Category Archives: LLED 469

BC Privacy Laws for Educators: Who is Responsible?

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Context

“If found in breach of the current privacy protection laws in BC, an individual teacher could be fined between $2,000.00 to $5,000.00 while a school could face fines as high as $50,000.00.” (Hengstler, 2013)

Often the exemplars of learning involving Web 2.0 tools that are presented to BC educators are not in compliance with BC Privacy’s laws or, at least, do not explicitly address them (e.g. student ePortfolios).

Who is responsible?

I1106852126n light of the possible consequences of ignorance . . .

In your opinion, what percentage of your colleagues are aware of the BC privacy laws? Whose responsibility is it to ensure teacher awareness of and education in the BC Privacy Laws? (e.g. BCTF, Ministry of Education, university education programs, BCCT, school districts, trustees, administrators, individual teachers, OIPC, no one, etc.) Please explain your reasoning and thoughts.

What advice would you give a new teacher librarian eager to collaborate with teachers?

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inquiryDescribe an effective collaboration between a teacher librarian and a teacher or teachers that you have participated in or observed. In your opinion, what are some necessary factors for effective teacher / teacher librarian collaboration to occur? What are some challenges and obstacles that can hinder or prevent effective collaboration between teachers and teacher librarians?

Challenge: Using only 140 characters (length of a Tweet), what key piece of advice would you give a new teacher librarian eager to collaborate with his/her colleagues?

Teaching Digital Literacy in a Canadian Context

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alphabet-99374_640In my role as a curriculum coordinator, teachers frequently ask me what digital literacy is and how to integrate it. Of course, being both an umbrella term for multiple literacies and an emerging fad term in education, digital literacy is being interpreted in a variety of ways.  Consequently, I find teachers usually need resources that:

  • Clarify what digital literacy is in both a British Columbiana and Canadian context;
  • Connect digital literacy to the broader international context;
  • Offer practical information around the BC Privacy Laws;
  • Offer relevant virtual tools and resources for students that cover the three digital literacy principals: use, comprehend, create.

I have put together a Symbaloo pathway with a sampling of these resources. I have chosen the collected sites based on quality, context and BC teacher need. In terms of quality, where possible, I have vetted resources that are based on research and a clear understanding of what digital literacy is, I have included critical resources for BC teachers such as the BC Digital Literacy Standards and the BC Privacy Laws (Cloud Computing for Public Bodies). Also, as many teachers request virtual tools to explore the different aspects of digital literacy, I have included sites with tools and lesson ideas as well as some BC educational blogs to provide pedagogical context for those tools. Hopefully there is something for everyone! By no means is this collection exhaustive and I would be grateful if anyone could suggest more relevant sites. Click on the picture below to explore the collection.

Screenshot 2015-01-30 20.47.08

Highlighted Sites

Media Awareness Network. (2010). Digital Literacy in Canada: From Inclusion to Transformation

If you read only one resource on digital literacy, make this it. It gives a concise and accurate summary of what digital literacy is based on research and outlines how and why it is necessary within a Canadian context.

 Ministry of Education. (2014). BC’s Digital Literacy Framework

Did you know that we have a digital literacy framework complete with an official definition, characteristics (aka. competencies) and student profiles? Although potentially useful, the characteristics and profiles are derived from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards. In many cases the language is verbatim. Although a start, in my opinion, the framework is a discordant mix of different ideas pulled from diverse places rather than a comprehensive work guided by a clear and contextualized vision. I’m excited to see what this beginning might evolve into.

Hengstler, Julia. (2013). A K-12 Primer for British Columbia Teachers: Posting Students’’ work Online.

A practical guide for teachers on how to navigate the BC privacy laws for public bodies (i.e. public schools).

MediaSmarts: Canada’s Center for Digital and Media Literacy.

If you are looking for resources and lesson ideas and only have time for a one-stop shop, this is it. Quality and Canadian.

Abbotsford School District. Digital Literacy and Citizenship Curriculum K-12

Looking for BC grade specific virtual tools/websites for digital literacy? Curated with an eye to BC’s Digital Literacy Framework, there is something for everyone here.

Board/Authority Authorized (BAA) Courses

BAA courses are courses that have been developed within a district to meet local needs. These courses can be used for the 28 credits of electives required  for graduation (grades 10-12). Any district can submit a BAA course for approval in their own district. If you are interested in offering a digital literacy course in your district, you could use a BAA course already developed or develop your own. Two digital literacy BAA courses developed are available here. If you know of more, please comment below!

 

Getting Messy: Knowledge Building, Creativity and Innovation in the Learning Commons

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Creating-a-video-marketing-strategy-300x300-2In order to design for knowledge building, creativity and innovation, the school Library Learning Commons needs a common vision, an effective design team and a responsive philosophy.

If a school Library Learning Commons is meant to “facilitat[e] knowledge creation” and build a “participatory learning community,” it follows that any successful design would need to build on these foundational premises (CLA, 2014, p. 3-4). In other words, you would need a team or steering committee representative of the entire school community to co-create both the vision and the practical implementation of that vision. The Canadian Library Association (2014) captures this in Leading Learning: standards of practice for school library learning commons in Canada. The article’s “Key Steps for Implementation” neatly outlines the necessary philosophy and seven broad steps for designing a learning commons. Personally, being a ‘big picture’ personality, I love these broad strokes. However, I can already hear my former team teacher demanding the nut and bolts of the plan (hence why we made an excellent team!).

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Ekdahl and Zubke (2014) come to the rescue with the sharply practical checklist in From School Library to Library Learning Commons: A Pro·Active Model of Educational Change (p. 9). Neatly categorized under five sub headings, necessary factors such as sufficient staffing and technological infrastructure are detailed. The inspirational goals of creativity and innovation need rather mundane considerations to flourish and this brings us back to the importance of the team. Being a twin, I’ve learned two very important lessons: (1) I do not have the aptitude to do everything myself and (2) I don’t have to!

If you have a team that shares a common vision, encompasses diverse skill sets and (this is important) learns how to work together as a team, anything can be accomplished. More than that, if we wish to facilitate participatory and collaborative cultures within our schools we must both experience and model it.

Of course, the more participatory anything is, the messier it is and this is the true mr-messy-mykeachallenge of designing for knowledge creation, creativity and innovation. Creation of anything is messy and should be. There is no clean and clear path from point A to point B, no reservoir of static knowledge to be uncovered. An effective learning commons will be created collaboratively and will be continuously responsive to the community it serves. Consequently, it will always be influx, evolving and adjusting according to community need and desire. It’s always going to be, well, messy.