LM_NET: Library Media Networking
- Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 13:05:28 GMT
From: Corey Hansen <Corey_Hansen@ashwaubenon.k12.wi.us>
999
Date: Thu, 28 Oct 1999 18:05:29 GMT
From: Molly Clark <mcclark@ALDUS.NORTHNET.ORG>
Subject: HIT:Those that be 30 min. prep
Here is the original question, followed by over thirty responses:
---- Question ----
I am curious about how those of you that are a fixed 30 minute prep work in a
world that advocates flex planning?
Do you still meet with teachers to schedule what will be done for that 30
minutes, or do you use your own curriculum?
---- Responses ----
I have only been in a library position for one year today. I did
not even have any idea that collaboration was being done because I have
never been in a district with a library media teacher before. After
starting I heard about wonderful things being done with collaboration. I do
have 30 periods with about 900 students per week. I have tried to start
collaboration but do not find the teachers to be very receptive. I think
this is both because of the time involved and the fact that they are already
overwhelmed. I do ask the teacher for a copy of their yearly plan and that
allows me to try to match what they do. It isn't the best but it is what I
have to work with. I am taking classes from Dr. David Loertscher and he
tells me to just have the students do Sustain Silent Reading during their 30
minutes prep. I told him I would lose my job and he told me I wouldn't. I
think I'll wait until I have tenure to take up that fight. In the mean time
I'll continue my curriculum and try to encourage more collaboration. I
would love to hear how others make it work better.
----
I work for Houston (TX) ISD, and we are still in
the stone age of library scheduling. Actually, I just
started at a new school where I am only covering 2
planning periods per day, but my old school was totaly
fixed-schedule. Our planning times are 45 minutes
long. And no, I never came up with a solution for the
collaborative planning problem; my planning time is
during their reading block, and during their planning
time, I have their kids in the library. I have tried
getting them to give me written notice of their
upcoming units so I could plan something to go along
with them, but I never get them. You can imagine how
popular pre- or post-school planning sessions would
be. So I have ended up going with the flow and just
teaching my own curriculum at my own pace, which
doesn't have the impact on the kids that
collaboratively-planned units would. If anybody comes
up with a brilliant solution, I would LOVE to hear it.
In the meantime, I will continue to just talk to my
"lunch buddies" and catch folks in the hall, etc. . .
----
I have 30 minute classes with my K-6 students once every six days and
most of the time I teach my own curriculum.
----
Oh wishful thinking those not far off days of 30 minute prep. We are now
required to provide 60 minutes of teacher prep. Plus I serve two schools.
I have only a very little unscheduled time and I am supposed to use it to
do that pesky library work but still end up having classes in when they
need to do research. At my bigger school the library is used for music on
days I am gone.
In those glorious days of only 30 min prep time and full time librarians I
used to be able to squeeze in enough flex time that I could have several
projects happening each week.
I am still committed to working with teachers and curriculum though in my
current school I am working with mainly the 4th and 5th grade teachers.
Part of that is time and part is the nature of this particular school and
part is the fact that the closer I get to retirement the less energy I
pour into my passions and cooperative planning is a passion unrequited.
Hello
I send out a monthly newsletter with a place to fill in anything they want
me to comver or any specific needs for their classes in that month. Some
will discuss it and some send a note and others do nothing. I let them know
what I will be doing at any rate. I have a pilot program in grade six and
meet once a month with those teachers, but that is a completely different
situation.
----
I am librarian at a K-4 building of 450+ students. I see all students by
class for 50 minutes each week. On Friday, I repeat a previous day's
schedule. For instance, I see Monday's kids on Friday also. If a grade
level has five teachers instead of four, the 5th class is divided among the
other 4 teachers. So this year in 3rd grade, I have one teacher's full
class plus 1/4 of the extra teacher plus the emh students. Total for some
classes is 30!
For 3rd & 4th grades, I teach for app. 25 minutes using a district approved
library skills curriculum. Then the students have 25" for book check-out.
1st & 2nd follow similar schedule except instead of heavy-duty library
skills, I have a 25" story time. Kindergarten classes are divided into two
25" minute sessions, once before lunch and once just before the last bell.
All of this instruction occurs without a library assistant. I do have
parent volunteers come in to put away books and do odd chores. When I have
time to plan & organize projects for them!! Planning time with
teachers???!!! I check with 3rd & 4th grade teachers at lunch time. That
is when I am not doing lunch room duty Monday-Thursday and noon playground
duty Monday-Friday.
It's been a long day today! To add to all of this "prep" time, on this
Friday, when the fall party is scheduled, the special area teachers
(library, p.e., art, and music) will change their schedule so every
classroom teacher has equal prep time... 25 minutes for K-4. Now that will
really be quality instructional time!
----
I am 40 minute prep for all classes once a week and also hold 10 small group
sessions as needed. When do I do my admin stuff?---at home, of course! For
my prep classes, I follow my curriculum but I also have a timetable for what
units they are studying so that I can try to integrate what they are
studying with my lessons. For instance, 4th grade is studying Hispanic
culture--I did a lesson regarding Mexican celebrations. During third grade's
deserts unit, I have them do a research project on desert animals using
several different resources. It takes six or so sessions by the time we go
through lessons on the different resources, etc. but that's what happens when
you only see them once a week. I tell the teachers that they may take the
organizer I have the kids do and turn it into a factual paragraph assignment
or whatever if they wish. Last year they did that and kept it for the
students' portfolios. You will of course, have some teachers who do
understand and advocate flex schedule and integrated lessons, and you will,
because of that, end up doing some integrated stuff with those teacher's
classes. So, in answer to your question, I just pay attention to what the
grades are doing and if I can fit my skills lessons into something that fits,
I do it. Do I like working this way---NO! But I don't have a choice. I
love my school and the kids and the staff--but I would leave for a flexible
schedule because it allows us to do what we really should be doing and that
is not teaching skills in isolation!
----
I am in a situation where I provide prep time for the teachers. I usually
just do my own curriculum, although I keep trying to get the teachers to let
me know what they are working on. The K teacher will send out a monthly list
of the big topics she is covering and I will try to coordinate something with
that. Sometimes other teachers will ask me to do lessons on particular topics
such as using the library catalog, guide words, etc., usually if there is
something in the reading book that they think I would be better at than they
are.
----
Yes I do and I hate it. The teachers just want me to take their kids and
they don't care what I do with them. This is my twentieth year. Is there
any hope?
----
I am a fixed 30 min. prep time for my K-4 teachers. I have been promised
for years that we were "just about ready" to become totally flex, and then
the administrator leaves and I have to "break in" a new one-I'm on my 4th in
5 years--and thinking seriously about retirement as I'm weary of the battle.
----
The 30 min. that covers planning time is from my curriculum-but mostly
consists of literature appreciation and check in/check out. Actual
information skills come when the teacher brings the students down during our
breaks (known as "flex time"--ha, ha.
----
I only have 22 classes of 30 minutes each during a whole week. Therefore,
I give a 15 minute lesson or read a story or something related to our
library goals and then let the kids do their weekly checkout. Since I
have so much unscheduled library time available, I work with the teachers
to bring in the classes for an hour or so every few weeks to do a really big
project (like Missouri biography reports, or life in the coral reef, or
whatever their curriculum dictates). I love having the time available to
do this and I also like the regularly scheduled checkout time, plus time
to give pointers about things like writing contests coming up, reading
contests the school is having, Boolean logic practice with keyword
searching on the OPAC, stuff like that which would just interfere with a
teachers' time if it was ALL flex schedule. I like having them to myself
for conducting the business of libraries. The teachers are great to work
with and they sure appreciate the 30 minutes off each week.
----
Corey: I meet with 22 classes of 3-5 grade students for a fixed 40 min.
session per week. It's too difficult to coordinate with what the teachers are
doing in there classrooms. I have too much to teach regarding basic lib.
skills. Hope this helps!
----
I'm a k-12 media specialist with k-6 and 7-12 lmc's to work with.
I'm half day in each building with an aide at each building. We also
have a tech. coordin. who is at the buildings opposite from me.
I have my own curriculum which is coordinated with what the teachers do
in the classroom. I have set things that i teach at each level, but can
stop and go according to what is going on in classroom.
I usually meet with the teachers after school, noon, or recess time to
tell them what I'm doing next for lessons and what is going on in the
classroom. We do plan projects together at 4th, 5th, 6th gr. levels.
I've tied my curriculum to their needs most of the time. Still I get in
the skills i need to.
For the 3-6 grades, we often don't have checkout time, just skill time.
The teachers send them to LMC when the students have down time to check
out books. The teachers can also sign up for LMC time when I'm not
teaching a class.
----
I am an LC director in a k-5 school that has a fixed schedule of 30
minute periods. It is release time for the teachers, and most of them have
no interest in doing anything with me about what is to be done during that
period. We have developed a very thorough curriculum of story hours,
library skills, research skills, and literature awareness that we move the
students through. Of course, when the teacher does request something
specific, we do our best to accomodate. My upper grade teachers do sign up
for books talks on a regular basis.
----
I am a thirty minute prep. We have no time to plan with teachers, so the
curriculum is ours. Definitely not the ideal, but don't see any change for
us in the near future.
----
I work in a high school library and also have a K-1 library in another
building. I have always had a 30 minute library time with each class (9
in all this year). For me this works very well because that way I am only
gone from the high school library two afternoons a week.
In my library class I try and have a 10 minute lesson (book care,
procedures, parts of book, etc.), 10 minute story time, 10 minute
checkout. I have a library assistant that is at the elementary school
fulltime, although she also has additional duties. If teachers need
certain materials we can usually take care of that with no problem. Quite
honestly I have not in my three years there ever had a teacher come ask me
to cover anything particular in library class. However I have a good
rapport with the teachers and I think that they all know I would do
anything I could to help them.
----
I have my library classes during the teacher's prep period, and I
find it has its advantages and disadvantages.
Having been doing this for 25 years, I know that there have been
times when being the prep period has saved my job. (The union would
grieve--and win--any attempt to take away a prep period). I do have
a curriculum to teach, although I do try to incorporate as much as
possible what the teachers are doing in the classroom. When the
curriculum was written, the librarians took themes from classroom
curricular units as the focus of our curriculum. For example, many
of the skills taught in our fourth grade relate to their social
studies themes of New York State and the Hudson River. In addition,
New York State has instituted many new assessments, and our
curriculum addresses some of the needs created by these assessments.
It's kind of nice not having to spend a lot of my time running after
teachers, trying to coordinate projects--I know when I will see the
students and can plan accordingly.
On the other hand, I definitely miss out on some of the "spur of the
moment" research, and teachers don't necessarily look at me as a
curriculum source for each and every unit. I have worked with
teachers on various units, and will continue to do so. There is such
great satisfaction when you collaborate with a teacher on a unit and
you end up with a successful project.
----
I do not meet with the teachers. I plan to do whatever
I think needs to be covered.
----
I am an elementary library media specialists who has 17 classes on a
fixed 35 minute schedule on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Most of the time I read
and do activities that are library related. I love to read different
versions of the same stories or even follow-up with a video of the same
story and compare and contrast the stories. There are times when the
classroom teacher asks for a special program to follow-up her activities. I
do all kinds of instruction (Search Plus-Follett, Internet, Dewey Decimal).
I use our Kentucky Educational Television programs (Tomes and Talismans and
Media Mania) with fourth and fifth grades. No one is allowed to disturb me
on these days as our principal feels my instructional time is important.
On Monday afternoons, all day Wednesdays and Friday mornings we have
check-out. The teachers come with their children to this and stay as long
as necessary. Others may come and go as necessary. On Monday mornings and
Friday afternoons, I am resource for the teachers--pulling materials to go
along with classroom activities. They put a wants sheet in my mailbox by
Friday morning and I fill their requests.
I am also the School Technology Coordinator--whenever I have a free
moment I am working on technology related problems. I also have a co-worker
and students that can help in this.
----
We have our own curriculum - very rushed.
----
I see thirty classes a week for 35 minutes each. I have one "library
maintenence" period a week, and prep and lunch. Not a lot of time for extra
classes!
I have a curriculum which I must . I gladly trailor what I am doin to help the
teachers but am
rarely asked. We have New Jersey Core Curriculm Library Standards that must
be covered through out the year.
I am in a school of 600 first, second, and third graders.
----
I'm sort of in that situation. We are supposed
to be working toward flex scheduling and to that end the schedule that we
have right now is that the fixed time is done with the clerks (I have 4
buildings) for check out and then the teachers are required to come to the
1/2 hour time with me for the "skills". There is supposed to be some
collaboration, but we don't do much. I usually plan the lessons and the
teacher sits in and corrects papers, etc. unless I need him or her to help
with monitoring students. I don't think that this sends a very good message
to the students about the importance of the library program or what I'm
teaching.
----
I am in a K-6 elementary school, and I am the 40 minute prep when
the kids visit the library. I do not have time to meet regularly with
the teachers on any grade level, but informally learn of their class
projects and sometimes I'm able to include them in my library lesson
planning.
I have developed a more informal plan with the 6th grades: they
have a scheduled 30 minute book exchange time, then access to the
library any time they need it. My 5th & 6th graders have open access,
even when I have classes. Our library is small, so it's limited to 2 or
3 at a time if I have classes, but otherwise, they can come and go as
they need to. Also, I do work directly with the 6th grade teachers to
provide library instruction as directly enhances their Soc. St.,
Science, or ELA projects.
This is all probably not useful...but it's where I am!
----
I have fixed 45 minute schedule. I try to plan with teacher when I can but
otherwise I follow the districts Benchmarks or standards and make sure I teach
those skills related to libraries. It is not the best plan but I do seem to
pull a few more teachers in each year to planning even if we have to do it on
our own time.
----
I am on a fixed, 40 minute schedule. I am basically on my own where curriculum
is concerned-- I've begged and pleaded with the teachers to at least jot down
what they're doing in their classrooms so we could tie it in--to no avail.
Carol Kuhlthau has a book about library skills by grade level, and there is
also a series of library skill books (can't think of the name) that I use to
help plan the lessons...at least we can learn how to use the library!!
----
I use a fixed schedule and use both my own curriculum and the grade level
curriculum. It is quite a mess sometime.
----
Generally I get teacher's planning "help" via a memo that I send out each
month... asking what "themes" and curricula will be covered. I try to
coordinate "my" curriculum with whatever they're doing.
This doesn't always work, of course... and we STILL get the occasional
teacher who drops off her class with the cheerful message, "Oh... they're
doing biographies this week. Meant to tell you."
Grrr.
It's not fun! Collaboration? What's that? Sigh.
----
I'm the 10-40 minutes prep time for twelve teachers. They don't give a rip
what I do as long as they get a break from the kids. I generally try to
integrate somewhat; but I'm too overwhelmed to do much of that. IN a
perfect world, we'd work together; but not in my reality!
----
Yes, I am a 30 minute prep time for my teachers....In fact, we do a
rotation for an hour an half...P.E., Library, Computer Lab or Music,
Computer Lab, Library. I take all of my kids twice a week,
including Kindergarten. Needless to say, I have a busy schedule
and have being doing this for a long time. It would be very hard to
change. Our Dept. of Education mandates 200 hours for prep time
a week. There is no money to hire people to come in an do the
prep....plus, they do need to be using that 200 hours doing
something constructive. I have skills and activities for 30 minutes
once a week and then a check-out period for 30 min. I do not get
time to plan with my teachers, but I try to keep up with what they
are doing. It would help me a lot to plan with them. I teach library
skills, abc order, author studies, reference skills, reading
skill....story elements, I tell, draw, cut stories....You name it I do it
We are a K-4 school with approx 300 kids...we've had as many as
320. It varies! Let me know what you hear about this. There may
be some stuff in the archives. We have talked about this before.
----
I am on a fixed schedule at two elementary schools. I meet with teachers
RARELY.... I work closely with a few teachers at each school by e-mailing
ideas about projects we can do together. I teach my own curriculum and
seldom know what is going on in the classrooms. It is not the best way to
have a successful library program.
----
since i also do 35 minutes of tech time in the computer lab in addition
to 35 minutes library time, in my next life, i would like to find time
to plan units with teachers that involve long term research units/themes
where research is coordinated in the library and with computers and
presentations are done w/ computer software. maybe when we move to the
25 hour day??!
----
I have the 30 min. prep scenario, for the most part. I'm
also just getting my endorsement, and am in classes through distance
learning at the U. of WA, and am finding all of the info geared to flex
time as the ideal. I have one teacher who has agreed to go with just
one 45 min block per week, rather than the two 30 min., as all the
others have. I'm working on reducing at least the 4th and 5th grade
levels to the once per week, 45 min block.
I have been coordinating in as much as possible, by dropping in on
Fridays, checking at least for themes, areas I can enrich, projects
coming up, and it has worked well. I go around with a clipboard and
take notes, then come back and plan my lessons for the next week.
For K-3, I've been doing mostly literature readings related to class
themes, or just favorites of mine if there is no real link possibility.
For 4th and 5th, I've been doing some lessons on "trash and treasure"
(see the Big 6 website for lesson plans) for helping them research and
put findings in their own words. My 5th are rather traditional
teachers, and want me just to lay out materials for their students to
"come back with two facts about Native Americans" reports.
Ashwaubenon School District
Green Bay, Wisconsin U.S.A
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Hello friends
I have begun a research project with my second graders and one of them
suggested that we put their final projects on our school web page. The
technology teacher has agreed to work with us on this and a permission slip
went home yesterday asking for permission to publish work, either with or
without names. One of the parents is on the technology committee and wrote
back that the committee decided that no names at all be published on the
page. This was news to the technology teacher who is a member of the
committee. My question is this, if you publish student work, how do you
handle the name issue? Some of the students and families are looking
forward to being able to share their work with distant family members.
They would like the work to be identified in some way. What are the pros
and cons? I checked the archives and found this question asked previously,
but no answer. I have been researching Internet safety sites, but none
refer to this issue specifically. Thanks.
Molly Clark
Library Media Specialist
Northern Region Catholic School - Oswego, NY
email: mcclark@northnet.org
http://thames.northnet.org/spa
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