2016 Library Symposium Session Information

2016 Library Symposium Session Information – Wednesday April 13th

Below is a listing of all the sessions being offered at the 2016 Library Symposium. For your convenience, the links below will take you to the section of the page with the information about each of the sessions.

Session 1

To register for the symposium, click here

Session 1; 8:45-10:15

Choose to be a Library and Ed Tech Trooper with Gwyneth A. Jones

Our world is not changing back. In the vortex of today’s onslaught of technical innovation, it’s time to take action! As EdTech Troopers, we are challenged to choose to connect, collaborate, create, construct, make, flip, share, advocate and empower to move forward into the universe of rigorous instruction. This session will make sense of the sensational and decode the Babel of buzzwords. Choosing to be an EdTech Trooper and a change agent within education isn’t easy – but it’s very rewarding for teachers and students! Doing the Kessel run in less than 12 parsecs, is optional.

Gwyneth A. Jones

Gwyneth A. Jones, aka The Daring Librarian, is a blogger, a Tweeter, an international Ed Tech speaker, trope and meme archivist, creator of content, a citizen of advocacy, and a resident of social media. Gwyneth is a Google Certified Innovator, and the author of the award winning Daring Librarian blog. Jones is also a Library Journal Mover & Shaker, a PBS Champion of Change, a Gale – Cengage New Leader, and was named the Best of the Best and a Visionary Leader by Teacher Librarian Magazine. She was honored to have been elected to two terms and served on the 2011-2014 ISTE Board of Directors representing PK-12 educators and school librarians. Her work & writings have been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, Information Today, and the Huffington Post. Admittedly, she’s also a goofball, a geek, and ridiculously humble.

Session 2 Options; 10:30-11:30

Session 2A:

Promoting the Library as the Heart of the School with Douglas Stewart & Tiffany Clarke

Is your school community aware of the positive impact the library can have on student success? Is your school library an integral component of the success of your school or is it increasingly an afterthought in the face of diminishing budgets and reduced hours? Is the school administration a partner to heightening the profile of the libraries role as a progressive vehicle for learning and development?

Many school libraries operate as a “department of one.” It can be difficult to build awareness of the many services and opportunities the school library can offer. However, contrary to the experience of many library professionals, we may have a hidden ally in the school administration.

In this session, the principal and librarian will show how they worked together to raise money, encourage investment by parents, teachers and reinvigorated the space which could only have been possible through a shared vision and cooperative approach. This presentation will explore the different steps taken at Dorval Elementary over the course of five years to transform an under-utilized resource into the heart of the school.

Tiffany Clarke

LBPSB/MEES

Info coming soon

Douglas Stewart

LBPSB

Info coming soon

Session 2B:

Manga in our schools, why not? with Olivier Hamel

Manga is a worldwide phenomenon that can be literally translated to “whimsical images”. It is acclaimed as a phenomenon by many, criticized by some, and we can see its influence on today’s graphic novels. Although it is now recognized by literary critics and much appreciated by all, we may wonder if it really does have a place within our schools and our library collections. Olivier Hamel, librarian at CSMB, will talk about his experiences in using manga in elementary schools, and how to take advantage of the manga phenomenon in the elementary schools’ libraries.

Olivier Hamel CSMB

Olivier Hamel has been a school librarian for the Marguerite-Bourgeoys School Board for the past 6 years. He is a manga expert, presenter and animator and has received several honors for his work in promoting reading. He is passionate about science fiction, adventure novels and comics. Above all, he sees himself as a “biblioboxeur” and in his free time, remains a true adventurer.

Session 2C:

Librarian/Library Technician voice: advocate, promote, guide – more to explore in the toolkit with Meg Sinclair, Lili Sun, and Julia Wagner

Student voice, teacher voice, what about school library/librarian voice? Supported by relevant research, we wish to demonstrate with examples, ways to advocate and promote school libraries within the school board and to the outside community. Librarians from the Quebec School Library Network (QSLiN) have developed a library advocacy tool kit to give librarians a toolset they can use to demonstrate the importance of school libraries and library personnel in 21st Century schools.

If you will be attending this session, you can bring and use your own Smart phone, tablet, or laptop to use in group discussion and activities. However, if you would prefer, some tablets will be made available for you to use at the session.

Meg Sinclair LBPSB	Meg Sinclair MLIS, BA. Meg has worked for the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) from 2003 to the present time. Her experiences in the LBPSB includes both elementary and high school libraries. For the past five years, she has been a librarian in the Educational Services Department, focusing on automation of school libraries, digital information resources instruction, support and training of library personnel, and providing professional development workshops.
Lili Sun ESSB	Lili Sun, MLIS, B. Ed currently works as Librarian Consultant at Eastern Shores School Board in Quebec. She likes information and technology and enjoys working on information literacy and digital citizenship projects. She tries to adapt her role as a librarian to meet the different needs of students and to better serve the English community that well spread out in eastern Quebec.
Julia Wagner EMSB	Julia works as a Librarian Animator with the English Montreal School Board. In this role, she geeks out on Digital Citizenship, library design and makerspace momentum. As a vocal champion of 21st century literacy skills, Julia’s vision of the future of libraries includes eResources, interactive hi-tech and lo-tech multi-media creation places, hangout-outs, and hack-a-thons. Be careful, because if you ask her, she’ll tell you that libraries need to become library-user-centric spaces, taking cues from commercial models to do so.

Session 2D: (This workshop is also repeated in Session 4D)

Makerspaces: Full STEAM Ahead with Sylwia Bielec, Chris Colley, Ben Loomer, Christine Truesdale

Curious about Makerspaces, ArtHives, Genius Hours and Passion Projects? There’s no better way to learn about the Maker movement than by living the experience yourself! This session gives participants the opportunity to learn about Maker culture and how it manifests in schools. Participants also engage in the process of making and tinkering on a small scale, with access to resources, tools, ideas and community. Like what you experienced? Our pop-up Makerspace will be in place all afternoon for you to come and play. Learn about available and accessible materials and books, and meet like-minded people interested in the hands-on aspects of STEAM education.

The LEARN team has a combined experience and expertise in promoting active and engaged learning for young people and adults alike. We believe in creating and facilitating learning environments that allow all people to learn in the ways which suit them best.

Sylwia Bielec	For over 14 years, Sylwia Bielec has been involved in the field of education on a variety of initiatives including technology integration and pedagogical renewal. Her expertise is in professional learning, reflective practice and informal/community learning. She also has a background in media production with students. Sylwia has been with LEARN since its inception, and works to provide resources to support students, educators and parents in the area of Arts, Portfolio Practice and Media Production, as well as developing materials and resources for all subjects in a variety of formats. She is also the editor of the LEARN blog.
Chris Colley	Chris was a teacher for over 14 years at the secondary and elementary levels, and has morphed into a pedagogical consultant over the last 5 plus years. At LEARN, he is currently consulting on the Science and Technology dossiers, among other varied technological projects. Chris has an extensive background in integrating technology into the educational environment and can support educators in a wide variety of areas, from student engagement to pedagogical design in the Science and Technology domains.
Ben Loomer	Benjamin Loomer has taught History, Geography, ELA, ESL and ERC in Montreal, Îles de la Madeleine and Japan. Since 2007, Ben has worked on the Community Learning Centre Initiative (CLC) as the Community Based Learning Coordinator and in 2015 he became the English Language Arts Consultant at LEARN. Ben has a BA in Political Science from the University of Alberta, a B.Ed from the University of Toronto and MA from McGill in Education Leadership.
Christine Truesdale	B.F.A Studio Arts & M.A. Educational Technology. Christine Truesdale is passionate about learning and inspiring people in their organizations to unleash their full potential and achieve their wildest dreams. She began working at LEARN as a learning design consultant, then as Organizational Learning Architect, and is currently serving as Director of Pedagogical Services and Educational Technology. Since 1997, Christine has specialized in the field of youth sector education, creating and delivering professional development for educators, designing competency-based educational resources and building tools to help educators design curriculum. She has led a variety of educational projects that provide resources and collaborative opportunities for students and professionals across Quebec.

Session 3; 11:40-12:45

Mobile Media in the Classroom & Library with Gwyneth A. Jones

While QR Codes are still a vibrant way to communicate with your kids, parents, & community – mobile apps have exploded with ways to have amazing digital discoveries in the classroom or School Library!

Whether you’re a 1:1, BYOD, or tech limited school – you can implement QR Codes, Kahoots, Plickers, Vines, Instagrams, and interactive apps in the classroom with just one iPod, iPad, laptop, or smart phone. Clever ways to instantly engage, create, and interact with students as they dive into fun digital discoveries!

Gwyneth A. Jones

Session 4 Options; 1:45-2:45

Session 4A:

Congrats! You Have a New Badge! Learning about Library Learning Commons with Sandra Bebbington and Ellen Goldfinch

The QSLiN digital badging program provides opportunities for library personnel to learn about the new CLA School Library Standards and improve their skills as well as discover new ideas to try out in their own libraries. This workshop will provide a brief overview of the badging program and the opportunity to try it out and earn badges in the professional development areas that interest them.

Sandra Bebbington MEES-DSCA

Sandra is the Project Leader at the MEES-DSCA for Digital Citizenship, Information Literacy & School Libraries. Sandra and her team supports the English educational community with the implementation and integration of digital citizenship and information literacy. They also help support school libraries in the QC English educational community in a variety of ways. Having created two online toolkits (www.theinquiryprocess.ca www.digitalcitizenshipquebec.ca ) for educators , students and families, her team is now working on two digital badging sites: one for the teaching and learning of digital citizenship and another for school library professional development. Sandra has spent many years working in both school and public libraries; she wrote her thesis on teen gamers and information literacy. She has been published in the Journal of Information Literacy and she has also taught information literacy and critical thinking at Bishop’s University. In her spare time Sandra likes to hold Minecraft marathons at various public libraries in and around Montreal.

Ellen Goldfinch MEES-DSCA

Ellen Goldfinch is a school librarian consultant and freelance writer living in Baldwin’s Mills, Quebec. She was Head Librarian at Bishop’s College School for 18 years, and school board librarian for the Eastern Townships School Board for two years. She currently does consulting work for the Information Literacy Project, DSCA-MEES in such areas as School Libraries, PD Badging, and Information Literacy, and particularly enjoys filming the QSLiN Library Hangouts that showcase innovative practices in Quebec school libraries. Her articles have appeared in Library Media Connection and The Book Report.

Session 4B:

When Books Are Barriers: Increasing Print Accessibility in our Schools with Annette MacIntyre and Andrea Prupas

Print can be inaccessible for many students, for a wide variety of reasons. Our students need to have access to print in alternate, accessible formats so that they access content, rather than struggle with barriers that print can create. Commonly used accessible formats for students include audio and digital text. Increasing access to these formats is both an exciting opportunity and a challenge due to many factors. In this session we will explore the accessibility options that currently exist in our boards, new options that will allow us to move forward, and how librarians can be strong advocates for increased accessibility in our schools.

Annette MacIntyre EMSB

Annette MacIntyre is a Board librarian in the Educational and Technology Services (ETS) Department of the English Montreal School Board (EMSB), supporting the development of school library services across the Board. She has previously worked in a similar position at the Western Quebec School Board, as a reference librarian at the Library of Parliament, and as a youth services librarian with Halifax Public Libraries.

Andrea Prupas ALDI

Andrea Prupas is Coordinator of the ALDI Initiative, a project of the nine English school boards with a special focus on Universal Design for Learning. The project provides professional development and a professional learning community within the youth and adult sectors. Andrea’s experience as a special education teacher and consultant has been in both inclusive and specialized school settings for students with autism spectrum disorders, learning disabilities, and reading disabilities. In the past several years her work has focused on the integration of assistive technologies in our classrooms, as well as a current focus on print accessibility for students with perceptual disabilities.

Session 4C:

Volunteering: What a Great Resource! with Joan Fraser Burton, Gigi Nadeau, & Meg Sinclair

You have volunteers in your library, but what do they bring? How do we make it work for them and for the library from the first day on the job to the party at the end of the school year? We will look at recruitment – finding people who are committed to libraries; that first day on the job; how to assign tasks to people based on their strengths; and how the school shows appreciation for what they do!

If you will be attending this session, could you if possible, please bring with you a document, activity sheet, scheduling sheet, handout or pictures that you use with volunteers. These would be samples only, not to hand out but only to show on a resource table at the time of the session. You would take them home afterwards.

Joan Fraser Burton NFSB	Joan began her library career volunteering at her children’s elementary school. During that time she attended Concordia University part-time working towards a B.A. in library studies until accepting a full-time position with New Frontiers School Board, first in a high school library and for the last 15 years as a Documentation Technician based at the Board Office and responsible for supporting the board’s two high school and 10 elementary school libraries.
Gigi Nadeau RSB	Gigi works as a Librarian Consultant with Riverside School Board. She is absolutely passionate about school libraries and the many ways to animate library spaces, to develop healthy environments and to promote children’s literature.
Meg Sinclair LBPSB	Meg Sinclair MLIS, BA. Meg has worked for the Lester B. Pearson School Board (LBPSB) from 2003 to the present time. Her experiences in the LBPSB includes both elementary and high school libraries. For the past five years she has been a librarian in the Educational Services Department, focusing on automation of school libraries, digital information resources instruction, support and training of library personnel, and providing professional development workshops.

Session 4D (This workshop is also repeated in Session 2D)

Makerspaces: Full STEAM Ahead with Sylwia Bielec, Chris Colley, Ben Loomer, Christine Truesdale

The LEARN team has a combined experience and expertise in promoting active and engaged learning for young people and adults alike. We believe in creating and facilitating learning environments that allow all people to learn in the ways which suit them best.

Sylwia Bielec	For over 14 years, Sylwia Bielec has been involved in the field of education on a variety of initiatives including technology integration and pedagogical renewal. Her expertise is in professional learning, reflective practice and informal/community learning. She also has a background in media production with students. Sylwia has been with LEARN since its inception, and works to provide resources to support students, educators and parents in the area of Arts, Portfolio Practice and Media Production, as well as developing materials and resources for all subjects in a variety of formats. She is also the editor of the LEARN blog.
Chris Colley	Chris was a teacher for over 14 years at the secondary and elementary levels, and has morphed into a pedagogical consultant over the last 5 plus years. At LEARN, he is currently consulting on the Science and Technology dossiers, among other varied technological projects. Chris has an extensive background in integrating technology into the educational environment and can support educators in a wide variety of areas, from student engagement to pedagogical design in the Science and Technology domains.
Ben Loomer	Benjamin Loomer has taught History, Geography, ELA, ESL and ERC in Montreal, Îles de la Madeleine and Japan. Since 2007, Ben has worked on the Community Learning Centre Initiative (CLC) as the Community Based Learning Coordinator and in 2015 he became the English Language Arts Consultant at LEARN. Ben has a BA in Political Science from the University of Alberta, a B.Ed from the University of Toronto and MA from McGill in Education Leadership.
Christine Truesdale	B.F.A Studio Arts & M.A. Educational Technology. Christine Truesdale is passionate about learning and inspiring people in their organizations to unleash their full potential and achieve their wildest dreams. She began working at LEARN as a learning design consultant, then as Organizational Learning Architect, and is currently serving as Director of Pedagogical Services and Educational Technology. Since 1997, Christine has specialized in the field of youth sector education, creating and delivering professional development for educators, designing competency-based educational resources and building tools to help educators design curriculum. She has led a variety of educational projects that provide resources and collaborative opportunities for students and professionals across Quebec.

Session 5; 3:00-4:00

Tweet Like a Ninja with Gwyneth A. Jones

Twitter is one of the most significant, rich, and profound professional development tools out there (& it’s FREE!) but mastering it takes some slick Sensei moves. Whether you’re a Twitter newbie, lurker, contrarian, or champion – this session will be chock full of easy tips and tricks to learn, connect, and share with your community and educators around the world. From choosing the right user name, creating a profile that packs a punch, graphic designs that grab, to how to build a powerful global personal learning network – you can master the art of the Tweet!

Gwyneth A. Jones

The website for the DEEN QSLiN Libraries Subcommittee.

2016 Library Symposium Session Information