Heart Maps by School Librarians

Presentation: School Librarians In Action Responding to Changes During Pandemic Times

Google JamBoard for Asynchronous Learning

 One of the things I learned in Online Distance Learning is the deliberate planning of activities for asynchronous sessions. This space for teaching and learning must be utilized to incorporate time management and self monitoring.

Input sessions or front loading can be done through videos or recorded materials, cobbled resources can be arranged in an organized manner and/or the learning packets can be distributed through LMS. However, it is in the asynchronous activity where student engagement, even agency, is evident. So, I am bringing this insight in my trainings and webinars for teachers and librarians.

Here is a frame from one of the JamBoards I made for participants of the webinar I prepared for school librarians. Feedback, discussion points and consultations will take place during the synchronous session.

School Libraries Are Essential: An Update on Curated Sites for School Librarians

 

Pandemic Libraries: Children's Section, Reference Services Division, National Library of the Philippines

As I am preparing for talks and articles on libraries pivoting and shifting in the new normal, I have requested librarians to answer interview questions. I am posting some portions of the interview in the blog. Here is the interview of Melanie Abad Ramirez of the Children's Library Section, Reference Services Division, National Library of the Philippines.

How did the Children's Services of the NLP pivot and shifted their services and programs online at the start of the lockdown/quarantine?

NLP had to close its services due to the pandemic, it gave us an opportunity for our children's services to transition to online services. We promoted our e-resources portal and used online platforms like Facebook and Zoom becomes as an avenue for storytelling, puppet shows, and arts and crafts sessions.

What were the challenges that your division encountered in light of this shift and transition? How were these challenges met and overcome?

Some of the challenges that we encountered are copyright concerns about the materials to be used for the storytelling sessions and how effective the postings will be. To answer the issues for copyright, we are able to create a partnership with The Asia Foundation to provide us with stories from their Let's Read Asia digital library and other publishers by sending them an email requesting their publication. To ensure that the postings will reach our clients, we share it to our personal accounts and to other Facebook groups. We also encourage our viewers to share them in their own accounts and groups as well. 

Visit the NLP's Book Cart Project for videos of Melai "Kuwentistang Librarian" Abad Ramirez telling stories and her colleagues conducting arts and crafts activities online.

Pandemic Libraries: The Public Library Division, NLP

 As I am preparing for talks and articles on libraries pivoting and shifting in the new normal, I have requested librarians to answer interview questions. I am posting some portions of the interview in the blog. First up is the group from the public library sector.

Thanks to Ms. Bless Velasco and Mr. Mike Reyno of the Public Libraries Division of the National Library of the Philippines for lending their time in this interview. 

How did public libraries pivot and shifted their services and programs online at the start of the lockdown/quarantine?

 Almost every organization was greatly affected by the imposition of quarantine measures and public libraries were not an exemption. During the start of the lockdown, public libraries were generally at a “loss” as it took us by surprise. However, we always kept in mind that public library services and programs are not hampered by the four corners of the library. More than ever, the quarantine and Covid-19 pandemic presented an opportunity for public libraries to look into making our services and programs available and more accessible in the digital platform.

The Public Libraries Division (PLD) of the National Library of the Philippines (NLP), in order to tailor-fit its activities with the current scenario, conducted series of virtual meetings, consultations, and brainstorming among its librarians and staff who are either assigned in the Training Section or the Field Libraries, Establishment and Affiliation, Monitoring and Evaluation Section. All ideas were very much welcomed and entertained. In one of our meetings, we even had Director Adriano who joined us to obtain his ideas and thoughts about our proposed activities. Towards the end, our ideas were put into writing to serve as our guide/blueprint. From there, we were able to identify which activities can be transitioned to online/digital services (eg. capacity building of public librarians through webinars and online learning, virtual monitoring, and evaluation of affiliated public libraries, regular coordination with the Locally-Funded Programs, etc.) and which activities need to be “shelved” first (face-to-face/classroom-type training, physical monitoring of public libraries, annual book allocation program, etc). Through the conduct and cascading of our identified virtual activities, we were able to provide guides and procedures our public libraries may also adapt to in this new work environment.

What were the challenges that public librarians face in light of this shift and transition?

The main challenge public libraries face in this new normal environment is having stable or reliable network connectivity within their area. We do know that as a country, not all areas in the Philippines have a strong signal for internet access - be it wired or wireless. Without a network, implementation/execution of online services remains a difficult task to do. Furthermore, if these public libraries face difficulty in this area/aspect, more so are the users as having a smartphone is often not enough if there is no internet connection at all or they rely exclusively on networks provided by telcos (Smart, Globe, etc.).

Another challenge is the budget allocated by the LGUs to their public libraries to acquire resources. Online resources for library-use tend to be expensive. If during the old normal, public libraries often experience budget cuts or cost-saving measures, more so now that we are in the pandemic where the focus of LGUs is on Covid-19 response. To augment e-resources collections of existing public libraries, NLP offers tekno@aklatan resources that can be installed in their laptops/desktops, it can be accessed also through NLP’s website. For the newly affiliated public libraries, NLP acquired e-resources and printed books as initial resource allocation to them, and this approach started in 2016. Previous years only allocate print and non-print materials such as maps, DVDs, CDs, etc.

Nonetheless, we always advise our affiliated public libraries to always make themselves present virtually, “digital presence” is very essential nowadays to become more relevant in this time of pandemic as the services we provide may not have a direct contribution to pandemic response, but the impact it creates produces a resonating effect to the community. Also, in one of our memos released last February in celebration of the 62nd Public Library Day every March 9 in the country, we also encouraged public librarians to coordinate with their LCEs for the provision of a stable network connection within their libraries.

• Internet Connection in the library, budget in purchasing online resources, and implementation/execution of online services to the community.

•   Internet access of the users. Having a smartphone is often not enough if there is no internet access at all or relies exclusively on a connection through their smartphone.

 Visit the Facebook Page of the National Library of the Philippines - National Library of the Philippines | Facebook

Priming Activities: Responding to Change in the Pandemic Era

In preparation for my webinar for school librarians on Friday, April 30, 2021, participants are asked to do the priming activities.

Priming Activity 1 is a survey that participants must answer on or before Friday, April 30, 2021. 

Here is the link - https://forms.gle/qBxbsPAzULs16vf96

Priming Activity 2 consists of  two videos for participants to watch.

 Video 1 - How a single-celled organism almost wiped out life on Earth - Anusuya Willis - YouTube

 Video 2 - How pandemics spread - YouTube

 After watching the two videos, choose one and do this activity:

 1. Write 3 insights or 3 new information you have or gathered from the video.

2. Write 2 questions you have on the video.

3. Write a summary of the video.

4. Post your 3 insights and discoveries, 2 questions and 1 summary on JamBoard. Here is the link to the JamBoard -  https://jamboard.google.com/d/1h2UpeM_XP8TVUbtoa38QF9ltcJduYgU66RjBZEZfQyg/edit?usp=sharing

The survey and the videos plus JamBoard activity are entrance pass of the participants to the webinar on April 30, 2021.

 

JamBoard: Finding Grace in Every Day

My session with teachers of Create Learning Paths (CLP) was life affirming. I am still overcome with positive emotions. I have not pared my feelings and experience of the encounter yet. 

Definitely, my spirits are lifted up and I thank God for this encountered grace. This, I am sure of.

Here is a photo of the groups' output during the priming activity. You can find the plan of my session with the CLP teachers by following the link.

Pathfinder: The Abrahamic Faiths

The BA LIBRARY

Reference and Readers Services

 A Pathfinder serves as a resource and guide for the researcher to locate and find specific information on a topic. It provides basic resources to help the researcher start off on the course of his/her research. It lends a way to organize and document sources so that the researcher can decide on the next of the research. It lends opportunity to plan research strategies and anticipate dead ends.

A Pathfinder can also be treated as a working bibliography, especially for short term research projects like reports, essays that require students to respond critically on a topic or unit of study, presentation slides and reflective articles. 

How is information organized in a Pathfinder?

A Pathfinder contains a list of information sources -- subjects and topics, specialized sources ranging from primary to secondary sources in a variety of formats (print, online and audiovisual), databases and websites, bibliographies, agencies and institutions where information can be collected such as local and academic libraries.

 Pathfinder: Abrahamic Faiths: Islam and Christianity

 This Pathfinder is prepared for Ms. Roxas’ CRE class specifically for sources on the Abrahamic Faiths, namely Islam and Christianity.

 Key words: Abrahamic Faiths, Islam, Christianity, characteristic of Islam, characteristic of Christianity, God, monotheism, women and Islam, women and Christianity, Islam and family life, Islam and society, Christianity and family life, Christianity and society

BA Library Resources: Make sure you are logged in WBO or Explora on EBSCO

World Book Online (WBO) - www.worldbookonline.com

Username: wba@student / wba@faculty

Password: griffinsAY1920

Articles in WBO are lexiled

Explora on EBSCO - http://search.ebscohost.com

Username: beaconacad

Password: green_blue19&20

Selected articles in Explora are lexiled

 

What Explora has on Christianity

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=t6o&AN=86179208

What Explora has n Islam

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=t6o&AN=98402122

What Explora has on God in the context of Abrahamic Faiths

http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=t6o&AN=87995564

 

Use the BA Library OPAC when searching for specific books and resources on your unit of study - http://beaconacademylib.com/webopac/webopac.asp

 Websites and Online Sources

 General References: Encyclopedias

Britannica

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Abrahamic-religion

Encyclopedia.com

https://www.encyclopedia.com/philosophy-and-religion/other-religious-beliefs-and-general-terms/religion-general/monotheism

New World Encyclopedia https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Abrahamic_religions

Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/monotheism/

 General References: Atlas

World Atlas

https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-abrahamic-religions.html

Digital Commons

The Spiritual Life - https://slife.org/abrahamic-religions/

Specific Sources

History.com: Islam - https://tinyurl.com/ffjzjwh3

History.com: Christianity - https://tinyurl.com/fkxnwbst

Family Life and Islam - Family Life in Islam (iium.edu.my)

Family Life and Christianity - Christianity - Church and family | Britannica

Women and Islam - Women in Islam | Facts about the Muslims & the Religion of Islam - Toll-free hotline 1-877-WHY-ISLAM (whyislam.org)

Women in Islam (Infographic) - Women in Islam Infographic | Facts about the Muslims & the Religion of Islam - Toll-free hotline 1-877-WHY-ISLAM (whyislam.org)

Women and Christianity - The Roles For Women | From Jesus To Christ - The First Christians | FRONTLINE | PBS

Multimedia: Videos and Podcasts

CrashCourse: Islam in World History - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpcbfxtdoI

CrashCourse: Judaism, Christianity to Constantine - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TG55ErfdaeY

FTD Facts: The Difference Between Islam and Christianity - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYD7rVk4muU

HarvardX: Islam in Brief - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lglIENhbgJo

History of Religion  A brief history of religion in art - TED-Ed - YouTube

Islamic Art and Culture: Kahn Academy - Basin (Baptistère de Saint Louis) - YouTube

Islamic Art (Art History) - The Art of Islam (Art History Documentary) | Perspective - YouTube

Islam as Art The Silent Theology of Islamic Art - YouTube

 

Prepared by:

Zarah Gagatiga, Teacher Librarian The Beacon Academy (April 21, 2021)

Reference Service and Readers' Advisory: World Book Discover and the World Religions Portal

Finding Grace in Every Day: A Webinar on Companionship with CLP Teachers

Finding Grace in Every Day: A Webinar on Companionship with CLP Teachers

by Zarah C. Gagatiga, reader, writer, wondering wanderer

The goal of this webinar is to share with CLP teachers my life experience as a TIA stroke survivor and how this life changing event made me seek grace in every waking moment of every day. I will be sharing some tips for survival and activities that have sustained me since then with the hope that, my witnessing will be a source of inspiration to others. In return, I only ask for prayers of health and wellbeing for me and my family namely, Domeng my husband, Nico and Zoe, our young adult kids.

Priming Activity: Read the following posts.

The Big Reveal: My Stroke of Luck

My Stroke of Luck: Trying to Make Sense of It All

My Stroke of Luck: On the Road to Recovery

A Year After My Stroke of Luck

After reading, gather your thoughts and feelings and follow these instructions to move on to the next phase of the session.

3-2-1 Response (Sanacore, 2012)

1.      Write 3 important details that struck you, disturbed you or resonated with you.

2.     Write 2 questions about the texts/posts you have read. You can also ask 2 questions to the writer.

3.     Write a summary of what you have read.

4.     Choose any of the 3-2-1 responses and place them on our JamBoard. This is the link to the Priming: Finding Grace in Every Day JamBoard.

5.     Is there something that moved you to action from this experience? If yes, take note of it and that will be your ENTRANCE PASS to the webinar.

Webinar Proper

Type in the chat box your Entrance Pass

1.      Music Map c/o Teacher Val “Nico” Gagatiga (20 mins)

2.     Finding Grace in Every Day (30 mins)

a.     Grateful for Me – Mindfulness, Grace and Gratitude

b.     Loving Hands – Sensing, Perceiving and Valuing

3.     My Heart Today (Asynchronous Activity) (10 mins)

 

Prepared by Zarah C. Gagatiga on April 19, 2021

School Librarians In Action: Responding to Changes in the Pandemic Era

I hope you or your library staff can attend. Let us come together and reflect on the process we went through in shifting and pivoting to the digital environment. We will evaluate results; identify best practices and inspire each other.

For details and registration inquiries, please send an email to: lmlmendoza@scholastic.asia

See you!

Filipiniana Online: CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art & Philippine Studies

 

Teacher and Librarian Collaboration: Access to References and a Webquest

Today's happy news is all about the library selecting and acquiring an online encyclopedia by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and getting a subscription to the Philippine Studies. By providing access to the source to faculty so that they can share the resource to their students, the Visual Arts teacher created a mini-webquest for his students.

A webquest is an activity that teachers and librarians can use to instruct and facilitate the learning of research skills, specifically the use of online sources, unpacking a question to its basic idea/s and identifying keywords to use when searching for sources online. It is also a kind of assessment to gauge the students' understanding of concepts. This activity can be done asynchronously. The teacher can further use students' discoveries from the webquest as an entry pass to the next online session or a point of discussion connecting it to a new concept. The entire exercise becomes an experience of listening, speaking, reading and writing. 

Teachers and librarians can work together to design a webquest. This way, the learning objectives are deliberately met and the assessment of skills are identified right after. Feedback is essential which can be done asynchronously as well. If you are subscribed to World Book Online, you will find out that there are ready made webquests in the Educators' Page. More on this in future posts!

In Support of Academic Writing: Revising and Editing

We continue to support our junior high students in their research journey. Recently, I posted in the Google Classroom supplementary materials on revising and editing sentences. This is in part of the Masterclass sessions they get on Academic Writing. I am sharing the materials I sent to students.

What made an impression on you from the Masterclass on Academic Register? Speaking for myself, I am still thinking about the way I write sentences and the hard work that comes with revising them afterwards. As a blogger, author of children's books and researcher, I am continuously challenged to make my writing cohesive and clear. Keeping in mind that I have to communicate my ideas as organized as possible. This is a lot of work.

When I revise and edit my work, I still refer to references and resources (yes, being a librarian has its advantages). I ask a friend to read my work and welcome feedback. This helps a lot! When I go back to my work to make improvements, I am once again reminded that the responsibility of communicating ideas clearly in writing falls on my shoulders.

Riding on the belief that you have companions in the EE/SP journey, I am sharing with you this handout on Improving Sentence Fluency (ThoughtfulLearning, 2021).

The handout is only three pages long. It has a brief but substantial explanation on sentence lengths. It shows examples on how short, medium and long sentences come together in one paragraph. Take note of the choppy vs. smooth sentence samples. Ah, the big difference a well written sentence can make! I encourage you to do the drills and activities. I was able to use editing skills from this part of the handout. Lastly, the tips and reminders in writing smooth and fluent sentences are skills you can apply when writing across subjects.

So give this handout a try! Don't you think it supports and enriches ideas, concepts and strategies we are all learning from the Masterclass?

Your reading and research companion,

Ms. Zarah :-)

Looking Back at YGoal's Learn From Home Program (3 of 3)

The last episode of Learn From Home Season 1 featured a mother and son team. Librarian Rhodora "Dang" Valdez and son Luigi shared with us their challenging transition to Online Distance Learning. Mommy Dang's support for Luigi, who has autism, led her to create a learning environment of care and empathy. She encourages parents, teachers and allied professionals working with children at this time of the pandemic to COACH.

Read the blog post on Mommy Dang's teaching adventures at home with Luigi. Watch the video of the interview here.

Call for Digital Entries for the 2021 Alcala Prize

 2021 PBBY-Alcala Prize Rules

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) is now accepting digital entries for the 2021 PBBY-Alcala Prize. The winner shall be given a cash prize of PHP25,000.00, a medal, and an opportunity to be published. Prizes will be awarded at a virtual ceremony to be held during the celebration of National Children’s Book Day on July 20, 2021.

DEADLINE

Entries must be sent to secretariat@pbby.org.ph, with the subject ALCALA2021, by June 4, 2021.

CONTEST RULES

1. The contest is open to all Filipino citizens except those who are related to any PBBY member up to the third degree of consanguinity.

2. Entries must be based on the 2021 PBBY-Salanga Prize winning piece, Ang Tahanang Hindi Tumatahan by Iza Maria Reyes. A copy of the story may be downloaded here--> https://drive.google.com/.../1H8eun67oMhbnu1pxRFe3B3.../view

.

3. All entries must be original, unpublished illustrations that have not won in any previous contest.

4. All entries must consist of three (3) illustrations that are of the same size, two of which are colored and in sequence. The third spread should be a rough sketch of any other spread. The artworks should be in 72 dpi. Contestants are free to determine how to distribute the text for their spreads, bearing in mind that the interaction of art and text is an important criterion of the contest.

5. All three artworks should be compiled in one PDF. The total size of the PDF should not exceed 5 MB. The PDF file name should follow the format: 2021ALCALA_YourPenName.

6. A contestant may send in more than one (1) entry.

7. Together with each entry, contestants must submit a document containing the contestant’s full name, address, contact numbers and a short literary background, as well as a statement from the author, vouching for the originality of the entry and for the freedom of the organizers from any liability arising from the infringement of copyright in case of publication, and affirming that the entry or any variant thereof has (a) never been published nor (b) won any other contest i.e. that it has never won 1st, 2nd, 3rd, honorable mention in any other contest or otherwise been awarded a medal, a citation, or included in a publicized list of meritorious entries to a literary contest. The file name should follow the format: YourName_Bio and YourName_StatementOfOriginality.

8. All entries must be sent to secretariat@pbby.org.ph by June 4, 2021.

Winners will be announced no later than June 30, 2021.

For more details, interested parties may contact PBBY through the PBBY Facebook page or by emailing secretariat@pbby.org.ph

The 2021 Salanga Prize Winner

Here is PBBY's official press release on the 2021Salanga Prize Winner.

 Iza Maria Reyes Wins 2021 PBBY-Salanga Grand Prize

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) awards this year’s PBBY-Salanga Grand Prize to Iza Maria Reyes for her story, Ang Tahanang Hindi Tumatahan. It is a poignant piece about the pain and hardship a family goes through in the middle of a separation, beautifully told through a metaphor of a crying house.

Reyes is a teacher who is currently taking her master’s in Malikhaing Pagsulat at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She was a fellow for Creative Nonfiction at Palihang Rogelio Sicat 10 and the 1st PUP Multi-Genre Workshop, and has won awards for her essays in Filipino. This is her first PBBY-Salanga Prize.

With over a hundred entries submitted for this year’s prize, six other stories were also selected as Honorable Mention winners (in no particular order): Palayok-palayukan para kay Carlito by Eugene Evasco; Ang Mga Bata sa Kalye ng Banaba by

Kwesi Ian Jay Junsan

; Ang Mga Paralisdis ni Inday Faustina by Eugene Y. Evasco; Goodfire by Bea S. Mandapat; Oplan Sablay by Kristoffer Aaron G. Tiña; and Mamay Esing by

Jobert Grey Landeza

.

The winners will be awarded at the 38th National Children’s Book Day celebration on July 20, 2021.

For inquiries about the contest, contact the PBBY Secretariat by email: secretariat@pbby.org.ph.

The Learning Library: Journeys Into Reading

 

Does your child need encouragement to read? This online workshop helps children own and become confident of their reading skills and choices.

Rekindle the joy of reading in children! We begin by reframing the book discussion: from "What is the book all about?" to "How did you encounter the book?"  Among the shortlisted books for discussion are: "The Homework Machine", "The Wild Robot", "Frindle", and "The One and Only Ivan."  Each session will feature activities that challenge young readers to imagine, to play and create, and to ask questions about themselves and the world.

The month-long program aims to increase self-confidence when thinking through problems, making critical choices, and expressing thoughts and ideas with others.

About the Facilitator

Zarah Gagatiga
(Teacher Zarah)
 

Zarah is a teacher librarian, author of children’s books, storyteller and literacy coach. She is a board member of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) and PRO of the Philippine Association of School Librarians (PASLI). Recognized by peers in the school library profession for her contributions to the growth of children’s literature in the country, Zarah is currently developing modules and toolkits on bibliotherapy and the restorative values of stories through storytelling. Visit her blog at http://lovealibrarian.blogspot.com.  

Register here -> https://bit.ly/2PrdM2C

Books to Choose From