Roberta Harris Teacher Librarian

 I have learned so much about digital technology and the benefits of integrating it's use into our everyday practice.  There are so many options and services available to us and we are able to communicate in endless ways worldwide!  It is like a magical journey! Although I thought of myself as pretty "technically savvy" I had no idea how many resources and applications existed.  Through our personal learning network I learned of even more fabulous ways to engage learners in my classroom and provide a well balanced learning and teaching experience.   With such a wide range of resources it was difficult to come to a decision about what my final vision project would be. As we read the book "Why School" (which ironically I had difficulty reading due to it being an e-book and I could not get a print copy) I realized I need to take the plunge and dedicate myself to become more of a 21st-century educator.   Richardson reminds us that "our kids and even we ourselve

  Who is it all for?  That is the question!  The answer is myself, my students, their parents and our school community.    I believe that being a 21st-century educator and inspiring 21st-century learners will positively affect students and better prepare them "to think critically and creatively, to work collaboratively, and to continually transform themselves during their school years and throughout their lifetimes"(Halbert & Kaser, 2017, p.10). The "New" BC Curriculum focuses on project based and 21st-century learning.  These concepts have not been readily adopted by all teachers, more importantly, haven't been fully adopted by me.  “British Columbia’s redesigned curriculum brings together two features that most educators agree are essential for 21st-century learning: a concept-based approach to learning and a focus on the development of competencies, to foster deeper, more transferable learning” ( https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/overview#21-century

My vision is to change my practice to reflect a 21st-Century learning environment while at the same time learning how to communicate our learning to parents and the community.  With the restrictions of Covid-19 and during the current pandemic, parents have not been permitted to come into our school.   Having to turn parents away at the door and tell them they can't come in has been one of the most devastating duties I have ever had to perform.  Not being able to "physically" communicate to parents how students are doing has been a detriment to parent/teacher relationships and the ability to effectively communicate between home and school.  :(  As our class transforms into a 21st-century learning environment, we would like to share our learning.  While learning about digital resources I came across a digital portfolio resource called "freshgrade"   https://freshgrade.com/   which will be a perfect communication tool between parents, teachers, students and the res