BA Library OPAC-Koha: How to Create a Reading List

 One of the contents of our new Users Guide for our OPAC which is powered by Koha, is the steps in creating a Reading List.

The Lighthouse Diary #38: Take What You Need

It has been a month since we went back to on-site work. WOW. A lot has happened since then. 

We have had an online visit from librarians of St. Schoalstica's College. We had three days of orientation and easing into hybrid learning routines that included the strict compliance to health protocols. We have identified work to prioritize in the library with the new working arrangements. And, given our practice of close shelf library procedures, we are getting continous book requests and reservations for online consultations from teachers and students.

On top of this, I have facilitated two research sessions for our juniors; read and marked Extended Essays; and lent supervision to my advisees on academic writing and self management. The report cards of my advisees were sent out two weeks ago and already, I am getting requests for one-on-one sessions on study skills. 

In my recent on-site work in the library, I noticed that students have picked up on the insipirational quotes we set up on our easel board. Nothing big, really. But it is our way of relaying the message that socio-emotional learning is important as we all make the transition yo hybrid learning.

Since students have taken an interest on the quotations we shared, there will definitely be a second batch. I will be adding recommended books or a book list the students can check and borrow when they find an interesting title. Our Book Drop and Pick Station has been set up as well so students can pass by the library to pick up or drop their books. By now, they already know how to send us emails for queries but a reminder for them to use the OPAC is necessary. And that will go into my to-do list. 

I just find it odd to be doing a task that pretty much looks like it is the 1st term. Then again, we are living in strange times and uncertainty is something we eat for breakfast. Life goes on, so Bangtan sings. We soldier on.

Our week after the Easter Break is for off campus work  but the line up of reports to write, projects to finish and yes, the provision of library sevrices for leisure reading and research is on-going. We are looking at conducting our inventory in June - God forbid another surge. From here on, we learn KOHA, our new library management system while the last quarter of the academic year winds down.

Online Benchmarking with St. Scholastica's College

Team BA Library had an online round table discuion with librarians of St. Scholastica's College earlier today, March 30, 2022.

We had a sharing of best practices for our students and the learning community before COVID, during the lockdown and measures taken towards hybrid learning. As a result of this professional exchange, the two libraries have identified different ways of working from home and on-site arrangement. The common denominator is each library's purpose to continue providing access to learners despite the limtations in physical and social spaces.

Many thanks to Ms. Anne Camille Murakami, librarian of the Grade School department, for taking the initiative to make this professional development possible.

Inquiry and Research Services: General and Special Encyclopedias (1 of 2)

 A co-teacher referred to me a student he is supervising. This is for a Theory of Knowledge (TOK) task as the student is preparing for the TOK essay. My co-teacher has given me the background of the student. A few hours later, the student sent me an email explaining the specific task to be accomplished and the questions the student must answer. Having all this information helped me prepare for my meeting with the student.

First, I analyzed the task which is to define and explain knowledge from multiple disciplines namely, Socio-anthropology, Mathematics, Physics and Philosophy. I then focused on the questions the student must unpack which are the following:

Can there be knowledge that is independent of culture?

Discuss with reference to mathematics and one other area of knowledge.

What is knowledge?

To answer these questions, the student needs to know three concepts namely, knowledge, culture and mathematics as an area of knowledge. For this purpose, I planned on showing the student two kinds of encyclopedias namely, the general encyclopedia and the special encyclopedia. The former provides basic information on topics and different kinds of knowledge while the later, as the name suggest, has a specialized treatment in content as concentrates on the subject or disicpline.

We have a subscription to World Book Online so this will be used as a general reference.  For the special encyclopedia, I opted for the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy and the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Anthropology.

Before diving into the design and contents of the online encyclopedia, I will provide an orientation on the different ways of using each kind to address an information need or answer questions for a task.

 

Updating the Library's List of Online Subscriptions

 

Research Skills Instruction: Academic Honesty and Citations in APA Style

My session with our Business Management (BM12) students last week went as planned. My 20 minute lecture and demonstration on citations using the APA style/format was a review of what students already know and have, eventually, forgotten. Citing sources is emphasized as an important skill in research and in academic writing. Like all skills to be mastered, it has to be seen as part of a bigger set of composite skills like documenting sources and annotating them. It can be taught and learned in isolation, but context and real life application make the learning meaningful. When there is meaning in learning, the learner remembers.

Here are fundamental concepts I emphasized in my session.

1. Citing sources is part of documenting and annotating references and sources of information.

2. There are three preliminary steps before citation happens: understanding the task at hand; knowing the needed information to complete the task; identifying the source of information needed to complete the task. When these are all accomplished, engagement and transaction with the information begins.

3. As soon as sources are selected, taking note and recording of the sources' bibliographic data are important tasks as well.

I used the APA Style as requested by the BM teacher. Here is the poster of citation formats and basic in-text citation must-do. This is taken from Purdue Online Writing Lab.

On Friday, the last day of the week, we closed our advisory session with a discussion on Academic Honesty using a short film, Reluctance, as a spring board. Since it was a session with the entire cohort, we had breakout rooms for each advisory class over on Zoom. This strategy eased the students into expressing their responses over the material as well as the topic on Academic Honesty. It can be a big concept involving many factors and disciplines of thought.

The process of learning the skills and the big idea that drives them is ongoing. I will definitely blog them all here in as much and as frequent as I can.

Back to School! Back to CANVA!

 

The Lighthouse Diary #29: The Magic of New Beginnings

And just like that, our in-service ends today. How fast time flies! It has been three weeks of reflection; organization; learning from the old; and looking forward to the magic of new beginnings. Despite the times, yes.

I couldn't believe that the content I have put together for this year's library talk is a mere one-page hyperdoc. We are looking forward to starting two big projects this year and we are gearing up for a revisit of standards, school wide. While there is a need to revise the library's G Site and Online Research Center, I am exploring Knowledge Library on Workplace as well. It reminds me of Blogger and the Wikispace of long ago. So Gen X, I know. But now I realize that there really isn't anything new under sun, only new ways of looking at them with curiosity and a sense of wonder.

Oh, and I am an EE Supervisor again this year. I need to reconnect with Robert De Niro and Jodi Foster. The threat of Delta is real but, I am faithful and hopeful that all shall be well.

Thanks Jin, for keeping me Awake!

BA Library Online: Welcome Griffins to AY 2021-2022

 

BA Library Online: Philippine Weaves and the Ayala Museum Learning Packets

In the Academy, we continue our library advisory for readers with this list of books and resources from our library and the Ayala Museum.

Ayala Museum has a collection of resources for asynchronous learning or for activities that children, young people and the young at heart can do offline. Have a look at these photos of the learning packet on Philippine traditional weaving and the companion module on Geometry, Symmetry and Design. Furthermore, it complements the museum's virtual tours, videos and podcasts. Take for example this video on indigenous weaves and garments that blends art, history, a bit of development economics and the role of women as keepers of legacy and traditions.

If you are interested, here is the link to the PDF of the learning packets. You can download it for free - https://www.ayalamuseum.org/online-resources/#downloadables

The packets are also in BA Library Online so you can go here -

https://drive.google.com/.../1kSFgFEprpDaGUsFW23rVTsAU8WF...

For books and resources on weaving, Philippine textiles and indigenous culture and art, here are recommended reads. These books are available in the BA Library.

• HABI : The Allure of Philippine Weaves : National Muse / by National Museum. Manila Philippines.

Location/call number: 699.09599 HAB

• Journey of a thousand shuttles : The Philippine Weave / by Respicio, Norma Absing. Intramuros Manila Philippines : National Commission for Culture and Arts, 2016

Location/call number: 677.028242 RES

• Habi: A journey through Philippine handwoven textiles : A journey through Philippine handwoven textiles : A journey through Philippine handwoven textiles : A journey through Philippine handwoven textiles Manila Philippines : Vibal Publishing, 2013

Location/call number: 699.09539 JOU

• Palaspas : Nocheseda, Elmer I. / by Nocheseda, Elmer I.
  Quezon City Philippines : Ateneo De Manila University Press, 2009

Location/call number: 746.41 NOC

• Rara : Art and tradition of mat weaving in the Philippines / by Nocheseda, Elmer I. Manila Philippines : Museum Foundation of the Philippines, 2016

Location/call number: 746.96 NOC

Bonus book recommendation: The Anvil Baby Learning Series.

These pictures books are partly illustrated using varied designs of woven textiles by indigenous groups in the Philippines. The stories are fun to read and humorous. The drawings are simple and very accessible. This makes for a delightful read aloud with beginning readers.

• Anvil baby 3 learning, Kokak Kokak / by Araneta, Ana De Borja
  Mandaluyong Philippines : Anvil Publishing, 2014

Location/call number: ARA

• Anvil baby 3 learning, Prrrrrt...Utot! / by Araneta, Ana De Borja
  Mandaluyong City Philippines : Anvil Publishing, 2014

Location/call number: ARA

#FreebieFriday #filipinianaonline #balibservice #balibonline

The Lighthouse Diary Entry # 24 - Literacy Month, Conversations, Dialogue and Discussions

I find myself closing the month of September struck by many insights gleaned from the practice of school librarianship. Needless to say, I am busier as ever. Productive, yes. But, Work From Home (WFH) and Online Distance Learning (ODL) can be exhausting. Now this means taking a step back and continuously figuring out strategies that will work best for me and my family. A work in progress.

I am keeping count of the many interactions I have had with students and colleagues this month. The consultations on research with students, particularly on the Extended Essay, the Senior Project and the Personal Project are investments in time and relationships. The session on Bibliotherapy which I led during our De-Stress Fest inspired me to create a Bibliotherapy program going beyond the dispensing of Bibliotherapy services. I facilitated a research skills session on Bibliography and Citations with our junior high school students last week. Earlier today I sat in the Theory of Knowledge classes of our grade 11s. It was an amazing experience listening to them respond to the texts about Martial Law. The texts they read came from books and sources in the library which I curated two weeks previous to the class. 

September is Literacy Month. Though we do not celebrate this in the Academy in any way, the activities, sessions and interactions I had with students and colleagues truly embody literacy skills development. I realize the value of our work in this age of WFH and ODL.

As the school's Teacher Librarian, I think, more than leading and journeying with students in finding answers to their questions, my role is to provide avenues of conversations, discussions and dialogues. The library remains to be a safe space for young people learning to find their way in the intricate system of the digital world and at the same time, keeping them tethered in their authentic selves. They belong to a family and a community made up of people. In the bigger society, they are citizens responsible for their own actions while relating with others with kindness and compassion.

Libraries today operating in the ODL environment may have all the tech tools to operationalize programs and to support instructional design and its delivery. But the interactions between librarian, student and teachers, the library staff and  library users are rich experiences to derive insights and the impetus to improve services and programs.

How do we now document the processes of conversations, dialogues and discussions? What can we do with the data and information gathered and gleaned from these thought processes? What languages are we creating? How do we determine our growth and development?

Digital Library Talks: Open Library

 Another session I had with our MYP students last week was the Digital Library Talks. It is a session I give to students and teachers on anything library related that happens in the digital environment. Here is the presentation I put together in accessing free ebooks and audiobooks on Open Library. 

With the help and support of our Communications Associate, these slides were also published in our Newsletter for parents, staff and alumni to know and access as well.

Online Reading Room: The Room of Rhyme and Reason

 As I am very much fascinated with Online Reading Rooms, here is the third one I made for a Bibliotherapy session in school.

BA Library Online Quick Guide

Pathfinder: Blended Learning

Pathfinder: EdTech, Instructional Design and Blended Learning

The BA Library received a request from the MYP Coordinator  on Blended Learning. We came up with a Pathfinder focusing on the topic and related subjects and disciplines.

The provision of curated content and the selection of sources for your class, learning resource packs, professional readings, personal growth and development are services that the BA Library facilitates. You can send your request for assistance via email (teacherlibrarian@beaconacademy.ph) or Workchat. I can also facilitate a one-on-one session for you or for your class if needed. Content curation involves skills in locating, accessing, organizing and documenting sources. It may come in handy when working on long essays and research projects.

BONUS information: EBSCOHost and World Book Online both have curation apps embedded in their portals and e-learning platforms.

Key words: blended learning, online learning, instructional design, educational technology, internet teaching

BA Library Resources

It is recommended that you begin your search using the BA Library’s databases and online subscriptions.

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

Username: *****

Password: *****

Articles in WBO are lexiled

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

Username: *****

Password: *****

Selected articles in Explora are lexiled

BA  Library Online Public Access Catalog - http://beaconacademylib.com/webopac/webopac.asp

Recommended Open Educational Resource: http://www.merlot.org

MERLOT (Multmedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching) – register an account and download articles on edTech, tech integration, create folders of resources for your own collection, link with other professionals and share resources. This is a good source and web channel to introduce the idea of a digital commons.

IN BROAD STROKES: theories, studies, research, approaches and strategies

What is Distance Education?

Defining distance education and the different forms of delivery (PDF)

by Maria Christina D. Padolina, UP Open University (UPOU)

https://beaconacademyph.workplace.com/groups/558005737988068/permalink/924099291378709/

Free Ebook on ELearning – with a chapter on Blended Learning

https://www.talentlms.com/ebook/elearning/introduction

Key Issues in Instruction, Teacher Professional Development, and ICT in Basic Education edited by Dina Ocampo (Convenor) and Kathrina Lorraine Lucasan of the UP CIDS Education Research Program (ERP)

https://beaconacademyph.workplace.com/groups/558005737988068/permalink/753799078408732/

Helping Schools Transition Post-COVID19 Times by Ani Rosa Almario PhD and Reagan Austria https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uB47AOX-GV34o2eg7WM0Z_RSuXrE-n4E/view?usp=sharing

Teaching New Literacies – with discussions on the dual theory of the internet for teaching and learning, emerging roles of teachers, research based practice on Online Reciprocal Teaching and a recommended framework and rubric on TPACK, a teaching strategy for Online/Internet Reciprocal Teaching (this may prove helpful for Vic, Motie and Francia) https://teachnewliteracies.wordpress.com/what-are-new-literacies/

On Blended Learning

Fundamentals of Blended Learning by Education Elements (video) – defines what Blended Learning is, includes instructional models and the changing roles of teachers in a blended learning classroom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xMqJmMcME0&feature=youtu.be

TEDX: Monique Markoff presents different models of Blended Learning as gleaned from professional practice and provides emphasis on teaching and learning using technology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xMqJmMcME0&feature=youtu.be

Scholastic: Blended Learning 101 – Models and framework https://edublog.scholastic.com/post/blended-learning-101#

LEARNING FROM COLLEAGUES: Pinoy Teacher Techies and Instructional Tech Learning Communities

Teacher Winnie Dyola - https://lovealibrarian.blogspot.com/2017/10/teacher-techie-of-month-winona-yapit.html

Francis Jim Tuscano’s empowerED- https://francisjimtuscano.com/

Galvin Radley Ngo (ADMU SALT) - https://twitter.com/galvinradleyngo

BA Library Online: Teaching Practices and Quality Standards in Online Teaching

Teachers and colleagues in the private schools and public schools are all preparing for remote and online learning, while in the Academy, we are wrapping up the academic year. Almost the entire second semester was spent in online teaching and learning. Here is what I shared with our learning community as we reflect on this unforgetable experience of change and resilience.

We are at the last stretch of online teaching and learning. Many lessons learned, insights gained and takeaways. Whew. Pause muna. Reflect tayo. Perhaps at this juncture, it may be good to look for signs, indicators or measures of success. We can always turn to the results of student assessment and their feedback, but there is research and literature on technology integration to consider as well.

Back in September 2019, a study on the "Key Issues in Instruction, Teacher Professional Development, and ICT in Basic Education," edited by Dina Ocampo (Convenor) and Kathrina Lorraine Lucasan of the UP CIDS Education Research Program (ERP) was posted here in BALIB. This UP CIDS Public Policy Monograph is the third output of the UP CIDS ERP's roundtable discussion series on the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in basic education policy, planning, and assessment. The monograph contains three studies. One of them is a paper on the utilization of ICT tools in the Filipino K-12 classroom (Tuscano, pp 22 - 27). An interesting finding in the study is on teachers' innovate use of technology. Student engagement and collaboration happen and their critical and creative thinking skills develop when tech tools are used to support differentiation, real time personalized feedback, agency through giving students choice and voice in their learning paths, and access to virtual or remote sources of knowledge that are not accessible without technology.

This article on emergency remote teaching and learning may prove useful for learning communities in transition to remote learning. The tips and suggestions from an experienced practitioner may serve as reflection points on our own individual teaching and learning journeys.Lastly, here is an infographic on the eight quality indicators of an online course by the National Research Center for Distance Educational and Technological Advancements.

BA Library Online: Updated Pathfinder on COVID-19

BA Library Online

Pathfinder: COVID-19

Updated April 20, 2020

This Pathfinder is prepared for the learning community of The Beacon Academy. The school has established workflows and set up protocols for medical emergencies in light of the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus.

Keywords: COVID-19, epidemic, pandemic, virus, viral infection

BA Library Online Subscriptions

The Day: News to Open Minds - http://theday.co.uk

Username: *****

Password:  *****

EBSCOHost - http://search.ebscohost.com

Username : ****

Password :  ****

Science News - www.sciencenews.org

        Username:  *****

        Password:   *****

World Book Online – www.worldbookonline.com

Username:  ****

Password:    ****

BA  Library Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) http://beaconacademylib.com/webopac/webopac.asp

BA Library: On Shelf

Viruses: agents of change  / by Fettner, Ann Giudici. New York : McGraw-Hill Pub. Co., c1990 616.0194 GIU

The coming plague : newly emerging diseases in a world out of balance : Garrett, Laurie. / by Garrett, Laurie. New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, c1994 614.4 GAR

Life: the leading edge of evolutionary biology, genetics, anthropology, and environmental science New York City USA : Harper Perennial, 2016 570.1 BRO

Flu, the story of the great influenza pandemic of 1918 and the search for the virus that caused it : the story of the great influenza pandemic of 1918 and the search for the virus that caused it : Kolata, Gina Bari, / by Kolata, Gina Bari, New York : Simon & Schuster, 2001 614.518090 KOL

Federal body snatchers and the New Guinea virus : people, parasites, politics : Desowitz, Roberts. / by Desowitz, Robert S. New York : W.W. Norton & Co., c2002 616.9 DES

Online Sources

The Department of Labor Philippines issued an advisory for workplace safety in the event of confirmed cases of infection.

Advisory on the 2019 n-CoV and health care information are up in the website of the Department of Health Philippines. Check the feeds of DOH's Health News for updates as the department is closely monitoring the medical history of areas with reported cases of infection.

Pandemics: Resources - curated by Library 2.0 for libraries and librarians as they prepare their workplaces and protect staff and library patrons from the outbreak of the virus; includes information, advisory and medical protocols by government agencies in the US namely, labor, health and public safety.

Science News for Students has put out a series of articles on the 2019 n-CoV.

●      The coronavirus is spreading globally (but is likely not spread by snakes)

●      Challenges to corralling that coronavirus

●      Your urgent questions about the new virus, answered

●      What is a coronavirus?

●      How infectious diseases spread

●      What is a virus?

Top three publishers of science research journals, Wiley Online, Elsevier and Springer Nature, brought down their pay walls and opened access to relevant studies on the Coronavirus. Click each photo to view the link and web page.

Elsevier
Link to access: https://www.elsevier.com/connect/coronavirus-information-center
The interactive global map of experts looks impressive. Check the inks to educational products that teachers and HR Offices can use to educate students and the work force.

Springer Nature
Link to access: https://www.springernature.com/gp/researchers/campaigns/coronavirus
For an academic reading of the health issue, go to the list of research and studies. For a more practical perspective on the virus and the state of the world, go to the Our Blog section. Blog articles and postings are written by resident scholars and scientists. The language is accessible; the content is valuable and relevant, and statistics, graphs and images are included to further help readers understand this health issue.

Wiley Online
Link to access: https://novel-coronavirus.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
Includes a list of CDCs (Center for Disease Control) from all over, and a live Twitter coverage on #COVID19 and #SCARSCOV2 by @wileyinresearch and @DrEricDing.

Information service from EBSCOHost

The EBSCO Health teams have aggregated public and proprietary content from government agencies and publishers to create a resource portal that spans our collective knowledge on coronavirus. The site is being updated daily and all of the content is free to all. Our goal is to support health care providers and leaders in their work related to combating the coronavirus, and we will continue to gather and develop tools and resources to help.

We thought this would be useful for you and your institution. We are working with all of the major publishers to aggregate open access to their most relevant journals on coronavirus.

Overall site: https://covid-19.ebscomedical.com/

• Direct access to point of care content for clinicians: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/covid-19-novel-coronavirus
• Direct links to free journal articles from major publishers: https://covid-19.ebscomedical.com/trusted-open-access-resources
• Direct links to International, federal, and state agencies’ sites: https://covid-19.ebscomedical.com/direct-links-official-information

All of these resources are publicly available so feel free to pass them on to other colleagues and groups as well.

COVID-19, Children and Teens 

A free ebook for younger kids to understand the COVID-19 and their emotions towards the pandemic

https://www.mindheart.co/descargables

Voices of Youth

Voices of Youth is a digital community for young people by young people as sponsored by UNICEF. News articles, advice columns, write ups on issues like education, children’s rights, health and wellness are made available for young readers and the adults who care for them. There are portals for kids and teens to contribute creative work on the website. A page about the Corona virus and ways to cope and survive through this pandemic is a special feature of Voices of Youth.

https://www.voicesofyouth.org/

COVID-19, Data Science and Math

Our World in Data has a comprehensive and updated status and reports on the COVID-19 gathered from research and studies all over the world.

https://ourworldindata.org/coronavirus?fbclid=IwAR2NV74-rZvxlUc6d4lpzh1G-OFuFUrs5pWzuESH42CiEjZbWJOlm4jxOrI

COVID-19 and Mental Health

Teaching Through a Pandemic: A Mindset for this Moment: Stephen Merill presents emotional and psychological scaffolds for teachers teaching through this pandemic 

https://www.edutopia.org/article/teaching-through-pandemic-mindset-moment

The Time for a Flux Mindset: April Rinne writes about the flux mindset. Let go. Slow down. Think “we” not “me”

https://forge.medium.com/coronavirus-time-for-a-flux-mindset-b14b1c35114a

 Our Corona Diary

Keeping a diary or a journal has many benefits. It helps clear the mind and sort out feelings especially in times of confusion and worry. It is a way to record moments and milestones that become one’s personal history leading to a better knowledge of one’s self. Furthermore, it is our way of looking at ourselves against a bigger event or phenomenon as it happens until we call it history.

The #ourcoronadiary project is anchored on these concepts and ideals. Visit the website and discover the creative and varied ways to keep a diary or journal in difficult or less challenging times.

https://www.ourcoronadiary.com/about