After viewing the Imagine the Possibilities Powtoon, the creators’ term “Secret Agent of Change” immediately struck a chord with and inspired me. It did so for a few reasons.
First of all, it appeals to my mystery-loving, superhero-admiring nature; Mystery is my favourite genre. Secondly, and somewhat tongue-in-cheek, the term suggests to me that I can quietly and “stealthily” lead the way through a variety of means (cue “Mission Impossible” theme). On a more serious note, the third reason is that I welcome opportunities to try new ideas and activities on a regular basis. For example, this year I jumped at the chance to teach Grade 3/4 so that I could try something completely new. And while I was initially nervous like many others at the thought of the revised curriculum and the changes it would bring, I quickly embraced it as a chance to refine, re-envision, and develop my teaching philosophy and practice. In pursuing a teacher-librarian diploma, I am coming to recognize that T-Ls have a significant role to play in leading change through the work we do. This, therefore, is key to the focus of my learning curation.
I have written my own recipe for “a school library as a place of literacy and learning” using Powtoon.
When watching the Imagine the Possibilities Powtoon, Chris Kennedy’s quote that is featured also resonated with me for what it implies with regards to teacher-librarians as leaders:
Earlier this year I came across his blog, Culture of Yes, and I referred back to it when working through this module. I came across a blog post entitled “The Learning Commons Mindset” in which he discusses the shift in mindset that he sees taking place around the West Vancouver School District. He comments that “the school library – a centre piece in schools – is now the modern hub for learning” (February, 2015). He also makes reference to Joan Frye Williams who describes the transformation of libraries as “…places to do stuff, not simply places to get stuff…we need to stop being the grocery store or candy store and start being the kitchen” (Retrieved from https://cultureofyes.ca/2015/02/12/the-learning-commons-mindset/, Sept. 30, 2016). When I read this it fit perfectly with this module’s recipe theme. With our focus on libraries as the hub or “kitchen” of the school, teacher-librarians are perfectly placed as leaders.
References:
Kennedy, C. (2012, February 2). The culture of yes. Retrieved from https://cultureofyes.ca/2015/02/12/the-learning-commons-mindset/.
Sulivan, D., & Lunny, J. (2014, June 28). Imagine the possibilities. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_QnbQxnNCI.
“I Teach What’s Your Superpower” image: Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/resource/teacher-superhero-poster, Sept. 18, 2016.
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