A Virtual Learning Commons: A Beginning

 

My Digital Capstone

LIBE 477

            

        For my final project, I wanted to at least start a framework in developing a virtual library learning commons website.  This will be a place that centralizes my thoughts and resources for future and is potentially something that can be expanded later (should I land a job as a teacher-librarian). My overall goal is to use information and ideas prompted by this course and to organize them on my website for my own future reference. Websites provide a platform for discovering and accessing a wide array of digital resources, including e-books, journals, databases, and multimedia materials. This expands the library's reach beyond physical holdings.

I hope my website may one day inspire creative learning and participation and provide a place where teachers, students, and parents can go for ideas and resources.  With the small amount of time I had, I recognize that this work is incomplete and just a beginning. I also would have collected input and collaborated with colleagues and students on this project should I have had the captive audience and people around me to do so. 

“In our digital age a school library website can be a cornerstone of the school library’s 24/7 impact on students”.

(AISL, 2015)

My research base was predominantly the resources presented throughout this course with some articles that supported appeal, function, and relevant information in creating a website. Lemongrass Media (n.d.) suggests, “a digital library can contain a wider range of academic resources than the traditional library”. Furthermore, the importance and quality of a school website should include documents, presentations, interactive study materials, and a wide range of additional academic resources. (Lemongrass, n.d.) 

With many choices out there, teacher-librarians need to be relevant to students and their needs and consider how to make connections between digital resources and their clients (UBC, 2020). Three areas I considered in planning a virtual learning commons included suggestions from the International Association  of School Librarianship (2015).

·  Think deeply about the purpose of your library website. 

·  Examine examples of good school library websites and evaluate what makes them stand out. 

·  Investigate the numerous free platforms and templates available to build your skills.

This was no easy task and I found myself in the continuous rabbit hole of options and digital information out there even before I had even attempted to compose my website.  I can’t even begin to tell you the circles I went in!

 

Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/23292123042825311

My goal was to create something practical and functional that I could use or alter in my future career path. I wanted to create a website that is useful to learning, helpful to learners and my community, and potentially inspiring… I am not sure I quite got there this round. 

“A school website can be used for much more than promotional purposes. The functionality that the website comes equipped with will make the application process easier and will provide useful information enhancing the academic process”

(Lemongrass, 2015) 

As this was my first attempt at ever producing a website, it was quite daunting.  I ‘google’ searched ‘top 10 website building platforms’ and Wix seemed to be highly rated and one of the most popular ones. I started my project using Wix but quickly became overwhelmed.  I found the platform very finicky and hard to manage and very time consuming. I made a quick switch to a platform I was more familiar with, Google.  Google has a new (or new to me) feature called Google Sites. With a little bit of research and reading, it was recommended as a good starting place and as a “very nice, easy to use, quick and effective tool for building a small website” Norman (2021). Google Site had less formatting and “drag and drop” issues and it enabled me to quickly add and arrange pages. It was instantly a manageable platform, so I decided to start here. Admittedly, I see I have a lot to learn in this area, this was a starting place for me and a place I could handle and maneuver at this point. 

I also should mention that Google Sites is a free program with any Google account. It is free to start a Google account and once completed, there was no need for payment to publish my website.  Most website building platforms required a membership or payment to publish a website, so this was a perk I thought important to mention. 

This video was very helpful in getting me going on Google Sites.

Insert https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0woNTtlcxgM

My process in creating a website was guided by these eight steps:

Retrieved from https://mailchimp.com/resources/guide-to-website-development

Though I have the beginnings to a website, I am not actually sure it will be something I use in the future.  The design wasn’t as ‘user friendly’ and as catchy as I wanted it to be.  My limited skills and time could not get me to where I wanted to be on this project.  I think at about 12 hours in I said to my husband, “I don’t really like it, but I am in too deep now to start again”. As I move forward in my journey, I would like to do a better job of developing a website that is perhaps more streamlined and easier to use.  I would like to gather the input from the community the website serves and possibly even consider some professional advice in creating a new one. Moving forward I think I would ease up on the “resource”/ link side of things and add more exploratory and interesting “hands on” connections to my website. I felt that my website was lacking  in information on digital safety, internet and research skills, and potential library policies. 

This class challenged me a tonne and I learned so much, thank you Darcy!  Throughout the course I appreciated  the balance between digital safety and educational policy, culture, and responsibility.  The subtle ways you guided us through a journey of understanding and exploration while still allowing us to flourish through our personal connections and interests was truly appreciated.  I also loved learning how to blog!! What a great style of writing and a creative way of communicating I will use again and again. Not only is it a visual and fun way to express oneself, it is also a great way to learn from each other and provide/receive feedback on our learning.  It was the first course in this diploma that allowed me to see assignments from my peers and this was very helpful to my personal growth and understanding overall. 

As I move forward my hope is to take a minute, this class and LIBE 461 I was also taking, was truly a whirlwind and so much to absorb in a short 6 weeks.   The start of these new digital tools has excited me, and I look forward to getting stronger using technology in my future. I am excited (no really!) to dive in a little deeper into the philosophies of SAMR and TPAC while also keeping at the forefront digital literacy, access, and safety.  I leave inspired and ready to take on connecting and meeting the diverse needs of my community while finding creative ways to lead and nurturing a community of collaboration and new learning.  Thank you for all your support and feedback everyone, I appreciated and learned from each of you. 

 

https://sites.google.com/view/vvvlearningcommons

 

REFERENCES

 

Buerkett, R. (2014). Where to Start? Creating Virtual Library. Knowledge Quest, 42(4), E23–E27.

 

Common Sense Education. (n.d.). 10 great free websites for elementary school. Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/lists/10-great-free-websites-for-elementary-school

 

Comox Valley Schools. (n.d.). Curriculum. Learn71. https://learn71.ca/curriculum/

 

Gonser, K. (n.d.). 45+ free educational websites for kids. Parenting Chaos. https://parentingchaos.com/free-education-websites-for-kids/

https://www.commonsense.org/education/lists/digital-resources-for-school-makerspaces

 

International Association of School Librarianship. (2015) Designing a school library website. Retrieved from https://iasl-online.org/resources/Documents/PD%20Library/PDLIB_Designing_a_school_library_website_NEW.pdf

 

Lemongrass Media. (n.d.). The importance of a quality school library website. Lemongrass Media. https://lemongrassmedia.co.uk/web-talk/importance-quality-school-library-website/

 

Norman, M. (2021). Review: Google Sites for SEO. Matthew Norman. https://matthewnorman.com.au/blog/review-google-sites-for-seo/

 

Richardson, R. (2011, February 10). 10 ways for teachers and students to use Google Books. Free Technology for Teachers. https://freetech4teach.teachermade.com/2011/02/10-ways-for-teachers-and-students-to/

 

Simpletivity. (2021, August 12). How to use Google Sites - Tutorial for Beginners [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0woNTtlcxgM

The University of British Columbia. (2020). Module 7: Learning Material. In LIBE 461: Administration of the School Library Resource Centre. Vancouver, BC: UBC.

 

Vancouver Island Regional Library. (n.d.). Home. Vancouver Island Regional Library. https://virl.bc.ca