Just to add a voice,
To ensure that your library programs have integrity and compare to
programs written by other teachers they need to be grounded in the
school's core business ie, teaching and learning. Therefore your program
should have clear students learning outcomes that support both state and
national curriculum outcomes. These should be clearly stated in your
programs. You are a teacher first and a library manager second.
:)
BC
Vice President, Advocacy & Promotion, IASL
Convenor for the Transforming Information and Learning Conference
http://www.chs.ecu.edu.au/TILC
Barbara Combes, Lecturer
School of Computer and Information Science Edith Cowan University, Perth
Western Australia
Ph: (08) 9370 6072
Email: b.combes@ecu.edu.au
"Whatever the cost of our libraries, the price is cheap compared to that
of an ignorant nation." Walter Cronkite
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-----Original Message-----
From: School Library Media & Network Communications
[mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Toni Buzzeo
Sent: Wednesday, 10 January 2007 10:11 AM
To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
Subject: [LM_NET] HIT: Collaboration and Evidence of Student Achievement
RESEND
Forgive me, colleagues. I thought I removed formatting before sending.
Let me try again so you have a clean copy to read!
ORIGINAL QUERY:
Ross Todd believes that each of us should be able to clearly articulate
the learning outcomes of our library programs. I'd like to hear your
thoughts about this. If your principal came into your library today and
asked What are you doing to impact student achievement and what evidence
do you have to support it? what would you say?
RESPONSES
I view one of my roles as teacher. These are the things I might say:
I build a collection that both supports the curriculum and sparks
curiosity to do some independent learning.
I teach students a research methodology that asked students to seek out
background information, form questions, and choose the best possible
resources to answer those questions.
Along with the classroom teachers, I try to instill in them a love of
life-long learning and demonstrate the value of libraries and
information seeking skills as a way to become independent learners.
I teach students the steps to critically evaluate the information
resources they come in contact with.
I probably don't have the kind of evidence that most researchers like,
but I have some nice anecdotal evidence. Things like increased
circulation, database usage is way up, and bibliographies include more
reliable resources, and freshmen are able to successfully complete a
short assessment after their library orientation. Life-long learning is
a hard one to evaluate.
Libraries definitely need to incorporate assessment into their short and
long-range planning. The problem that I encounter is that my
instruction program is completely dependent upon the faculty. Perhaps a
general assessment of skills would change this?
***
Essential questioning is part of the Learning Focus Schools program. I
am slated to attend a workshop in the next month for more info. Right
now we are formatting our lesson plans in this fashion.
We are to post an essential question at the beginning of class. At the
conclusion of the lesson, the student should be able to completely
answer it. The question should be designed in such a way to be thought
provoking, not just a "yes" or "no" type answer.
Here are a couple of sites:
<http://fno.org/sept96/questions.html>http://fno.org/sept96/questions.ht
ml
http://fno.org/feb01/pl.html
I've been working with teachers lately and have been letting them take
the lead with the essential question. I'm sure you know we are a test
driven state. most of the class time is focused on that.
***
My main goal is to share wonderful books with my students, and show them
how a library is organized, so they are eager and able to seek out
wonderful literature on their own.
EVIDENCE:
I run an activity for my school called the Hall of Fame. Students read
and log 100 books. When they turn in their log, I give them a
certificate, a bag of goodies, and I post their photo on my wall. My
kids love to read! I have about 150 each year, out of 600 kids. Some
kids read 200, 300 or more!
This week I am making a list of each student's favorite book. We have
writer's notebooks, and every time the kids come to me I have them write
something. A few weeks ago we finished the sentence, "My favorite book
is....." Now we are sharing out answers and I am typing them out on the
computer as they read them. It's gratifying that at least half of the
books are things I have shared in my lessons.
***
What am I doing? EVERYTHING.
Mapping the curriculum
Matching the collection to the curriculum Cleaning up the data (so the
patrons can find the materials) Cleaning up and maintaining a viable
collection that reflects the curriculum and my patron's interests Being
friendly and approachable Library is open and welcoming Patrons needs
are met
Evidence to support
The patrons come back asking for more
The teachers do a variation on the same subject year after year Teachers
ask for my help and insights when developing a new project Teachers seek
me out to be part of planning teams Teachers check out materials from
the library (both for classroom use and
personal)
I think the biggie is the teachers do the same project, or develop new
ones year after year. If they didn't see some good reasons, scores and
student participation, they probably would stop doing the project. It's
just too easy to "hunker down" in their rooms and do their own thing.
Do I have actual scores or proof the project is valid, no-I'm not part
of the evaluation of the student projects. Which probably is heresy
against the trend, but I don't want to be. While I am working with the
students, I am monitoring and adjusting what is happening, giving them
the information they need at their level, assisting them to expand their
skills. I am part of the evaluation of the entire process, as we met to
discuss and tweak for the next time.
***
I'm not sure I agree that we need to be able to clearly articulate
learning outcomes for library activities. In collaborative efforts there
will be "goals," for sure, but - I prefer models of David Loertscher.
In collaboration, I am more concerned with "process" than "content"
outcomes (information literacy rather than product or knowledge).
Loertscher's activity models would finsh with a, "So what?" question -
what did we learn and what does it all mean. Not easy to predict.
***
I have always felt that the library is the hub of the school. As the
librarian (the title I prefer over media specialist, library lady,
information retrieval specialist - you know the names in the list), I
feel it is my duty (and privilege) to work with all the members of the
staff and students of my school. I try to keep current with media types
including books, magazines, newspapers, and on-line databases. It is my
duty to know where these references are and how to use them. I try to
keep up with the benchmarks and standards for the curricula needs of my
school. To impact student achievement I try to maintain a friendly and
inviting atmosphere in the library. If a student is uncomfortable or
unfamiliar with the environment, that student will not be as receptive
to learning or even just reading for pleasure.
Here in Texas we are very concerned about and driven by the TAKS
testing. To this end I try to help the faculty ease some of the
pressures they have in the testing arena. The evidence is both tangible
and intangible. The tangibles - the books, magazines, and newspapers in
the library - are easily accessible. The information on the computers,
whether it is internet, email, databases, programs, student folders,
whatever, is the intangible and where my professional knowledge and
skills come in to play.
I know that my computer programs could run all kinds of reports showing
all kinds of statistics., but the fact that I know my students (I am in
a very small rural school, luckily for me) and interact with them on a
daily basis are just two ways that I am able to impact their achievement
and to me, the evidence is not only in their academic successess, but
also in their social progresses.
***
I'm not sure I agree that we need to be able to clearly articulate
learning outcomes for library activites. In collaborative efforts there
will be "goals," for sure, but - I prefer models of David Loertscher.
In collaboration, I am more concerned with "process" than "content"
outcomes (information literacy rather than product or knowledge).
Loertscher's activity models would finsh with a, "So what?" question -
what did we learn and what does it all mean. Not easy to predict.
In my regional BOCES school library system, we are planning an
initiative to factor librarians into student achievement by jumping in
where NYS is most concerned: its Regents and ELA tests.
We asked David Loertscher to help us (about 20 regional HS librarians)
with some strategies. We think we need real data, so we are going to
look -not just at School report cards - but the sections of the exams.
We want to focus on the English Regents and the ELA, at first, to see
what portions are deficient. If its "process" vs. "content," we know we
can jump in with information literacy skills to help. David has a new
book in the works (Ban the Bird Units, Vol. 2) with 17 new activity
models designed for high school curriculum and we have these to help
with those process skills.
I'm looking forward to the project.
I help grade the ELA and 11th grade English Regents tests and
collaborate on activities or writing exercises to help prepare for
those. We are doing a second 'critical lens' essay now, using literary
elements.
Some may think we are just aiding & abetting the 'teach to the test'
mentality - but, I think those particular exams really require high
level critical thinking skills. I am happy with the way those exams have
evolved!
Administrators will pay more attention to us, if we can help make a
difference in these test scores.
Toni Buzzeo, MA, MLIS <mailto:tonibuzzeo@tonibuzzeo.com>
Maine Library Media Specialist of the Year Emerita Maine Association of
School Libraries Board Member Buxton, ME 04093 Collaborating to Meet
Literacy Standards: Teacher/Librarian Partnerships for K-2 (Linworth
2006) BRAND NEW!
Our Librarian Won't Tell Us ANYTHING! A Mrs. Skorupski Story,
illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa (Upstart 2006) BRAND NEW!!
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