LIBE 477: Reflection On My Learning
LIBE 477: Reflection On My Learning
Wow, these last few weeks have flown by! With the phase two inquiries we had to complete, I have learned so much; not only about the topics, but about myself as a learner and what I’m capable of.
In terms of the topics we looked into, my key takeaways were:
- Developing a reading culture in schools and classrooms can be done in so many creative ways. There isn’t one single answer. What excites me about this is I can take what interests me, what excites me, and pass this along to my students. Hopefully, my passion for creating this reading culture, will “rub off” on my students.
- Professional learning doesn’t have to be a solo activity. Learning about ICT, teaching practices, librarianship, anything education related really, is better done when there is more than one person involved. By sharing our knowledge (ideas, what went well, what did not, etc), we aren’t overwhelmed with the tremendous task of “figuring it all out”. When we collaborate and work together, so much rich learning happens. Taking this further, we can also learn from others on a global scale. By exploring what other libraries and teachers are doing to support their learners and communities, one can gain insight to ideas that may be utilized at a local level as well.
As I reflect on the work I’ve done throughout these inquiries, I realize that my most significant learning was in
the learning process itself. I was taking part in an inquiry journey of my own. With the increased focus on inquiry learning in our BC curriculum, I try to find ways to incorporate inquiry into my classroom, but often am not sure how to begin. By taking part in my own inquiry process, I have learned so much! We were tasked with different topics to explore and by just getting online, I was able to inform myself. Sometimes, as a busy teacher, I find it difficult to find the time for professional development. I now realize, I can hop onto this invaluable resource, the internet, and learn from others who’ve already explored what I want to learn. I’ve realized that the “way” I search makes a difference in the search results. By typing in different search key words/statements, I got more “hits” on my topic and was better able to see which ones were from reliable sources. In addition, by blogging, I’ve learned how to share my learning, get feedback and learn from others. I was astounded by how everyone had slightly different interpretations of the topics given and/or were able to find information that I didn’t come across. By connecting to other group members, I learned even more than I did on my own.
 |
| Image courtesy of: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/ 6-ways-honor-learning-process-terry-heick |
 |
| Image courtesy of: https://usergeneratededucation. wordpress.com/ 2015/02/15/educators-as-lead-learners/ |
My experience and learning with inquiry can now transfer to the classroom. As I provide inquiry opportunities to my students, I can share what I experienced, show them good searching strategies (or how to go about answering the question from different angles), share with them different ways to share their learning, and provide them the space and means to collaborate and learn from their peers. If I were to give my class a single question to explore, as we did with this course, I would hope to see the variety of interpretations as I saw in this course. If students could bring to their inquiries their unique perspectives and interests, I would consider the inquiry lesson a success...because it sure was for me!
Lastly, by blogging what I learned, I was sharing my knowledge with others. Not only was I sharing within this class, but I found myself talking to my colleagues about some of the topics I explored as well. For instance, I shared with our school’s TL and principal some of the fun ideas for developing a reading culture in our schools; not only the ones I discovered, but the ones of my classmates. It is not just me that wants to learn more from others, others want to learn from me too! Connecting with a community of learners in our profession is so valuable. Moving forward, I look forward to sharing with my colleagues other knowledge or skills that I may have and can help others with. I now have the confidence to do so.
 |
| Image courtesy of: https://iedunote.com/learning-continuous-process |
Eix, S. (2016, September 13). B.C.'s New Curriculum Is A Wonder-Inducing Teaching Method. Retrieved from https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/sandy-eix/bc-inquiry-based-curriculum_b_11935894.html
I think you hit the nail on the head with the comment about how there is no one-size-fits-all approach to learning, teaching, or anything really. One of the beautiful things about this job is that I get to find a way to make things work for me and help others find ways that will work for them too.
ReplyDeleteWhat a strong, reflective post that highlights your major takeaways from phase 2. I appreciate your comments about the learning process. Especially your learning about inquiry and the search process. You have captured the main themes of our course here and demonstrated how they transfer to the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI love that the biggest take away was in the learning process itself. How right you are! Such a different answer than my own -- which goes to show, again, how right you are! I really appreciate how your blog posts are exactly what you've titled your blog: Sertic's Library Musings. The inquiry process, when done correctly, can be so valuable to all involved, and your reflection aptly shows this.
ReplyDeleteI can totally relate with your comment on not knowing where to start with inquiry! I think many teachers are in the same boat here and personal experience doing inquiry ourselves plays a huge role in understanding how to teach it. Well done articulating this!
ReplyDelete