LIBRARY VISIONING CONSULTATION AND

CO-CREATIONMarch 5th, 2013

Welcome, we are glad you are here!

• Opening notes• Introduction of the Steering Committee• Welcome from Central Office Leadership and the Board• Video clip on purpose: http://youtu.be/JW8jjS4CCpk

Essential Question

What does a quality learning environment look like in a contemporary library and how does this serve tomorrow’s learner?

Today’s Agenda

• Priority One: Exploring

• What is a Learning Commons and how does it serve learners?

• Priority Two: Imagining

• What are the challenges and opportunities to transformation?

• Priority Three: Creating

• What is our vision for libraries and tomorrow’s learner?

• Priority Four: Promoting

• What can I do to make the vision a reality in my school?

As a result of our work today:• Develop an understanding of the possibilities for our

libraries• Develop an understanding of the Learning Commons

philosophy• Begin the crafting of a vision

Tips for a Successful Day

Team Self management

• Recorder• Time keeper• Facilitator

Norms

• Respect all input• Actively listen• Observe timeframes• Focus on common ground• Own the day• Have fun!

Ice Breaker

• Oreo video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kMWLYYcAYw

• Take a minute to think about an early memory of a library and share this while you introduce yourself. Everyone should then shush them. The quietest shusher will go next.

Why library visioning?Why now?

www.smartegg.com

We Have Issues…• Some of our libraries exist as islands, not connected

strongly to learning.• The majority of our library staff were hired with no formal

training for their role.• The digital age provides instant access to current

information making the future of books and libraries questionable.

• Libraries are easy targets when budgets are tight.

So Why Bother?• Research indicates that strong library programs:

• support student literacy and school-wide literacy initiatives• positively impact student learning and achievement• encourage and support self-initiated inquiry.

What’s Everyone Else Doing?• Globally, progressive libraries are moving toward the

learning commons concept of flexibility, so activities and spaces in the library and on the library’s web site are flexible in design to accommodate a variety of learning activities; e.g., collaborative community space, a coffee house concept.

How is This Good for Kids?• A school library learning commons supports ongoing

critical thinking, inquiry, action research, interdisciplinary learning and brain-based learning.

• A learning commons becomes a place of active learning in real-time or online with project, problem-based, experiential, and cooperative learning that is ideally coordinated by a teacher-librarian.

What Does This Look Like in Elementary?

• Please use the data collection sheets at your table for the next few pieces as we try to highlight the Learning Commons concept.

• Elizabeth Rummel school’s vision of a learning commons.• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpwhQYafNp4

Learning Commons:A Shift in Teaching Practice

All Kinds of Technology

And Tools to Tinker With

Learning Commons:Bowness High’s Journey

A Place to Collaborate

Open Access to Technology

Quiet Learning Spaces

Comfortable Learning Spaces

Students Take Ownership

What Does This Look Like in Sr. High?

• There are lots of ideas out there involving the learning commons concept. All you have to do is Google them.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq_Pg8XoM50

Table Talk – Learn from your table mates

• Using the data that you collected, open a discussion on what your library services currently look like in your school. Take a few minutes to talk about what the library in your school looks like and how it serves the learning needs of students.

• What attributes serve students well?• How does your library purposefully support literacy in your

school • What attributes represent tradition(s) that may not serve

learning?

Defining a Learning Commons• Using the QLE, The Framework for Student Learning and

various definitions, decide on the key elements of a Learning Commons.

• What are the key elements of a learning commons that will support current and future learners the best, whether they are in elementary, middle or senior high?

• Share your 5 key words or phrases on the Chatzy account.

Take a Break – you’ve earned it!

• Take the opportunity to check out the Chatzy feeds on the screens!

Challenges and Opportunitieswith Transformation

• With any change, there are many reasons why we should not attempt it. Transforming the library is no different.• We don’t have the space to make it work.• What will this cost us? Budgets are tight.• Our staff does not have the expertise to make this work.• This means every teacher has to change how they teach.• Who supervises students when they drop into the library?• Change can be risky, why not maintain the status quo?

Challenges and Opportunitieswith Transformation

• Yes, these are real concerns, some we can impact and some we can’t. Let’s put our efforts into the things we can change and find ways of minimizing those things we can’t change.

• Schools will have to create solutions that work for them, but we can share best practices and find ways of supporting.

• Challenges should not prevent us from moving forward. They provide an opportunity to be creative and to think differently – just like we want the kids to do.

Challenges and Opportunities One issue, many solutions

• As a table group choose a challenge to moving forward that you feel you could impact.

• Brainstorm and discuss possible solutions. • Record your solutions in Google Drive to be displayed on

large screen.

Speed Geeking• Technology has made inroads into every aspect of our

lives and will continue to do so at an ever increasing pace.• This provides us with more and more opportunities for

engaging students learning.• Technology democratizes the teaching and learning

process. It provides the learner with much choice and freedom to pursue their own inquiry. It allows the learner to research and collaborate with anyone, anywhere, anytime.

Lunch• Metaphors of learning and space• Day in Glass 2 on big screen• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJZv8sIIZpc

Welcome Back• A couple of short videos on the importance of having clear

vision• http://

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADw1_7pchKM&feature=player_embedded

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyiB_TYtV9Q

Challenges and OpportunitiesStudent Inquiry

• A learning commons is the perfect venue to promote and support the use of student inquiry as a purposeful teaching strategy.

• Student inquiry speaks to many of the competencies that are being pursued in 21st century learning skills.

Challenges and OpportunitiesStudent Inquiry

• This adoption of increased student inquiry strategies should not be approached without asking ourselves some questions.• What benefits and opportunities does this provide to our students? • How does this change teaching? • Who owns the learning? • How does this speak to student engagement and authentic

learning?• Will this approach adequately cover curricular outcomes?

Challenges and OpportunitiesStudent Inquiry

Table Activity• Choose one of the questions or one of your own for some

further inquiry.• Use the articles available to you on the wiki to find two or

three quotes that speak to the question you have selected.

• Post the quotes on the wiki for sharing.

Co-Creating a Shared Vision 101• The importance of a clear vision, once again.• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2oqPAcuYT7Q

Telling

Selling

Testing

Consulting

Co-Creating

Degree of Active Involvement

Adapted from: Senge, (1994), The Fifth Discipline Field book.

Co-Creating a Shared Vision 101

Co-Creating a Shared Vision 101

• Mission: Chinook’s Edge School Division will engage every student in meaningful learning by challenging, encouraging and believing in them.

• Vision: Chinook’s Edge School Division will be universally recognized as a collaborative learning community where learning is personalized for all students to achieve success as compassionate and innovative global citizens.

Co-Creating a Shared Vision 101

Vision Statements are:• Future focused• A target that gives meaning to our daily work• Statements that provide guidance and inspiration • Compelling and memorable

Successful Visions Are:

WWF• We seek to save a planet, a world of life. Reconciling the

needs of human beings and the needs of others that share the Earth.

• A compelling target that gives meaning to the work

Ford• To become the world's leading Consumer Company for

automotive products and services.• Future focused and meant to guide and inspire

Do Not Put Limits on a Vision• “Flight by machines heavier than air is unpractical (sic)

and insignificant, if not utterly impossible.” – Simon Newcomb; The Wright Brothers flew at Kittyhawk 18 months later.

• “The horse is here to stay but the automobile is only a novelty – a fad.” — The president of the Michigan Savings Bank advising Henry Ford’s lawyer, Horace Rackham, not to invest in the Ford Motor Co., 1903

• “We will never make a 32 bit operating system.” — Bill Gates

• We don’t need to worry about I-pads in Chinook’s Edge. They will not make an impact. – Ray Hoppins

Spelling Out the Vision

In your group• Discuss words and phrases that reflect and highlight your image

of the future of libraries.

Consider:• What does a quality learning environment look like in a

contemporary library and how does this serve tomorrow’s learner?• CESD overall mission and vision• The learning commons concept• Competencies for a 21st century learner• CESD’s Quality Learning Environment

Vision statements create the future, not predict the future.

Spelling Out the Vision

• What do we want to create?• Visionary – sees what is possible• Compelling and inspiring• Provides a target

• Use the chart paper at your table to share your 5 key words and phrases that speak to a vision for libraries and tomorrow’s learner.

What does a quality learning environment look like in a contemporary library and how does this serve the needs of tomorrow’s learner?

Vision Statements are:• Future focused• A target that gives meaning to our daily work• Statements that provide guidance and inspiration • Compelling and memorable

Spelling Out the VisionCross Pollinating: Defending and Deciding

Two forward, one back…

Have two members of your table move forward to the next highest numbered table and have one member move back one table.

Share and discuss the work of the groups for 7 minutes.

Upon return to your table, re-examine your selection of words and phrases. Post your most critical 5 key words and phrases to the Google Drive.

So, Is There a Pattern Here?• Choose a spokesperson from your table to give a shout

out of two of your important library vision tenets.

• Let’s go table by table and hear two key words or phrases.

Next Steps

• Steering committee will take your feedback to compose and wordsmith a district wide vision to guide the transformation of our libraries

• The vision will go to the Board for approval and endorsement

• The vision will help guide decisions within the district and within each school

How Will the Vision Come to Life?• We will create a facilitation guide, a roadmap for moving forward

toward the vision co-created here.• It should be featured in each school’s education plan, supporting

both literacy and student engagement.• Through your efforts at advocacy and support for change

The Challenge to You• Challenge to each participant is to become champions in

their own buildings around the division wide vision• Ownership of change within the building must be held and

supported by all, administration, teachers, library staff, parents and students for it to work

Thanks for being here• We very much appreciate your input during the day.• Please take the time to fill out the survey sheets at your

table to give us some feedback about the day and about what next steps you are considering.