Intellectual Initiation

Well, TM Canada got started to tonight!

Once communed over a lovely dinner, David Loertscher initiated the group with the agency to be none of us observers, but everyone of us a contributor, to help build collectively. With the introduction of Ross Todd, the keynote speaker, we were ready to dig in!

Ross shared a global perspective of school libraries, goings on around the world. Making note of patterns on the learning landscape, he spoke of our unprecedented place in education's history. Ross referred to the complexity and diversity of student learning and the importance of responding innovatively. The development of social, cultural and personal agency is our moral purpose as educators. The question for school libraries, at a critical nexus, is how we find the pathway to building intellectual quality. Quality teaching is central to building the pathway.

Ross spoke of three critical issues: evidence, vision and engagement. The quality teaching is central to engagement. Without vision we walk in darkness. Most pointedly, though, he clarified that we must "move beyond the advocacy stance, into evidence-based practice".

David segued from Ross' delivery into an activity of table talk for the development of further questions. In roles, classroom teacher, administrator, student and Teacher-Librarian, we explored the question: What does it take to build an exciting learning environment?

With a bound copy of the research papers in hand, we all left to ruminate over questions and ideas.

More tomorrow!