SELECTION OF LEARNING RESOURCES

Background

The selection and use of Learning Resources must be consistent with the Principles of Learning and the BC Ministry of Education curriculum.  In addition to the wide range of materials in the provincial lists of recommended resources and the grade collections, there are other appropriate resources which staff may select to meet the needs and interests of our student population.

The District supports the provision of a wide range of learning resources at varying levels of difficulty and with diversity of appeal to meet the needs of students and teachers.

Definition

Learning Resources will refer to any person(s) or any material (whether acquired or locally produced) with instructional content or function that is used for formal or informal teaching/learning purposes during instructional time.  Learning Resources include print and online materials.

Procedures

1. The District seeks to provide a wide range of learning resources with diversity of appeal and the presentation of different points of view to meet the needs of District students.
2. The primary objective of learning resources is to support, enrich, and enhance the implementation of curriculum.
3. It is the responsibility of professional staff to provide students with learning resources that are appropriate to the needs, interests, and abilities of learners.
4. Rationale for Learning Resources Selection
   1. In selecting resource materials for students and teachers, consideration will be made to include a wide variety of educationally appropriate materials which will provide for a range of teaching and learning styles.
   2. While resources are selected to support education programs and curricula, it is not intended that specific resources be referenced to curriculum organizers; rather, it is expected that users will select resources to suit their particular educational needs and audience.
   3. All usages of materials will involve the teacher as the facilitator of learning as necessary; students will have some choice in materials selection for specific purposes, such as independent reading or research.
   4. It is not expected that any single resource will be sufficient to teach a course; rather, a multimedia approach is encouraged which integrates materials from different packages and media.
5. Criteria for the Evaluation of Learning Resources
   1. Learning Resources will:
      1. Be age and developmentally appropriate.
      2. Be evaluated for reliability and bias.
      3. Reflect cultural and societal diversity.
6. Procedures for Selection of Learning Resources
   1. Responsibility for selecting and issuing learning resources in accordance with the criteria approved herein rests with the appropriate educational staff employed by the District.
   2. The Superintendent and principals have general responsibility for ensuring that the approved criteria are known and appropriately applied.
   3. Principals are expected to have learning resources committees in guiding selection. The Principal, who has statutory authority for the school’s instructional program, may exercise a veto in resource selection.
   4. In selecting learning resources, District and other school personnel will evaluate available resources and curriculum needs and will consult reputable professional journals, catalogues, and periodicals. Whenever possible, the actual resource will be examined.
   5. Gift materials shall be judged by the criteria outlined above and shall be accepted or rejected by those criteria.
   6. Selection is an ongoing process which includes the removal of materials which are no longer appropriate according to the approved criteria for the selection of learning resources.