Sertic's Library Musings

LIBE 467: Assignment #1 - Evaluation of a Reference Work Building on previous research processes, our new BC Curriculum has a new focus on developing inquiry skills in our students. In this model students are: -Actively involved in the learning process -Use prior knowledge -Ask questions -Hypothesize and investigate -Construct new understandings -Communicate their understandings with others -Are reflective and critical thinkers who acquire the skills for independent learning (BCTLA, 2018) As teachers, we want to prepare our students to become educated citizens who can question, reflect, think critically, adapt to change, make decisions, and solve problems “based on accurate and authentic information (Asselin, 2003). In addition, as members of our local and global community, we want our students to connect to themselves as individuals, but also to gain understanding about, and acceptance of, those peoples and places around them. We can provide instruction thr...

Is "Googling It" Enough? -LIBE 467: Theme 1 Reflection Image courtesy of Darpan Magazine       Reflecting on the first theme of this course has my mind constantly connecting to the library at the school in which I work.  The library at FJN Elementary has had a complete overhaul in the last couple of years. The school is the newest school built in Nanaimo, B.C. (circa 1993) and when the library was outfitted during that time, the majority of the collections were obtained from "extras" from other schools and resources found at used book sales.  That, and the fact that there had not been a teacher-librarian in that space for more than a year or two at a time, the school library was severly neglected.  In came a motivated teacher-librarian (two years ago) who is making this her "long-term" job and a supportive adminstrator, our Library Learning Commons is slowly getting rid of a lot of "outdated" materials.  Unfortunately though, with t...