Evaluation Plan to Improve Reference Services

Context of the Library/Learning Commons

Our school is an inner-city public secondary school in Surrey, British Columbia.  Despite the negative connotations the moniker “inner-city” brings to mind, our school is noted for its high academic and musical achievements.  Our school is also an International Baccalaureate school (IB school) for grades 8 through 10; this program is called the Middle Years Program or MYP, of the IB world educational organization.  The IB program focuses on international-mindedness, and encourages students to become caring, service oriented, thinking citizens in their communities.

Our Library/Learning commons is physically substantial in size with roughly fifty percent of the square meterage divided between fiction and non-fiction books in the stacks, ample study space in the form of moveable tables, a few comfortable chairs, many highly visible periodicals, private meeting rooms for both students and teachers, and computers that are present on almost all of the glass-walled perimeter space.  The Library/Learning Commons is also centrally located within the school and the space is used not only for library use but also for tutorial/homework club which runs three days a week after school, for all staff meetings, department head meetings, and specific types of exams on occasion in addition to research and booked computer use time.

The Library/Learning Commons is an important and valued space within the school, it is well respected and utilized by students and staff and the Teacher-Librarian is a visible, and active colleague, who regularly collaborates and assists teachers across all disciplines with unit planning, individual lesson plans as well as seeking out resources on teacher’s behalf.

Our Library/Learning Commons also participates in the “Surrey Teens Read” annual book ranking, and these books (which have been personally read by the Teacher-Librarian as well as by students) are on full display as you first walk in to the library and students are able to vote on their favourite book to nominate the Surrey Teen book of the year.  Finally, our art department, and Aboriginal department share space with the library to showcase student artwork throughout the Library/Learning Commons as well as Aboriginal events happening within the school.  While there is a reference section devoted to International Languages, there are very few books available, are only in French and are rarely checked out, although the Teacher-Librarian shares that some students will browse through these items on occasion.  The International Languages Reference section will be the focus of this report.

Context of the Library/Learning Commons: 

• Current student population is 1, 289 students
• Library is well-used by students in terms of book check outs and computer usage
• Student demographic is culturally diverse, with a multi-lingual population within the school
• Library/Learning Commons computer bookings and class research time is booked through the Teacher-Librarian’s open calendar bookable online at school
• Students may check out up to 4 books at a time and may keep materials for 2 weeks with the option to renew at the end of the 2 weeks
• Magazines and other periodicals may also be taken out for the same time period and eBooks, including an ereader (eBooks not well utilized by students)
• Reference area of the Library/Learning Commons is very small and not well utilized and mainly comprises dictionaries, atlases and large books that are often dated in age
• The school subscribes to both print and digital resources in French, Spanish and Chinese
• Large, up to date teacher resource area, that is well-utilized and all staff may take out books and other materials for an indefinite period of time with the permission of the Teacher-Librarian
• Teacher-Librarian has a weekly report of what’s happening and what’s new in the Library/Learning Commons
• Teacher-Librarian welcomes suggestions, and collaboration to purchase new materials for the Library/Learning Commons

Specific Library/Learning Commons Data:

• Items in collection number 27, 730 including all print, audiovisual, and digital resources (eBooks and digital)
• Average age of the collection is 2004
• There are approximately 4.6 items per student based on current school population which is down considerably from prior years
• Fictional books occupy the most visible shelf space as do periodicals
• Computer stations are plentiful and easily accessible to students
• Printers are available for student use
• Laminating available to teaching staff
• Basic office supplies available to students while they are working in the library (pens, pencils, 3-hole punch, post-it notes, stapler, erasers, etc.)

The following collection map table reflects the print collection that is currently in the Library/Learning Commons:

Category Non-Fiction October 2018

Dewey                                                                                     Number of Books        Average Age 

000      Computer Science, Information and General Works     171                  2005

100      Philosophy & Psychology                                                     345                  2004

200      Religion                                                                                    350                  2000

300      Social Sciences                                                                        2, 111              2002

400      Language                                                                                106                  1998

500      Science                                                                                     578                  2005

600      Technology                                                                              957                  2004

700      Arts & Recreation                                                                   832                  2002

800      Literature                                                                                 4, 661              2005

900      History & Geography                                                             2, 953              1993

 

Category Fiction, Reference, and other print materials:

Classification                                                                           Number of Books        Average Age

General Fiction                                                                        13, 149                        2006

Reference                                                                                  230                              1993

Paperbacks (not catalogued)                                                 0                                  N/A

Easy Readers                                                                            172                              2007

Audio Visual    (DVD’s, etc.)                                                   683                              2005

Collection Evaluation Report Sub-set:  Foreign Language Materials (Print)

The Library/Learning Commons has a print section devoted to foreign language materials, that is highly visible to students and staff, and comprises a unique shelving structure, but the print material is incredibly limited in number and scope and contains only French language books that are of a juvenile nature.  While the report generated by the Teacher-Librarian lists 106 books in the language category there are in fact, less books.  Our school, as an IB school must teach at least 2 international languages, and all students must take both of these languages in grade 8, and must choose 1 in grade 9 and follow through with this same language until grade 10 at a minimum.  Our international language courses are in French and Spanish.

The above image shows the small metal shelving unit that displays the entire international languages reference section.  Despite the display stating that books are in French and Spanish, there are only French books present.  There is not a single book in Spanish.  Photo source: report’s author.

The type of books available in the Library/Learning Commons shown above are not entirely age appropriate for secondary; however, as these resources are rarely used by students, they are in excellent condition and some titles may appeal to the junior grades.  Sample titles include French colors, French numbers, or simple French phrase books at the most basic level, although there are a few Tin Tin series books by Herge.  Such books are of little benefit to students of French, and there are no Spanish print materials housed in this collection.  This collection does not benefit students at the senior level, in either French or Spanish.  Interestingly, there is 1 new Spanish book to the collection this year entitled “Cuentos de Buenas Noches para Ninas Rebeldes: 100 Historias de Mujeres Extraordinarias” by Elena Favilli et al (2017) translated from the original English book “Bedtime Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 stories by extraordinary women” also by Elena Favilli.

This foreign language sub-set in the Library/Learning Commons collection must be increased to reflect the school’s academic MYP program and comprise far more print materials in both French and Spanish.  It is also recommended that foreign language print material include additional languages such as Tagalog, Chinese, Punjabi, Korean and Arabic to reflect the diverse nature of the student demographic.  Such an increase in materials to the collection would better reflect the academic subjects taught in the school and be more inclusive and reflective of the student body and support the aims and goals or creating internationally-minded citizens, as dictated by the International Baccalaureate organization.  Resources must include fiction and non-fiction materials (novels in French and Spanish, as well as linguistic items).

Conversely, the Library/Learning Commons digital resources are excellent for French and Spanish, and some Mandarin Chinese electronic materials are also offered (Mandarin and Cantonese speakers can both read these resources as they use the same characters for both languages).

Recommendations:

Foreign language print materials should more accurately reflect the International Languages taught at the school, which are French and Spanish.  A variety of fictional books, magazines, and other print materials, including print matter in additional languages, would better serve the student body and teaching staff, and increase circulation and interest in these materials. Resources must include fiction and non-fiction materials (novels in French and Spanish, as well as linguistic items).  The purchase of these items should be completed within the first month of the start of the school year, by the Teacher-Librarian and the International Languages Department.

Conclusion/Reflection

I realized as I embarked upon this assignment that the only way in which I could complete it was through the expertise of my school Teacher-Librarian and in that realization, I learned so much with respect to looking at the collection, generating reports and learning about other, external companies that work with schools and librarians to manage collections and digital resources.  Prior to this I had not fully considered the extent of the collection housed within the Library/Learning Commons at our schools and the work that is needed to maintain it and ensure that it is of benefit to as many students and colleagues as possible, and in saying that, how challenging it is to please everyone in a school as large as ours.  Collections can also be personal in nature and I am always intrigued by sub-sets within collections, such as foreign language materials, and wonder what processes are involved in having certain materials, and even certain languages, over others, and how those resources were decided upon in the first place.  It was somewhat cathartic to voice my opinion on the minimal print international language materials that are available in my teaching disciplines of Spanish and French at my school and other schools.  Nevertheless, the digital resources are wonderful with respect to languages in our school, and I can appreciate that it is difficult to find suitable resources of any kind, that will be well circulated and utilized, without consuming too much shelf space among all the other subjects and disciplines in any school and are within budget.  In sum, it has made me appreciate the monumental task that maintaining a collection entails and the careful thought that must go into the selection of a school’s resources while trying to please as many patrons, and teaching colleagues as is possible.

Works Cited

Favilli, Elena, and Francesca Cavallo. Cuentos De Buenas Noches Para Ninas Rebeldes: 100 Historias De Mujeres Extraordinaries. Planeta, 2017.

“Follett Titlewave®.” TITLEWAVE | Follett School Solutions, http://www.titlewave.com/.

Mardis, Marcia A. The Collection Program in Schools: Concepts and Practices. 6th ed., Libraries Unlimited, An Imprint of ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2016.

“Welcome to SD No. 36 (Surrey) Catalogue.” Welcome to SD No. 36 (Surrey) Catalogue, library.sd36.bc.ca/.

Hasta La Vista Baby

Libraries are for everyone, and languages are used by everyone.  I have been thinking about books, words and languages all my life.  Even when I was very little, I had a friend whose mother was Polish, and I was fascinated by the fact that her mother could make all these strange sounds when speaking to her that she seemingly understood, and yet I had no idea what she was saying.  Likewise, my friend could make the same types of noises or could magically respond in English.  I tried making my own language, to see if such noises could work for my family and me but somehow it did not.  My mother is a native Gaelic speaker from the Northwest of Scotland, but there are very few speakers of this language and as my father only spoke English, so did my siblings and I.

Nevertheless, in grade 4, I began to learn some French at school, and I was thrilled.  I loved it but really could not understand or respond in French.  French continued for me all the way to grade 12, but again my ability to speak and understand French was frustratingly very little.  At university, I continued to take French, again with little to show for my efforts.

Discouraged with French, I decided to try Spanish, so I took a first year Spanish course and I loved it.  The pace was quicker, somehow less intimidating, and I was away to the races.  Ultimately, I achieved a Bachelor’s Degree in Spanish, worked, and traveled in Spain, Chile and Mexico, where after a considerable amount of time, I could finally function in a language other than my own.  I am now a Spanish and French high school teacher, teaching all levels of Spanish but maddeningly only grade 8 French.  I continue to pursue French, and now German too, and my Spanish background helps me with both of these languages.  My life long fascination of languages, any language, has stayed with me, and I love hearing and learning about other people’s languages; no matter where those languages, or people, are from.

As a teacher, I try very hard to help my students practice and make connections to Spanish, and to French, through their own cultural backgrounds and the languages they speak at home.  I want them to gain confidence in speaking and interacting with others who speak differently than they do but most importantly, I want them to be able to speak; to communicate.  The reading, the writing, and the grammar rules will follow.

My greatest challenge, and a question that constantly burns, is this: how can European students, both Western and Eastern, learn English so well, as well as multiple other European languages?  How is it, that in Canada, with French as one of the two official languages, that there are very few students in Western Canada, apart from those students in French immersion, who can leave high school, and are able to speak French with some semblance of fluency?  This phenomenon holds true for Spanish and other languages that the Ministry of Education in British Columbia retains as part of the international languages curriculum.  I believe this lack of ability to speak French, or Spanish, or any other language taught in the school system, is simply a lack of effort, a lack of focus, an unbalanced system of access, lack of respect, and a failure to understand why other languages are necessary in society.

In light of this exasperatingly slow advance in the teaching of international languages, I believe the school library/learning commons could truly help facilitate speaking fluency in French, Spanish and other languages.  Schools need reference materials for all languages, not just French, in print and digital formats, that need to be clearly promoted, with valuable real estate shelf space and accessibility.  For example, while our school has some excellent Spanish language electronic resources, and some French resources, there is only 1 Spanish print resource in the entire school collection.

Our electronic resources are:

• El País (daily newspaper from Spain) https://elpais.com/elpais/portada_america.html
• El Mundo (daily newspaper from Spain) https://www.elmundo.es/
• ¡Hola! (Spanish gossip/celebrity weekly magazine) https://www.hola.com/
• People magazine in Spanish https://peopleenespanol.com/

Our 1 print resource:

Cuentos de buenas noches para ninas rebeldes : 100 historias de mujeres extraordinarias      Call #: 305.409 FAV Favilli, Elena. Published 2017 Interest Level: 3-6

This book is a translation of the original English version, by the same author, called “Bedtime Stories for Rebel Girls: 100 Stories of Extraordinary Women”.

Some recommended resources and ideas for the school library/learning commons:

• Mango Languages https://mangolanguages.com/ An electronic language learning platform for many languages
• French, Spanish, and other language “cafes” that can be held weekly in the library/learning commons.
• Books in French, as well as Spanish, Japanese, Punjabi, Mandarin for beginners plus other languages.
• A separate reference section for international languages in the library/learning commons.
• Weekly drop-ins with native speakers.
• Access to international television programs such as http://www.mhzchoice.com
• Schools should promote international languages as an incentive to having better employment, better communities, a more connected Canada, and a better brain in later life.

There are many more resources and ideas that could be listed here.  And while the suggestions above, will help students, particularly at the secondary level, ultimately we need to start teaching children in Kindergarten, that French, and other languages are important, good for our society, are part of our national identity and need to be learned as part of a complete education.

Please find below the Ministry of Education’s International Language curriculum content as of 2018:

Languages Curriculum

British Columbia Ministry of Education

American Sign Language

Find out more about the American Sign Language curriculum

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Core French

Find out more about the Core French curriculum

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German

Find out more about the German curriculum

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Italian

Find out more about the Italian curriculum

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Japanese

Find out more about the Japanese curriculum

Korean

Find out more about the Korean curriculum

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Mandarin

Find out more about the Mandarin curriculum

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Punjabi

Find out more about the Punjabi curriculum

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Spanish

Find out more about the Spanish curriculum

 

Works Cited

Bing, Microsoft, 2018, http://www.bing.com/images/.

Welcome to SD No. 36 (Surrey) Catalogue, library.sd36.bc.ca/cataloging/servlet/handlebasicsearchform.do.

“A Fun-Infused Way to Learn a New Language.” Mango Languages, mangolanguages.com/index.html.

“MHz Choice Subscription.” MHz Choice, 2018, http://www.mhzchoice.com/.

Ministry of Education. “Languages Curriculum.” Province of British Columbia, Province of British Columbia, 22 Aug. 2018, www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/teach/curriculum/english/international-languages.

Winnfield, Mabus, director. Iron Man 2. YouTube, YouTube, 6 Apr. 2015, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwnksI2ZoJI.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Concerning Teachers

The following looks at the resource and teaching practice challenges of 2 international language teachers in a Vancouver Lower Mainland public Secondary school with respect to “The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM): A Model for Change in Individuals”.  The teachers’ concerns, or lack thereof, are factual; however, only their initials are used.

Teacher DD:

Experienced French teacher (11 years of teaching)

• Transferred this school year from another secondary school.
• Currently teaching junior French, grades 8 and 9 and grade 8 Spanish. While by training a French teacher, her classes include 4 blocks of Spanish 8 paired with 4 blocks of French 8 in a linear school year.

Teacher enjoys active practice methods such as movement, frequent oral practice, high noise and energy levels, but needs a textbook devoted to French to guide and supplement her practice.  DD is comfortable with junior grades but classes are maxed at 30 children per class or close to it, in addition to several students with designations (students with either health or behavioural challenges such as autism) as school adheres to a full inclusion model in the classroom.  Designations are proportionately higher in the junior grades as opposed to the senior grades (grades 11 and 12) but are less than in Spanish classes.

DD’s challenges in her current classroom with respect to resources:

International languages department does not employ a textbook for any grade level of French.  (An excellent textbook is available for Spanish through all grade levels).  Teachers are expected to create their own coursework and reference materials while adhering to a set of procedural guidelines and to the new British Columbian curriculum.  Certain standards of achievement must be attained for each grade level, including number and types of verbs, themed vocabulary and projects, etc.

Teacher CK:

Experienced French teacher (also 11 years of teaching).

• Has been teaching at this secondary school for 8 years and is the Department Head for the International Languages Department.
• Only teaches French and only at the senior level, grades 11 and 12.

Teacher CK employs her years of experience teaching French through highly structured activities, that are excellent but routine in nature, and involve little physical movement throughout the classroom.  CK is highly organized and is satisfied with her teaching resources that she has created for her classroom use and practice, which also reflect her teaching style.  CK, as per the rest of the languages department, does not employ a French textbook and prefers this method of approach to the language where she feels she has more control and input over what students are learning through the supplementation and creation of her own resources, but which respect British Columbia’s new curriculum guidelines.  CK is also responsible for assisting senior students with the DELF exam for French, which is an internationally recognized examination from the French Ministry of Education.  DELF stands for Diplôme d’études en langue Française.  Please see http://www.ciep.fr/en/delf-dalf for more information.  A similar type of exam is offered for Spanish, and other European languages, but this is not offered at the school.  The French DELF exam is the only international recognized language exam at the school and senior French students are the only students who can take this exam under the guidance of the Department Head (CK).  This is not a point of contention in the department but is reflective of the control that some teachers have over their practice while other teachers, have less control and therefore can feel less empowered in both their value as teachers, and in their practice.  Ultimately, a sense of control on behalf of the teacher extends to having access to relevant language materials and includes helping students have access to resources to achieve the most desirable level of language acquisition at the secondary level.

CK’s challenges in her current classroom with respect to resources:

Little to none apart from employing BC’s new curriculum at the senior grade level of French.

In short, all language teachers at this school, indeed all schools, will benefit from a feeling of control and access to resources in their practice, and an ability to assist in the selection of shared resources through collaboration and a selection of additional and new resources.

While one teacher (CK) is comfortable with the status quo, and has worked hard to create and maintain her own method of teaching practice, the other teacher (DD) is left questioning what is expected of her in terms of French course completion and how she can best manage her method of practice.  DD must adapt to her new teaching position, as well as create her own resources, and best serve the needs of A) herself and B) her students.  This is reflective of the initial stages of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model in Susan Loucks-Horsley article.  Indeed, DD’s change of job and need to understand the goals and aims of her new school and new department are in fact, drivers of her questioning and need to understand and better access reference resources and create a change for herself and her students. “Learning brings change”.  Each teacher is represented in the table below yellow and green highlights below.  

Teacher DD Teacher of Junior grades: 8 and 9	Teacher CK – Department Head, Teacher of Senior grades:  11 and 12
French Teacher and Spanish Teacher	Teacher of French only
New to school	8th year in school
Uncomfortable with no French textbook	Comfortable with no French textbook
Needs textbook reference to assist with teaching criteria of French and Spanish	Does not need textbook to assist with teaching criteria of French
Comfortable with teaching but not without provided resources	Comfortable with personal teaching and reference resources
Feeling a loss of control with lack of access to reference resources	Feeling in control after years of honing personal reference materials
Teacher is resourceful but feeling stressed	Teacher is comfortable with current resources and feel little stress
Willing to share and collaborate	Willing to share and collaborate
Approachable and helpful	Approachable and helpful
Organized, seeking new resources and willing to learn new strategies	Exceptional organization skills, somewhat resistant to new resources and strategies
Has strong need for additional resources	Has little need or want for additional resources
No access to DELF or DELE resources (Spanish language certification in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)	Only teacher with access to DELF and/or DELE (DELF is the only reference resource used at this school)
Practice is stunted	Practice is stagnant

DD’s Stages of Concern of the Concerns-Based Adoption Model are highlighted in yellow below.

CK’s Stages of Concern are highlighted in green below.

Stage of Concern	Expression of Concern
6. Refocusing	I have some ideas about something that would work even better.
5. Collaboration	How can I relate what I am doing to what others are doing? DD
4. Consequence	How is my use affecting learners? How can I refine it to have more impact? DD
3. Management	I seem to be spending all my time getting materials ready. DD
2. Personal	How will using it affect me? CK
1. Informational	I would like to know more about it. CK
0. Awareness	I am not concerned about it. CK

Levels of Use of the Innovation: Typical Behaviors

Levels of Use	Behavioral Indicators of Level
VI. Renewal	The user is seeking more effective alternatives to the established use of the innovation.
V. Integration	The user is making deliberate efforts to coordinate with others in using the innovation. DD
IVB. Refinement	The user is making changes to increase outcomes. DD
IVA. Routine	The user is making few or no changes and has an established pattern of use. DD
III. Mechanical	The user is making changes to better organize use of the innovation.
II. Preparation	The user has definite plans to begin using the innovation.
0I. Orientation	The user is taking the initiative to learn more about the innovation. CK
0 . Non-Use	The user has no interest, is taking no action. CK

How can DD and CK work together for the benefit of the entire international languages department?  As one can see from the tables above that demonstrate “Expression of Concern” versus “Use of the Innovation” there is a discrepancy between the types of concerns but there is a greater discrepancy between the use of innovation and typical behaviours which presents an interesting dilemma.

Image above courtesy of http://www.sedl.org

Clearly, DD and CK have similar motivations.  They are both experienced language teachers who wish to perform their jobs to the best of their ability, but their current teaching practice in language is heavily based on their situational experiences and newness to the school’s practices, policies and procedures.  DD must learn so much and in addition, she must create or seek out references and resources for her own practice without the guide of a textbook or other such resource.  CK, as the Department Head, must support DD’s pursuit of resources for her practice to the benefit of DD’s success as a teacher in her new school, but also to the benefit of the entire department.

Possible solutions to the Concerns-Based Adoption Model approach as a Model for Change in Individuals:

• Support DD in her adjustment to her new school as a welcomed and included and supported member of the department
• Collaborate as a department to pilot a textbook for French
• Consult the school’s Teacher-Librarian to support that piloting and search for an appropriate textbook for all grade levels
• Employ the Teacher-Librarian to seek out new French and Spanish resources, in both print and electronic form to be shared across the department
• Create shared assessments for each level of French that reflect the new curriculum and also attain the required levels of achievement for each grade level of French, from grade 8 to grade 12 thereby reducing the pressure upon individual teachers to create their own assessment resources
• Create a monthly collaboration time to share resources and offer new items to the department
• Employ a departmental approach the Common European Framework of Languages exams in French (DELF and DALF) and Spanish (DELE) to support students and create awareness of this important reference resource
• Promote the Common European Framework of Languages, in addition to other languages, in the school
• Create a school culture, via the Learning Commons, that connects the school to the importance of the study of international languages through foreign language resources, such as books and other print material, as well as cultural displays
• Evidence of Implementation: Weekly meetings, Learning Commons displays and involvement, support of Administration

 

Works Cited

The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM): A Model for Change in Individuals, http://www.nationalacademies.org/rise/backg4a.htm.

“Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM).” Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) at SEDL, http://www.sedl.org/cbam/.

“DELF – DALF.” CIEP, 27 June 2017, http://www.ciep.fr/en/delf-dalf.

“Levels of Use – Concerns-Based Adoption Model.” Google Sites, sites.google.com/site/ch7cbam/home/levels-of-use.

“The CEFR Levels.” Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), http://www.coe.int/en/web/common-european-framework-reference-languages/level-descriptions.

http://www.sedl.org/cbam/cbam-916.jpg

 

 

 

 

The Art of Listening

While Rachel Weisz’s role in The Mummy as the haphazard, but clever, librarian is comical, the scene is intriguing because it is somewhat reflective of Ann Marlow Reidling’s chapter 9 sub headings of “The Patron – The Student, The Setting and You – The School Library Media Specialist”.  Reflective because Weisz’s character undoubtedly works on behalf of the museums patrons, the setting of the Museum of Antiquities library is absolutely beautiful and in the film, she is the equivalent of the Library Media Specialist.  Entertainment certainly, but as the head librarian “interviews” Weisz, he fails to listen to the value of her responses and is dismissive and uninterested in what she has to say (ignoring of course, the chaos that has just transpired).  Thus not only are questions important but listening to the answers of those questions is paramount.

Part 3 of Ann Marlow Reidling’s book, Reference Skills for the School Librarian, is entitled “The Art of Questioning” but what makes a successful questioner or in the Teacher-Librarian’s case, a successful reference interviewer?  An expert listener is what makes a good reference interviewer.  From discovering what it is the student is seeking and hoping to accomplish to picking up on body language and reacting carefully to what the students is both saying and asking.  Reidling states “Interviewing involves the hearing of the way things are being said, the tones used, and the expressions and gestures employed” (p. 103).   Undoubtedly, in order to ascertain what a student not only needs, but wants, it is crucial to not only ask the right questions, but listen even more closely to the answers given.  In other words, without the art of listening Reidling also states that “communications may become miscommunications when a student in unable to verbalize his or her information need” (p. 101) and as such, the Teacher-Librarian must be in possession of not only exceptional interpersonal skills but a high degree of human intuitiveness.

To support the importance of relationship building and expert reference interviewing, I think of a secondary Teacher-Librarian I know, who is wildly popular among students and staff, and the school Library/Learning Commons is a buzzing, happening place where both teachers and students work, ask advice and collaborate together to create unit plans, conduct research and utilize the space for what it should be; a place that is shared, where information is found and where many a conversation takes place in a welcoming natural light filled atmosphere.  Even Shakespeare’s birthday is celebrated every year with cake and literature for all.  It is akin to group academic therapy that benefits the school tremendously in so many ways.  As Shayne Russell’s article suggests “Collaboration is based on shared goals, a shared vision, and a climate of trust and respect (Muronago & Harada, 1999).”  Certainly, this Teacher-Librarian’s ability to unite both staff and students is a boon for all, in addition to increased academic achievement.

Never believe a few caring people can’t change the world. For indeed, that’s all who ever have.
Margaret Mead

Source: Margaret Mead quote and image above from http://www.eic-nv.org/collaborate.html

Works Cited

“COLLABORATE.” EDUCATION INNOVATION COLLABORATIVE, http://www.eic-nv.org/collaborate.html.

RIEDLING, ANN MARLOW. HOUSTON CYNTHIA. REFERENCE SKILLS FOR THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN: Tools and Tips, 4th Edition. LIBRARIES UNLIMITED, 2013.

russell, shayne. “ERICDIGESTS.ORG.” Teachers and Librarians: Collaborative Relationships. ERIC Digest., http://www.ericdigests.org/2001-2/librarians.html.

“YouTube.” YouTube, YouTube, 24 Feb. 2018, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbq2UV3XSeU.

Evaluation of a Reference Work

For this evaluative assignment, it seemed reasonable to visit my school library/learning commons and consult the reference section.  A seemingly good idea and certainly easily accessible with just a stroll from my classroom, in the international languages department, to the centrally located school library; however, I quickly realized that our school’s reference section is virtually non-existent and mainly comprises teacher resource materials that are not accessible to students or simply large dictionaries and atlases. 

This small reference section in my school library led me to the much larger local branch of the Surrey Public Library, and while it too was small in nature, it had more of the hallmarks of a classical reference section.

Surrey Public Library, Fleetwood Branch

Background of Surrey Public Libraries and the context of this reference evaluation:

• Surrey Libraries: Founded 1983
• Annual Budget: 16 million CAD
• Circulation: 4 million
• Population Served: 516, 000
• Staff: 250
• Branches: 9
• Director: Surinder Bhogal, Chief Librarian

Reference Work Evaluated: World Book Encyclopedia 2017

World Book Encyclopedia 2017 is a series of alphabetically categorized subject books, that students of all ages can access to discover information on thousands of topics in standard book format.

From the publisher:

World Book Encyclopedia 2017

2017 marks the centenary of the publication of its first edition and celebrates 100 years of serving readers everywhere who strive to learn and to know.

The World Book Encyclopedia, 2017, is a general A-Z look-up source in 22 hard-cover volumes full of accurate and trustworthy facts. Whether you are proving a point during a dinner-table discussion or making sure of a fact for a homework assignment, answers are here! Tens of thousands of index entries make it easy for you to find information wherever it is in the set. Abundant colorful photos, diagrams, charts, tables, and maps supplement the easy-to-read text. Along with the 17,000 articles is useful advice about studying and report writing for elementary through intermediate grades students.

Which South American countries were liberated by Simón Bolivar? What kind of animal is a uakari? Julia Gillard was prime minister of which country? How many kinds of trout are there in North America? Is an entrechat something to eat? School-age readers (ages 9-18) to adults: Bring your questions to The World Book Encyclopedia for answers!

SKU: 10044

ISBN: 978-0-7166-0117-3

Pages: 14,000+

Volumes: 22

Retail: $1,199.00

Sale Price:            $649.00

Images source above:    “World Book Encyclopedia 2017.” World Book, http://www.worldbook.com/world-book-encyclopedia-2017.

Image below courtesy of author:

The above image represents the only reference section found at the Fleetwood branch of the Surrey Public Library.

Findings:

In speaking with one of the Librarians working at the Fleetwood branch, she felt that not only was their reference section incredibly lacking it seemed to serve very little purpose, and was simply an area to store oversized books and older reference materials and the World Book encyclopedias.  Much like my school library, the reference section seemed to harbour items too large to carry, or materials that were not useful or accessible to students.  Interestingly, this section at the Fleetwood library is also not labeled, resulting in patrons having to ask at the information desk where the reference materials are within the library.  This lack of signage, may contribute to the reference section’s lack of importance in the library and the fact that this area, and its purpose, are not well understood by library patrons; particularly students (secondary and post-secondary) using the library for research and study.

The Fleetwood branch of the Surrey Public Library is much smaller than other branches, which undoubtedly contributes to the size of the reference area; however, patrons are encouraged to visit the much larger branches of Guildford and City Centre for research.

In sum, while the World Book Encyclopedia set is a visually appealing and useful item in terms of information and physical accessibility, it is an outdated and antiquated source that students are a) either no longer interested in or b) are unaware of its existence and purpose in an unmarked reference area.  The library has the 2017, 2016 and 2015 series.  They may purchase for 2018 but that has not been determined.

At a cost of nearly $1200.00 US, the library and its patrons, particularly elementary and secondary students, would be better served by directing these funds to an alternative reference source and the dissemination of these sources.  Students and other library patrons may be more inclined to use the World Book reference, if they were directed to do so, either by signage or library staff, or to access the online version of this source.  This aspect of the reference was only clear to patrons after much time spent searching online and does not appear available through the library online catalogue of the Surrey Public Library.

The evaluation of the World Book Encyclopedia 2017 completed set was based on the following rubric:

Physical Use of Space Reference areas occupy an acceptable amount of shelf space within the library and is well served by patrons and students	Too much shelf space and or floor space within the library. Dominates space	Acceptable amount of space with good signage and labeling	Poor use of space, lack of signage; reference area is very small based on patron demographic
Relevance Reference source is relevant to todays’ students based on accessibility and format	Source is relevant in terms of information sought and is topical in nature	Information is current and useful for patron research; particularly for elementary and secondary students	Information is antiquated and lacking in relevance for student research and information
Educational Value Reference source is well used by elementary and secondary student patrons and its purpose is understood	Reference source is used daily by library patrons of varying ages seeking out valid reference sources	Reference is used frequently by library patrons and is understood to be for reference purposes only	Reference source is used infrequently and patrons are unclear as to its nature and purpose
Value for Money Reference used to an extent that the purchase cost is outweighed by interest, usefulness to students and accessibility	Cost of reference reflects an excellent expenditure in the library budget as it is well used and contains pertinent information and research for patrons	Cost of reference reflects a good expenditure in the library budget as its use is frequent and beneficial to students seeking information on various topics	Cost of reference reflects a poor use of library budget funds as the reference is underutilized or used very infrequently.  Similar type of information is accessed in differing forms
Ease of Use Is the reference physically easily accessed by library patrons and in a clear and understandable format?	Highly accessible based on visibility and shelf height in clearly signed reference area.  Format of reference is easy to use	Very accessible and well marked for patrons and students of all ages.  Easy to use	Access is limited to patrons and students and format is not easily understood
Technology Used What type of technology is employed/needed to use this reference?	Reference employs computer software to create access to most topical and current information	Reference employs a mixture of computer and print technologies to disseminate information	Reference only applies print based access to library patrons, within the context of the library only

Alternative Reference Source Suggestion to World Book 2017 (or current year World Book) Recommendations

In consultation with the Librarian at the Fleetwood Branch, the Librarian and the author of this evaluation, suggest that the demographic makeup of the patrons of the library, would be better served by the following recommendations:

• Continue to use World Book but as an online resource/reference only
• Create more student connections to the library, through the Youth Librarian’s role as facilitator, by attending local elementary and secondary classrooms to educate and inform students about what reference services are available at the library in both print and online materials
• Engage teaching colleagues, together with the Teacher-Librarian, and the Public Library to utilize online and print reference material through education and training that are specific to subject areas
• Create connections between the Teacher-Librarian and the Public Library, through subject specific help to students, much like Simon Fraser University’s approach to assisting students with research and academic papers https://www.lib.sfu.ca/
• Appreciate that while many students, even at the elementary age, are knowledgeable about social media they are unaware of how to research and access credible information, in their school libraries/learning commons and through the public library system
• Clearly state and label reference areas within the library so patrons and elementary and secondary students are aware that this area exists for their exclusive use as well as direct students to online sources
• Differentiate library access to students with physical disabilities through CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access) http://iguana.celalibrary.ca/iguana/www.main.cls?surl=CELA-Home&theme=celadefault&lang=eng
• Suggested examples to aid students with school work and research through online programs available through the online catalogue at both school and public library. Cost to be determined, although the Librarian acknowledged the expense of such an endeavour to implement such applications in school libraries/learning commons.  The digital programs listed below are only available through the Public Library and only to residents of Surrey:
  • Lynda.com (4000+ online video courses, including business, algebra, etc. taught by world experts)
  • Mango languages app (34 languages including English)
  • Rosetta Stone (Improve your English or 30 different languages)

 

 

Work Cited

Infor Enterprise Software Solutions. “Educators.” CELA – Educators, iguana.celalibrary.ca/iguana/www.main.cls?surl=CELA-educators&lang=eng&theme=reset.

“Surrey Libraries.” Surrey Libraries, surreylibraries.ca/.

Welcome to SD No. 36 (Surrey) Catalogue, library.sd36.bc.ca/.

“World Book Encyclopedia 2017.” World Book, http://www.worldbook.com/world-book-encyclopedia-2017.

 

 

 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

Patriotic sporting events ignite feelings of pride and memories of what was and what is now.  Libraries too hold many memories; indeed, libraries contain not only the memories of our lives, but also the lives of others; the stories of others, the research of others, the imagination of others, and they hold the personal memories of the patrons they have served around the world for over a century of community, and in the case of academia, over hundreds of years, of service.

My mother immigrated to the United States as a baby and grew up in Providence, Rhode Island during the Great Depression.  One of her most lasting, and most pleasant memories of her childhood, is heading to the local library on a Saturday morning.  The library was open from 9am to 12pm and my mother and her sisters were always the first patrons to arrive where the custodian would let them in before anyone else.  My mother passed on her love of the libraries to myself and my siblings, and we are all devoted users of both public and academic libraries.  This unrestricted joy in accessing information in a child’s life is important because it represents that first foray into knowledge and questioning, which as we have seen in Riedling’s text is directly transferable to the realm of the reference process such as the “Super3 Information problem solving model” (Riedling 2013) which even very young students can use to begin the inquiry process.

Image above courtesy of the Providence Athenaeum, where my grandfather was the caretaker.

While the general lay consensus may be that libraries are simply institutions to borrow books, that one must physically seek out oneself, the growth of technology has more accurately reflected the great wealth of resource and reference that the library always was and continues to become.  In other words, the library has evolved from a physical community partner to an online driving force of information and reference, complete with extensive databases, that include everything from academic journals, automotive reference manuals, online periodicals, and international newspapers in multiple languages to name but a few.  Interestingly, many of these databases are even available at the secondary library/learning commons such as Surrey Schools’ Digital Resources platform for both students and teachers: https://www.surreyschools.ca/sites/7V5JQUO4HC/Pages/default.aspx

With respect to post-secondary libraries, Harvard University clearly reflects the evolving establishment of what the library is and what it will become as evidenced in the image below:

Bibliography

“Digital Resources   // .” Home – Surrey Schools, http://www.surreyschools.ca/sites/7V5JQUO4HC/Pages/default.aspx.

“Harvard Library.” Harvard University Library, hul.harvard.edu/.

myzeidi. “Baseball ‘Take Me Out to The Ball Game’ (1908).” YouTube, YouTube, 13 Aug. 2008, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4-gsdLSSQ0.

“Providence Athenæum.” Providence Athenum, providenceathenaeum.org/.

Riedling, Ann Marlow., et al. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips. Linworth, 2013.

 

Vision of the Future and Personal Reflection

My vision of the future is one of fantasy; that modern language acquisitions such as French, Spanish, Japanese and Mandarin will be just some of the languages that are to be spoken fluently and effortlessly in Canada; that encompass any students’ learning and enrich and engage our society.  That languages other than English, will be absorbed and studied as naturally and familiarly as Mathematics, Social Studies, and Physical Education under the all knowing and watchful gaze of the Teacher-Librarian that started it all; myself.  Unlikely?  Probably but we are soon to be so technologically connected like no other group of learners that we will surely all benefit across many academic disciplines.  An unlikely scenario of thrilling collective language learning and deep and meaningful conversations in another tongue is fantasy but perhaps one that seems ever so slightly more tangible when one sees the technological potential that exists and is in use by many educators, within this course and within our own pedagogical practices.

William Kist’s entire book, The Global School, devotes itself to this exchange and interaction using technology in the classroom and clearly and simply lays out how to do just that.  It seems rather foolish not to partake of these incredible high-tech learning experiences and yet the idea still lingers with me that there must be some other mechanism involved; that we are missing something humanly vital in this hurtle towards electronic connectedness.  With respect to modern language acquisition, the goal is that we communicate with others in their language or in ours, and that we gain perspective and understanding and more neurons by doing so.  To speak to others is inherently human, from babies to senior citizens and yet technology can fool us into thinking that the simple act of communicating face to face and touch to touch is not as powerful as the technological bandwagon that you must jump on; that one must surely outweigh the other; and yet it does not.  We are to be partners in crime in this ever expanding universe of technology and foreign language learning.  One cannot exist without the other.

Lera Boroditsky’s 2017 TED talk on the remarkable nuances of human capability in language itself, regardless of technology, is evident and yet without the technology to deliver her message, one would not be able to listen to her talk, record the sounds of these languages she refers to and so on.  The personal take away from her talk is that technology in all of its glory and brilliance, cannot replace or attempt to encompass all that human language involves but it will certainly help with progress and the dissemination of any language and its global advances and economic potential.  Language and technology must swim together in beautiful and murky waters, which in turn challenge our minds to think abstractedly about thought, about sounds and yet all the while technology must be our companion in doing so.

How Language Shapes the Way We Think

It is my ultimate hope, and vision for the future, to capture students’ innate ability to learn language and engage with others globally and to create a real or virtual library of shared understanding and exchanging of ideas, using language face to face, and across digital platforms.

Some of my thoughts are shared here in this PowerPoint presentation:

The Digital Artifact Modern Language Acquisition New Pathways, Old Pathways.

Personal Reflection LIBE 477

This course has proven to be one of encouragement and increasing confidence in the ever present, yet ever changing, world of technology.  Indeed, it has proven to be the most challenging course yet in my teacher-librarianship journey but one I knew I must take as I continue to travel towards full Teacher-Librarianship. Perhaps it is every teacher’s wish, or in this case, university instructor, that her students would not only have learned something but that with that little bit of knowing that they would want to know more, to try more and actually feel that they might have a chance at doing so. In other words, I have learned something, seen something and now want to do something with that learning however tentative and painstaking that may be that will surely only benefit future learning.

It’s not only inspiring to attempt something new, but to also witness the expertise of others, which I have also learned as I studied, and was generally amazed by, other blogs and the ability to integrate technology within any library or learning commons not only in British Columbia, but Canada and beyond.  The possibilities and one’s one path in technology are limitless in direction and choice and while I realize that there is so much to learn and practice these initial steps are crucial at the start of the journey.

In fact, my first attempt at the project was that of a PowerPoint presentation (above), including embedded video, and then I thought why not try making a website?  I’ve made a blog and now I’ve made a website via Weebly.  Sadly, hours of trying to figure it out left me resorting to the PowerPoint but I’m not defeated and will carry on!  Surely this must be the aim of this course and of teaching itself – to try, stumble and try again.

Works Cited

Boroditsky, Lera. “How Language Shapes the Way We Think.” TED: Ideas Worth Spreading, 2017, http://www.ted.com/talks/lera_boroditsky_how_language_shapes_the_way_we_think.

Kist, William. The Global School: Connecting Classrooms and Students around the World. Solution Tree Press, 2013.

El Mundo de las Bibliotecas Latinoamericanas

While I commented on others amazing blog posts this week, one in particular made me smile.  The entry stated that the author found this inquiry more difficult than previous posts but for me it was the opposite; I finally feel that this is something I can comment on through experience and first-hand knowledge.  A first in terms of my (hopefully growing) blogging prowess!

My personal experience from working and travelling through developing countries such as Mexico and Chile is that these fascinating nations are ones of continuing emergence; economically and technologically.  Goods supplied to international markets and developing technology continue to advance and expand.  All Latin American countries are rife with wonderful bookstores, splendid national libraries and have well supported and respected communities of writers that are part of a vibrant and well-established artistic community and have been for 500 years (Fernandez de Zamora)!  If you have money.

Chile, for example, can seem like the land of haves and have nots as I commented in another student’s blog this week.  To illustrate, when I worked in Chile with the Canadian International Development Agency and the Chilean Department of Education, we made a trip to the schools of southern Chile as Chile attempted to reform its public education system based on the Canadian model.  Were there thousands of beautiful new computers placed in rural public schools?  Yes!  Was there electricity and proper infrastructure to support this technology?  No!

There is of course, an appetite for technology naturally within any nation, but the challenge is much more complex than just finding electricity to power that technology.  It is a complex and multi-layered problem that is not easily solved simply by providing an IPad, but it’s also true to say that there are many highly technologically advanced aspects within these countries that is often not mentioned, which also contributes to the less than sophisticated reputation, of many of these countries and maintains that digital divide.  We too are ignorant of the lives of others.

In light of this truth, Chad Everett Allan’s piece in William Kist’s book The Global School, discusses the potential for this technological connection that does exist and is a boon to language teachers, beyond the memorized vocabulary lists.  That is that we can connect with others and perhaps that in of itself will continue to create that bridge, both physically and electronically, through the proper infrastructure needed to build technology and generate the necessary dialogue.

To sum up on a positive note – I include some photos of the libraries of Mexico:

Works Cited

Cocking, Lauren. “The Most Beautiful Libraries In Mexico City.” Culture Trip, 18 Oct. 2016, theculturetrip.com/north-america/mexico/articles/the-most-impressive-libraries-in-mexico-city/.

“Insert a Picture in PowerPoint.” Project, support.office.com/en-us/article/Insert-a-picture-in-PowerPoint-5f7368d2-ee94-4b94-a6f2-a663646a07e1.

Kist, William. The Global School: Connecting Classrooms and Students around the World. Solution Tree Press, 2013.

“La Historia De Las Bibliotecas En México, Un Tema Olvidado.” Censorship in the Soviet Union and Its Cultural and Professional Results for Arts and Art Libraries – 64th IFLA General Conference – Conference Programme and Proceedings, origin-archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla60/60-ferr.htm.

“Oldest Public Library in the Americas Is in Mexico.” ​LATINO BOOK REVIEW, http://www.latinobookreview.com/oldest-library-in-the-americas-is-in-mexico.html.

Will the Real Teacher-Librarian please stand up!

Will the real teacher-librarian please stand up!  Inquiry Blog Post #3 Supporting Teachers’ ICT Curriculum and Pedagogy:  On-going Professional Development

This week’s inquiry blog post leads me to compare and contrast what I have seen, witnessed and experienced in terms of the school library/learning commons and professional development within the school and through district wide professional development workshops and events.

I am very fortunate to teach in a secondary school where the teacher-librarian is an outstanding member of staff who not only contributes and supports the professional development of staff, and supports students, but even runs district wide Pro-d days; she is progressive, well-informed, approachable and works so hard to ensure that she is available to staff and students to support learning.  Perhaps what is most telling is that she doesn’t wait for colleagues to come to her; she promotes and markets her services and skill set like a business advertising its wares.  And it works.  She is not the teacher-librarian that waits for the odd inquiry.  She is what any school librarian and library must be to survive.

By contrast, I know of another teacher-librarian, who isn’t even actually a teacher-librarian.  There is no out-reach to colleagues, no teen book of the year, no website, no blog and quite frankly no interest by students or staff.  It is the classic, derelict realm of a library of yesteryear masquerading as modern because there is an attached computer lab.  It is pitiful and disappointing and yet a library it is because it’s always been there.  It does a disservice to the school and to the profession of teacher-librarianship through its avoidance of anything resembling professional development to either the space, teaching colleagues and ultimately to the students who tries to serve.

American Teacher-Librarian Doug Johnson, who has written several books on librarianship in the age of technology, as well as contributing to his blog, routinely examines the changing roles of teacher-librarian and what is needed to preserve this important and central academic discipline.  In his book, The Indispensable Librarian, he discusses how librarians can contribute to staff development, but realizing too that the learning needs of teachers themselves can be very broad in scope, just as there are many types of teacher-librarians (168-169) and many types of students.  Johnson points out that teacher-librarians are precisely the type of educator that is needed to promote “on-going Professional Development” (171) in order to contribute not only to the profession, but for the benefit of students and teachers and a rapidly changing technology based society.

Here is an excerpt from Johnson’s Blue Skunk Blog:

http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2010/3/2/yesterdays-libraries-tomorrows-libraries-12-differences.html

Yesterday’s libraries, tomorrow’s libraries – 12 differences

Tuesday, March 2, 2010 at 05:53AM

1. Yesterday’s libraries were all about books.
   Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about readers.
2. Yesterday’s libraries were all about getting information.
   Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about creating and sharing information.
3. Yesterday’s libraries were all about silent individuals.
   Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about active groups.
4. Yesterday’s libraries were all about term papers.
   Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about multimedia projects.
5. Yesterday’s libraries were all about bricks and mortar, tables and shelves.
   Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about online services, digital resources.
6. Yesterday’s libraries were all about teaching how to find information.
   Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about teaching how to evaluate and use information .
7. Yesterday’s libraries were all about having program goals.
   Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about helping students, teachers and schools meet their goals.
8. Yesterday’s libraries were all about being directed by a professional librarian.
   Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about developing whole-school ownership.
9. Yesterday’s libraries were all about organizing information by a set of rules.
   Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about helping users organize information in ways that make sense to them.
10. Yesterday’s libraries were all about being copyright enforcers.
    Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about being intellectual property counselors.
11. Yesterday’s libraries were all about order, rules and policies.
    Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about comfort, service and meeting individual needs.
12. Yesterday’s libraries were all about developing print literacy.
    Tomorrow’s libraries will be all about developing multiple literacies – print, auditory, visual.

This means today’s libraries are all about..

• Transition
• Exploration
• Planning
• Survival
• Optimism
• Opportunities

Or they’d better be if there are to be libraries tomorrow.

http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2010/3/2/yesterdays-libraries-tomorrows-libraries-12-differences.html

 

Works Cited

Harvard Library.

“Home – Doug Johnson’s Blue Skunk Blog.” The Blue Skunk Blog, doug-johnson.squarespace.com/.

“13.” The Indispensable Librarian: Surviving and Thriving in School Libraries in the Information Age, by Doug Johnson, Linworth Publ., 2013.

Take this personally…please!

This week’s blog inquiry is perhaps one that I have inadvertently thought about many times and my search into how I can find resources and attend workshops related to teaching languages and the like has often proven to be one of frustration and discouragement; however, this inquiry blog post has turned out to be a fruitful endeavour.  If I was strictly a French teacher, rather than a French and Spanish teacher, my list of opportunities and resources would be a long one, too long in fact for all that is available.  But once a teacher of other languages, looks to see what’s available the trail can quickly turn cold.  That being said, I decided after some searching that I should start local and branch out nationally and internationally and in doing so found some useful resources.

As a nation of 2 official languages, it is only fitting that there should be plentiful French and English resources, and I applaud the education system’s attempt to promote national bilingualism.  It sets Canada apart as a sophisticated and open-minded place, where we promote differences and encourage understanding.  I adore French, as much as I do Spanish and many other languages, but as we teach several different languages across elementary and secondary schools, there should be access to and interest in supporting and sharing these resources.

Indeed, as I began this blog post, I discovered, that in my determination to seek out greater Spanish teaching material and more professional development opportunities, it occurred to me that I had neglected the teachers of languages other than French and Spanish!  That I wasn’t being mindful of the very task that I have not only been assigned to do but to also consider in terms of making connections with colleagues at home and around the world, so I too must reach out to teachers of other languages.  Here are a few useful sites that I found:

The British Columbia Association of Modern Language Teachers, where I discovered my next Professional Development day will be. www.bcatml.org/

and the Canadian Association of Language Teachers, which has a ton of great resources. https://www.caslt.org/en/

And finally, the French site: International Federation of Language Teacher Associations (established in 1931 in Paris). https://fiplv.com/

 

Works Cited

“BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages.” BC Association of Teachers of Modern Languages, http://www.bcatml.org/.

“Canadian Association of Second Language Teachers.” CASLT | ACPLS – Home, www.caslt.org/en/.

“Fiplv.” Fiplv, fiplv.com/.