Monday, February 6, 2023

OLA SC 2023


 

I need to begin today's reflection by returning to last week's reflection and combining it with someone else's reflection. (How's that for convoluted?) The wonderful Doug Peterson and Stephen Hurley mentioned my blog post on my puppet theatre STEM challenge in their This Week in Ontario Edublogs episode. They had some questions that begged for a response.

a) What is a standing flashlight?

This is a term of my own invention, which actually supports the theory that I have no clue what I am doing in hardware stores. I needed a flashlight that could "stand" on its own, without rolling off a desk. Since our school has eliminated all our overhead projectors (thank you Stephen in your show for talking about how kids are drawn to making hand shadows with past and current light emitters, from overhead projectors to data projectors), I needed something to produce light that I did not have to hold all the time. I've pasted two photos on here as examples. The first one I'd call a "regular flashlight" and I nicknamed the second a "standing flashlight".



b) What will we do when the show it over? What happens when it comes down? Does all the intellectual property come down with it too? Will it be easier to do next time? Will we document how to put it back together?

I'm fortunate that the creator, Dean Roberts, is a retired teacher. He promised to come by the school this coming Tuesday to see if he can assemble it the way he created it. This time, we will definitely take photos and record the necessary steps. Even though it was fun to try and determine how to build it without directions, it definitely got a bit frustrating at a certain point. (To clarify, my own children focused on the puppet building rather than the theatre building. I'm not breaking into my school on the weekends!) Creating an instructional manual for the puppet theatre is a must. The video is a good idea - thanks for the prompt, Stephen and Doug!

Doug and Stephen talked about the desire for students to stay in a place when they are super-engaged (like Doug's computer lab and Stephen's classroom when his students were making Rube Goldberg machines), about jackdaws (I had to make one for Grade 7 history), about friendly Home Hardware stores in Milton (I don't fault my local supplier with being unapproachable - the hangup is purely my own internal inferiority complex), and eventually, they got onto the topic of the Ontario Library Association Super Conference as they began talking about Jen Aston's post. (I smiled hearing about this, because I was the person who rewrote the Queen's University Teacher Librarianship AQs, so I'm indirectly connected to Jen's project! Jen - I hope you enjoyed creating it.)

Circumstances meant that I was only able to attend a single day at OLA SC, but I'm so thankful I could. Here's my own reflection of the conference.

Ontario Library Association Super Conference 2023

Walking in Two Worlds - Reflections by Diana Maliszewski

Friday, February 3, 2023 - 9:00 a.m.

How to Run an LGBTQIA+ Book Club for Teens If You're Not Queer or Trans

Summary: (taken from the program description)

Say you know there’s a need for a queer book club for teens at your library, and you’re willing to run the program, but you’re not queer—what are some best practices for being an incredible ally to your LGBTQ2IA* teens? This panel will bring a group of LGBTQ2IA* authors together to think through best practices, and all the tips and tricks we’ve got to make your queer book club the best it can be. We will talk about things from book selection to developing a community agreement to thinking through the kinds of other supports a queer book club needs to be successful, especially if the person running it isn't queer themselves.

3 Key Points:

1. The authors were all queer kids growing up and they offered several tips on going a good ally and moving towards being an accomplice. 

    a) Offer both overtly and covertly queer materials so readers can feel comfortable borrowing. Sometimes you want covers with visibility and sometimes you don't.

    b) Don't force pronoun identification; phrase things in a way that signal that this is a safe place even if students aren't ready/willing/comfortable sharing (e.g. "If you'd like to share your pronouns, feel free" / "What pronouns do you want to use in this space?" / What is the name you are comfortable using?")

    c) There are often two main concerns for library professionals providing queer book clubs - making mistakes like using the wrong language and pushback in conservative communities - so just make sure you have supportive admin/colleagues and a plan in case things don't go well; plus, don't make a big deal if you mess up a name (just say "sorry, let me correct that" and move on)

    d) Don't center your own identity as a cis or straight person

    e) Give direction to the book club by establishing guidelines for conduct (because as Edward Underhill, one of the speakers stated, "marginalized kids can still be dicks to each other")

    f) Bring queer or trans adults into the space and ensure that these guests can give the teens what they want and need (i.e. intersectional viewpoints)

2. The speakers gave several ideas on what library folks can do to support queer and trans teens, such as sharing power.

3. There are many helpful resources out there, such as Dahlia Adler's LGBTQ Read website, the BIPOC Bookshelf, the Mombian website, the ALA Rainbow List, the Stonewall and Lambda Awards, and GLSEN's website.

So What? Now What? 

There were a lot of great points shared in this session. The Q&A helped. There were a lot of useful "This is what you can say" phrases, such as:

- how to respond if in a queer book club a member suggests that asexual people aren't part of the queer spectrum (You can say "I hear you and it's not for you to decide.") 

- how to help with readers' advisory without forcing readers to name their identity (You can say "What interests you?" or "Are you looking for a particular kind of pairing?")

I'm not sure if I am ready to begin a GSA or queer book club in my SLLC but it's reassuring to know it's okay to make mistakes and what to say at times.

Media Artifacts

Friday, February 3, 2023 - 10:00 a.m.

OLA Super Conference Exhibit Hall

This is such a great space. I wandered through all the vendor displays and spoke to a variety of people, from representatives from the Canadian Civil Liberties Association to the Privacy Commission of Canada, from TVO to lots of publishers. I received a gorgeous autographed book called Deep, Deep Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench by Lydia Lukidis and held many enriching conversations.

Media Artifacts



Friday, February 3, 2023 - 10:30 a.m.

OSLA Spotlight Session - Dr. David Anderson

Summary: (taken from the program description)

Libraries and Librarians created Catalogue systems, selected the books for their collections and for many years, decided who would be granted access to their collections. Today, libraries continue to be the collectors and depositories of the Written Word but the process of determining what is “good enough”, how to catalogue works and how to display such work, is changing.

Wahwahbiginojii Indizhinikaaz , Mukwa Indoodem. Dene/Anishinaabe Indow. Dr. David Anderson, has spent over 30 years as an Indigenous Educator working with First Nations Communities in the classroom, on policy, curriculum, resource development, and Teacher Education.  He received his Doctorate in Indigenous Education from Seven Generations Education Institute in Ontario in 2017.

David is currently working with GoodMinds.com and Indigenous Education Press as an Editor, Indigenous Educator and writer. Our Team's focus is to bring the Languages and Knowledge of our Ancestors to All of Us. 

David is the proud father of two beautiful children and is Third Degree Midewiwin in the Minweyweywigaan Lodge at Roseau River First Nation. 

David can be reached at david@goodminds.com

3 Key Points:

I didn't write down any notes from this session, as I arrived a bit late after getting absorbed by the Expo Hall (a common OLA SC problem).

So What? Now What?

To be frank, I found this session a bit rambly and unfocused. Thing is, I'm unsure if this is just my Western settler ears being used to a certain style of presentation. Maybe that's my next step - to become more accustomed to Indigenous ways of sharing knowledge.

Media Artifacts



Friday, February 3, 2023 - 12:00 noon

TDSB TL Luncheon

Several teacher-librarians gathered at Scaddabush to eat lunch together and socialize.


Friday, February 3, 2023 - 1:00 p.m.

Creating an English Language Learner Friendly School Library

Summary: (taken from the program description)

With more than a third of the school identified as English Language Learners, the Queen Elizabeth Public School Library was a place where English Language Learners often felt lost or overwhelmed but a partnership between the ELL team and the Library Technician has begun to foster a space where these students feel welcome and valued. Join Library Technician Megan Venner to discuss small but purposeful changes the school made to create an English Language Learner friendly library.

3 Key Points:

1. It can be challenging to make changes with no budget, barely any staffing, and little central support. Megan Venner, from the OCDSB, offered 4 areas she focused on with her one of her two schools (one with 25 countries and 26 languages represented). Her big points were that small changes have big impact, collaboration is key, and connections are important.

2. Signage and Content are important. She made signs on Canva, selecting the top five languages spoken by English Language Learners in her school. She placed displays in high traffic areas in her library and she found students noticed immediately. She moved her dual language books to a more visible area and also sought out accessible books (e.g. wordless books) to promote. She is very deliberate with her word choice, saying books are "fun and quick reads" rather than "for lower grade reading levels". 

3. Connections and Community are the other areas she focused on. She offered an ELL-only library orientation in October after the regular class orientations in September to provide a more in-depth explanation of services. She arranges field trips to the local public library. She is deliberate about bringing in specific authors as guest speakers (such as Danny Ramadan) to appeal to everyone. 

So What? Now What?

I should revitalize my dual language section with better shelves, signage, and promotion.

Media Artifacts





Friday, February 3, 2023 - 2:45 p.m.

Maamwi - A Journey Together on Reconciliation Through Education

Summary: (taken from the program description)

Decolonizing the minds and hearts of educators is critical to confronting the legacy of colonialism in Canada. The Indigenous Peoples Education Circle (IPEC), College Libraries Ontario (CLO), and The Learning Portal have created a best practice in advancing the goals of the TRC. This session will outline the planning, funding, coordinating and implementation of the Maamwi Hub, a repository for Ontario college students and faculty. This Indigenous-specific open learning resource is rooted in the work of Confederation College and the Negahneewin Council and guided by IPEC and their Action Plan that sees a move away from a ‘deficit approach to Indigenous Peoples to a reciprocal relationship that recognizes the contribution of Indigenous staff, students and communities to the College system.” This initiative is a best practice of respectful, consultative, open, careful and gentle dialogue that will help advance Indigenous education across the system and contribute to systemic change.

3 Key Points:

1. The learning portal can be found at tlp-lpa.ca

2. It is important to move beyond a minimal duty to consult. There's a lot of mistrust between colleges and Indigenous people and they have to be true participants at the table.

3. It takes time to develop relationships but is worthwhile when people come from a good place and good heart, with an open heart and open mind. Non-Indigenous members of Maamwe didn't personalize information as "attacks" when they were told about the good, bad, and ugly from Indigenous partners.

So What? Now What?

I really wish we got to see the actual resources created, but it doesn't launch until April. The categories (Discover / Inquiry / Inspire / Empower) sound like they will be useful for educators of all sorts to digest. Once it goes live, I will need to look at it.

Media Artifacts



Friday, February 3, 2023 - 4:00 p.m.

Closing Keynote - Elamin Abdelmahmoud

Summary: (taken from the program description)

Elamin Abdelmahmoud is the host of CBC’s Commotion, and author of the No. 1 national bestseller Son of Elsewhere, a New York Times notable book of the year. He is a Reporter at Large for BuzzFeed News and a contributor to The National’s At Issue panel. Elamin was a founding host of Party Lines and Pop Chat for CBC Podcasts. His work has appeared in Rolling Stone, the Globe, and others. When he gets a chance, he writes bad tweets.

3 Key Points:

1. We make sense of our lives and identities through stories.

2. Popular culture helps us build roads to connect with others (like wrestling).

3. Sometimes it is important to pause in the telling of our stories to make room for others.

So What? Now What?

I was so impressed with Elamin that I bought his book. I was already well-disposed to him because he is the husband of Emily Burns, who led SuperConference in 2020 when I was a OSLA Conference Planner. He had a very difficult act to follow, as just prior to his speech, OLA presented the OSLA Lifetime Achievement Award and gave it posthumously to Caroline Freibauer. I wrote about Caroline before on my blog. It was hard for both the presenters (Beth Lyons, Johanna Lawler) and the recipients (Natalie, Caroline's daughter) to hold back the tears. He read the room perfectly and still managed to deliver a great talk. My next step is to read his book.

Media Artifacts


Friday, February 3, 2023 - 5:30 p.m.

Closing Reception

Interstitial, according to the Cambridge dictionary, means

relating to the space or time between things:

and it was the connections, the time spent between sessions chatting with others that meant so much to me this year. This is practically impossible to replicate with a virtual conference, although I am very grateful that they offered the choice of virtual sessions at this conference. It is telling that most of the photos I took were selfies with people I talked with. Friends and colleagues are so important. This collage is just SOME of the selfies I took with a few of the lovely people I hung out with.


Thank you to everyone that spent time with me, chatted with me, taught me, and made my OLA SC time a precious one.








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