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Collaboration

By Bonnie Hines, Carolee Kinloch, Mindy Klein

Welcome (2 minutes)

Introduction with short bio/ prior experiences

Carolee: “Hello and welcome to our in-service presentation on collaboration between teachers and the media staff. Our names are Bonnie, Carolee and Mindy. We have talked to many of you already but want to give a quick refresher about our past experiences before starting:

Bonnie: “I am currently a fourth grade teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools. I have been teaching in the classroom for 7 years and recently completed my practicum in school library media. I hope to bring a classroom teacher’s perspective to this topic because I have been lucky enough to benefit from collaboration with an LMS.”
Carolee: “Hello, I am a new elementary media specialist. Previously, I worked as a liaison with Digital Ed. and Home and Hospital where I collaborated with classroom teachers often. I am looking forward to supporting classroom teachers and their students.”
Mindy: “I am currently a kindergarten teacher in Montgomery County Public Schools. I have been teaching kindergarten for 11 years and am currently working towards becoming a LMS. I am looking forward to collaborating with teachers on different projects.

Overview of our role in the school community:

Carolee: “Media specialists wear many ‘hats’ around the building: We serve on the school leadership team, teach students, train staff in using new technologies, run the library and more. Today, we are going to talk about one of our most exciting roles: supporting all of you and your students as an instructional partner!”

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Puzzle Activator:

Collaborate with your team to put the puzzle together.

Student

Achievement

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What is collaboration?

“Collaboration is the process of shared creation: two or more individuals with complementary skills interacting to create a shared understanding that none had previously possessed or could have come to on their own.”

(Fullen 1993)

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Why collaborate with the LMS?

“Recently, a study of collaboration indicated that test scores were directly impacted in relationship to the degree to which library media specialists and classroom teachers worked together.”

(Lance 2003)

Britannica ImageQuest

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Why does collaboration help test scores?

Increased individual attention for students
Integration of grade level objectives and 21st century skills
Professional development for teachers
Decreased teacher workload
Support for SIP and SLO goals

Britannica ImageQuest

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How can the LMS support you with your SIP and SLOs?

Our SIP Goal: “As a collaborative community of students, staff and parents, we will foster a learning environment driven by high expectations which provide opportunities for learning that ensure engagement, excitement and enrichment through respect for all cultures and build relationships between the community, staff and students.”

Carolee: “Collaboration with media specialists directly supports all aspects of this SIP goal. Students are able to reach the high expectations we have of them when we provide them with the tools they need to find and synthesize information that is relevant to their learning. If they learn those skills separately, they do not see the connection between those skills and learning. When classroom teachers collaborate with media, students attain the skills necessary to be actively involved in the learning process. Students will become engaged, excited and enriched in the process. The collaborative process itself helps build respect and relationships between staff, but it also sets a good example for students.” (During this time, the presenter will point to the bold segments of the quote as each she discusses each aspect.)

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How does collaboration with the LMS work?

Levels of Collaboration

Consumption
Connection
Cooperation
Coordination
Ultimate Collaboration

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Levels of Collaboration: Consumption

“Students consume library resources for typing, printing, photocopying, weekly reading quotas, etc.”

(Marcoux, 2007)

Bonnie: “For an example of this, I turn to my fourth grade class. In quarter 1, my students learn about Native Americans and use their understanding to write a historical fiction narrative. After introducing this topic a few years ago, some of my students went to the library and asked to check out books about Native Americans for independent reading. Luckily, the LMS directed them to the correct shelf because she had studied my curriculum and purchased books for our social studies units.”

“This level of collaboration supports the teacher’s curriculum, the students’ new interest in Native Americans, and the media specialist’s goals as well. When the students asked for help searching for books for independent reading, they were practicing standard one of the AASL’s Standards for the 21st Century Learner: ‘to use tools to inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge’” (Standards for the 21st Century Learner).

“The benefits? My students now had an additional resource to support their understanding and were excited to learn more, which supports our SIP. However, think about how many more students could have been reached if I had given her a heads up about this project beforehand.”

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Levels of Collaboration: Connection

“The library staff is informed about the lesson in terms of what it is and/or when it will occur in the library media center but has no input into the design or timing of it.” (Marcoux, 2007)

Carolee: “Let’s build on our last example to explore Connection. This time, a music teacher informed the library staff about an upcoming unit on rhythm in first grade, and asked for resources to support her instruction. The LMS pulled a collection of poetry books and biographies of famous musicians that are written with a strong rhythm. Many of these books feature diverse subjects and settings from around the world. The LMS also put together a LiveBinder of ebooks so that students could listen to the rhythm independently.”

“What benefits do you hear for students?”

If needed, add: “Students experienced a strong connection between music, reading and digital literacy. The ebooks increase engagement and independence for readers of all abilities.”

“What about the teacher or SIP?”

If needed, add: “The music teacher also received ready-to-use resources that promoted engagement and respect for all cultures as our SIP encourages. This saves her precious time before and during instruction.”

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Levels of Collaboration: Cooperation

“The library staff is informed about lesson goals, its expected outcomes, its due date, and the criteria

for assessment.”

(Marcoux, 2007)

Mindy: “Taking a step further in our collaboration continuum, this time the LMS is involved in the actual instruction as well. For example, during a Kindergarten informative writing unit, my students are supposed to research an animal and take notes about where they live, what they eat and what they look like. My team and I inform the LMS about the unit and that we will be needing assistance with using the database PebbleGo for our students to do the research. We set up a time with the LMS to demonstrate how to use the database to find out information about their animal. The LMS also supports the students while they are researching.”

“The media specialist can use this lesson to support standard one of the 21st Century Learner and standard two which is to use information tools to “draw conclusions, make

informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge” (Standards of the 21st Century Learner).

“What benefits do you hear for the students or SIP?”

If needed, add: “This is the first real look at what it means to do research for these Kindergartners. They benefit from the collaboration by developing 21st Century skills such as being able to use a database to find information and begin to understand how to take notes. They are also developing a positive relationship with the LMS that they will be seeing and working with throughout their academic careers.”

“What about the teacher?”

If needed, add: “The teacher has support in addressing the Kindergarten content standards. Best of all for the teachers, they aren’t alone when Kindergartners are researching for the first time! There are two sets of hands to problem solve and deal with challenges that arise.”

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Levels of Collaboration: Coordination

“The library staff is informed about lesson goals, its expected outcomes, its due date, and how it will be evaluated.” (Marcoux, 2007)

Carolee: “An even greater level of collaboration takes place with Coordination. As part of the third grade science curriculum, students study the main climate zones of the world. The teacher wants students to complete a Prezi postcard from each of the climate zones and informs the media specialist of the lesson goals, when it is due and all of the requirements of the project. The LMS not only teaches the students how to use Prezi and what resources to use when researching, but works with them on how to use Prezi to complete the postcard project and how to find the information they need to include in it. With this level of collaboration, students are taught how to use resources to complete the specific project because the LMS knew exactly what the teacher was looking for.”

“In this example, students work toward science content goals as well as the two previous standards for the 21st century learner we discussed. This example also supports standard three, to ‘share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.’” (Standards of the 21st Century Learner)

“What benefits do you hear for the students or SIP?”

If needed, add: “The students will have the skills needed to meet the teacher’s high expectations and they will have the skills they need to truly engage in the project. The more confident the students are, the more excited they will be completing their projects. Students will also build upon their relationships with the LMS by seeing her as an active participant in their education.”

“What about the teacher?”

If needed, add: “Again, collaboration saved the teacher time before and during instruction. While students researched and learned to use the digital tool in media, the teacher was able to focus on individual students’ needs and her science content.”

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Levels of Collaboration: Ultimate Collaboration

“The library staff and the classroom teacher have jointly planned and implemented the entire lesson.” (Marcoux, 2007)

Bonnie: “And now the pinnacle of our continuum: ultimate collaboration. For this I am going to remind you that we started these examples with an example of some of my fourth graders going to the library for independent reading books about Native Americans. Over the next couple of years, I collaborated with the LMS to develop this project into a true example of collaboration and inquiry. This year, we met once during pre-service week to plan the project and divvy up teaching responsibilities. We decided that students would research a region of Native Americans, use their research to write a historical fiction story and turn their story into a digital presentation with audio and pictures. This is a huge undertaking and there is no way I would be able to do it on my own. Instead, my LMS compiled the LiveBinder of research resources and taught students to use it. My students came to me with finished research and I focused on turning that research into a well-crafted narrative. As students wrote with me, my LMS laid the groundwork for the features of PowToons, a digital presentation tool. (Honestly, I didn’t know how to use it either but she taught me.) In the end, my students had well-researched, thoroughly revised multimedia presentations that we graded together. Just think about the difference between this outcome and the couple of students with independent reading books in the first example!”

“What benefits do you hear for the students?”

If needed, add: “My students begged to write and start social studies every day! Their stories were much better than usual because I had the time to work one-on-one with them while the others researched. They also learned how to create amazing digital presentations, which supports the AASL standards for a 21st century learner.”

“What about the teacher, media specialist and/or SIP?”

If needed, add: “I also learned to use a new digital tool which supported my professional development. When it came time to grade these presentations, my work was cut in half. Thinking back to our SIP goal, my LMS and I collaborated to meet each of those key points: engagement, respect, high expectations, building relationships and enrichment…. Without adding all of that responsibility onto my plate. The media specialist also had the benefit of working toward all of the standards of the 21st century learner while helping me address social studies and writing goals as well.”

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Planning for Collaboration

Think about:

Your SLO students and their needs
An upcoming inquiry project
Opportunities for students to create a digital presentation
Print or online resources you need for a curricular topic

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Evaluation

If you have not already done so, please use this link, check your email or scan the QR code below to share your team’s ideas for collaboration and give us feedback! There are also paper copies available on each table.

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Thank you!

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Works Cited

Professional Resources

American Association of School Librarians. Standards for the 21st Century Learner. American Library Association, 2007. Accessed 4 September 2016.

Fontichiaro, Kristen. 21st-Century Learning in School Libraries. Denver: ABC-CLIO, 2009. Print.

Images

High School Student helping Grade One Student in Library. Photograph. Britannica ImageQuest. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 25 May 2016. Accessed 30 Aug 2016.

Young girl showing off test score of 100. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 25 May 2016. Accessed 30 Aug 2016.

Puzzle pieces and other clipart images are licensed under Creative Commons by ClipArtBro.