By Carol Koechlin
The end is just the beginning – Reflection is always good but in order for any learning experience to have lasting value we need to push on to higher levels of metacognition. “The Big Think” is a deliberate planned strategy to help learners collaboratively consider what they learned and how they learned it, then move on to understanding why their new knowledge is important and what they can do to take action. For more background and a handout on the Big Think visit this workshop Knowledge Building Center.
Treasure Mountain Canada (TMC) is a participatory learning experience designed to bring researchers and practitioners together to discuss and debate current Canadian research and scholarly writing which has an impact on the role of school libraries vis-à-vis educational strategy and transformation.
The fifth TMC Symposium and “Think Tank” was held in Winnipeg, Manitoba, October 20-21. 2017, in partnership with Manitoba School Library Association (MSLA) SAGE Conference. Creative and energetic minds from around the country came together to work on the theme of “Culturally Relevant School Library Learning Commons”. Papers and work spaces are archived for viewing and study at Canadian School Libraries Research Archive.
After two full days immersed in learning and deep thinking about our theme we devoted the last component of TMC5 symposium to the traditional “Big Think”. Table groups were asked to collaboratively discuss what they learned and how these understandings translate into a vision and mandate for culturally relevant and responsive school library learning commons. We posed a “So What” question for groups to discuss in table groups.
So What: What do we want people to know?
Responses were recorded in a Google form for everyone to review. Analysis of these responses revealed a wide range of “look fors” when contemplating a culturally relevant and responsive SLLC. Here are a few:
- representation of all of the cultures and communities. i.e., visually, auditory, environmentally – including and beyond the collection
- professional conversations with teachers about their learning needs as well as sharing cultural resources and learning approaches
- school libraries having a moral purpose to be culturally relevant and responsive
- room for opposing ideas, difficult answers, working through challenges
- understanding of our own culture and the ways in which one’s thinking is shaped by culture
- building connections within and beyond the school learning community.
The other observation we took away from these rich responses is the urgency to act.
With these responses in mind the group was then challenged to create action ideas for themselves and the CSL community. The “What Next” question was presented and responses were recorded in a new Google form.
What Next: What are we going to do about it?
Analysis of this second group of responses all point to a need for keeping the conversations going nationally and locally and for building a central space for these conversations as well as the sharing of ideas and resources. A few reoccurring action ideas:
- create a space for sharing our resources in CSL – one key spot so it isn’t so scattered and/or hard to find
- make learning visible – share resources and learning experiences with staff, students, parents
- reach out to others to build off of their practice, experience, knowledge and energy
- curate professional education opportunities; webinars; experts across the country; workshops, etc.
- connect communities to each other, especially with aboriginal and non-aboriginal populations
- establish CSL discussion groups for continued conversations.
After analysis of “Big Think” responses, TMC activities, conversations and social media posts we have established a direction for TMC/CSL next steps.
Call to Action: Support Schools in work to build culturally relevant and responsive School Library Learning Commons
CSL Professional Learning / TMC Planning Committee will take up the call for action and initiate a TMC/CSL project to continue the work started at TMC5. We will establish a special project committee to plan and implement supports to advance culturally relevant and responsive school library learning commons.
Would you like to help? Please contact Carol Koechlin or Anita Brooks Kirkland, Co-Chairs of the CSL Professional Learning / TMC Planning Committee, if you would be interested in serving on a special project committee to make the TMC/CSL call to action a reality. We actually have some excellent resources ready for sharing, see below.
Already started:
- Culturally responsive SLLC resources to get you thinking about culturally relevant and responsive school library learning commons
- TMC5 – 18 papers prepared by school library practitioners and other experts explore the theme of culturally relevant and responsive school library learning commons through sub-themes:
- Learning Environment
- Instructional Approaches
- Learning Partnerships
- Leveraging Technology
- Several papers prepared for study at TMC5 demonstrate how Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada can be used to help schools advance a culturally relevant and responsive school library learning commons.
- Facilitating Reconciliation through the Library Learning Commons by Jo-Anne Gibson
- Weaving the Fabric of our Schools’ Cultures… by Vivianne Fogarty
- Leading Learning as a Tool for Reflection and Growth: Culturally Relevant and Responsive Library Learning Commons by Judith Sykes and Carol Koechlin
- Resource Links Highlights from CSL Journal: Truth & Reconciliation, Indigenous Education
- Analysis of the entire symposium experience very well summed up in a passionate article in OSLA Teaching Librarian magazine by Jennifer Brown and Melanie Mulcaster, Time to Make Room.
- Jennifer Brown reflects TMC5 in the OLA Magazine, Open Shelf: Gathering with voices of Canadian school libraries: Treasure Mountain Canada 5
- 7 Simple Steps to Foster Multicultural Librarianship Poster (Ontario Library Association)
- Quotes from the TMC5 Big Think worth sharing and spreading:
- “We should take advantage of each other’s experiences and try them out.”
- “Libraries and collections are curated mindfully as mirrors and windows for diversity of all kinds”
- “If we model what we want to see in the learning commons others will see “vision” and “actions” required to build the collaborative culture required to build a sustainable program”
- “School libraries are about moral purpose (making the lives of our students better) as well as about educational purposes (achieving the academic goals of schooling).”
- “We look through a cultural lens with our own cultural bias. We need to learn to look through others.”
- “Culture and cognition are interrelated–and we need to be aware of our own culture before we can hope to understand the culture/s of others.”
- “Developing a culturally responsive pedagogy is a lifelong process–be gentle with yourself and others as you walk side-by-side along that path.”
Carol Koechlin is an experienced educator who has contributed to the field of information literacy and school librarianship writing professional books, articles for professional journals, facilitating on-line courses, and presenting workshops in Canada, United States and Australia. Working with Dr. David V.Loertscher, the team has developed foundations for the transformation of school libraries and computer labs into a Physical and Virtual participatory Learning Commons. Explore their work at The School Library Learning Commons – Future Forward. Carol is a founding member of Treasure Mountain Canada (TMC) and has co-chaired TMC Symposiums since 2010. Carol was a contributing writer for Together for Learning: School Libraries and the Emergence of the Learning Commons and writing coordinator for Leading Learning: Standards Of Practice For School Library Learning Commons In Canada (Canadian Library Association, 2014). She is currently a director of Canadian School Libraries (CSL). Carol’s favourite saying, “Empower students to own the question.”