Here is a list of responses regarding my question as to whether a=20
mixture of both flex/fixed scheduling was appropriate for middle school.=20
Original e-mail below. Thanks to all who responded.
Amy Palaia
LMS
Two Rivers Magnet Middle School
E. Hartford, CT 06108
hillamy21@netscape.net
>Dear LM_Net,
>
> I am seeking advice on middle school library scheduling. Right
>now I have fixed scheduling for grades 6-8. Library skills classes are
>once a week visits, 45 min. periods, 6 periods a day. I see 600
>students a week.
>
>I definitely am working on written proposal to change this schedule for
>next year. I understand the importance of having flexible scheduling in
>order for collaboration to happen between me and teachers. Right now
>there is no collaboration occuring.
>
>However, my question is this: Do you still see there being any benefit
>to having structured Library Skills classes at the middle school level?
>By "Library Skills" I mean lessons that may not tie into classroom
>learning but include OPAC lessons, reference materials lessons, basic
>Internet searching, etc.
>
>My proposal right now is asking for fixed scheduling for grade 6 (to
>teach basic Library Skills) and flex scheduling for 7-8 (to allow
>collaborative research projects).
>Do you think this system will be effective? What system is best for
>middle school students and most beneficial to their learning how to use
>the library? I want to know what is best in practice based on your
>experiences. I have never worked under a full-flex schedule, and was
>curious about how mixed fixed/flex schedules worked in middle schools.
>
>Thank you!
>Amy Palaia
>LMS
>Two Rivers Magnet Middle School
>E. Hartford, CT
>hillamy21@netscape.net
>
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
----------------
I think you need some structure, granted not so much as now but some=20
scheduling. When I worked in middle school, and we were totally=20
unscheduled, some classes, and some students, simply never came to the=20
library. Having some kind of requirement for language arts classes or=20
even homerooms to come twice a month for 15-20 minutes booktalk/checkout=20
would have been great.
Mary Walter, Librarian
Jamestown Elementary
sky3ler2003@yahoo.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
---------------------------
Hi Amy,
I work in a Grades 6-8 school that is totally flexibly scheduled, and=20
wouldn't have it any other way. We collaborate with teachers at all=20
grade levels and integrate our library skills lessons into the classroom=20
curriculum. We do booktalks to all grades, usually to English classes,=20
these can be focused on new books, genres, non-fiction, biography, etc.
For an example, we do a unit with a 6th grade English teacher on Olympic=20
athletes. Because of the research requirements, we stick to ones that=20
have completed their careers. I established a list of athletes by sport=20
that we could support research in books and databases. The kids chose=20
an athlete, the first day come to the library to do book research (Great=20
Athletes, Sports Stars, also teach them to use OPAC keyword to find info=20
in collective bios, subject search on sport, etc). The second day we=20
instruct on database searching, they find an article. 3rd day- internet,=20
along with lesson on evaluating sites. At each step we instruct them to=20
complete a biography form we devised, and at the end they did a=20
powerpoint, and we did bibliography with them on noodletools, which they=20
imported into their powerpoint document.
We do MANY units like this, a full grade 7 and 8 research paper in which=20
we teach the searching lessons, note taking skills, etc.
We also do Friday readers workshops, different teachers sign up to send=20
3-4 kids each, we have book discussions, we ask questions and focus on=20
elements such as theme, character, etc.
We have 800 students, and a very full schedule. Other unit include=20
Victorian era, 1930's, civil war, civil rights, Ancient Greece and Rome,=20
Diseases, wind power, I could go on .
=20
The kids get constant reinforcement of our curriculum integrated with=20
the classroom curriculum, therefore they have the interest in the=20
library lessons.
Feel free to write back and I could send you some examples as=20
attachments off list.
Deborah Titolo
Burnt Hills-Ballston Lake School District,
Burnt Hills, NY 12027
518-584-1625
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
--------------------------
Hi Amy:
I hold a sixth grade orientation with my students and introduce (or
reintroduce, our district uses the same system throughout) the OPAC. I set
up the projector and teach them how to log on to the network and access
their network folder. The I remind them how to find the OPAC and how to
complete a basic search emphasizing the fields that have call number and
status of holdings. They each then use the OPAC to find a book to check
out. Then as the sixth grade classes sign up for library time, we remind
them of the basic operation and introduce advanced features. (With some of
the ESE classes I have even had scavenger hunts to reinforce the skills
taught). I have been collaborating with a group of teachers all year to
standardize their research methods. We will be placing in the student
planner, the basic research information including basic citations based on
MLA. My opinion is that until the students have a concrete assignment to
tie this skill building to, it is not absorbed. My not being scheduled I am
open to helping teach students necessary skills to improve their research
projects as they apply. I also have been working with the science teachers
to train the students (and teachers) how to use excel to create better
charts and graphs for science fair projects. I think that if I were tied up
with scheduled classes, it would be more difficult to provide help and have
it stick. I hope this helps.
Mary Nigels=20
Media Specialist=20
Crystal River Middle School=20
344 NE Crystal Street=20
Crystal River, FL 34428=20
(352)795-2116 X266 (voice) (352)795-2378 (fax)
nigelsm@citrus.k12.fl.us <mailto:nigelsm@citrus.k12.fl.us>=20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
--------------------------
Hi Amy,
=20
Your future ideas are EXACTLY what I am doing in my middle school. =20
After 6 years as a K-5 librarian, this is my first year in a middle=20
school. I teach all of our 6th graders one library lesson every other=20
week. We have approximately 650 students in our school, so I see 220=20
6th graders on fixed schedule. This amounts to 11 teaching classes=20
every other week. I have my schedule posted for the staff. They are=20
welcome to come in and use the library when I have my prep, lunch, or=20
lunch duty. I am encouraging them to bring their students in when I am=20
"free" so that we can collaborate.=20
=20
I feel that my fixed 6th grade schedule, along with a school-wide=20
flexible schedule allows us the best of both worlds. In your current=20
situation, teachers can not collaborate with you because there are only=20
so many hours in a day.
=20
My principal has told me repeatedly how many teachers are thrilled at=20
how things are going in the library. Seeing the 6th graders once every=20
other week is working quite well. Since the 6th grade teachers are NOT=20
excluded from signing up for periods during our flexible times, I=20
sometimes see my students with different subject teachers.
=20
All of this is VERY GOOD !!! I hope you are able to convince your=20
principal and teachers to change your scheduling format. Right now, I=20
would bet that you have many teachers frustrated because they can't get=20
into the library. Flexible/fixed is a great way to go !!!
=20
Feel free to write back if you have any questions.
=20
Good luck,
Diane=20
----------------------------------------------------------------------------=
--------------------------
I have fixed schedules for weekly checkout and flex for research. If too mu=
ch is scheduled in the lib. at a given time, I suggest to the checkout teach=
er the same time on another date. For research classes, I spend time at the=
beginning showing them resources for that particular project. I usually sh=
ow them our library web site with it's resources and specifically demonstrat=
e those online resources that would be particular good for their particular=20=
project using a term or key words that they might be using.
Barb
Barb Uhlman
Library Media Specialist
Parkway South Middle School
760 Woods Mill Road
Manchester, MO 63011
314.415.7232 phone
314.415.7234 fax
buhlman@pkwy.k12.mo.us
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Amy,
I taught in just the kind of situation you are proposing. I taught library=20=
skills classes to 6th graders for three years. In my opinion, you will have=20=
the same problems you have now with your classes, only on a smaller scale. (=
I remember your past postings about your classes.) It has been my experience=
that the kids don't really value the class because they just look at it as=20=
a special;. Although I assigned grades for the class, it was not enough of a=
motivation for some students to actually work in class.
Research shows, and I know from experience, that kids retain library skills=20=
when they are taught in a just in time basis. I honestly don't know how much=
my students remembered what they learned in their classes when they came ba=
ck to the library to do research with a class. The other problem that you wi=
ll have with a fixed/flex schedule is that although you can begin to collabo=
rate with teachers, you will still be unavailable to help them if they need=20=
to come down when you are teaching a class. This was my problem. I taught 4t=
h and 8th pds so I could never work with classes that came down to the libra=
ry then. In my former school, each teacher taught the same subject 5 pds a d=
ay. I found it incredibly frustrating that I could not help each class.
I think the most effective model for students learning library skills is a m=
odel that I learned about from my former supt. It's called the guaranteed re=
search experience. Although I am now working in NYS, I am a CT resident and=20=
worked in CT for 3 yrs. My former supt was in Danbury before she was in my f=
ormer district. I sat down with the HS librarians in Danbury to learn about=20=
this model. I wanted to use it in my school but I lost my job in a budget cu=
t before I got the chance. The model involves having one class every year at=
each grade level, requiring a long-term research paper, which takes several=
weeks. During that time, the classes come down to the library and the libra=
rian teaches research skills within the context of the research paper. If I=20=
were you and I was going to propose revamping the library curriculum, this i=
s the model that I would choose. I am vehemently opposed to teaching skills=20=
in isolation. I am sure you have noticed that it can seem like a waste of ti=
me for both you and your students because it has nothing to do with what the=
y need at the present time. It really can be an exercise in frustration.
Good luck approaching your administration. I would be curious to see what ot=
hers say as well so please post a hit if you get a chance.
Juliann
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Amy,
My suggestion is to go to flexible scheduling all the way. When I first=20
came to SMS, we were a Grade 6-8 school. I taught 6th graders a library=20
skills course, like you mentioned. It was part of a developmental=20
skills cycle. They had 8-week cycles of going to the LMC, to guidance,=20
to health, to the computer lab, etc. That meant I taught every 6th=20
grader during the course of the year. I taught 8 periods a week on a=20
fixed schedule to 6th graders.
The good part of doing this was that I got a chance to know the 6th=20
graders and to teach them some skills. The bad part was that it was=20
hard for me to juggle classes coming in to do research projects around=20
my D Skills schedule. And since my D skills classes were held in the=20
LMC, it was hard to keep those students from being distracted by kids=20
who were down from study hall or down with their classes doing research=20
projects. And of course it was a pain to do report cards, etc.
Last year our school became just a Grade 7-8 school. I found myself=20
with a completely flexible schedule for the first time, and I love it!=20
I've also found that the 8th graders, who I had two years ago for my D=20
Skills course, have forgotten most of the stuff I taught them back=20
then, including even where the printer is located in the LMC! If you=20
have a 100 percent flexible schedule, and teachers collaborate with you=20
a lot, you can teach the kids a lot of those same skills during the=20
course of their research projects, giving them mini-lessons on=20
note-taking, using reference books, evaluating web sites, etc. This=20
schedule also gives me the freedom to spend a day in one of our=20
computer labs with a class, or to go to a classroom and give a=20
PowerPoint presentation or some other type of lesson. I would hate to=20
have to go back to a fixed schedule at all!
Hope this helps.
David Bilmes, LMS
Schaghticoke Middle School
New Milford, CT
bilmesd@new-milford.k12.ct.us
dudu4tigers@snet.net
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I teach grades 4-7 but with my 6th and 7th graders I
see them every other week for a book check out time.=20
I begin with a short story, interesting website, quick
internet lesson, intro to a new contest, etc and then
they get books. The teacher stays with them to help
them choose books. Then I collaborate for research
lessons- actually the teachers do the research pretty
much by themselves with my help with the resources etc
becuase I am then teaching grades 4 or 5. I think it
works quite well. =20
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear Amy,
I see your plan as a good compromise. I would keep it off the table.
Offer it only if your principal absolutely will not buy into a full flex
schedule. And then, do so with the intent to phase it out at a mutually
agreed upon time.
IMHO, fixed is an obsolete paradigm. I can say that because I have been
working with MS kids for nearly 30 years. As you mention, too often a
fixed program does not support what is happening in the classroom.=20
You are right to focus on collaboration. If you have good relationships
with some (not necessarily all) of your teachers, they will consult with
you and come with their classes. Meaningful collaboration will happen,
required skills will be learned.=20
I am in a 6--8 school, 360 students, strictly a flex schedule. I would
never go back to a fixed schedule. My teachers wouldn't either :-)
Best regards,
Martin Swist (originally from Connecticut)
mswist@asij.ac.jp=20
Library Media Specialist=20
The American School In Japan (ASIJ)=20
1-1-1 Nomizu, Chofu-shi, Tokyo, 182 Japan=20
Telephone: 81 422 34 5300, extensions 295 & 296
Hospitality Committee Member of the Listserv, LM_NET=20
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
The age old question! Yes, flexible scheduling works but the LMS has to be=20=
very proactive for it to be successful. This is not always easy as teachers=
often have a mind set about the library and how the students should go to g=
et their dose of "library skills." I think having 6th grade on a regular wee=
kly schedule is a good idea so that you have the opportunity to get to know=20=
the students, maybe develop some habits, and review some information skills.=
However, the key is integration and that works best with the flexible sche=
dule.IMHO. Good luck.
Lorraine Smith
Librarian
Lake Pointe Elementary School
Austin, TX 78738
smithlo@laketravis.txed.net
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi Amy,=20
Until this year I was a middle school librarian and had grades 5-8. We
had fixed schedules for grades 5&6 and flexible for 7&8. I thought it
worked very well. It is important to schedule your 6th grades when 7&8
are not having classes that teachers will need to use library for. If
not possible then pick certain days the library is totally flexilbe to
get those 7&8 grades in.
Hope this helps
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