The Lighthouse Diary #79: From Curiosity to Inquiry: How the Library Can Help

 I am a Louise Rosenblatt bias and a KWL junkie. It’s not surprising that I anchor my library skills and ATL sessions on Transactional Theory, Metacognitive Awareness, and Constructivist and Inquiry-Based Learning. The recent integration of the BA Library’s research services and reference program shows how theory, approach, and strategy converge. Helping students move from curiosity to inquiry, and inviting teachers to collaborate with the library in guiding authentic research.

Using a KWL chart as a springboard for crafting research questions is grounded in constructivist and inquiry-based learning. The chart activates prior knowledge (K), surfaces curiosity (W), and guides learners to frame meaningful, researchable questions. This practice also nurtures metacognitive awareness, as students reflect on how their own knowledge connects to what they want to explore. In line with Rosenblatt’s transactional theory, it positions learners as co-constructors of meaning, with the teacher scaffolding their movement from curiosity to inquiry.

In this Grade 8 skills class, students were tasked with drafting research questions on the theme of colonization by the Spanish, American, and Japanese. Using the KWL chart (except for L), I guided them in framing their questions. Their drafts already show a move beyond recall; many are asking about legitimacy, effectiveness, impact, and influence—questions that invite deeper critical engagement. To sustain this trajectory, I recommend that Grades 7–8 be given more opportunities to read widely and intentionally select subject-related texts and materials. For Individuals & Societies (Group 3), a layered reading strategy can help:

• First pass: textbooks and timelines (to establish the big picture)

• Second pass: short essays and secondary readings (to explore causes, effects, and interpretations)

• Third pass: primary sources—diaries, posters, speeches, documents (to engage with authentic voices and perspectives)

This progression ensures that students move from broad context to deeper analysis, ultimately developing the skills and confidence to frame thoughtful research questions and pursue authentic inquiry.

The Lighthouse Diary #65: Towards A Combined Expertise for Student Achievement

For the past two weeks, we have had the pleasure of collaborating with MYP subject teachers.

💙 We helped them identify technology and texts that meet learning objectives.

💚 We facilitated research skills sessions for MYP students in grades 7, 8, and 10.

💙 We selected and curated books for a small library for our grade 7 students to explore in the coming days.

💚 We recommended texts and sources for guided research in grade 10.

By collaboration with our MYP teachers, the library's role in learning is given importance. By working together to support student learning and development, teachers’ subject expertise is combined with the librarian’s knowledge of resources and research strategies. 

Together, we create a richer, more comprehensive educational experience. This partnership ensures that students not only meet their learning objectives but also build essential skills like critical thinking, information literacy, and a love for reading that will benefit them in all areas of life.

Teacher and School Librarian Working Together: General and Specific References and Search Tools

Our teacher and librarian collaboration effort continue this Academic Year. I met with our grade 8 students last Tuesday and gave them a session on basic references, using tools like the table of contents and the index, and skimming and scanning. Next week, we will continue to report and share "findings", "insights" and "conclusions".

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The Lighthouse Diary #56: The Beacon Academy Library Fundamentals (2 of 2)

 Questions from teachers during in-service with the BA Library

• How can we teach students to utilize AI (such as ChatGPT) as a learning tool and not a main mechanism that will do all their academic tasks?
• How can teachers drive AI as an enhancing tool for teaching and learning instead of AI being a substitute to teachers?
• How can we minimize or maximize use of AI as we develop the research skills of our students?

The Lighthouse Diary #54: The Beacon Academy Library Fundamentals (1 of 2)

I had my first library session with our new teachers today. Previous to the meeting we had this morning, I sent them some materials to read and and a priming activity. This is how it looked like:

On Monday, July 15, 2024 for a one-hour session to discuss BA Library Fundamentals. There will be two batches, one at 9AM and the second at 1PM. Kindly wait for DOF to send the group assignments.

To prepare for this session, it is required that you read the following materials and answer the TRAILS: Tools for Research And Information Literacy Skills - Faculty Edition. 

This is the link to TRAILS: https://forms.gle/JgKKdbghhf1MyvgeA

Reading Materials:

1. The Beacon Academy Library OPAC - https://library.beaconacademy.ph/

Please read: About the Library; Library Collection; Library Personnel; Access to Digital Resources

2. Public List - https://library.beaconacademy.ph/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=list&category=2

Browse through the curated resources by the BA Community

3.  Collaboration between Teacher and Librarian - https://lovealibrarian.blogspot.com/2021/05/scholastic-webinar-collaboration-in.html

After reading the blog article, post one question and a takeaway on the JamBoard: https://jamboard.google.com/d/1qYB448pcgc4Jwaddegc9mRJZ5iXXx3c5A5dWilGGyLU/edit?usp=sharing

Numbers 1,2 are priming activities and number 3 is the Entrance Pass.

Exploring Phase 1 and 2 of the Research Design Cycle

Taking into account that our Juniors are in the process of preliminary research, Team EE provided a session on the Research Question at yesterday's Core 11. Subject teachers were present to expand and deepen the input by, yours truly (BA Teacher Librarian). This is one example of a collaborative work between teachers and the school's librarian.

A Research Question is informed by knowledge. Background knowledge. Prior knowledge. Knowledge from a varierty of sources and references. Crafting a RQ requires skill. Language skills, yes. In this case, language is used both as a tool and knowledge. The student is then expected to apply knowledge of content and language to write a RQ.

In the breakout sessions, students had consultations with subject teachers to discuss subject specific requirements; expectations on Criterion A; and possible directions of the research.

Check the link of the slides here: -> EE Core Phase 1 and 2

Teacher Librarian Collaboration: Gathering Information and Prewriting

This week in school, I had the wonderful opportunity to teach and collaborate with the Learning Support Teachers and the English/Literacy Skills teacher on using references, particularly the general encyclopedias (print and online).

This teaching experience is in connection to gathering information at the prewriting stage of the writing process. A review of the Subtopic Gathering Grid was an essential lesson on skills building as it helps funnel the breadth and depth of the available information.

Team Teaching with Filipino Teachers (1 of 2)

Teaching and Learning Research Skills: Philo Book Bingo Activity

One of the library services I am always excited to work on every academic year is the preparation and the design of Pathfinders and/or a virtual classroom library for specific subject areas. Even before the lockdown, library work for me consisted of working closely with subject teachers to support them with resources essential in extending learning and deepening the appreciation of curiosity, opening opportunities for skills building along the way.

Having met our Philosophy teacher at the onset of the school year, I designed a reading bingo card for her class. I was overwhelmed by the coverage of the content. My co-teacher's openness to show me her unit plan and learning goals set me on the path to focus and funnel the skills and topics into a bingo card that can be played during asynchronous sessions. 

I thought about combining the concept of a Pathfinder and incorporating basic research skills into the Philo Book Bingo card. 

As you can see, the bingo card has a link to World Book Online and the library's OPAC. I also included access to the EBSCO ebook high school collection and the Philosophy Resource Center of World Book Online. 

I selected links to podcasts, picked a video on Crash Course, included reading into writing activities and incorporated doodling and drawings as ways to study and remember concepts learned in online class. I had fun making this!

As of writing, I have yet to hear from my co-teacher of the plans and instructions she set up for class. Definitely, I wish to hear feedback from her soon!

The Lighthouse Diary #32: Link Rot, Supporting Teachers and Co-writing with Peers

This week at work allowed me to do teaching collabs with co-teachers in their selection and curation of resources for teaching and learning. I am preparing recommended reads and curating online content for three subject areas, all equally interesting, but the manner in which information and knowledge are organized vary. There is differentiation to consider given the unique learning styles of students. I value these collabs since it pave the way to think through our planning and preparation for online instruction as a continuous process. A sturdy information system and tech infrastructure are necessities as well.

On the side are quick requests for references and information that will make learning accessible and clear. Such is the case for this quickie list of websites on Permalinks and Link Rot that I whipped up for our Theory of Knowledge teacher. It's open for sharing so teacher and his class can contribute and grow the list of resources. He is working on a class website and he even invited me to write or make a mini-module with them.

And because I am the queen of small talk, I segued to a new found friend I met online whom he knows. The common denominators are Ignatius of Loyola and BTS. He did encourage me to write about them for his TOK class.

Grabe. Kinilig ako ng sobra! At natakot, after thinking about it. Two great ideas in one article... Keri ba ng brain ko?

I ask for the grace of wisdom.

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!

Teacher Librarians Help and Support Teachers

In October 2018, I sent out a Library Packet for our teachers in the Academy. It has information on library subscriptions, points of access and a profile of the library staff. Below is my one-page profile which I revised at the start of the year. It is my way of communicating to teachers the role and the tasks I do to help them and support them in learning and instruction.

It is necessary to continuously remind the community of the school librarian's role. For me, I go back to this list of tasks as an exercise of on-going professional growth and development.

The Beacon Academy Library Personnel from Zarah Gagatiga

Teachers and School Librarians Working Together for Student Achievement

This is a work in progress! Collecting and curating all my blog posts on teacher-librarian collaboration.

Teacher-Librarian Collaborative Activities:  Library Scavenger Hunt
LSH 2016

Teacher-Librarian Collaboration Lesson Plans & Mini-Lessons
Lesson Plan on Information Literacy: Teaching the Big 6 Model (2006)
Dear School Librarian In Action: Library Skills Instruction for Prep Students (2012)

Teacher-Librarian Collaboration: Dynamics, Functions, Purpose and Roles

The Beacon Academy Library Packet for Teachers - A promotional material for inspiring collaboration with teachers (2012)

School Librarian as Collaborative Teaching Partner Five ways to make collaboration happen (2015)

Grade 9 English: Preparing for Personal Project
Grade 9 English: Preparing for Personal Project
A recent post on teacher and school librarian collaboration, where I worked with the English teacher in planning a mini-lesson on Search Strategies for Grade 9 students (2017)

The School Librarian: A Trusted Sidekick - Adapting Dianne McKenzie's framework and approach when collaborating with teachers (2017)

How school librarians can help teachers? A smorgasbord of activities that school librarians can do in partnership with teachers, for reading development, promotion and literacy skills teaching (2018)

The school librarian can also assume the role of student services or support for student life. Here is a blog post where I wrote about the plans and activities that school librarians can do in collaboration with class advisers. (2019)

Dear School Librarian In Action: Working with Teachers

Here is part 2 of my conversations with school librarians of Raya School where we talked about working with teachers and sealing collaborative projects.

3. My priority in buying books for the library are the titles that teachers need for their lessons. However, it is not often that teachers suggest titles due to their busy schedule. Is there any possible guide that I could follow in acquisition of books?

This has been partly answered in number 2. Teachers will always put their teaching hat first. Some teachers may not recognize or admit that they need support, yet, they do. Librarians can lend that support.

In lesson planning, teachers identify learning materials, references and instructional aids. What are listed in that part of their lesson plan? Knowing what’s there can be a starting point to creating a Possible Purchase File. This is your record of resources to acquire sooner or later. Also, find a way to engage teachers in conversations about their learners and teaching practices that work. This will inform you of media and technology to set up, maintain and organize in the library for teacher's use. Have a Kapihan sa Aklatan, open a social media account for the library if your school allows this to promote library learning resources from print, online to maps, infographics and other visuals.

Over the years, I have documented and blogged about activities and projects that school librarians and teachers can do. Go to Teacher and Librarian Collaboration.

4. I give simple prizes such as stickers and bookmarks to those who frequently borrow books in the library. This works for those who are already frequent users in the library but how could I reach those seldom visit the library?

Hmm… what grades do you handle? You can approach reading promotion by grade levels, for example, K-3, middle grades, junior high and senior high. Consider their reading developmental levels in promoting books and the use of the library. Also think of what the library can offer them aside from books. Are the senior high students stressed from academics? Set up a stress buster or Makerspace that has art and crafts activities. Display books and resources about arts and crafts to go along with it. Storytelling is a MUST, especially in K-3 and changes focus somehow in the middle grades.

Reading promotions can be a program you can create but it is anchored on your collection development program and your three year library development plan.

For a bigger picture of the many hats that school librarians can wear, read this post on Reading Advocacy . This doesn't mean a librarian must play all the roles at one time, or that he/she is all that. Librarians are people in the school community and those they work with need to know and recognize that. That is part of our work also - help them see what we can do to support them.

The Lighthouse Diary Entry 9: One Step Backward Before the Big Leap

It’s holiday today but, I am working. 

I am reviewing materials I used for the #milclicks sessions done a year ago and farther back. It helps me to look back, to take a few steps backward before jumping in the work that is required at present. I do this to establish context and to set directions. I call this reflection. Coming into an awareness of where things are and where I am. 

So, I had a session on using and choosing keywords with the grade 9s last year. They are now in 10th grade, poised to do the Personal Project. They gave out interesting feedback as to how the library helped them in 9th grade during our Library orientation. I get the feeling that they are ready for robust thinking processes.

Where do we go from here, grade 10? I think I need to see the Personal Project Coordinator.

Our current grade 9s are scheduled to have their library scavenger hunt next week. It’s a tradition already! Like a prerequisite course. A priming activity that I plan and work with the CRe teacher. My review prompts me to do a digital library scavenger hunt using our online subscriptions and yes, Google. There are a lot of metadata structures there and search strategies are skills necessary to navigate and understand the layering of data and the expansion of information systems. And somewhere in the back of my mind is the result of the grade 9s’ assessment test of their research and information literacy skills. Another data that will inform me of their skills and context.

I need to organise!

What activities have I come up with for library scavenger hunt? Here are links to each.

Library Scavenger Hunt (2016)
Library Talk and Scavenger Hunt (2015)

These posts are not about the scavenger hunt, but library lessons and activities in research and on media and information literacy skills. Key to the implementation of these lessons is the collaborative partnership with classroom teachers.

Teaching Grade 9 Students Search Strategies
Teachers and Teacher Librarians Working Together

The Lighthouse Diary Entry 5: Library Research and High School Students

A library session on evaluation of sources and note taking.

I have been reflecting on the visits of our grade 10 students to the library.

 

Nearly half of them have been to the library in the past three weeks. They borrowed books for their Personal Project (PP) as encouraged, and in some cases, required by their PP Supervisors. This is happy news for me and my staff, of course, since we see our books leaving the library and into the hands of readers. Besides, this is the first time this has happened - to have half the cohort of grade 10s use the library! Seriously. 

 

This experience is beyond statistics and book circulation matters. 

Having students borrow from the library is an opportunity for me to teach them  skills in locating resources and sourcing information with in sources. What we talked about during the library orientation comes into play. This is a different learning experience from the library sessions I conduct in the subject areas. I somehow find this more authentic as students get down to business, using the OPAC, applying search terms derived from their statements of inquiry, locating books through the call no, reading the introduction, scanning the table of contents and the index. Doesn't sound like big thinking skills but fundamental to research skills development. 

 

It is also a joy to see a few students make their own decisions having found several titles -which is better, more appropriate, nearer to the topic or statement of inquiry. And so far, we have not turned away any of the grade 10s because we have books and resources to provide and recommend! 

I am hoping these skills can further build up and be strengthened across the content areas. Library use and the application of basic and fundamental research skills are ways to establish connections in the varied disciplines. Furthermore, I think that the skills applied in the processing of printed content translate better when used in the digital environment.

What made these visits possible by our high school students are two things: support from the Academic Leadership Team who designed a learning environment allowing them to go to the library, and PP supervisors who know how to do research the brick and mortar style. A school may have a well stocked library, tech gadgets here and there (this always impress us!), innovative programs and competent library staff, but if structures are not set up for classroom-library connection, the library will simply remain a warehouse. If teachers and  the faculty themselves do not value collaborative teaching and learning, the librarian and library staff will remain an unused human resource.

 

 It is like cooking bibingka or baking bread using a double heated oven.  You want a well cooked, delicious bread or bibiningka? There needs to be heat on top of the batter and below it.

Library Promotions: Book List and Recommended Reads

One promotional strategy, and the easiest to do (at least to me), for new books to get noticed is to send a list with short reviews of selected titles through the school's mailing list. Sharing with you this email I sent to teachers and staff.

Good day everyone!

Attached is the list of new acquisitions. Choice picks from this harvest:

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan - satire meets chic lit; something for the coming term break if you want a light and fun read.

Silence by Shusaka Endo - if you feel like reading something moving and thought provoking; for those familiar with the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius; for those who are fascinated with Japan's culture, history and geography; for those who are baffled by silence.

This Explains Everything, edited by John Brockman - a compilation of essays on varied subjects and disciplines, from Evolutionary Genetics, Language and Natural Selection, The Universe Growing Like A Baby, Commitment, Simplicity, Fitness Landscapes, Feynman's Lifeguard, Equations and Their Continuity, Sex at Your Fingertips -- almost everything, really! The writing is TOKish, and (kinda) metacognitive.

Strategies for Application by David Wilson - tips and techniques for applying one's self in the classroom and in life, in general. 

How To Differentiate Instruction in Mixed-Ability Classrooms by Carol Ann Tomlinson - Differentiated Instruction 101; it has the basic principles of differentiating instruction; makes for a good companion to R. Jackson's Never Work Harder Than Your Students.

That's it, pansit. Hope to see you at the library! For queries, shoot us an email: 

library@beaconacademy.ph (Flynn - who will provide you with basic sourcing and reference services) 

librarian@beaconacademy.ph (Zarah - who can be your sounding board for instructional or pedagogical matters and teaching partner in research skills instruction)

Check our OPAC for queries on specific titles of books - tbalibrary.org 

I apply a different strategy when promoting books to students. Watch out for the next post on library promotions!

National Conference on Technology in Education: INNOVATED 2017

I am deeply humbled to be in this roster of passionate educators. I will be running a workshop on Media in Social Media that will cover Media and Information Literacy Skills and Web 2.0 Technology in teaching and instruction.

Join over 300 educators in shaping the future of education. The National Conference on Technology in Education: INNOVATED. September 12-14, 2017, SMX Convention Center Manila. 

Zooming in on the Relearn Literacy Session on Media and Information Literacy, you will find three topics on MIL: search strategies, understanding media, social media and smart strategies in navigating Web 2.0, and teaching Media and Information Literacy.

Teacher and Librarian Collaboration: Media and Information Literacy Workshop

Media and Information Literacy: Teacher and Librarian Collaboration from Zarah Gagatiga

Post Script on Teacher-Librarian Collaboration and MIL Workshop for ALLPI

Dear ALLPI,

It's been a week since our workshop on Teacher and Librarian Collaboration and Media and Information Literacy. Thank you very much for making the workshop a meaningful experience for me. As always, I learned from the experience as well. Your presence and cooperation pushes me to improve my training module and the approach I can use the next time I get to do a similar workshop.

Among the many insights I gained from our workshop last week, it is the concept that MIL is a process - something we can work on together in steps and in progression. And while you may be connecting the dots on what you gained from the workshop with actual practice, I am sending these links your way to further enhance, enrich or support your understanding and competencies in MIL.

Read on! Take note. Write down your questions or what struck you along the way.

If you are new to assessment and the tools necessary to undergo diagnoses of skills and competencies, I recommend this PPT by Marjorie Pappas (2009). In her presentation, she explains the different kinds of assessments and the tools that are appropriate for each one. I particularly like the strategies and graphic organizers she identified for self-assessment not only on IL skills, but on creative and critical thinking skills applied in communication arts.

For specific rubrics and criterion based assessment tool on IL, here are three websites and links to each of them.

Information Literacy Skills Assessment for Students 
This assessment on IL is a free online assessment tool designed by the Kent State University Libraries. All you need is to get an account, verify it and you can use the assessment tool, known as TRAILS, for one-on-one, small group or class sessions.

Information Literacy Value Rubric for Projects and Finished Research Work - 
This is a PDF of an IL rubric to assess students' achievement on IL skills applied in creating and communicating a project or a research work. The PDF can be downloaded for free.

RAILS Rubric Assessment of Information Literacy Skills is list of assessment tools on IL skills and its sub-skills. You need to log in to get free rubrics and even contribute your own. Of the three, this is may favorite because, I am able to choose which is applicable for my students, my workshop participants and colleagues who need my help and assistance.

That's it for now. Do give me feedback or ask questions on the links I recommended.