Librarians Live!

·         Teaching for Learning – Empowering Learners: Chapter 2

The school librarian has taken the lead in teaching, learning the curriculum, knowing the various learning styles of students, and collaborating with teachers to take students into 21^st century learning. Working together, teachers and librarians will be able to teach students how to learn.

 

I.                    The first thing a librarian must do is to create a partnership with teachers. Teachers and librarians should work together to build lesson plans, getting input from students, administration, parents, and the community.  All involved should be open minded and open to new ideas.

 

II.                  Another thing a librarian must do is to promote reading. Reading is the core of learning and can be done through 21^st Century skills along with traditional means. It is important that students understand what they read so they can use what they know and build upon that to be able to pose questions, learn about new information, and make predictions.  Librarians must also teach students how to analyze and evaluate using interdisciplinary materials. Libraries serve as a central location for learning for everyone.

 

III.                The librarian should make sure there are a variety of formats. Students are now able to use multiple technologies that guide them through the learning process. Librarians should make sure students use ethical practices when using technology.

 

IV.                Inquiry-based curriculum is most important now that helps students take what they know, ask questions and do research to find out new information through learning and investigation. Librarians and teachers should partner up to help students achieve this practice. It is important that students are motivated, engaged, and have activated their prior knowledge. It helps when students assess themselves as well as using peer and teacher assessments. Testing students on what they have learned should be created so that students with different learning styles can show what they have learned by being able to use their best skills and interests.

 

V.                  Teachers and librarians should assess their lessons often to make sure they are promoting a higher level of learning. They should also change as learner’s needs change. They can do these things through student’s self-assessment, assessing student progress, improving instruction, and determining how to improve the achievements of students. There are two ways that formative assessment is good: it give the student feedback and give the teacher/librarian a chance to change the lesson as student progress. Summative assessment is used at the very end. This is usually done through a test or quiz. As teachers and librarians collect evidence of successful learning and teaching, they are able to find the strengths and weaknesses.

 

 

 

·         The Learning Space & Collection and Information Aces – Empowering Learners: Chapter 3

The Learning Space – Flexible access to the library is important. This way, students feel like they can come in at any time.  The physical space is used for collaboration, communicating, reading, browsing, and using multimedia. There are areas for group work, individual work, presentations, wireless access, workstations, etc. Virtual space is used to students can access the library’s catalog, databases, and to resources and sites that can help with student work.

Collection and Information Access – The library’s collection should include items that support the curriculum. Figuring out which items to purchase in print or digital will be tough. The librarian also needs to figure out which resources to subscribe to that would be best to match the curriculum and student needs and professional development. The librarian should also try to obtain items for students who may not have Internet access and for special needs students. Policies must be in place to protect student’s right to read. Librarians must continually evaluate the collection and make changes as needed.

 

·         On the Job: Managing Access to Information – Woolls, Chapter 8

Right to Privacy - Libraries should protect the patron’s right to read by adopting policies that keep records confidential. Employees should also keep information confidential unless there is a warrant. Libraries will need to check with their attorneys to make sure they are not violating any laws with their record-keeping.   

 

Defending the Right to Access Information – Online filters were meant to keep students from accessing inappropriate materials from the Internet. The problem is that they filter out too much information and students are sometimes able to access inappropriate things anyway. The best way to handle it is to have students and parents sign an Internet User agreement.

 

Copyright – Increased access to information due to the Internet has caused a surge in copyright infringement. Librarians must keep current with laws that concern copyright and fair use and they should post the current policies in places where students, teachers, and administration will see it.

 

Technology Decisions – Getting approval for new technology will require the need for careful explanation and justification for the cost. If approved, the librarian must then decide which vendor to use and how much money to spend. Storage capacity is another consideration.   

Integrated Library Systems – This is a system that shows the library’s catalog in real-time.  Things to consider when choosing an ILS is customer support, updates, and training.

 

Building and Maintaining the Resource Collection –

Circulation of Materials – Circulation will decrease due to outside activities and Internet access. Librarians will need to remove as many obstacles as possible.

Selecting Materials and Equipment: Format Decisions –CD-ROMS are cheaper but require more space. Online resources usually require a subscription but have more up-to-date information.

 

Selecting Materials – Materials should be selected with guidelines from the library’s policies. Policies cover everything from accepting gifts, selecting items for the collection, to items that are questioned. Policies also provide goals and objectives. When choosing materials, age and grade levels should be taken into consideration as well as the needs of patrons. Printed reviews and online resources are available to aid in the material selection.  Teachers and other staff could also help with selection.

 

Selecting Information from the Internet – When a media specialist provides links to other web sites that students and teachers can access, those links become part of the collection. User agreements should be in place. Librarians should help teachers and students with online searches to find the best information possible.

 

Selecting Equipment – The media specialist should take into consideration the “equipment’s quality, compatibility, warranty, maintenance, and repair” (Woolls 137) as well as keeping in mind the user.

 

Acquiring Materials and Equipment – The first step is to select a source. Many use book jobbers who select the materials for you.

 

De-Selection of Materials (Weeding) – It is important to discard or weed out unused, damaged, or outdated materials from the collection. Librarians will need the shelf space for new materials. A good time to weed is when curriculum changes, items are damaged, shelves are looking too full, items are no longer useful, and to make sure only the best is available to patrons. This must be done often. Reference materials should be weeded more often than the rest. Newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, equipment should also be weeded taking into consideration storage space, out dated information, broken equipment, etc.

 

Options for Cataloging – The collection should be organized for ease of access. Some materials are already with bar codes and can be downloaded into the OPAC so libraries don’t have to take a lot of time doing their own cataloging. Some methods are more costly than others.

 

Housing the Collection – Print materials are housed on shelves in the library but online resources are housed on the Internet. In any case, materials should be available and to be located/used with ease.

 

 

·         On the Job: Managing Services – Woolls, Chapter 10

Deciding which services to offer depends on the staff and the facilities. (Woolls 161) The most important part of providing services is to make sure they integrate with the curriculum.

 

Understanding Curriculum – Media specialists must be aware of current curriculum through collaborating with teachers. They must provide resources that integrate with lessons and units. The first thing a librarian must do is to “create a professional reference collection of all textbooks used in the building.” (Woolls 162) The librarian must keep abreast of these items throughout the year. The second thing should be a reference collection of curriculum guides. It helps to serve on textbook and curriculum committees. This will make it easier to assist in recommending materials.

 

Analyzing Teaching Methods – Using a variety of teaching methods is the way to go today, rather than using a textbook and lecture, and helps teach to every type of learner. Making plans along with the teacher creates a higher level of and more meaningful learning. If media is used correctly, there can be an improvement in learning. To use correctly, media must be accessible, have designed extensive planning, and working closely with teachers.

 

Assistance with Classroom Assignments – Librarians should offer the opportunity to create assignments using media. Media specialists should also encourage proper citation and bibliographic reference.

 

Teaching the New Kinds of Literacy – Librarians can help students become information literate by helping teachers help students to “assess, evaluate, and use information.” (Woolls 167) After inquiry and posing questions, evaluating information is the second step. This process includes self-evaluation, peer and teacher evaluation. Kahlthau’s steps include “(1) the teacher’s initiation of the unit of study; (2) the students’ selection of a topic; (3) exploration to find a focus; (4) formulation of a focus for the research; (5) collection of information; (6) presentation; and (7) assessment with self-reflection.” (Woolls 168) The media specialists can help with this by helping the student find the materials or resources they need, helping students assess themselves, and helping determine what worked and what didn’t work concerning the lesson.

 

The Media Specialist in the Classroom – Problems arise when the media specialist has to leave the library to go into the classroom. It is best to schedule class time in the media center and/or to have online connections.

 

The Media Center as Classroom – The media specialist will have to set priorities when scheduling the media center. First, should come the media specialist, then teachers who want to bring their classroom in, and then other non-media related things. Some media should be portable and to cordon off areas to not disturb other areas would be good.

 

Media Center Activities – The media specialist must create a good media program that meets the needs and desires of the school community. Some criteria may be determined by the state, district, community, etc. on what must be taught in the library. The librarian could take a poll to determine what takes priority or to find out what patrons expect.

 

Conducting In-Service Training Sessions – The media specialist can be very helpful in implementing the professional learning attributes such as, “Supportive and shared leadership, Shared values and vision, Supportive conditions, Shared personal practice, Collective creativity” (Woolls 173). They can provide programs that support the goals. Professional time is when teachers can collaborate with each other and the librarian can plan programs for when there are no professional learning communities. The media specialist can train them on using the equipment and technologies that are available. The media specialist can also be in charge of bringing in presenters from outside the school to teach the teachers new skills. The presenter should be an expert, if not, bring in outside help. Evaluations of the presentations will also be helpful in future presentations.

 

·         What Is the Future of Teaching? – Josh Catone

A recent study put on by the US Department of Education shows that students scored higher when taught through online courses than the same courses taught face-to-face. They believe that this result was because of the additional materials and time the online students had. This shows that using online resources in addition to the classroom will enhance learning. What will this do to teachers? They will have more materials to use in the classroom and it will enhance learning if they know how to apply them properly.

 

·         Library Skills=Information Literacy Skills=Common Core Skills –Sara Kelly Johns

Common Core Standards show that libraries and librarians are needed to help teachers co-teach. But, media specialists must prove to administrators that they can be an integral part of teaching Common Core Standards.  

 

·         CHHS Learning Commons Part 2 – Librarycommons

One of the areas that a Learning commons can help is with distance learners. Learning commons also provides the space and access to team-teach with teachers. It is about working and collaborating with teachers and students at various learning levels and grade levels to enrich learning that creates a whole-school environment. It is also about teaching and learning new tools that can help enhance learning and presenting.

 

·         Tell Me, What Do You Teach? - Joyce Valenza

There have been several teacher/librarians having to prove their worth only to save their jobs in recent times. Even people who support libraries really have no idea what we really do. It is up to us to make people aware of what librarians do and teach.

 

Works Cited

American Association of School Librarians. Empowering Learners. Chicago: American Library Association, 2009. Print.

Catone, Josh. "What is the Future of Teaching?" 31 Aug. 2009. Mashable. http://mashable.com/2009/08/31/online-education-teachers. 2 Nov. 2012.

Johns, Sara Kelly. "Library Skills'=Information Literacy Skills=Common Core Skills." 23 March 2012. Make Some Noise. http://blogs.slj.com/make-some-noise/2012/03/23/library-skills-information-literacy-skills-common-core-skills/#comment-31. 3 Nov. 2012.

Librarycommons. "CHHS Learning Commons Part 2." 11 Apr 2011. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVipfjDk6A8. 3 Nov. 2012.

Valenza, Joyce. "Tell Me, What Do You Teach?" 26 May 2011. NeverEndingSearch. http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2011/05/26/if-they-come-for-you-what-will-you-do. 3 Nov. 2012.

Woolls, Blanche. The School Library Media Manager Fourth Edition. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2008. Print.

 

 

Questions:

1) How will a media specialist know how much print vs. how much digital items to purchase?

2) If a teacher does not want to collaborate, how does the media specialist open that door?

3) Where do librarians go to learn new online tools and get the expertise needed to teach them to teachers and students?