By Vivianne Fogarty
Culture and School Library Learning Commons
How students’ cultures mesh in the Library Learning Commons and the whole school to create our own unique school culture. Environments, partnerships and your lifelong learning counts!
Abstract
A rich learning journey and teaching artifacts from collaborations and leadership in the Library Learning Commons are shared by Vivianne Fogarty in this presentation. Vivianne wants viewers to study and connect with her work from the lens of these provocative questions:
- Are school library learning commons providing culturally relevant and responsive learning environments?
- If they are, how and why are they doing this?
- If they are not, why not? Awareness, budgets, staffing?
- Are some cultures promoted more than others? Should it reflect only your student population?
- What’s missing from your LLC and why?
- Are we honouring our Indigenous people and cultures in Canada in our Library Learning Commons?
- Does anyone notice or care if this is being done?
Vivianne Fogarty has been working as a teacher-librarian in the Pembina Trails School Division for about 10 years. She has worked as a teacher in various roles – classroom, French, resource, enrichment and EAL in French Immersion and English settings. She has also recently worked as a tour guide at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. Before teaching, she worked as a Respiratory Therapist in Winnipeg. Vivianne is passionate about literacy, libraries, equity, the environment and human rights. Variety and diversity make the fabric of life interesting!