Collaboration Can-Do:�Teaching Library and Reference Skills in Coordination With Classroom Teachers�

Presenter:

Jackie Mills, Cannon School jmills@cannonschool.org

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NCSLMA Conference

Friday, October 5, 2012

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Why Collaboration is Important

From Buffy Hamilton’s Key Note Address:

• Using the Common Core as a transformation point—a catalyst for learning
• Participatory learning
• Being an Instructional/educational partner
• Building relationships and partnerships for learning
• Integrated, relevant learning
• Building curiosity in our students
• Becoming a learning strategist who crafts learning experiences
• Being a co-teacher/co-designer
• Move students from knowledgeable to Knowledge-Able

What is Your School’s Focus?

• Inquiry
• Differentiation
• 21^st century skills
• Common Core & Essential Standards
• Technology
• ????

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Considerations

• Schedule—fixed, flexible, combined
• Your curriculum—what do you want to teach?
• Classroom curriculum—where are obvious places to insert research/library skills?
• Your faculty—who do you already work well with?
• Your facility/library staffing
• Other?

Types of Skills �(EXAMPLES—NOT AN ALL-INCLUSIVE LIST)

• Fiction vs Non-fiction (1^st)
• Using page numbers and an index (1^st-2^nd)
• Using the catalog (3^rd+)
• Locating resources using call number (2^nd+)
• Citing sources (1^st+)
• Bibliographies (4^th+)
• Primary sources (4^th+)
• Summarizing information/using own words (1^st+)

Getting Started

• Identify a teaching partner
• Get along with
• Open to new ideas & methods
• Reliable
• Identify a project
• Often language arts or social studies
• Start small—one teacher, one project

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PLAN, PLAN, PLAN

• You will spend a lot of time on the front end
• Write it down
• Use a format that makes sense to you
• What skills and content are being taught?
• Who is teaching what? When? Where?
• What resources & materials will you need?
• How to accommodate different learners
• Other?

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Planning Form Examples

Adapt one of the following documents or make one of your own

See attachments about Dinosaurs and Animuzzles for examples of what my collaboration plans look like.

Communication

• After the initial planning is done, email works great!
• Touch base often during the project to ensure you are on the same page (this is especially true when you are working with more than one person)
• Don’t be afraid to change something in the middle if it’s not working as you envisioned

Inform your administrator.

Evaluation

• Get together soon after the project is completed to discuss what worked, what needs tweeking, ideas for next time.
• Keep using the lesson annually, continuing to refine (and adding classes)
• Jackie and Kathie’s Rule of Thumb

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Examples

• First grade: Weather ebooks and Animuzzles

Rain 1A http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/index.php?id=32728

Clouds 1A http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/index.php?id=32708

Snow 1A http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/index.php?id=32710

Bookr website address: http://www.pimpampum.net/bookr/

• Second grade: Dinosaur/camouflage project
• Third grade: North Carolina
• Fourth grade: American Hero Living History Museum

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Other resources

• If you want plans for the lessons previously mentioned, just drop me an email: jmills@cannonschool.org
• And if I can help you in your collaboration efforts in any way, just let me know. I’m happy to help.
• Sue Kimmel (former NC school librarian, now teaching at Old Dominion University), is one of the contributors to the Building a Culture of Collaboration blog at - http://cultureofcollaboration.edublogs.org/

Final Thoughts

• Don’t try to do too much, too fast
• My original plan vs what really happened
• Be willing to take risks
• Almost any lesson can incorporate research and information skills
• Use what’s already out there
• It get’s easier as you go along
• HAVE FUN!!!

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