This was the origninal message regarding the other email sent. Thank you.
Michelle
________________________________
From: Alexander, Michelle Mcmahon
Sent: Wed 7/26/2006 5:45 AM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: INteractive Collaboration/ flex. training materials for staff
Mrs. Alexander
Chesterfield Elementary
Morganton, NC
malexana@burke.k12.nc.us
On a hit I asked for training materials for flexible sheduling as we are a school
going from a partial fixed schedule to full flex. Overwhelmingly, the majority of
people were asking for help on presenting an in-service on this rather than giving
responses. Those are posted at the bottom of this document; however, I have taken
some extensive time to go through all of the books used in our MLS program,
websites, and used our MCPAI-R tool, copy of the Information Skills from DPI,
videos clips from NCWISEOWL, IMPACT,clips from PPT presentations developed during
our MLS program and articles supporting Flexible scheduling and collaboration on
line to put together a training packet and PPT that were very reflective of the
process and allowed collaboration to occur. We trained yesterday. 3 media
coordinators moving to flexible scheduling in our county attended and it went off
well with a few changes I would make if I was charged with the pleassure of
presenting this training in the future.
suggestions:
*
Start with a survey to find out preconceived ideas 2 weeks before ( I did
not have time to do this, but suggest it)
*
Use ideas from the Powerpoints as they are very inclusive (but teh trainer
one is one to just print off as a tool for you to llok at when presenting in case
you get stuck. That is not to show to staff.
*
Have testimonies from other media coordinators who have tried this and
teachers who you have collaborated with
*
get your county media specialist to help present so it is not all coming
from you
*
Use websites:
*
http://www.infotaft.marioncity.k12.oh.us/flex.html
*
http://www.arches.uga.edu/~dbrackma/html_docs/flex_sche_files/frame.html#slide0022.html
*
http://eduscapes.com/sms/specialist.html
http://www.ncwiseowl.org/Impact/videos.htm
<http://www.ncwiseowl.org/Impact/videos.htm>
*
http://www.ncwiseowl.org/kscope/impact/MC/levels.htm#top 5, 7, 9 and the
Timber Drive clips are great for elm. level
*
look up learning styles, have staff find there own and explain how that
ties in
*
provide a collaborative planning sheet so teachers can begin a unit there
and you can listed to discussions and jump in to provide ideas
*
remember it is not th eschedule that counts, but the collaboration
*
draw off of enthusiastic teachers
*
Do not settle for a partially flex schedule unless it is your only way to
get your foot into the door of flex scheduling as teachers will see you as a
pullout teacher and relate your classes to the other times you have the students
* add links to the PPT for the Learning Pinacle, teh Pencil Metaphor, and
your video clips, multiple intelligences, Boom's taxonomy, Mantona's taxanomy, the
16 habits of mind (all support the power of student centered process
learning),project-based learning, action learning, Intel learning module, etc...
Hope some of this is helpful to you all. I have many excerpts and quotes I used
form print resources I can not include here, but look through your texts and find
articles to support your ideas. Keep it as simle as possible. I tend to be too in
depth.
resonse/email are below- P.S. great tips from Gerry Soloman:
LM_Net Returns
Re: [LM_NET] INteractive Collaboration/ flex. training materials for staff
Robert Joyce [virginialibrarymediaspecialist
Check the archives...LOADS about flexible scheduling.
Re: INteractive Collaboration/ flex. training materials for staff
Karen Early [earlyk.wbe@bertieschools.com]
We are trying to go Flex also. I would be interested in
any info you receive. Thanks!
~Karen Early
West Bertie Elementary School
Lewiston, NC
earlyk.wbe@bertieschools.com
Flex scheduling
Janis [jnsyr@infionline.net]
Hello! I am also going to flex scheduling, and facing the same uphill
battle in persuading staff about its benefits. Would you please
provide a HIT if you get enough info.
I'm sorry I can't help you will it, but I've never had flex
scheduling before this!
--Janis Fox, Media Specialist
Triangle Lake Montessori
High Point, NC
jnsyr@infionline.net
RE: [LM_NET] INteractive Collaboration/ flex.trainingmaterials for staff
Gerry Solomon [GSolomon
The
focus is collaboration strategies that flow out of flexible access
(regular collaborative planning times for each team, curriculum
mapping,
reserach process, planning forms/Collaboration Toolkit, etc.). The
key
element in selling flex access/collaboration to teachers is to help
them
understand how it will differentiate instruction by working with
smaller
groups of students and to raise student achievement.
You mentioned our videos - the one I would suggest sharing with your
teachers is "The Media Coordinator and Collaboration" at:
http://www.ncwiseowl.org/Impact/videos.htm
<https://mail.burke.k12.nc.us/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ncwiseowl.org/Impact/videos.htm>
It is about fifteen minutes and it features the principal, media
coordinator, curriculum facilitator, and a team of third grade
teachers
talking about the media coordinator's role in collaborative planning
within a flex environment.
During the first year, your focus will be on building relationships
with each team and starting to work with each team on a regular basis
for an extended planning time, such as every 4-6 weeks. I have
already
done a workshop with all of the principals that included the
information
on collaborative planning times, but if you need to talk to me about
it
feel free to call me at 919-807-3286.
Gerry Solomon, School Library Media Consultant
NC Department of Public Instruction
Instructional Technology Division
6364 MAIL SERVICE CENTER
Raleigh, NC 27699-6364
(v) 919/807-3286
(fax) 919/807-3290
flexible schedule
BKiger [mhkiger@carolina.rr.com]
Congratulations on your flexible schedule. Two years ago I went to a flex for
grades 3-5. The teachers were my hardest sell. The majority of them now have seen
what it can do to increase student achievement. They have seen the benefits of
teaching information skills not in isolation but within the context of what they
are teaching in the classroom. We accomplished so much last year. The same
teachers that fought it now want to stay during research and co teach the class
with me. I have great support from my talent developement teacher and literacy
facilitator. I don't think I will ever win all of them over (a few still want
scavenger hunts). I do have open checkout which ensures all students can visit the
media center to checkout as needed. The parents have even given positive feedback
about the schedule. (It seems less painful to call it a research or resource based
schedule).
I was invited to speak at a district principals meeting about the schedule. Just
showing them students work and what they are accomplishing blew them away. There
are about 8 of us that will have a flex/fixed schedule next year and we plan to
meet regularly to support one another and talk about what is/is not working. The
best advice I can give you is to be very flexible the first year. I truly believe
it is the time for LMS to show what we can do to impact student achievement and
that we are part of the instructional team.
Good luck to you.
Beth Kiger
Media Coordinator
Endhaven Elementary School
Charlotte, NC
Re: INteractive Collaboration/ flex. training materials for staff
Jeni Friedland [melicenter@mac.com]
You will not persuade them - tell them they will miss the planning time. Tell them
they don't have enough time in their day to lose a pull out. Then tell them - not
only that - but that you need some of their too-little time to plan with them. You
are going to make their life harder - admit it. You are gong to make your own
library life harder. It is much more time-consuming for you also. BUT, their
students will benefit - and your school is student based.
I have a flex schedule - but schedule the first half of year (Sept-Feb) with
teachers in June - and see the classes as pull-out. Then the last half of the year
we do extended activities - plan with units with teachers - and they stay with
class. This has been a very good solution for us - it allows me time to fit in all
the library skills with all the teachers - have time to process books - etc. After
Feb vacation teachers are ready to do extended research, center activities in the
library, etc. and my life gets crazy!
As for roles, remember as you plan that teachers are responsible for the subject
area they are doing in the library - and you are responsible for the library skills
part of it (you - location, finding info, determining importance, etc them -
learning the content, etc.) Try to use new materials and technology so you can
teach the teachers about them also - they need to know you are teaching the
students some things they couldn't do themselves - and they learn about library
materials they didn't know you had.
Also, try to work in their classrooms for some of the time. It's important for you
to learn the teacher's teaching style. It's hard to be in someone else's space and
you will appreciate that more if you co-teach in their rooms sometimes. Even if you
just spend some time observing them and watch their management style and learn some
of the vocabulary they use it will go more smoothly for you.
Some of the flex units we did last year are at Flex Units
<https://mail.burke.k12.nc.us/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://homepage.mac.com/melicenter/F.html>
(bottom half of web page)- and you can see the form we used. I'm just starting
to post lesson plans on the web, but it may give you an idea. I will use our S.St
and Science guides to flesh out units for Sept-Feb.
My last suggestion is, don't waste their time. Don't persuade. They are not going
to be persuaded ahead of time that it is worth it to them - to be honest - it isn't
in the beginning. If you are going to meet with them before the school begins,
meet only with each grade level - and plan. Teachers hate having their time wasted.
Jeni Friedland, Librarian
Middleburgh Elementary School
Box 850
Middleburgh, New York 12122
melicenter@mac.com
Please share any information you receive.
Anna Russell
Librarian
Thompson Elem.
Aldine ISD
Houston Texas
alibrarian@aol.com
You might consider having them come in on a regular schedule for 15-minute book
exchanges. Especially in elem, it will help get your books in on time.
Cindy Denning
once and future librarian
Collinsville, TX
cynden744@verizon.net
I have part flexible schedule and part fixed in that I see each class only
every other week so that I have time in my schedule for teachers to come
with their class and do collaborative things with me in addition to
"dumping" the kids for their special when they have planning time. One way
to recruit teachers to come is to lure them with creative options. One thing
I do is invite them to send me part of their class for 45 minutes for maybe
3 days in a row while they keep the other part. Then, the following week,
we switch groups. This allows the teacher to work with a smaller group (for
example, one reading group or ability level).
One thing I do every year is take all the kindergarten students in small
groups of about 8 or so and do a mini picture dictionary unit with them. We
do this by meeting for 3 half hour sessions stretched over week or two.
During session I, I show them all types of dictionaries (including a
dinosaur dictionary, sign language dictionary, etc.) and we end up sitting
in a circle examing a picture dictionary (I have enough for all of them) and
playing games using it. Day 2, we explore an online picture dictionary (I
use Enchanted Learning's Little Exporers Dictionary which includes foreign
languages). On the concuding Day 3, we actually create our own picture
dictionary. I send a letter home to the parents explaining what we have
been working on. Then, when I have finished working with all the
kindergarteners, I start move to the first graders who had this unit with me
the year before and we introduce "My first dictionary." We spend a day or
two using a very basic "regular" children's dictionary.
There are really so many ways you can be used if you think outside the box.
I hope this helps you think of ways you can be used.... Please free to
email any specific questions or to run ideas off me...
Nancy T. Braverman, Media Specialist
Chatsworth School
222 New Avenue
Reisterstown, MD 21136
phone: 410-887-1103
fax: 410-887-1109
nbraverman@bcps.org
From my point of view, I can tell you that my students are better users of the
library since we went to flexible scheduling. By the end of this year, for
example,
1) I could give 1st graders non-fiction call numbers and, if they didn't find the
book, they at least were standing at the right shelf.
2) I asked a Kinder to bring me a ficiton book. When he brought a book from a
table that had both fiction and non-fiction books on it, I asked him how he knew
that was a ficiton book. "Because E is for Everybody." was his answer as he
pointed to the call number on the spine.
3) My 2nd graders were going to OPAC before coming to me to ask where something
was and students were volunteering to help other students find books.
I would have never dreamed of those things happening with a fixed schedule. I
think because...
1) Each class had 10 min. a week to check out books. When you have 15 kids to
check out in 10 min., you don't really get to help anyone--just run and point--if
that. When they came in throughout the day and on any day they needed to, and
said, "Where is The Very Hungry Catepillar?" I had a chance to walk them over and
say something like, "Well, The Very Hungry Catepillar was written by Eric Carle and
it is a ficiton book, so we need to go over to the Everybody section. Now, the
author's last name begins with a C, so our call number will be EC for Everybody and
Carle. So now that we're at the Everybody section, we need to look for the C, can
you find it? Great, now The Very Hungry Catepillar should be right here."
2) I think this is a more effective way because you are explaining the system
while finding a book THEY are interested in. Therefore, they are going to be more
likely to try to learn and remember the process (the information is important to
find something they need) than if it were being explained in a lesson to a whole
class and then the assignment was to find books they could care less about.
Now, of course, you don't do that with every student every time they walk in the
library, but you never get a chance to teach that way with a fixed schedule.
The flexible schedule was also great for integration with the curriculum and
students began understanding that information about the subjects they were learning
was in the library and where it could be found. We did lots of mini research
projects and students produced some great projects. Again, you can schedule the
amount of time you need, whether it's 30 min. or several days. Those curriculum
projects and access to the media center materials are not possible in a fixed
schedule. Teachers commented that students were always excited about coming to the
library to learn and work.
Your administrator needs to back you up in saying that he expects the teachers to
collaborate and use the media center. Some teachers find change difficult
(surprise, surprise) and may not use you if they are not "forced". Collaboration
was difficult for them to grasp too, so you have to model that and walk them
through it until they get comfortable--which can take awhile for some... I did a
survey in the middle of last year to find out what teachers thought about how flex
was going. Most of it was positive as teachers now have you as a resource when
they need you and they can send students any time to the library. However, some
thought the library wasn't being used and they were concerned that their students
were not getting enough library time since they didn't have their scheduled time
each week. I explained that, first, it takes 3-5 years to build a flexible
schedule, so there would be some "down time" in the library especially the first
year but also reminded them that I had to do cataloging and administrative duties
that were nearly impossible if the library was full of students. I also explained
that it depended on what time of the day they walked by. I told them that
sometimes you will see 1 or 2 kids checking out books and 10 min. later, it could
be 2 classes and 10 kids checking out books. I also told them that if they didn't
think their students were having enough time in the library, to see me and bring
them!!!! There was more time available to their students now than before.
Wow, I have really rambled on and I don't know if any of this was helpful, but I
guess I wanted you to see the benefits that I saw for the students and their
learning and know a few concerns that teachers may have. Just let them know that
this is a benefit to them and their students. They now have someone to help plan,
to help pull resources, and to work with their students at anytime during the day.
:) Now, prepare to be busier than you ever were before!!!
Would it be too much of a problem to either post a hit or send me
information that you deem helpful. I will also be easing into a flex
schedule every other week. One week out of the mont will still be a
fixed schedule since I will be on rotation with the fine arts
(specials). We have an itinerant drama teacher, so I have "connect"
when she is at another school.
Last year, when I broached the subject of a flex schedule, you would
have thought that I had asked the teachers to give up their first
borns. However, I have a supportive, open-minded risk taking
principal. We're going to try it this way this year. It would be
nice to have training materials. I hadn't thought of that.
Janice
On Jul 15, 2006
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