Laging Bago ang Mundo ng Libro

Teacher and School Librarian Collaboration: Search Strategies for Grade 9 (2 of 2)

Research Packets: MLA and APA Citation Guides

Understanding the teacher's unit plan or lesson plan helps me identify areas for information literacy skills integration. When I read the unit plan of my co-teacher, I had a clearer understanding of her learning objectives, target work study and research skills (for this instance IB calls it ATL - approaches to learning), the coverage of the concepts and skills to be learned, as well as the context of students. As I wrote in a previous blog post, our grade 9 students are gearing up for the Personal Project. The English unit plan tackles on skills in finding topics for PP, thus, the need to know basic search strategies (Boolean), note taking, bibliography and citations.

Using the unit plan, I wrote down the specific skills I can facilitate. I then met with the English teacher to establish connections and clarify scope of topics I would cover during the 30 minute library session. I made a lot of discoveries: tips and tricks to search sources in Google; worksheets that are appropriate for the students; additional sources for citation guides. I recalled past Information Literacy skills activities I had and there I found basic concepts on search strategies that helped me improve my plan. I reviewed the search functionality of our database subscriptions.

Wolfram Alpha Computes Knowledge for You

 Apparently, the English teacher and I were looking for ways to break apart a cognitive activity and repack it in a way that is easier to grasp and use. We both know that we are teaching thinking skills -- critical and creative thinking. And so, I sent her samples of worksheets I found online as well as suggestions in helping students understand their own process when conducting research at its initial stage. I shared with her search engines I found that show numeric data (Wolfram Alpha, well, it's not a search engine, really) and semantic map (InstaGrok). I suggested that students create a visual map of the task. Mapping one's thoughts help in visualizing thinking and seeing the process at work. I like visual maps and mind maps because both are techniques to metacognition.

In research, and in teaching Information Literacy, it is important for students to know where they are in the process, how they plan to meet goals and answer their research questions, and find ways to overcome road blocks. More importantly, they need to be assured that they have companions in their research.

On the day of the session, the grade 9s, eager beavers they are, were able to use the search strategies taught to them. They used the library OPAC, Googled for internet sources and, because they have bibliographic note cards, located information with in sources. It was a productive session, in general. After a week or so, students come to the library to complete the note taking task that the English teacher gave them. As a summative, they made a visual map or a mind map of their initial journey in researching for topics for their PP.

My new favorite search engine is InstaGrok!

I still have to get back to the English teacher as well as the PP Coordinator, because, I am interested to see how the students arrived at choosing a topic. So, yeah... more about research and IL posts in the future!

Learning From Peers: Observing Classes this Academic Year

Class observations are a regular practice in the Academy. In my six years of stay here, I have visited classrooms of my co-teachers and colleagues and have seen them teach in action. Here is a blog post from 2014 where I write about insights I gained from a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) class I observed back then. 

This academic year, I have been to three classrooms and have been invited by the Business Management (BM) teacher in a class presentation of case studies. I have seen a variety of instructional strategies that my co-teachers employ as well as responses from their students.

I enjoyed listening to students' discussion during an English class. How the teacher gave them confidence to tackle and talk about issues that affected themselves and the world in general. Ursula Le Guin has good stories and essays to bring this out from students, but it is the English teacher's trust on her students that amazed me. The material was chosen well; the instructions to read the material was given ahead of time, with pointers on literary elements for students to pay particular attention to; and students were taught how to take notes at the beginning of the term. So, at Harkness Table, the discussion was very rich. Hope for this country floats!

In Economics, students work in groups accessing and selecting sources for their commentary. This is a senior class and I was glad to see the independence of the students at work. What impressed me more was the way a group helped a classmate who appeared to be lagging behind with the required work for the period. It was like a study group where students learn from each other. All the while, the Econ teacher supervised by observing class dynamics, lending consultations when student asked for it, and managing the time with the objectives in mind.

In the BM class, the seniors presented their case studies. There were revisions to be made, especially in the investigation of the case studies. Nonetheless, students came prepared with their presentations, dressed like young professionals ready for the world.

Looking back at these experiences, I realize how teachers in the high school and senior high school levels assume the role of coaches, counselors and mentors. It is in the design of teaching and learning experiences that makes a lot of difference. They appear to be having a ball but, really, the role is not an easy one to play. Knowing their students and where to bring them to is another factor for meaningful instruction and teaching practice. Being adept at teaching one's subject matter is one thing, but understanding the context and the learning conditions of learners is another.

Lastly, I realized how important feedback can be for students starting out in the IB Program. When I sat in the class of the Design teacher, she had all her reflection question ready for the students to think through. Her class, bright eyed and ready wrote on their worksheets. The writing activity helped students assess their progress in a month long project that prepared them for more challenging tasks in the coming year. Their reflections were helpful in facilitating feedback where the teacher assumed the role of a mentor guiding them through the entire process. Indeed, the students came out of the class with choices and possibilities to mull over on future academic endeavors.

Such observations and insights provide me with information I can use to improve the design of the library's programs and services. My co-teachers are designing learning environments with the students at the forefront of their instructional design. This approach has a lot to tell me about the behavior and attitude of teachers and students towards the use of information and media. Definitely, like our students learning from each other, teachers are also learning from peers.

Book Spine Poetry Festival: The Best of 2017

Announcing the best Book Spine Poems of 2017!

Book Spine Poetry Best of 2017 from Zarah Gagatiga

#milclicks of the Week: Think Before You Click

This is a photo of our library bulletin board for nearly two academic school years.

We decided to have it up way before my involvement with the national round table discussion on Media and Information Literacy. At the time me and my staff were thinking of what to display on our bulletin board, I was already concerned with the online behavior of kids, mine and my students, in social media. With the national elections closing in last May 2016, we didn't bother changing it at all.

While there are more ways to create an impact in the promotion, campaign and teaching of Media and Information Literacy, information service through announcements, infographics, fliers and brochures aid in awareness building. A variation of this bulletin board can be done through a checklist or graphic organizer. The material changes from a public service announcement to a teaching aid that prompts reflection and evaluation of content that is available in social media.

It may simply look like this:



If you think the bulletin board display and the worksheet is useful, drop a comment. Let me know what you think!

Call for Papers: The Rizal Library International Conference 2017

Fifty years ago, when the Rizal Library first opened, students were required to remain completely silent inside the premises, research was done by searching typewritten 3x5 cards and print indexes, and there were no computers on campus.

Fifty years later, the Rizal Library allows students to hold group discussions in designated areas, research can be done using print and electronic resources, and assignments can be written and printed on PCs and Macs.

The Rizal Library—along with other libraries in the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and the rest of the world—has changed with the times during the past five decades but its mission remains the same: to
facilitate learning.

This year, the Rizal Library International Conference, with “Click!” as its theme, aims to cultivate discourses on librarians' roles in expanding their network within the larger community, through culture and society, and in the field of communication and technology.

CALL FOR PAPERS

On its 50th anniversary, the Rizal Library invites librarians, professors, and enthusiasts to submit papers that explore the enrichment of library management and experience in Southeast Asia and
the rest of the world.

Suggested topics include:

Community: institutional collaborations, library partnerships,
librarian empowerment and capacity building, knowledge development

Culture and History: Southeast Asian studies and libraries, evolution
of cultures in literary texts, reading customs and practices

Communication and Technology: social media, source preservation,
accessibility, big data, data mining

Proposals should include the following:

Author/s
Title
Topic (choose from those enumerated above)
Paper abstract (maximum of 250 words)
Curriculum vitae with photo (indicate achievements and/or publications
within the last 5 years)

Please email proposals to rl.internationalconference@gmail.com  by 15 May 2017.

Please see the call for papers below and/or the website: http://rizal.library.ateneo.edu/7rlic/public/.

Important dates

15 May 2017 - Submission of paper proposals
15 June 2017 - Notification of accepted proposals
1 September 2017 - Submission of full paper
30 September 2017 - Deadline for early bird registration
16-18 November 2017 - Conference proper

For more information you may contact the following

Engracia S. Santos
Conference Chair
Ateneo de Manila University
 +[632] 4266001 ext. 5559/5564
 esantos@ateneo.edu

Rosalyn Santos
Conference Co-Chair
Ateneo de Manila University
 +[632] 4266001 ext. 5559/5564
 rsantos1@ateneo.edu

Kareen Banal
Head, Promotions Committee
Ateneo de Manila University
 +[632] 4266001 ext. 5554
 kbanal@ateneo.edu

#ReadingWithoutWalls (2 of 2)

Last week at school, I sent the Dean of Student Services and our Guidance Counselors an email requesting for their support in our Summer Reading Program.

One of my favorite authors, Richard Peck, once said that we (readers) can find ourselves in the pages of a book. Reading, like writing, may appear to be a solitary experience but, it is actually a shared encounter between the reader, the text and those who created the book. I believe that the book is a safe place where, apart from discovering ourselves in it, we as readers can open up to different worldviews of others. In many instances, it leads us to spaces where we can think, ask questions and seek the truth.

I wish to share this belief, which has become an advocacy, first to our students and hopefully to anyone willing to open a book and discover that it is one of the safest place to be one's self and encounter adventures, challenges and risks in life. Thus, our theme for this summer's reading program is #readingwithoutwalls. 

Comfort Zone by Gene Luen Yang and a display of books promoting inclusivity, diversity and empathy

We are recommending books about inclusivity, diversity and empathy. We can also work together in identifying books that meet the academic and developmental needs of our Griffins. Kindly help us spread the word.

After setting up a spread of books for recommendation and putting up our library bulletin board campaigning for #readingwithoutwalls, the email was the next step in the process. By next week, I will be making an announcement during the school Assembly on the Summer Reading Program for 2017.

Reading Programs are best implemented with the help of the community. Remember, it takes a village to raise a child.

The 2017 Alcala Prize Winner

Here is the official press release of the PBBY on the winners of the 2017 Alcala Prize.

 

Art Student Bags 2017 PBBY-Alcala Prize

This year’s PBBY-Alcala Grand Prize winner is art student Sophia Lorraine Demanawa, from the Ateneo De Manila University. Demanawa is studying Information Design and is an active member of Blue Indie Komiks (BLINK). She earned the judges’ unanimous vote for her “fresh” portrayal of Genaro Gojo Cruz’s  Dalawa Kami ni Lola. Gojo Cruz’s story bagged the 2017 PBBY-Salanga Prize. Aside from illustrating, Demanawa also enjoys making comics, designing gig posters, and writing poetry.

Four other illustrators were chosen as Honorable Mention: Arade Louise Villena, Mary Grace Theresa Dulawan, Christian Oliver Cruz, and Irene Rose Buenaventura.

The winners will be awarded at the National Children’s Book Day (NCBD) celebration on July 18, 2017 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

For inquiries about the contest and the NCBD celebration, contact the PBBY Secretariat at telephone number 352 6765 loc 204 or e-mail pbby@adarna.com.ph.

 Below are the entries of Ms. Demanawa that wowed the judges of this year's Alcala Prize.

What an intimate portrayal of a relationship between lola and apo!

The contrast of colors, orange and blue, sucks you in the moment of rest and motion.

Warm, endearing, sentimental. Pinoy na Pinoy!

Book News: 2nd Printing and New Bookmarks

My Daddy, My One and Only has been reprinted! I learned about this good news from my publisher via Facebook (where else do you get "breaking news" these days but in social media, right?). I have one copy of the first print and, yes, I am getting myself a copy of the second reprint!

And since Jomike Tejido and I finished another book, here's a look at our promotional bookmark. Super thanks to Mennie Ruth Viray for the design and layout.