BA Library Online: Points for Reflection 2

At Week 2 of our library online services, I rounded up articles on instructional design, creating connections, bibliotherapy and the inevitable changes that the pandemic will take effect when this is all over.

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 students. 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.

There is a possibility that the lockdown or the enhanced community quarantine will spill over into May until June. 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 learning especially the environment and the terrain for which it is designed.

Collage: Pace and Space

It was my turn to leave the house this week. I had my quarantine pass with me. I dropped by office of our home owner’s association to settle our quarterly dues and off I went to Pavilion Mall. I went to our local drug store, at Watsons, to buy medicines, food supplements and vitamins.

At the drug store, there was strict compliance to health protocols, but social distancing is really a challenge. Our trade and industry department issued an anti-hoarding policy. That was easier to monitor.

This is an entry for #ourcoronadiary, a writing and history making activity initiated and endorsed by writers and authors in the UK.

Collage: Liwanag 2

I made a photo collage today (April 2, 2020) of pictures I took before the Enhanced Community Quarantine last March 16, 2020. I miss watching the sun rise at school, taking walks at the end of the day and hugging trees. 

We live in Binan City, in the province of Laguna. It is in total lockdown now. I am counting the days until the end of the lockdown. But data and statistic reports tell us that the lockdown may extend until June. 

This is for #ourcoronadiary, a writing activity endorsed by writers, authors and publishers in the UK.

Online Bibliotherapy: Coping and Living Through the COVID-19 Pandemic

It is the third week of the Emergency Community Quarantine (ECQ) in the country and the second week of total lockdown in our province. It has been a crazy three weeks. It demands from us a great flexibility to cope, survive and thrive through this pandemic.

I am working from home since March 13, 2020. Overnight, I turned into an online school librarian providing access to resources, lending advice to students and colleagues and sharing experiences for professional development. On top of this, my reading and bibliotherapy advocacy continues. While I am working on a directory of books for bibliotherapy for the children evacuees of Taal, I am just as concerned with the socio-emotional needs of my students.

So, I whipped up several activities for them. I discussed it with the group up during advisory. We have it once a week. I posted the activities in the blog so that, others may find inspiration and use them too. Here is a roundup of the bibliotherapy activities I organized for my grade 10 advisees.

Mapping Your Heart - for self knowledge, self awareness and management of emotions

Collage - for self expression and spring board to more creative endeavors

Journalling - recognizing that we are all a part of this pandemic, the necessity to keep a diary or a journal keeps us sane and, when all of this is through, we have made history together. I used #ourcoronadiary as an example. Check the website, Our Corona Diary, for information on how to participate.

This is a collage I made the other day. I posted this on Instagram and used #ourcoronadiary. Try it too. It makes coping and living through this pandemic a little bit more joyful.

Pathfinder: 2019 n-CoV

This Pathfinder is prepared for the learning community of The Beacon Academy. The school has established workflows and set up protocols for medical emergency in light of the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus. The curated content and sources are uploaded in the blog in the hope so that others may be informed as well.

Keywords: virus, viral infection, outbreak, 2019 n-CoV, epidemic, pandemic   

BA Library Resources: 

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

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Articles in WBO are lexiled

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

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Selected articles in Explora are lexiled

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

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Science News: www.sciencenews.org

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BA  Library 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?

As the story on the 2019 n-CoV develops, relevant articles, resources and references will be added in this Pathfinder.

Be safe everyone! Hydrate and sanitize as you go!