Teaching Information Literacy to Digital Natives

Il the millinneal_way from Zarah Gagatiga

The Hero and The Trusted Sidekick: Teachers and School Librarians Working Together

As a school librarian working in an IB school, I have attended a good number of workshops and conferences on school librarianship. And always, I taken away loads of learning and insights that improved my personal life and professional practice. One of my favorite take aways is the concept of teacher librarians and classroom teachers working together to improve students aptitude and uplift their attitude towards life.

Though I have known and recognized the relevance of this partnership between teacher librarian and classroom teacher years before working in an IB school, it is only now that I am working in the Beacon Academy that I actualize it.  This experience is something I wish to share with my colleagues.

So, when Evelyn Nabus, President of the Association of Librarians in Laguna Province (ALLP) invited me to do a workshop for the ALLP on Media and Information Literacy, I said yes.

Inspired by Dianne McKenzie's article on the role of the librarian as a Trusty Sidekick,  I thought of ways to merge this with the topic given to me by ALLP.  This is the result:

The Hero and the Trusted Sidekick:

Teachers and School Librarians Working Together for the

Conduct of a Media and Information Literacy Program for K-12 Learners

Several researches show that when teacher and school librarian collaborate and work together, students learn better and learning becomes more authentic and meaningful. Test scores increase and students gain confidence in doing school work and accomplishing tasks that are challenging and complex. The goal of this training workshop is for teachers and school librarians to revisit their unique roles in the teaching and learning process so that they can establish a partnership that inspire collaboration in the planning and implementation of a Media and Information Literacy Program.

Specifically, the objectives of the training workshop are:

1. To identify techniques and strategies that lead to collaborative work between teacher and school librarian;
2. To review current Media and Information Literacy (MIL) standards and programs;
3. To determine areas of collaborative work when planning and implementing a MIL program;
4. To draft a MIL matrix of skills that can be used as guide in developing the library collection and resources; in providing readers and reference services; and in conducting user education programs.

The training workshop is for teachers who are teaching MIL in the senior high school as well as teachers in K-10 who are interested in MIL. Librarians servicing K-12 learners will benefit from the training workshop since activities are designed for the improvement and honing of critical and creative thinking skills as applied to library work and program management.

Note on the title of the training workshop: the training workshop’s jump off point is the role and relationship of the hero and his/her sidekick in popular culture. This metaphor will be used to amplify the value of the sidekick to the hero’s journey.

Teachers have always been referred to as modern day heroes. In myth and in literature, heroes thrive and survive through the aid of a trusted sidekick who gives encouragement, cheers them on, picks them up when they fall, sometimes, carries the ring of power for them or casts a spell to open a locked door. This is the symbolic role of the school librarian to teachers. It is a role we haven’t fully talked about or explored, but, it exists like an elephant in the room. It’s about time we see the elephant for what it is and eat it, piece by piece.

Prepared by: Zarah C. Gagatiga 5.17.2017

BPI SHAPE - YGOAL Project: Source Book on Personal Development for Senior High School

Personal Development and Entrepreneurship Resource Books  

Apart from writing stories for children and academic papers, I also write training manuals and teaching modules for teachers. In the past, I have done this kind of writing project with Ayala Foundation and Sa Aklat Sisikat (SAS). My years as trainor for teachers and workshop facilitator in storytelling gave me the hands-on experience in creating training modules. I was also fortunate to work with brilliant master trainors who I considered as my mentors.

When YGOAL came along with a proposal to write a source book cum training module for Senior High School teachers, I considered accepting the project. It was a source book on Personal Development and much of its content is based on the DepEd SHS Curriculum. The risk taker that I am, I said yes.

Rounding up a young team of librarians who can write and create content, we set forth on the journey, along with YGOAL people, Yani Alonto and JR Demacais. What proved to be a challenging journey was peppered with moments of insight, learning and reflection.

The writing team I worked with was made up of Darrel Marco, Ann Grace Bansig, Mennie Ruth Viray and Audrey Anday. They are amazing! While each of us has a module to write, at the home stretch, we worked as a team by pitching in work for a co-writer and team members when content and deadlines loom like Dementors on our path. Each librarian-writer made a contribution in the development of the modules, from content, validation, training design and facilitation. I am so proud of the team! As librarians, we were able to flex our professional muscles to become content developers. With a keen eye on research and skills on Information Literacy, we were able to create a new set of knowledge based on standards and prescribed criteria.

Yani Alonto as project leader is such a positive force to work with. His work experience as a teacher helped us understand the bigger task at hand and the details required for each module. He is patient and respected our artistic moods as writers. We were writing a training manual, yes, but enough creativity was given to us so we can give our best to the project. He also gave us enough time for research and development. This made the writing pretty much a manageable endeavor.

The "by line" gives you a good feeling.

As for myself, I can say that I enjoyed working on the project because, as a high school librarian, I can see my students in the modules I worked on. Teenagers may come from varied demographics, but a common thread binds who they are regardless. They are young people on the road to self discovery. As a writer of the training module, I had to provide activities for teachers to use that will allow these young people to gain confidence in themselves, within a designed environment that is kind and compassionate, fair and good.

Finally, the project ended with a Training of Trainors (TOT) in two high schools: one in Laguna and one in Taguig. I look forward to phase 2 of the project. This is the real test of the modules for teachers will be using them as part of their teaching arsenal. Then, we will know how to further improve this!

PPT: Designing an Information Literacy Skills Porgram for the New K-12 Curriculum

Il k 12-school_libs_aug2015.ppt from Zarah Gagatiga

Children's Literature Talk and Librarians Workshop in the NCBD 2015

On July 21, we celebrate National Children's Book Day (NCBD). It is now on its 32nd year and the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY), the lead agency of the NCBD celebration has partnered with the National Book Development Board (NBDB) and the Rizal Library, Ateneo de Manila University for two events. One is the Philippine Children's Book Summit at the Elements in Centris, Quezon City on July 21 and the second is the NCBD Book Fair in the Rizal Library on July 25. This year's theme is Umuulan ng Libro (It's Raining Books!)

Both have an Event page in FB. The links are:

Umuulan ng Libro: NCBD Book Fair
 Umuulan ng Libro: Philippine Children's Book Summit

Visit the Event pages to know the activities lined up for you and the kids and teens you can bring along.

In the Book Summit, I am scheduled to talk about Children's Literature. Nothing heavy or serious. It is a session where we will simply talk about children's books and young adult novels. We will brush up on the important roles we play as school librarians in light of the children's books and young adult novels we like, we don't like and those we keep in our library shelves. It is only a one hour session, so I hope to inspire you to think of ways on how you, as a school librarian, continuously develop ways to love books that your students in the library read about or are not aware of that it exist.

Moving on,  July 25 at the NCBD Book Fair is where my workshop on Creative Reading Programs is scheduled at 9AM-12NN, 4th Floor, Reading Area of the Rizal Library. In the workshop, I will present prerequisites for planning and designing reading programs suitable for school libraries. Basic concepts on reading as developmental skill, its cognitive and social aspects will be presented. Then, we move to draft a school library reading program for a specific age group or grade level.

For inquiries on the Book Summit, get in touch via email to pbby@adarna.com.ph. For registration to the Librarians Workshop, email cpd4schoollibrarians@gmail.com or send a text message via 09399346521.

From RAP Prezi to PBBY Chair

I got this email from Prof. Melissa Orencia, current President of the Reading Association of the Philippines.

Dear Zarah,

Greetings from the Reading Association of the Philippines!  

We would like to ask your assistance to provide us with a list of "must-read" tradebooks for Filipino children from K-12 both local and international. We would like to recommend these to public and privates schools that are setting up libraries. 

I whipped up a list of around twenty titles. I hope to send some more titles to her this month. Below is the recommended titles I put together for her request.

Recommended booksfork 12-1 from Zarah Gagatiga

    

K-12 for School Librarians: How the School Library Supports K-12P

Worksheet k12 p from Zarah Gagatiga

Live Blogging: Seminar on K-12Program @ St. Bridget College

I arrived in St. Bridget College of Batangas safe and dry. Thanks to GoldenRey for sponsoring my transportation. The bad weather did not dampen the spirits of attendees. There are more than seventy teacher librarians and school librarians present in today's seminar forum. Like in past seminars and workshops, I feel good to being with friends in the profession.

Lilian Rabino of DLS Lipa presents the seminar certificate to Dr. Vivian Fababier

 Dr. Vivian Fababier of the DepEd, Batangas City, has done a good job introducing the key features of the K-12 Program. I will use some of her inputs in my session later as I discuss the role of school libraries and librarians in the K-12 Program.

With Josie Tuzon of the Holy Spirit School, Cubao

Right now, Rene Banda Manlangit is presenting PLAI news. I'm happy to know that, among the many projects PLAI is pushing, one is the inclusion of an item for school librarians in the public school system. Good luck, PLAI!