Learning to Love the Questions

Wilhelm, J. j. (2014). Learning to love the questions. Knowledge Quest, 42(5), 36-41. 

URL: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=a16c2730-5248-48be-bbc5-54c9b32b79fc%40sessionmgr4006&vid=21&hid=4101

This article discusses how teacher can ask essential questions that frame learning as problem-solving opportunities. This can help to foster student engagement and creativity. It asserts that good guiding and essential questions are the key to designing solid inquiry-based learning. This requires students to collaborate effectively by bringing contributions of creativity and innovation to the table. Essential questions have a way of orienting the problem, which can result in learning conversations, creative problem-solving and thinking outside the box, and zeroing in on major/key concepts.

Learning Through Rubrics

Yoshina, J. M., & Harada, V. H. (2007). Involving students in learning through rubrics. Library Media Connection, 25(5), 10-14. 

URL: http://web.a.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=d34abcc1-e7d7-4ee5-8525-a4bed4748624%40sessionmgr4007&vid=43&hid=4101

This article discusses the usefulness of rubrics as an assessment tool in inquiry based learning and teaching. The article discusses how students learn to explore big questions through inquiry, are encouraged to ask meaningful questions, access and evaluate information, and express their opinions effectively. It also acknowledges the student role in assessing and measuring performance. Rubrics provide a standard and help students to better conceptualize what must be done.

National Novel Writing Month

Bradley, L. (2017, June 1). NaNoWriMo challenge helps students write and publish in the digital age. Retrieved from https://ww2.kqed.org/learning/2017/06/01/nanowrimo-challenge-helps-students-write-and-publish-in-the-digital-age

URL: https://ww2.kqed.org/learning/2017/06/01/nanowrimo-challenge-helps-students-write-and-publish-in-the-digital-age

In this article, teacher discusses getting students to not only collaborate, but also use technology skills on a project-based learning opportunity. She discusses how the use of National Novel Writing Month helped her to bring 21st century skills to the foreground in her classroom. Kids learned some of the finer points of choosing appropriate usernames, creating safe passwords, posting in a shared digital space, participating in online forums, sharing work offline, collaborating with other writers, responding to feedback online, and supporting other writers.

Fluid Roles in Digital Storytelling

Morris, R. J. (2013). Creating, viewing, and assessing: Fluid roles of the student self in digital storytelling. School Libraries Worldwide, 19(2), 54-68. 

URL: http://web.b.ebscohost.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=ba2901c8-d190-48fa-bc87-15824fb762dc%40sessionmgr103&vid=6&hid=124

This article presents some findings from a study were students are creators of digital storytelling projects. The ages studied are 9-13 years old. It was designed to look at how students interact and participate in various roles. It demonstrated how students fluidly and independently shifted their  roles from that of creating/making/designing to that of listener/viewer/observer. And it demonstrated the need for school librarians to support technology. Essentially, it also supports the concept of blended learning, as well as 21st century skills.

Hanging out, messing around, and geeking out: Kids living and learning with new media.

Norma Olsen

ET- blended learning
IL- 21st-century learning

Ito, M., Baumer, S., Bittanti, M., Cody, R., Stephenson, B. H., Horst, H. A., ... & Perkel, D. (2009). Hanging out, messing around, and geeking out: Kids living and learning with new media. MIT press. Retrieved from https://dmlcentral.net/wp-content/uploads/files/Hanging_Out.pdf

In this book, the cowriters report on a three-year ethnographic study that explores how the social and recreational use of digital technology and social media provides a way to develop many of the 21st century skills of collaboration, creation culture, and self-directed learning. Reading this can provide ways which teachers and teacher librarians can harness the natural draw of technology and socializing towards instructional purposes. We must understand what motivates 21-century youths if we are to create learning environments that can direct their energy towards the fields and problems that face our world.