Our Stories on our Shelves: Publishing Multimodal Identity Texts in the Library Learning Commons
Presenter Biography
Tina Zita works for the Peel District School Board as the teacher librarian in the Aylesbury Public School library learning commons. Whether working with children or adult learners, she is passionate about engaging learners with current digital tools and seeing that spark from a meaningful learning moment. Tina is helping to lead the charge for change and finding new ways to teach and learn. She believes that “the transformative power in technology lies in students creating and producing, and in finding their own voice and being able to share that”.
Tina Zita
Teacher Librarian
Peel Schools, Ontario, Canada
tina.zita@peelsb.com; X (Twitter): @rtina_zita; Instagram: @AylesburyLLC
Workshop Description
In our school libraries here in Ontario we have been focused on ensuring our collections are both windows and mirrors for our learners. Last year we were left with a question, how would learners respond to not just seeing someone like themselves but actually seeing themselves on our shelves? We had the tools to make it possible and to publish texts that rivaled the level of those we see from professional publishers. At the same time we also wondered how we might capture more than just text, acknowledging many ways of knowing. It was the beginning of an inquiry that continues to grow and involve in response to our learners and community. In this session we will share the start of our journey and our learning as we published both traditional class books, collaborative books and books with our community at large. We will take a closer look at the texts like Aylesbury Talks Food A to Z Along the way tips will be shared on how to get started, digital tools and design tips.