LIBE 477 Assignment 1 Part B

 Reading Review Part B

Rabbit Hole (Freepik, 2020)

Research is one of my favourite pastimes but I can easily spiral down the rabbit hole and get lost in links and databases, and have a hard time making decisions.  My keywords are all interconnected in some way, but also stand alone as broad topics.  The keywords from my Reading Review Part A were:

Digital Literacy

Digital Tools

Digital curation

Meaningful Integration of Technology

Creating a Makerspace (on a limited budget).

The following are 5 resources I found especially valuable that I think will provide a strong foundation for future research. 

1. Digital Initiatives for Literacy Development in Elementary Classrooms: Emerging Research and Opportunities,  by Sally Ann Brown 

Image from Amazon.ca

 

Digital Initiatives for Literacy Development in Elementary Classrooms: Emerging Research and Opportunities provides background information as well as concrete strategies for integrating technology into the classroom through digital literacy opportunities. It also provides examples that would lend well to Makerspace and library learning commons.  What particularly drew my attention to this resource was its focus on elementary age learners, which can be challenging to find at times.  

2.  Discovering Media Literacy: Teaching Digital Media and Popular Culture in Elementary School, by Renee Hobbs and David Cooper Moore

Image from Sage Books, 2022

This book outlines the importance of teaching media and digital literacy skills in the classroom and focuses on ways to create meaningful learning opportunities for elementary age students.  The authors address the need for educators to enrich students' learning with the very technology and digital tools students are surrounded by in a media rich culture. There are anecdotal experiences provided by the authors as well as clear lesson plans.  I am really excited about this resource as it provides several ideas and strategies for digital literacy in elementary classrooms and is written in a straightforward manner with real life examples. 

3.  The Elementary School Library Makerspace: A Start-Up Guide, by Marge Cox 

Image from Amazon.ca, 2022

This book covers all things Makerspace and provides the reader with hands-on ideas for various sections of the curriculum. It takes into consideration the materials and resources a school may or may not have available.  The author goes beyond what the reader may consider traditional Makerspace by expanding on lessons to help the reader apply the strategies in a variety of learning environments.  It reads as a beginner’s guide which I found helpful as I have limited experience with Makerspace.  My only concern about this resource is there are limited pages available online but I plan to keep searching as it seems to be a valuable resource for my research and teacher librarian practice.  

4. MediaSmarts.ca 

 

MediaSmarts.ca, 2022

Media Smarts is a Canadian non-profit charitable organization that works to develop digital and media literacy resources and programs that are accessible to schools and households. Through educational lessons, games, and videos, Media Smarts provides resources that connect directly to provincial curricular outcomes. Media Smarts is a valuable website that I was unfamiliar with until last term.  I had not thought of it recently until I came across a tweet on my new Twitter adventures! It is an expansive resource that is relevant to the BC curriculum and BC’s Digital Literacy Framework.  This is a valuable resource with practical lesson plans and resources but is not one I have explored as much as I would like. 

5. Shannon McClintock Miller's Blog, The Library Voice 

Image from The Library Voice, n.d.

Shannon McClintock Miller is a district librarian in Iowa, as well as a speaker, author and advocate (and one of the authors of our class text, Leading from the Library).  She is a leader in technology and librarianship and works with educators around the world.  Her blog provides many digital tools and resources as well as updates in librarianship.   This is a blog I first explored when scrolling through the course resources.  As I was perusing her blog, I recognized a choice board from a colleague’s website.  I am new to choice boards and admit I know little about them but I was intrigued.  I do not think I would have found this site using my key words from Assignment 1 Reading Review Part A, so I am glad to have explored the course readings as this site appears to be a valuable tool for digital curation and resources. 

On a final note….

As an elementary school teacher, I have mixed feelings when I look at the BC Digital Literacy Framework guidelines. The suggestions of what students should be able to do in elementary school is in stark contrast to what I have seen actually happening in schools. I admit I find myself often questioning how realistic these expectations are, such as writing an email for grades K-2 when most students are still learning to print words or turn on a computer and log on independently.  Having TOCed in over 11 elementary schools for 12 years, I feel confident in stating these observations are consistent across the board.  However, I have a love/hate relationship with this document because despite my reservations, I find this website to be one of the most valuable resources I have come across since starting my teacher librarianship. I wanted to mention this resource as I find myself referring to it frequently to help me define vocabulary and understand different forms of digital literacy.  It also provides concrete tangible examples to aspire to even if they seem implausible at times.  It has provided an anchor for my learning, made me rethink my expectations and goals for digital literacy and is one I felt I would be remiss not to include. 

There is an abundance of resources available but this process has given me a better perspective on which topics may be more practical and useful to focus on throughout this term.