students with the necessary tools for empathy.  A variety of resources from the International Literacy Association (ILA) to EdWeek seem to be stepping stones for those who wish to discuss the incidents in Charlottesville with their students. 

The idea of empathy in the classroom is not a new one.  Last year, several teachers in my school building suggested that building a culture of empathy would be valuable for our students.  Last year, I had numerous conversations with my students to encourage them to put themselves in the shoes of others.  This morning, I read an article which quoted a former colleague and his desire to instill empathy in his students.  Empathy in the classroom is not a new idea; however, today, after the recent events in Charlottesville, is obvious that it is a topic that should be discussed.

Below this post is a Twitter Moment which highlights resources that educators may find helpful as they look for resources related to the #CharlottesvilleCurriculum. Here are a few preliminary resources I gathered using Destiny Collections (I also created a Part 2).  If anyone has any other ideas of resources, please let me know and we can share them with others.

“Tell me and I’ll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I’ll understand.”

Chinese proverb

Let's involve our students in a solution. Let's involve ourselves.

Reading for Empathy: #CharlottesvilleCurriculum

Check out @tlovesbooks's Tweet: https://twitter.com/tlovesbooks/status/898260143099588608?s=09

My excitement and nervousness for ISTE17 is increasing each and every day.  Why?

I'm excited to attend the conference. I'm always excited to attend ISTE.  The chance to be among other educators who are enthusiastic about teaching and technology makes me smile.  I also look forward to reconnecting with people I met last year. By chatting and catching up with members of my virtual tribe, we have a chance to share and engage with others. This year, I will have the chance to learn about new resources and share some of my own teaching experiences with others.  This leads to why I am nervous..

I will present a session this year. My session is titled, How LMSs can Increase Engagement with PBLs.  Proposed as a poster session, I was ecstatic when I received a request to do a snapshot.  Once the excitement wore off (it really never did) I became nervous. How would I fit the three PBL experiences in thirty minutes?  Would people attend?  Would others be excited about this topic?

I welcome the chance to find out. If you are interested in learning a bit more about PBLs, or would like to gain some ideas for ways to engage the students in your library program, come and check-out the session. It will be on Wednesday, June 28, 2017. Located in 225AB, the session will begin at 8:30 am.  Check out the ISTE app to sign-up.

I also have the opportunity to share the revamped style of PD in my school. In a session titled, Inside Out PD, my colleagues and I will discuss the premise for the teacher centered PDs at our school.  This session will be on Wednesday, June 28, 2017 and begins at 1:00 pm.  The session will be Ballroom 4.

For those who are unable to attend, I have a few hashtags that may be helpful:
#ISTE17
#PresentersOfISTE

Building a Foundation for Project Based Learning in the Library

For many public school librarians the quest to collaborate with teachers is full of questions.  When do you find time to collaborate?  How can library media specialists connect the varied standards to the lesson?  How do we maintain a balance of teaching, guiding, and assessing during a lesson?  What are the expectations of the library media specialist once the lesson is complete?  How do you promote the work you do inside and outside of the library’s walls?  For this library media specialist, finding the answers to these questions was ongoing.  It was once I learned about project based learning (PBL) that I was able to gain some insight. 

Last year, the idea of project based learning was introduced to me from my coursework.  It was once I was introduced to the philosophy of John Dewey (there’s more to him than just the Dewey Decimal system) I was intrigued by the idea of giving students a chance to work on tasks related to their interest, engage the community, and provide opportunities for learning in a fun way.  I was introduced to other ways of assessment once I viewed the documentary, Most Likely to Succeed: Project Based Learning in the 21^st Century.

The documentary highlights the accomplishments of High Tech High.  A charter school in California, High Tech High is a school based on the premise that students learn by doing.  Letter grades are not given to students; instead, within each subject area, students receive information regarding selected units and topics of their teachers.  Based on these units, the students are given a problem to solve or a broad project idea.  After receiving the basic parameters for the project, students (usually in groups) create a project that can be shared to a panel of teachers and then in a public showcase to parents and members of the community.

After viewing the film and completing my research of John Dewey’s educational philosophy, the idea of creating PBL opportunities for my students at Windsor Mill Middle School became a focus for me. I began to ask myself a new set of questions. How could I create opportunities for PBL within the library program?  How could I involve teachers? What role would the community have in the PBL projects?  

I will share information regarding the collaboration and the engagement of students and teachers in another blog post titled, Using PBL to Create a Space for Art in the Library.  

#EduMatch Tweet & Talk 84: Student Choice and Engagement

Great discussion tonight regarding Student Choice and Student Engagement.  This was a great way to share techniques that educators use with their students, as well as a way to learn from others.  I discovered a few new techniques and will work to incorporate them in my lessons, before the school year ends.  Check out the link to the talk on YouTube.  Thank you @Edu_Match for facilitating this dialogue and for bringing educators together.

#futurereadylibs

https://goo.gl/photos/B2gX47qG1V1Q3G6Y6

Part Two: Influences on my Focus for the Library Program (2016-2017)

In a previous post, I shared information regarding the ways my course work and a summer institute helped to provide me with a new focus for the library program.  In part two, I would like to the ways a conference in Denver, Colorado was another catalyst for my revised vision of the library program.

The International Society for Technology (ISTE) conference is one of my favorites;  I compare it to Disneyland for Tech and Education Enthusiasts (Geeks).  Last summer, my joy was quadrupled by chance encounters, inspiring key note speeches, and connecting with other excited educators. Not only did I have a chance to have my picture taken with R2D2, I had a chance to interact with innovators and gurus within the edutech community. I also had a chance to meet Mr. Lavar Burton in an elevator and share with him the positive influence his work had on me and others.

Being able to hear Ruha Benjamin's powerful discussion about the ways educators can "set phasers to love" and create a learning environment that helps students and teachers thrive was another inspiring moment for me.  Listening to her speak, I thought about the ways I could extend my love of reading and learning outside the library's walls.  I wondered, what if I give students more independence?  What if I shared various ways of reading with the students?  What if the library wasn't seen as just a place to store books but a fun environment where kids could be kids? What if did all of those things and more and was able to see the library as place for the students to gain what they needed rather than what I thought they needed?  These questions were a bit scary to consider but they led me to think of different ways to promote the library and forgo the prescribed book talks and library check-out system.

As a result, I developed a book matching service for my reluctant readers.  I also strived to create a variety of lessons that met the related to the needs and requests of collaborating teachers, as well as lessons that would show students the various resources (print, e-books, etc.) that were available to them inside and outside of the library.  More students were also given Lunch Bunch Crew (LBC) privileges.  LBC members were given a chance to play games, enjoy Salsa Tuesday/Wednesday (a time to dance and listen to Salsa music), and time where they could just hang-out with their friends.  The results were unexpected.

The number of students who checked out e-books increased.  In the previous year, only 3 e-books were checked out. This school year, over one hundred e-books have been checked-out.  More and more students wanted to become part of the LBC.  The number of independent users increased and students were asking for opinions a variety of things (books, magnet schools, etc.).  By relaxing the reigns a bit more and being a bit more creative with my idea of a library and a librarian,  I was able to have different conversations with students.  I saw myself as a guide on the side for more things than just books (not that there's anything wrong with that).

Being at ISTE and participating in various environments where seeking knowledge was revered and sharing ideas for success was encouraged, I was motivated to try a few techniques and place my primary focus on building relationships with my students in a new way. I see this paradigm shift as a catalyst for the continued growth in the library program at Windsor Mill Middle School.  A shift I hope to continue as I grow as a library media specialist.

*Take a moment to view a segment regarding the work of the S.T.A.R.S. Book Club with author, Ronald L. Smith.

Part One: Influences on my Focus for the Library Program (2016-2017)

This year, I have tried to focus on creating opportunities for my students to learn. Whether, it is through student inquiry or the soft skills associated with burgeoning relationships with their peers and/or teachers, I want my students to have the opportunity to grow.  The idea of growth was especially highlighted in my mind when I completed a philosophy course last summer, as well as my experience with a sustainability project, and my time at the ISTE Conference.

Through a philosophy course, I gained insight about various educational philosophies of Socrates, Horace Mann and John Dewey (to name a few).  It was once I reacquainted with the educational philosophy of John Dewey that I made a few realizations of the changes I wanted to make in my school library program.  The idea that young people should be given the chance to learn through hands-on activities, as well as the prospect that students who have a voice in their education have a deeper level of understanding for lessons in school resonated with me. I was able to see the moments when students truly blossomed before my eyes and I wanted to make sure I gave my students more opportunities to grow.

The idea of growth was also sustained (pardon the pun) when I took part in the Teacher Sustainability Project at Arizona State University.  A wonderful opportunity, my time in Phoenix, Arizona allowed me the chance to experience the hands-on opportunities that I wanted to create for my students. By receiving information from various experts about sustainability and its connection to the economy, community and environment, I was able to acquire knowledge that made me more excited to learn more and eager to create a project with my project partner, Mrs. Bajpai.  By the time we completed the week long course, we had devised a project that would enhance our school environment and give our students a chance to learn through action.



The Sustainabilit Project went well.  A local Home Depot was able to donate plants and flowers that teachers could place in the classrooms.  Teachers who elected to take part in the project were given a plant/flower with the knoweldge that students from our project would water the plants every other day.  At one point,, we had more helpers than plants.  Based on the unexpected amout of student interest, students were placed on a schedule.  When we experiencd a few issues with wilting or dryness, helpers elected to research and gain knowledge about various ways to revive the plants.  The project was a eye-opener for the ways the information skills learned in the library could be used to help our students gain independence while helping the school environment but the project based learning opportunities didn't end there.



Working with Ms. Adams and her students, we were able to complete a series of lessons from muralist, McKinley Wallace.  The students were able to conduct interviews of their peers regaridng bullying.  With their insights from the interviews and basic information related to art techniques, the students, the artist, and the classroom teacher member were able to work on a series of panels for murals that could be displayed in the library.  Watching the students work together to create the art, as well as witnessing the amount of teamwork necessary for such a creation was wonderful.  I truly enjoyed having th library soace used as a place for creating a piece of art that could be enjoyed by others.

I'll share Part Two of this post tomorrow.