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 for the Month of March 2020

Since quarantine began, I have created links, directories and resources for our learning community in the Academy. Using Workplace, I regularly posts resources and helpful links there. I use the blog to compile them into an archive.

As the academic year draws to a close, here is a monthly listing of blog posts on online learning, tech integration and school library services in the time of COVID-19. This is culled from actual practice and may prove beneficial for further research and study on the role of libraries and the leadership roles of school librarians.

Learning in the Time of COVID-19 - from a Facebook post, I was able to generate opinions and "think-alouds" from practitioners in the field of educational technology and instructional design.

The School Library is a Vital Support System  - a reflection on the school library's vital role as support system and communicating to the learning community the commitment to serve in the time of COVID-19.

Google Classroom and Eric Curts - Tech tips and exert advice in using Google Suite.

The Flow and Structure of MOOCs - sharing a personal experience in participating in the 23 Mobile Things (2014). It is still a useful resource and example of an online learning module.

Reflective Teaching in the Time of COVID-19 - More reflections focusing on assessment, building relationships and connecting humanity with the use of technology for teaching and learning.

A Heart Map: An Online Bibliotherapy Session - An activity for mental health and well-being that children and adults can participate in.

Free eBooks and Audio Books - a list / directory of freebies

The Lighthouse Diary: An Ongoing Reflection on Remote and Online Learning - Thinking about professional practice never ends.

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.

The Lighthouse Diary #21: Two Weeks of BA Library Online

I think I have become an online school librarian. Since the Enhanced Community Quarantine, and now our province is in Total Lockdown, compiling, curating and constructing directories, lists and sharing resources online has been my job. Apart from this, I provide readings for reflections on teaching and learning online for faculty. 

Here is what I whipped up for our teaching force for the second week of the online classes. 

Hi all!

We are done with another week of online classes. Progress reports were sent out last week. We are all exploring teaching and learning online, an environment that is both exciting and scary. We are never short of compassion in this trying time and the concern is genuine when reaching out, lending a hand and learning together. We are Griffins! To end the week in reflection, here are selected readings to accompany us all in the journey.

One of the many challenges that came about the transition to online learning was the management of the virtual or digital space for learning. Nothing will ever replace the physical space of the classroom but a relationship with our students can continue, even flourish online. In this article, teachers from all over share these strategies they have actually done to maintain the relationship with their student. The article includes a Google Form for student check-ins. This can prove helpful for Guidance, Advisory or in-between units of online classes.

I had a chat with my advisees over at Hangouts last Wednesday. Except for one, they were all prompt in signing in and were chattier than usual. I thought, either they miss seeing and being with each other or have been really anxious with the stay at home protocol this pandemic has subjected the entire world into. It is a tall order to keep relationships tethered to our students. It is even a taller order for the teenager to discipline himself or herself studying at home. Consider the socio-emotional aspect of learning when crafting lessons for online classes. This article has advice, ideas and practical tips.

The news that DepEd is looking at the conduct of online classes for school year 2020-2021 had everyone shuddering. Not from excitement, I think. Futurists, educators and school leaders weigh in on that possibility and how the COVID-19 pandemic can change taeching and learning.

That's it for this week, Griffins. Be well. Stay safe. See you online!