Permission to Dream: Libraries as Places of Participatory Culture, Transliteracy, & Connections with the World

Andy Plemmons, School Librarian David C. Barrow Elementary

Athens, GA

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“You can’t depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus.”

-- Unknown

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“Let’s consider that reality testing may be just another way of stifling imagination.”

Source: http://schoolreforminitiative.org/doc/thinking_out_box.pdfCc image: http://www.fotopedia.com/items/flickr-4928206479

“Great librarians experiment with new services and are not afraid to fail rapidly. There is a difference between a failure and a mistake. A mistake is when you do something wrong and don’t learn

from it. A failure is something you try that is a little bit beyond your reach, but you can figure out how to do it better next time.”

~David Lankes, Expect More

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"School libraries can serve as test beds to explore. As others follow our lead, teacher librarians can play a

valuable role, SUPPORTING EDUCATORS for whom this brave new world represents change and

uncertainty." ~Mark Ray, Vancouver Public Schoolshttp://bit.ly/Zo2b0D

Successful library programs are made of

many strands tangled together.

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Librarians and members

weave these strands to create a beautiful tapestry.

Participatory Culture is grounded in…

Relatively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement

~Henry Jenkins

Source: http://bit.ly/opm6Ml

How can we lower barriers for our members?

Co-teaching

Students as teachers

Collaborative partnerships

How can we INVITE FAMILIES

to participate in our programs?

http://bit.ly/1f8EtiE

Reorganizing our collections based on user needs

strong support for creating and sharing one’s creations with others

~Henry Jenkins

Source: http://bit.ly/opm6Ml

“When we allow children to

experiment, take risks, and play with their own ideas, we give them permission to

trust themselves.”

~Sylvia Martinez & Gary Stager, Invent to Learn

Weather forecasts in PreK

Muralists in Kindergarten

Digital Photography projects in 1st grade

Regions of Georgia Commercials in 2nd Grade

Paul Revere Choice Projects in 3rd Grade

School T-shirt design in 4th grade

Documenting history in 5th Grade

Gamification

the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media from signing and orality through handwriting, print, TV, radio and film, to digital social networks.

Source: http://nlabnetworks.typepad.com/transliteracy/

Transliteracy:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/nhn_2009/5416794944/

Not Print vs. Digital

How can students experience and create across multiple platforms, tools, and media?

New forms of mentor texts

Multiple platforms for gathering information

Multiple platforms for experiencing an event

Source: http://bit.ly/15f7VPN

Transmedia storytelling

~Laura Fleming

what is known by the most experienced is passed along to novices

~Henry Jenkins

Source: http://bit.ly/opm6Ml

“It is unacceptable and unnecessary to deny children the opportunity to

work on something they are passionate about because the teacher is not an expert in that particular field.”

~Sylvia Martinez & Gary Stager, Invent to Learn

How do we identify expertise?

Pairing older with younger

Students sparking new ideas

Students designing instruction

http://bit.ly/15NvgGE

Students as school-wide tech leaders

members believe that their contributions matter

~Henry Jenkins

Source: http://bit.ly/opm6Ml

“We should expect more than simply being consumers or users of

the library; we should expect to be members--helping to shape the library itself.” ~David Lankes, Expect More

How do we honor student voices?

How do we connect

students to opportunities?

Making decisions about library content

Designing ways to make all voices heard in library decisions

Surveying every grade with iPads and Google forms

Analyzing spreadsheet data

Collection development

Students marketing to students

Expanding to Community Contributions

Not every member must contribute, but all must believe they are free to contribute when ready and that what they contribute will be appropriately valued.

~Henry Jenkins

Source: http://bit.ly/opm6Ml Source: http://bit.ly/opm6Ml

How do we invite our members to participate in their library?

“Libraries need to be of the community, not simply

for the community.” ~David Lankes, Expect More

Opportunities to contribute

Opportunities to problem solve

Opportunities to find something new

Inviting creativity through contests

Student-made book displays

“The learning space is the ‘third teacher’ in the parlance of the Reggio Emilia approach.  It

should inspire, motivate, nurture, and inform practice as much as a parent or teacher.”  

~Sylvia Martinez & Gary Stager, Invent to Learn

Celebrating success

Source: http://bit.ly/opm6Ml

members feel some degree of social connection with one another

~Henry Jenkins

http://bit.ly/1b2ONHh

Do our students understand the global society?

How do we connect them to experiences

beyond our walls?

“We serve the same youth.” ~Marcus Lowry, Ramsey County Public Library, MN

Collaborating with Public Libraries

Collaborating with local bookstores

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YouTube

Blogging

Facebook

Twitter

Tweeting with 1st graders

Bird research with Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Skyping with Rick BrooksCo-Founder of Little Free Libraries

World Read Aloud Day

Talk like a Pirate Day

International Connections

CONNECTING with other librarians leads to rewarding experiences for students.

multiple FORMS of collaboration to connect beyond walls

collaboration can start with a simple CONVERSATION that leads to UNEXPECTED OPPORTUNITIES

Connecting through shared text

Connecting through student blogging

Paper Blogging

Making our posts public

Paper commenting

Online commenting

Connecting with

Authors

"Everybody in the world can learn how to do TuxPaint now because I made that instructional video, and my story is

FAMOUS!" ~George, Kindergarten student

"I like to HEAR MYSELF read my TuxPaint story. Everybody knows I can read now."

~Ja'Cari, Kindergarten student

http://bit.ly/1eyzO8y

Long-distance librarians

What are your barriers?

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Filtering

Limited Funding

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TimeCc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gozalewis/3256814461/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Inadequate staffingCc image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/herzogbr/2109746676/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Lack of volunteers

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Reaching our library members

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Developing independence

How do we build bridges to move beyond these barriers?

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How do we find the threads that move us forward rather than remain tangled in our frustrations?

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“One of the responsibilities of being a teacher is to translate the mandates of the educational system to something that helps children understand their world.” ~Sylvia Martinez & Gary Stager, Invent to Learn

We have the opportunity to start the conversation now.

http://bit.ly/1fnJDEY

Expect the Miraculous

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Contact:Blog: http://barrowmediacenter.wordpress.com

Twitter: @plemmonsa @barrowmc

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/David-C-Barrow-Elementary-Media-Center/128735320830

Website : http://www.clarke.k12.ga.us/webpages/aplemmons

Email: plemmonsa@clarke.k12.ga.us

Resources:• Jenkins, H., Clinton, K., Purushotma, R., Robison, A.J. & Weigel,

M. (2006). Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education For the 21st Century. Retrieved September 22, 2013. http://www.newmedialiteracies.org/files/working/

NMLWhitePaper.pdf

• Lankes, R. Expect More: Demanding Better Libraries for Today’s Complex World. CreateSpace, 2012. Print.

• Martinez, Sylvia Libow., and Gary Stager. Invent to Learn: Making, Tinkering, and Engineering in the Classroom. Torrance, CA; Constructing Modern Knowledge, 2013. Print.