Showing posts with label collaboration with teachers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label collaboration with teachers. Show all posts

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Collaboration or plain old help

  Classroom and special area teacher have hard jobs.  You may know this is you were formally a teacher. I myself was only educated to be a librarian, but I did turn into a teacher for a few years when I taught at a Catholic school.
  Anyway m if you provide extra help to your teachers , they will think you are a rock star! So how can you help them?
  If they need an extras set of eyes, ears, or hands when they are doing an activity or perhaps when they are using computers or laptop , your' in!  Maybe they need a few quick copies if  you have a printer in your space. Do they need a larger area/ work space for their students when they are doing a project based learning activity? Do they need an extra set of hands when they are doing a breakout box or a maker space activity? If you make yourself and your space available you become a partner in the classroom learning.

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

True Collaboration

 So far I have written about  ways for us librarians to introduce our teachers to true collaboration. As you know collaboration is when the librarian and teacher work together to develop  units and lessons that bring our resources into the teachers curriculum.  Librarians are the rock stars here when this happens . The students benefit  in their leaning .

  By working with teachers , and helping develop project based lessons or research unites or inquiry units, the librarian brings the 21st learning skills into play. More and more the student needs these skills to keep up with the expanding information. The databases , online resources  and other  library sources are continually updated with the expanding information.

 When you as librarian collaborate with just one teacher, more will follow when they see how the students are learning , and the teachers are getting a helping hand as the librarian partners with the staff,

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

Collaboration - Online Resources

   School librarians can also collaborate with teachers by promoting and teaching about the databases and pathfinders. The databases and online resources are usually tailored to specific grade and reading levels for ease of use  by the students.
  Librarians need to be available to instruct students and teachers how to locate where the databases are, include the log in and passwords if necessary, and then teach how to best use them.
  Librarians can collect ( curate) pathfinders for specific classes and students. A pathfinder is just a collection of reliable websites for students to use.  You can use Destiny to do this also.  Students then can then work closely with students and teachers in the use of these online resources.

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Collaboration- lessons

  There are man different ways librarians collaborate with teachers and students. These lessons can be  customized to the teacher/ student  needs and requirements. Many times , lessons are based on research projects or project based learning activities.

  Librarians can develop lessons with teachers on databases  your school district has access to. Pathfinders can be constructed  by librarians for student use which helps direct the student to reliable , safe, and accurate information which saves the student time .

  Librarians can show students how to use the databases and include passwords and log in's if needed, Other lessons can include use of the school online card catalog and library website , which usually contains many helpful mites for students and teachers

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Collaboration- Begin with Books!

     When you have true collaboration with your teachers, it is the most ideal situation for your students and your teachers. I think most everyone knows that. There are many different ways librarians can collaborate with their staff. If you are just beginning and trying to get teachers to collaborate  with you, one way to start if with books.
    If you can provide books for students and teachers  for teachers to use is just one way to start the process. Books can go to the classroom or stay in the library, depending on where the class will meet,         
    Books can be on display or for use to support teacher units. Books can be used to help with project research, fact finding, or extended information, or further enrichment/ engagement. They can be used to expand on units studied. 
    If teachers or students need books you don't have, many librarians can do inter library loan to get them. If I have book requests from teachers for units, I usually put them on the purchase list for the following year, if I know they will do the unit the next year.  I also keep lists of books that go with units so I have it the next year.  

Tuesday, July 10, 2018

Benefits of Breakout Boxes

  The Breakoutboxes edu have many benefits. Firstly, the games /puzzles are highly adaptive  and can be customized to grade  levels and students  capabilities . At teachers / librarians we can develop games to git in with a novel, unit of study, or standard skills.. We can also use the breakout boxes to introduce , review, or reinforce skills that the students need.

  The games are collaborative so students work in groups They can read the clues or search out the clues hidden in texts, illustrations, poems, ect. There is a group dynamic between the members of each group.This helps build class relationships between classmate they may not be familiar with.  The group work builds confidence, skills,  and the ability to try out new ideas.

   Some students will emerge as leaders, others will be working on clues, some will be  timekeepers or some may be taking notes. All will be encouraged to contribute ideas for solutions. Each will fall into their talents that they may not know they have.  There will be sharing of ideas and talking out of possible ways to open the boxes to gain access to further clues.
   Breakout boxes help students build the skills to tackle problems and work together as a unit.

Friday, June 15, 2018

Digital Citizenship




     Digital citizenship teaches students how to navigate online spaces in critical, healthy, and ethical ways. The lessons should be done in context with subject area teachers throughout the year.  It should not be done in isolation as the students will have no connection to the learning.
     Learning Digital Citizenship this way will be mostly incorporated, learned and remembered, and applied to the topic at hand.  This avoids disconnect of how students behave at school and then at home  do something differently.

      Librarians can work with teachers to help pose the right questions and teach skills to using social media, , the internet,( including video sharing, blogs, podcasts, & related media). Students can learn to use these products in creative and ethical ways.

Friday, November 24, 2017

Using Elink


 I am using Elink for my project pathfinders. I had used Livebinders to do this previously but am at my limit for my free subscription. So I needed to find another way to curate a series of web links for students to put on the library page.
 Elink is a visual collection of web links, I find it very useful when students are researching topics for their projects.  If I know the topics the teachers are having students do investigation’s on , then I will be able to find relevant & accurate  links for them to pull from.
  Students can use the websites in the elink pathfinder  and they will have a quick easy way to find accurate information quickly.

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

Using Non-Fiction Books/ articles with students


I am searching four ways to use and help teachers use non-fiction selections with students. Here are just two easy ideas.
1.       Teach students how to summarize, paraphrase and pull out main ideas. This shows students how to put ideas into their own words. Also this will reduce the amount of plagiarism. It will also determine if the student is understanding the material given. Start with a small amount of text.

2.       Give them choices- Use some different articles, books, selections on a unit of studies. Students choose what they want to read. Give them a variety of items on different levels-

This is where the library comes in- we can help getting together books on your topics.

Saturday, September 9, 2017

Setting Library Goals For a New Year



   It’s the first day of school   and time to set a few goals for the upcoming school year! After our Future Read Conference I have to decide what goals I want to pursue. I am thinking of two that are most important.
    One is continuing to build instructional partnerships with more teachers this year. Last year I had quite a few collaborative projects, and I am hoping this year to have those same teachers and then add several more that I did not get to work with last year.
  Another goal that I want to pursue is to become more proficient at a few key new technologies. The specific ones I have not decided on yet, but I am thinking of Symbaloo or Buncee . Those are a few of the ones Shannon McClintock Miller showed us at our conference.

   Do you have goals for the year? What are they? Share with us in the comment section please!

Tuesday, July 25, 2017

More Active Learning Strategies

 Picture Prompts- show students an image with out a caption or explanation.(For History use a primary resource from  your libraries webpage) . Ask students to identify , explain, and give evidence for their answers.  Ask students to use terms from a previous lecture or to name the processes or  show concepts ( think Science) This can be a whole group  activity, or small groups or pairs. Students can then share their ideas.

Think -Break-  Ask a  rhetorical question. Allow 20 to 30 seconds for students to think about the problem. Students can then write something down about the solution  or the problem. You can then go on to explain or expand the topic being covered.

Update Notes- Take a break for 2 to 3 minutes to allow students to compare  class notes ( with the other students)  and to allow students to fill in the gaps and develop questions.

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Active Learning Strategies



 Here are some examples of active learning strategies:
 1)Round Robin is a small group activity. Have students in groups of 3 or 4 . Students pass around a paper and each will write a fact, opinion or piece of information on the topic. Time is called at a predetermined time ( say 10 to 15 minutes) This allows students to share knowledge of a topic and discuss what they know about a topic.
2 ) Discussion  . When you have a general discussion as a whole group, have students jot down what they have heard. Do they agree or disagree, or did it give them a new idea or piece of information.
3) Flash cards- Have students make flash cards for use of study for tests or quizzes. Flash cards can also have drawings or words.
4) When students work in pairs, give them a time limit. Students will be more focused when given a limited amount of time.

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Active learning - Why do it?

     Active learning breaks up the  lesson into shorter segments. This helps students pay attention longer ad remember more of what is covered.  Active learning encourages integrating of previous knowledge with new information gained.

     Higher level thinking skills are required  in active learning.  Students develop questions  and may be required to find solutions and information, Independent activities give student the ability to incorporate their own learning styles into the activity.

    One of the Library Media ( Information Literacy) skills that go hand in hand with active learning is  questioning. Students need to learn about what makes a good question.

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Active Learning- What is it?



     In  Education. Active Learning (engaging students in activities/ projects/ problems) is the way to provide students with an interesting and effective way  to learn.
     Active learning is the practice of doing, practicing investigating the material during each class session. It is not having student’s listening to the teacher and taking notes.
    So what is it?  Active learning is designing activities around learning outcomes of each lesson or session. The students are ‘doing’ something with the topic at hand. They are reading, hearing, seeing/ viewing, investigating the topic, or, discussing materials.

       Active learning can be done singly, with a partner or in a small group.

Tuesday, March 21, 2017

More Homework for Librarians


    The other homework I do during my evening prep: I read my professional journals ( School Library Journal) SLJ has many interesting and informative articles.  I also find many of the advertisements helpful . The book companies are great for showing covers and  starred reviews- telling about the new books.

Which leads me to my other homework from SLJ: reading reviews!  I read the reviews carefully to see if I want to purchase for my school. I also check Amazon and Barnes &Noble as part of my homework. They are great for descriptions,  professional reviews, and reader reviews .


So this post and “ A librarians homework “ keep me busy at home!

Friday, September 30, 2016

Reading & Writing Partnership- Librarians and teachers

     School Librarians  make good partners with ELA and reading teachers. Librarians provide oral and silent reading  depending on the grade  level. We  as Librarians provide quality books to help improve reading scores.

   In the context of reading , students often are asked to describe , synthesize, analyze, and critique their  understanding of what they have read. So when librarians provide books, model and share our love of reading, we can motivate and encourage  more student reading.

   Discussions, book clubs, reviews, casual conversation,   and book challenges are all part of the job. We need to read and know the quality books in our collection in order to motivate our students. So big surprise we need to read!

Thursday, September 22, 2016

One Goal for the school year

One of the goals of the school library media specialist  is to promote  reading and also work with staff  to help improve reading scores.  This is one of my goals this year. When students become better readers they do better in school.

  So here is a few ideas that I will use to work on this goal.  Student made reading posters, books displays, author posters,   book discussion groups,  library recess groups, use of the AR program, and reading motivation programs.  I am also hoping to work more closely with reading and ELA teachers,

  A few more ideas  to get students more involved in good books are: shelf talkers, student book reviews on our website and reading workshops.

Tuesday, June 7, 2016

Next Year! New challenges!

      Next year I am told  that I will not be doing all day 7th grade all day. So I will be a 'real " librarian.  So my first challenge will be  getting teachers to collaborate  with me  during the following year.  I know several of the teachers will be glad to work with me. 
      For instance , the music teacher always does several projects requiring  research  on famous   musicians.  I am trying to also remember  if there was another project that he did.  We already  have a whole packet worked up for this project.

       Both of  The 7th  grade science teachers also  do at least one project on endangered species that require  the students to do research on an animal.  So I am quite sure that they will also work with me,

      The one 8th grade social studies class does  a  project on Immigration and also I think another on Washington DC before their trip in the spring.  

   So I will springboard off of these and work on getting other  teachers to work with me on different projects.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Curriculum and Media Literacy Skills

     Insgtruction for Media Literacy skills should be embedded into each curriculum area and grade level. ideally teachers and librarians should decide what skills go with what grade level, and figure out what subject area to fit it in with.
     This would be a great beginning for collaborative prokects  which could also emcompass other speaial areat teachers ( ex. second grade deoes animals research both in class and at library and computer lab, student does a report , illustrates the animals habitat in art class, and does a voice thread about their animal)   You can see in this example where the librarian can fit in many media and literacy skills.)
     Growing research shows that media literacy instruction improves student reading, viewing and listening of print,  audio , and video texts. there is also more student analysis of information.  These skills transfer to tool for learning and gaining connections between the curriculum and experiences outside of school.
    Integration of media literacy can be accomplished by teachers ad librarian working creatively to produce lessons that engage and excite students about learning, By using the new media and its tools , students are also being shown the importance of live long learning.
  Some  more examples:
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   ELA teachers can have student analyze a literary work and its movie /video version.

   Social studies teachers could have students develop  short media ( podcast, blog post, video) about a region, historical period, or event in history.
   
    Science teachers can have student explore scientists and inventors or current developments. They would produce a media project to showcase what they have learned.

     Math students could produce and analyze chart and graphs which rep[resent common data/

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Media Literacy Skills- A Collaborative Project !

      Internet access has accelerated both the amount of information and the types of web based / integrated tools that students  need  to showcase what information they have learned.  Students that are ready for college or career need to  be able to analyze and showcase what they have learned.
      Students ready for college or career training needed  the ability to critically analyze and evaluate the information acquired . They need to figure out if the information is what is needed, and how they can use it.
    Schools need to teach students how  to use the media as  tools  to help them in these tasks. Having Media Skills  provides students the ability to use the tools to advance their knowledge gand their critical  thinking skills.
   Ideally , library media specialists and teachers collaborating on lessons is the best way to provide students with Media literacy skills. The librarian provides the resources (print, electronic, databases) and helping students with web based interactive tools ( glogster, wallwisher, livebinder, ect)

    These tools and resource's are engaging and interactive. Add to that teachers  need to be encouraging students with content area information and engaging students in higher level thinking skills of content area.
With a collaborative aim and help with assessment , the librarian becomes a big player in the students learning how to use media and its tools effectively.