Transcript No Slide Title

Collaboration
What is it?
Why is it
important?
What does it look
like?
How do we make it
happen?
For years…
School librarians had many hoops they
thought were important!
Teaching how to care for books.
Teaching the Dewey system.
Teaching author, title, and subject
cards in the card catalog.
Understanding the importance of
stamping the due date on the date due
card.
Understanding the importance of
library-user signatures on those little
cards in the back of each book.
Ordering books that might support the
curriculum.
What Hoop Is Important for
School Librarians Today?
Establishing and Maintaining
Information Literate
Technology-Rich Programs…
That are
aligned
with the
curriculum
Collaboration Means…
• Teacher(s) and library media specialist(s)
teaching together
– Teacher - responsible for content
– Library Media Specialist - responsible for
information literacy and technology
• Teacher(s) and library media specialist(s)
assessing student learning together
– student mastery of content
– student mastery of the process (information
literacy skills)
Classroom Teachers
Library Media Specialist
Classroom Teachers
Library Media Specialist
Integrated curriculum linking content, information
literacy, and technology
Collaboration supports…
• Constructivist learning
– Students building new knowledge
– Scaffolding
• Information explosion
• Technology integration
• Student achievement
–
–
–
–
State standardized achievement tests
SAT/ACT
Reading
End-of-Course testing
Collaboration supports…
• Evaluation
–
–
–
–
Schools/Districts (State Report Card)
Teachers
Library Media Specialists
Library Media Centers
Collaboration
Why Is It Important?
Steps to Collaboration
Steps to Collaboration
• Coordination is informal. No commonly
defined goals or planning effort. No
communication between the classroombased teachers and library media
specialist. Activities in the media
center coordinate with topics the media
specialist thinks are being taught in the
classroom.
Steps to Collaboration
• Cooperation is a more formal working
relationship. Some communication
between the teacher and the media
specialist exists. No formal curriculum
planning. Teacher often asks for
resources to be checked out for use in
the classroom. Media specialist
continues to coordinate library
instruction which is now based on
requests from teacher.
Steps to Collaboration
• Collaboration is a formal working
relationship. Communication channels
exist between the teacher and the
media specialist exists. Joint effort in
curriculum design. Classroom and media
center instruction planned and
delivered jointly.
Collaboration is…
• Teacher(s) and library media
specialist(s) planning together
–
–
–
–
–
Determing what students need to know
Teaching how to access information
Teaching how to evaluate information
Teaching how to interpret information
Teaching how to apply information
Collaboration means…
Teacher(s) and library media specialist(s) jointly
• plan how and where the lesson(s) will be taught
• plan the content, the information literacy
skills, and technology skills to be included
• plan how these skills relate to the content
• decide each person's role(s) and
responsibilities
Collaboration Moves From
• Competing to consensus building
• Working alone to including others from
different fields and backgrounds
• Thinking mostly about activities and
programs to thinking about larger results
and strategies
• Focusing on short-term accomplishments
to requiring long-term results
Benefits of
Collaboration
Students Benefits
• Learning turned into action
– Involved in learning
– Excited about learning
– Transfer of learning
• Independent use of relevant, integrated
information & technology skills
• Connections between subject areas
• Independent learner-information and
technology literate
• Improved student achievement
Teacher Benefits
•
•
•
•
•
"Two heads are better than one"
Lightens teaching load
Makes teaching more effective
Renews excitement about teaching
Provides additional resources for classroom
instruction
• Assists with interdisciplinary instruction
• Improves student achievement
Benefits for Library Media
Specialists
• Changes others perceptions of who the
media specialist is and what he/she can do
– Teacher
– Technologist
– Program Administrator
• Integrates library media center resources
and instruction into curriculum
Benefits for Library Media
Specialists
• Expands leadership role of library media
specialist
• Creates advocates for the library media
specialist
• Renews (or creates!) excitement about
library media center
• Improves student achievement
Administrator Benefits
• Changes perception of who the LMS is and
what the library media specialist can do
• Integrates library media resources and
instruction into curriculum (Return On
Investment)
• Expands connections to community
• Improves student achievement
Collaboration
Making it happen
Roadblocks to Collaboration
• Perception of the role of the library
media specialist
– By Administrators
– By Teachers
– By Library Media Specialist
• Library Media Center schedule
• School Master Schedule
• Library Media Center staff
Overcoming the Roadblocks
•
•
•
•
Start small
Be enthusiastic
Build rapport and trust
Offer to serve on curriculum planning
committees
• Begin/expand dialogue with
principal
Overcoming the Roadblocks
• Keep all stakeholders informed
• Compile bibliographies and research
guides
• Develop a curriculum map
• Develop a collection map
• KNOW the curriculum and content
standards and DEMONSTRATE
that knowledge!
Overcoming the Roadblocks
• Teach students in front of teachers
• Offer professional development
classes
• Research issues that affect
teaching
• Build library media center
professional collection
• Model/teach effective use of
technology
For collaboration to work...
• School environment must be positive and
supportive.
• Media specialist must be seen as a part of "the
group."
• Media specialist must be a part of the decisionmaking process.
• Communication must be open, two-way, and
continuous.
• Vision and purpose of the media center must be
shared with all stakeholders.
• Media center must have adequate and up-todate resources that are aligned with the
school’s curriculum.
Collaborate Successfully
• Know where you're
going;if you're unclear
about some of the
issues, talk with
knowledgeable
associates
• Build relationships and
alliances. Know who the
key players are and
what their priorities
are. Find out how to
help them.
• Disarm the opposition.
Understand where
potential opponents
stand and why. Get
their perspectives and
learn from them.
• Practice win/win when
problem-solving. Your
ultimate objective is
student achievement.
Collaborate Successfully
• Respect individual strengths
• Advertise your successes, esp. word-ofmouth
• Remain flexible
• Be willing to compromise
• Keep on keepin' on!
Collaboration
• Ensures that learners have access
to relevant resources at the point
of instructional need
• Provides professional development
for faculty, staff, and
administrators
Collaboration
+
Reading Literacy
+
Information & Technological Literacy
Improved
Student Achievement
Bibliography
Buzzeo, Toni. Collaborating to Meet Standards: Teacher/ Librarian
Partnerships for K-6. Worthington, OH: Linworth Publishing, 2002.
Donham, Jean. Enhancing Teaching and Learning: A Leadership
Guide for School Library Media Specialists. New York, NY: NealSchuman Publishers, 1998.
Noah, Carolyn B. and Linda W. Braun. The Browsable Classroom: An
introduction to E-Learning for Librarians. New York, NY: NealSchuman Publishers, 2002.
Olrich, Karen Browne. Making Flexible Access and Flexible
Scheduling Work Today. Englewood, CO: Libraries Unlimited,
2001.
Thomas, Melody. "What Is Collaboration to You?" Library Talk 15, no.
2 (March/April 2002): 17-18.
Tschamler, Addie. "Top Secret: Collaborative Efforts Really Do Make
a Difference." Library Talk 15, no. 2 (March/April 2002): 14-16.