Re: [LM_NET] jr high scheduled classes - your opinion please!

[Shonda Brisco <sbrisco@GMAIL.COM>]

This seems to be a "throw-back" practice from the late 1970's and
early 1980's when librarians taught "library lessons" in isolation.
I've also seen this practice in many elementary schools where a
rotation of weeks is involved for classes --- one week the students
visit for books while others are visiting for a "library lesson." I've
only been in one high school recently that still adopted this type of
instructional schedule and it was also in a rural area---which made me
believe that that there was still an outdated view of the library and
the librarian's work within the school at the middle and high school
levels.  Although I'm sure it's viewed as a great way for others
(teachers, administrators) to see the librarian "working" with
students on a regular basis, but it's hardly a "best practices"
scenario.

I agree with you that the integration of the library skills to the
lesson being taught is better because it puts the emphasis on the
skills needed at the time the students need them.  However, if this
administration wants to continue with this form of instruction, I
would suggest that you ask the principal to encourage the teachers to
provide you with a list of their instructional topics each month so
that you can have the opportunity to integrate library skills within
the classroom research / lessons---even if you aren't initially a part
of the instructional team (or working through collaboration with the
teacher on the project).  This method gives you the opportunity to
discuss your instructional lesson with the teacher and give the
teacher the opportunity to understand that you are willing to
collaborate with them on special projects, offer resources or
information that they may not have realized that the library has
available, and makes essentially makes the library lesson that you
provide to students more relevant to them.

In the meantime, you can begin to see the basic skills that you might
need to teach at each level and which lessons (from which teachers)
would best incorporate some of these library skills for later
instruction.  As you being to see how each class / subject lesson
focuses on different skills needed, you can begin to create a library
curriculum that follows the classroom curriculum (scope and sequence).
 Once you being to build these instructional lessons that tie into
their lessons, you will more than likely begin to gain support from
many of the teachers who would be more open to the idea of a
semi-flexible (and eventually fully flexible) schedule. (Toni Buzzeo
has a great example of how she did this with a group of teachers
through a gradual "easing" into a flexible schedule through a trial
basis which was eventually seen as much better that their "old way.")

I don't think that you will be able to immediately make this group
change their view of how the library should operate because more than
likely, they've been doing this for some time.  Your job will be to
introduce them to the 21st century and the "best practices" that will
help them to become more effective users of information (and
essentially class time).

If you need ways to introduce information literacy and the skills
needed by students, I would definitely suggest using the TRAILS online
evaluation of student skills to get a basis for understanding where
the students are within the information literacy realm.  This is a
free program offered by Kent State and available at:
http://www.trails-9.org/

In the meantime, I would highly suggest that you consider reviewing
some of the literature regarding flexible scheduling and
collaboration.  Toni Buzzeo's books on collaboration are a definite
must-read---   "Collaborating to Meet Standards:
Teacher/Librarian Partnerships 7-12"
http://www.tonibuzzeo.com/bookscollaboration.html

....and to get yourself organized with curriculum requests from
teachers, as well as other great tools for use in the library
throughout the year, I would definitely suggest Joyce Valenza's---
"PowerTools Revisited."  http://tinyurl.com/585aw8  (tiny URL
attached)

Good luck with your future opportunities!

~Shonda

-- 
Shonda Brisco, BA Ed., MLIS
Library Media / Technology Specialist
Weatherford, TX 76086

Digital Bookends wiki / blog:
http://digitalbookends.pbwiki.com
http://shonda.edublogs.org/
sbrisco@gmail.com

Resources for Texas School Librarians:
http://txschoollibrarians.ning.com/
http://txschoollibrarians.wikispaces.com/

"Digital Resources" columnist
School Library Journal

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