Collaborative Engagement: Exemplar B4

Standard: Facilitating Collaborative Engagement to Cultivate and Empower and Community of Learners

Theme: Design for Collaboration

Growth Phase: Leading

Growth Indicator: LLC is an active participatory learning centre modelling and celebrating collaborative knowledge building, play, innovation and creativity.


High school students in Upper Grand District School Board, Ontario, produce an online magazine of writing and art.

Orangeville District Secondary School. (2014). Paper & ink. https://odsspaperandink.wordpress.com/home/


Teacher-librarian Campbell shares inspiring images of a great variety of elementary student collaborative learning commons projects through photos, student artifact samples, and video clips that are immersed in curriculum, technology for learning, and multiple literacies. The slideshare provides one with ideas for adopting/adapting such co-planned learning experiences as well as links to resources to support them that can apply K-12. Enjoy!

Campbell, M. (2018). FH Miller Library [Slideshare]. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZKOOqx3HqMurgqrWkl1ohOMpbBFveOLLWsOD5vdxHDk/edit#slide=id.g2f469c2c26_0_66


With today’s students becoming increasingly more visually oriented, an Ontario teacher-librarian explores how engagement in learning experiences in the LLC using photography leads to student empowerment and expression of voice. The author shares her journey developing LCC student-run library Instagram accounts that create a virtual space for participatory student learning.

Dennis-Moore, J.  (2020).  If You Give a Kid a Camera: Participatory Visual Literacy in the LLC. Paper presented at the Treasure Mountain Canada 6 Symposium, Toronto, Canada. Retrieved from https://researcharchive.canadianschoollibraries.ca/2020/08/10/if-you-give-a-kid-a-camera-participatory-visual-literacy-in-the-llc/


A teacher-librarian in a K-5 French Immersion school in Ontario shares an inspiring LLC annual report from a most unusual year as an interactive flipbook using Issuu, divided into two sections – September 2019 – March 2020 and April – June 2020. In the first section collaboration/inquiry curricular projects are documented as well as advances in maker culture, LLC events and literacy education. “Links” or “arrow” icons throughout the report take the reader to a video, website, article and other documentations of learning. In the second section during the 2020 pandemic, an adapted virtual LLC is documented showing levels of technology support provided to students and staff, storytimes for students, and growth of the virtual LLC concluding with a “Virtual Invention Convention and Maker Faire” for families at home.

Lyons, E.  (2020, August 12). Larkspur LLC 2019-2020 Year End Report. Retrieved from https://issuu.com/mrslyonslibrary/docs/2019-2020_annual_report_long_form


This virtual tour of an inspiring high school LLC in Ontario includes student collaboration, making and connecting globally through projects around the world.

Cardinal Carter CHS. (2020, November 16).  Welcome to the Library Learning Commons [Video file].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQGSUDAgOuQ