Classroom Teachers &Teacher Librarians Work Together

Modified from a presentation

by Sue Kientz, Teacher Librarian Fairfield High School

and Kristin Steingreaber, Media Specialist, AEA 15

What is Collaboration?

Teachers and Teacher Librarians plan, teach and jointly assess specific curriculum units

Teachers and Teacher Librarians work together to design experiences that shape student learning.

“Part of my job is to help you do your job better”.From The Information Powered School, Public Education Association

and AASL. 2001.

What are the goals?

Improved student learning

Students produce work that meets standards of high quality – Quadrant D

Support students as a participatory culture

Top 10 Reasons to Collaborate

Increases Student AchievementModelReinforce RoleWork in Non-clericalWork with Student Teachers

Ethical use of informationPractice skillsShowcase your skillsMake use of online resourcesExpand your collection

Peter Milbury, ALA May/June 2005

http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/kqweb/kqarchives/v33/335milbury.htm

Peter Milbury’s newest list:

Helps assure library program is curriculum relatedFulfills the librarian’s role as teacherHelps librarians better know the needs of teachersHelps teachers get to know librarians and their libraries betterProvides better use of student/class time in the libraryAssures that materials needed for the assignment are available

Co-Planning Checklist

http://nema.k12.ne.us/CheckIt/coplan.html

Research Finds:

Teacher-librarians recognize the critical importance of their participation in curriculum development; however, their actual involvement in collaboration with classroom teachers does not match the theoretical role and the role they were trained to perform.

Collaborative planning is impacted by the individuals involved, school climate, time for planning, the organization of the school, the facility and collection, and training; of these, the characteristics and actions of the people involved is most important.

Collaboration with colleagues and varied student use (individual, small group) is more evident in schools with flexibly scheduled library resource centers.

Regardless of whether the schedule is flexible or fixed, classroom teachers tend to accompany their classes -- the schedule is thus more a reflection of the school's philosophy and goals.

While elementary teacher-librarians participate more on school curriculum committees than their secondary school colleagues,

secondary teacher-librarians plan library-based units with teachers more often and more formally.

Collaboration between teacher and teacher-librarian not only has a positive impact on student achievement but also leads to growth of relationships, growth of the environment, and growth of persons.

Sources

Cate, Gwendolyn Landrum. (1998). A teacher's perception's of the library media specialist as instructional consultant. Ed.D. dissertation. Texas Tech University. Farwell, Sybil M. (1998). Profile of planning: A study of a three year project on the implementation of a collaborative library media programs. Ed.D. dissertation. Florida International University. Jones, Annease Chaney. (1997). An analysis of the theoretical and actual curriculum development involvement of Georgia school library media specialists. Ph.D. dissertation. Georgia State University. Wilson, Locordkenic Retroze Douglas. (1997). An investigation of the differences between a flexibly scheduled media center and a traditionally scheduled elementary school media center and the effects on administration, faculty, and students. Ph.D. dissertation. Walden University.

To do those things

Teacher- librarians must have a clear understanding of their skills and strategies as well as those we are working with.

Link to Special Education Collaboration

Coteaching Approaches

One Teaching, One Supporting

Station or Center Teaching

Parallel Teaching

Alternative Teaching

Team Teaching Adapted from Friend, Marilyn, and Lynne Cook. 1996. Interactions: Collaboration skills

for school professionals, 2d ed. White Plains, NY: Longman.

One educator is responsible for teaching the lesson while the other observes the lesson, monitors particular students, and/or provides assistance as needed.After determining curriculum content for multiple learning stations, each educator takes responsibility for facilitating one or more learning centers. In some centers, students may work independently of adult support. After collaborative planning, each educator works with half the class to teach the same or similar content. Groups may switch and/or reconvene as a whole class to share, debrief, and/or reflect. One educator pre-teaches or re-teaches concepts to a small group while the other educator teaches a different lesson to the larger group. (Pre-teaching vocabulary or other lesson components can be especially valuable for English language learners or special needs students.) Educators teach together by assuming different roles during instruction, such as reader or recorder or questioner and responder, modeling partner work, role playing or debating, and more.

Please take time to write down some of the skills and strategies that you bring to the collaborative experience.

“It’s Not Just Whodunnit, but How: The CSI Effect, Science Learning and the School Library”, Mardis, Marcia. Knowledge Quest, Sept/Oct. 2006, p. 12-17

Coach science learners in developing rich questionsRole to play in career counselingShow teacher connections between classroom curricular and media centerInvestigate actual statistics in library referenceCurrent, quality information from the library – digital resourcesEnsure ethical and legal use of media materials Purchasing materialsSchool library space! Can explore and host simulations and experiments.

You bring this, too!

http://www.eskeletons.org/main.cfm

http://thefunworks.edc.org/index.php

http://www.teachersdomain.org/

http://www.biosciednet.org/portal/

http://www.iowaaeaonline.org

Participatory Culture!

Create, Publish, Invent, Write, Perform

Podcasting, Wikis…..

Standards-Based Education

“By aligning my lesson with content standards, “ says Debra Kay Logan, Mount Gilead, Ohio, “I send a clear message to teachers and administrators as to my instructional role in my school.” Because of my approach to lesson plans, my administrators know that I am a teacher who is teaching to impact student achievement.” LMC April, May 2004

Collaborative Planning Requires

A knowledgeable and flexible teacher-librarian

Good interpersonal skills

A commitment to integrated information literacy instruction

Active support of the principal.

Each person brings his or her own strengths to the discussion.

Keep in mind that teachers plan differently.

Projects need to be continually evaluated.

Starting each semester

Meet to discuss long-range curriculum plans.

Defining questions:

What do we want the students to learn?

How will they learn this best?

How will we and the students know if they have really learned this?

Collaboration

Why is it so hard to do?

Obstacles??

Road Blocks?

Brick Walls?

Why?

Reluctant Teachers

Time

Lack of technology

Mandated programs

Reluctant Teachers

Fear of being observed

Reluctant to seem as if we need anyone to help us.

Reluctant Teacher

Don’t expect results overnightNeed to find time to just talk – What are they teaching– How can you help them

Begin small– Provide resources– Give Booktalks– Grade bibliographies – Web links

The Greatest Teacher ever retires!!!

And the new teacher does not want to do the great lesson you have – Government classes– Letter to a government official

Current Event

EbscoHost Newspaper Source

Created a web page of links

Reluctant Teacher

Move from Cooperation to Collaboration

Time!!!!

Teachers don’t have enough to plan with you

You don’t have enough to meet with them

Be Creative

Use calendar

Coffee Pot

Delivery service

Lunch

Lack of Technology!

Evaluate

Think outside the box– Rearrange the LMC– Use Department

computer labs when not in use

Collaborations I love

English 9– Love / Hate relationship – “Miracle Worker” and research about

disabilities

Spanish II, III & IV MoviesPower Point for SpeechEnglish 10 and US History– New this year– In trial stages

Opportunity is knocking

Literacy Strategies

QAR (Question Answer Relationships)– Research questions students develop– One of each type– English 10 & US History

Silent Sustained Reading Time– Spanish III – Advisor/ Advisee Program

Concept Mapping – Inspiration software– Note taking

Iowa Teacher Quality Act

Career Development Plan– 2006 9th Health – new class

• Reading 4 books a semester on Health related topic • Reading Comprehension Strategies• Vocabulary Strategies

– 2007 Work with as many teachers as possible with Literacy strategies

• Literature Circles• Book Club

NCLB

Process Based learning raises test scores

Higher order thinking skills– QAR – Author and Me questions to answer

Rigor and Relevance

Reviewing

Collaboration with teachers– Time and frequency of collaboration – Number and range of teachers collaborating– Level of collaborative activity and LMS support

• Gather resources for unit• Provide lesson ideas• Integrate info. tech literacy skills in curriculum• Teach information or technology skills

How this effects your work!

Schedules - flexible

Collaborative planning records

Prepared bibliographies

Unit plans / lesson plans

Curriculum maps

Assessments

Post-unit reflections

Interviews, focus groups, surveys,

Assessment - student– content knowledge– Information skills– motivation

Collaboration Opportunities

Quality of learning experience– Types of assignments - Higher level

thinking– Teachers use information problem

solving model– Impact on content learning and

information skills– Integration of info and tech literacy

skills– Greater use of resources– Level of student engagement

Collaboration Allows you to Evaluate the Collection

Range, appropriateness, level, and amount of resources for curricular needs and student interestsOrganization, accessibility and use of resources, space, and technology by staff and students– In LMC, classroom, over

network, from home– During and outside school

hours– Circulation of resources– Use of online resources

Staff expertise and availability

Collection mapping tied to curriculum

Post-unit assessment of resources

Post-unit student assessment

Library and lab sign-ups

Circulation statistics

Logs of online resource use

Interviews or focus groups

Satisfaction surveys

Please take time to consider – how does this look in your school?

Gathering Data

1. Tips for Gathering Data

Keep it SIMPLE– Minimum amount of information to show impact– Merge in daily routines– Identify where to best spend time to be effective

Be systematicUse different types of evidenceUse both objective and subjective dataConsider samples of data Collect data at opportune eventsPlan for analysis right from the start

2. Samples

Planning Sheets

Collaborative Lesson/Unit Planning Guide Milton Middle School LMC

Teacher ________________________ Subject _______________________ Grade ________ Unit ____________________________________________ TodayÕs Date ________________ Beginning Date __________________________________ Due Date ____________________ Student Assignment: (briefly summarize) Classroom TeacherÕs Role: Library Media SpecialistÕs Role: (check all that apply)

Resource Introduce Review Guides Online Catalog Reference Books Nonfiction Books Fiction Books Internet Explorer Purchased Sites HyperStudio Inspiration Microsoft Access Microsoft Word PowerPoint Student Writing Center CD-ROMs Other Print Resources Other Electronic Resources

Other:

Stacy Fisher. and Jane Johns. Milton Middle School

Assessment Tools: (circle all that apply) Checklists Rubrics Conferencing Journals Portfolio Evaluation: What changes need to be made? (complete after teaching the unit) Information & Technology Literacy Standards addressed: Media and Technology A.1 A.2 A.3 A.4 A.5 A.6

Information and Inquiry B.1 B.2 B.3 B.4 B.5 B.6 B.7 B.8

Independent Learning C.1 C.2 C.3 C.4

Learning Community D.1 D.2 D.3 D.4

Resources Used:

Equipment ______________________________ ______________________________________ Web Sites ______________________________ ______________________________________ Handouts _______________________________ ______________________________________

Collaboration

Recent Examples

Kansas – science/tech

Log sheetsCurriculum Support Diary

Milton Middle School LMC Month Year

This report summarizes support to teachers in the areas of Information and Technology Literacy. It includes computer applications that may be integrated into the curriculum with or without the collaboration of the Library Media Specialist. Key levels of instructional support: 0 Š Teacher instructing without support 1 Š Gathering materials in response to teacher requests 2 Š Working with students on a small group or individual basis during teacher-planned activity 3 Š Teaching classes in support of a teacher-planned activity 4 Š Sharing equal responsibility with the teacher for planning and delivering instruction 5 Š Teacher and library media specialist collaborating on step 4

Date Teacher Subject Grade Periods Level Unit Computer Applications

Stacy Fisher and Jane Johns. Milton Middle School

Collaboration

Collaboration

Post-Unit ReviewUnit title: Timeframe for unit:

Teacher: # of students

What worked well?

Suggestions for improvement:

Time spent on teaching information literacy / technology

Information & technology skills / standards learned:

From both the LMS’s and the teacher’s point of view was the unit enhanced by collaboration? YesNo

Why?

Was the unit successful enough to warrant doing it again? Yes No

Why?

How well was the unit supported by: (5=excellent, 4=above average, 3=average, 2=below average, 1=poor)

The collection The web resourcesDiversity of formats 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

Recency 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

Number of items 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

Reading level 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

Technology 5 4 3 2 1 5 4 3 2 1

What materials / technology will we need if we are planning the unit again?

Attach a list of resources used and/or found useful.Adapted from Loertscher and Achterman (2003). Increasing Academic Achievement through the Library Media Center, p. 17.

Collaboration

Calendars: Documenting Collaboration and Integration

Take time to look at planning sheets that are in the packet!

Rubrics

Presenting Results

Audience, Audience, Audience!– Principal– District administration– Board– Parents / community

Frequency of presentation– Annual report – Quarterly report– Special events (elevator interactions, faculty meetings)

Format of presentation– Oral presentation (with or without media) – Formal report– Brochure– Mass media (letter to the editor, mailing, webpage)– Memo

When presenting, check…

Highlights factors important to the audience?Well organized, written and illustratedLanguage appropriate to audience and avoids jargon?Ties clearly to mission and goals of school and library program?Emphasizes outputs, especially student learning? Graphic depictions show relationships?Plans for future and builds on previous years’ reports and activities?Executive summary is clear, covers key points

Fitzpatrick (1998). Program Evaluation: Library Media Services

Tracking Collaborative Units

Tracking Collaborative Units

Impact!– Collaboration profile

• Activities• Hours spent• Learning venues• Difficulty level of units

– Content area profile– Resource profile– Research skills profile (3-9 skills)– Collaboration timeline

Collaboration

Input form 1Input form 1

Input form 2Input form 2

Input form 3Input form 3

Input form 4Input form 4

Skills ReportSkills Report

Collaboration StatsCollaboration Stats

Collaboration GoalsCollaboration Goals

ActivitiesActivities

CoverageCoverage

Hours and PlacesHours and Places

TimelineTimeline

Back

Research Skills

Back

Collaboration Type and Resources

Back

Collaboration Evaluation

Back

Skills Reporting

Back

Collaboration Statistics

Back

Collaboration Goals

Back

Collaboration Activities

Back

Collaboration Coverage

Back

Hours and Places

Back

Timeline

Back

Administrative Support

Make sure they know what you are doing– IMPACT software– Monthly report– Standards and Benchmarks tied to lessons

Resources

http://www.ala.org – Collaboration, Blueprint for Collaboration between AASL and ACRL, “From Cooperation to Collaboration”, “Top Ten Reasons to Take It Seriously”.

Bush, Gail. The School Buddy System: The Practice of Collaboration. Chicago: American Library Association, 2002. ISBN 0-8389-0839-X

Buzzeo, Toni. Collaborating to Meet Standards: Teacher/Librarian Partnerships K-6 (7-12). Linworth, 2002. ISBN: 1-586830236 and 1-586830236

Buzzeo, Toni and Jane Kurth. 35 Best Books for Teaching U.S. Regions. Scholastic, 2002. ISBN: 0-439207630

Donham, Jean. Enhancing Teaching and Learning, 2nd edition. New York: Neal Schuman, 2005. ISBN 1-55570-516-2

Weisman, Shirley. Windows into Instructional Collaboration. San Jose, CA: Hi Willow, 2002. ISBN 0-931510-82-1

Sue Kientz – Fairfield High Schoolsusan.kientz@fairfieldsfuture.org

http://fhslibrary.fairfieldsfuture.org/

Kristin Steingreaber – Southern Prairie AEA 15steingreaberk@aea15.k12.ia.us

www.aea15.k12.ia.us/media/edcenter.phpwww.iasl-ia.org (resources)

Thank You. Questions?