The work has began for Team 6's unit plan regarding recycling. To divide the work, we both stuck with what we knew, so that this unit is a viable resource for me to use with my students. This planning has been quite interesting as I have never worked with a media specialist and the students that I teach will be new to Theresa. I found it very important to explain thoroughly to her what my classroom was really like so that the media specialist lesson would be something that is beneficial for my students and not frustrating for her. My students, although between the ages of 14 and 16 are labeled as moderately cognitively impaired. So that means that they have an I.Q of no more than about 58. I have a "rainbow" of students. Some can read, many can not; some can speak, some can not, many can write, some can not, etc. This can be frustrating because there are limits in what my students can do for projects without direct help. This also is interesting in the aspects of assessment because how do you assess someone with the abilities and comprehension of a pre-schooler? Well this is the challenge that we both face.
I will be outlining the unit content and Theresa will supplement not only with project ideas but with lessons on how to teach technology to students. We both will offer suggestions for activities. I mentioned to Theresa that my students are quite visual and any resource that shows the real-life component of what they are doing will develop their comprehension and improve retention. My students are also very hands-on and this will be reflected in the unit as well. We decided to focus on one literacy/core standand per week, as repetition is quite necessary for my students. However, a pre-assessment will be developed to aid in the development of an assessment for the finished project that will be a powerpoint presentation. My students have limited experience with using such tools but there is an excitement in developing a lesson in which they can express their own thoughts and comprehension.
I know this collaboration will open a whole new world for my students. If you don't know how to read, why is a library of any importance to you? Well it is and this collaboration will show that the place with books, is more than just a place with books. It is a resource that can help you express thoughts and ideas, in addition to increasing your comprehension of the world around you.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Week 5 Early Planning Thoughts
The collaboration project has begun and I have Therese as a partner. She works as a teacher-librarian now and is very knowledgeable. We have had a couple of virtual meetings and are beginning to shape the vision of our collaborative unit. We have set out to do a learning unit revolving around recycling. The lesson will discuss the three Rs of recycling. We are in the process of narrowing the topic and focusing the lesson. We are looking at what we want our students to learn, as the lesson will be geared to students with disabilities. This is the population I teach and would like to use this lesson with my students, so it will be practical. During the planning process, we have used the virtual classroom in Blackboard and will use Delicious. Other planning and real-life documenting are yet to be determined.
Because the idea is to work backwards, assessment will be the starting point. Initially, I am considering some type of finishing document such as a brochure or power point presentation that can be shared with the school community. The idea of creating a pre-test to see where student knowledge is now has been suggested. With the use of a pre-test and a finishing process, student learning can be truly assessed. It will also support the theoretical framework of how collaboration with a teacher-librarian improves student achievement.This is a good idea because it will document the learning growth during the project. But what will be the content of the document?
The roadblocks that I foresee and have experienced is the fact that I have no experience working with a media specialist and am still a little unclear on how the collaboration would work. Also, therese is moreknowledgeable about different information sharing sites. I never heard of Delicious before this class and don't even have an account. Therese's experience is proving to be very useful, not to mention she has very good ideas. I do currently teach and use GLCEs and have access to teacher materials and webisites through my district and can use this to shape the lesson.
Because the idea is to work backwards, assessment will be the starting point. Initially, I am considering some type of finishing document such as a brochure or power point presentation that can be shared with the school community. The idea of creating a pre-test to see where student knowledge is now has been suggested. With the use of a pre-test and a finishing process, student learning can be truly assessed. It will also support the theoretical framework of how collaboration with a teacher-librarian improves student achievement.This is a good idea because it will document the learning growth during the project. But what will be the content of the document?
The roadblocks that I foresee and have experienced is the fact that I have no experience working with a media specialist and am still a little unclear on how the collaboration would work. Also, therese is moreknowledgeable about different information sharing sites. I never heard of Delicious before this class and don't even have an account. Therese's experience is proving to be very useful, not to mention she has very good ideas. I do currently teach and use GLCEs and have access to teacher materials and webisites through my district and can use this to shape the lesson.
Week 4 Social Bookmarking
The webite I found that I thought demonstrated the practice of collaboration was http://libraries.phila.k12.pa.us/pennalexander/TLC.html. This is the website of an actual meida specialist. The website had links for students and teachers to provide resources for for projects, and lessons. The media specialist demonstrates flexible scheduling. The media specialist has contact sheets for students and teachers so that she can effectively provide resources.
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Week 4 Reading Response
Abilock, Debbie. (2002).Ten Attributes of Collaborative Leaders. Knowledge Quest, 31 (2), 8- 10.
"Ears and mind open, mouth closed" (Abilock, 2002). A simple yet straight forward quote for her discussion of how school librarians can become collaborative leaders in schools. This quote was chosen because all too often, everyone wants to talk or take the lead and no one listens. The personal perspective can cloud everyone's goals in education, although ultimately we only want whats best for the student.
Abilock presents ten attributes of collaborative leaders. First, one must be able to picture the whole and identify steps to reach that vision, believe they can make a difference, listen,be able to aquire new knowledge, in addition to seeking understanding. Usually the vision is greater student achievement, yet when it comes to achievement, teachers are often left solely responsible for students. Difficulties arise when teachers are programmed, dare I say, to teach whatever grade or subject within a structured setting with the pressure of some type of state assessment breathing down their back. The collaboration with a teacher librarian makes students information literate and life long learners. Also, the collaboration with a teacher-librarian can add flavor to the same old method a teacher uses to facilitate learning in her classroom. Teachers feel bombarded often, yet if only they could understand collaboration with another person with the same goals would make their jobs more delightful.
Next, Abilock discusses that collaborative leaders asks questions, mediates, identifies learners, buys books, and values thinking together (2002). I think these all relates to just simply being a proactive partner. By treating adults as learners and by using language that is not so finite, one encourages thought and respect. Respect is often something an overwhelmed teacher feels they have the least amount of from those around them. Including teachers in the thinking process makes them feel appreciated and respected. Not to mention when there are supplies available to differentiate a lesson. This also makes the teacher-librarian seen as a vital asset to the learning community and not just as the person who loves books.
In conclusion, I think teacher librarians are assets to any school culture, but especially when there is a spirit of collaboration. Neither teacher nor librarian is seen in isolation when they work together. Working together benefits our students and benefits us as well because we remove boundaries that are put in place by misconception.
Harada, Violet. (2002). Taking the lead in developing learning communities. Knowledge
Quest, (2), 12-30.
"The traditional model of classroom teachers working alone is no longer effective". This quote was chosen because as education changes, so must how we utilize our resources. The roles of teachers are changing and so is how they must facilitate learning in the classroom. The needs of our students are so diverse that the teacher is not working alone anymore in the classroom. But the biggest effect is how educational funding is decreasing. The push of doing more with less. This forces the classroom teacher to update how he/she serves students. The answer is utilizing available resources to the maximum, which is the teacher-librarian.
Harada present a central concept of social learning which is presented in learning communities. The heart of these learning communities are collaborative relationships between teachers, administrators, teacher-librarians, and counselors. Teamwork is crucial to the development of curriculum and resources. The goal is long-term results. One important long-term result is the development of life-long learners who are information literate. This means the teacher-librarian is integral in instructional planning and teaching. Thus thrusting teacher-librarians in a leadership role. This is because the teacher-librarian not only has the advantage of seeing the whole school, but the skill set to access information and utilize technology. Their roles on teams are interchangeable. Their skill set is complimentary to their peers.
So we see that teacher-librarians are vital to success at schools. Their skill set is vast and their collaboration with teachers can facilitate growth and change in the school environment. Teacher-librarians are resources and resource leaders that can assist students in becoming life-long learners and improve achievement.
"Ears and mind open, mouth closed" (Abilock, 2002). A simple yet straight forward quote for her discussion of how school librarians can become collaborative leaders in schools. This quote was chosen because all too often, everyone wants to talk or take the lead and no one listens. The personal perspective can cloud everyone's goals in education, although ultimately we only want whats best for the student.
Abilock presents ten attributes of collaborative leaders. First, one must be able to picture the whole and identify steps to reach that vision, believe they can make a difference, listen,be able to aquire new knowledge, in addition to seeking understanding. Usually the vision is greater student achievement, yet when it comes to achievement, teachers are often left solely responsible for students. Difficulties arise when teachers are programmed, dare I say, to teach whatever grade or subject within a structured setting with the pressure of some type of state assessment breathing down their back. The collaboration with a teacher librarian makes students information literate and life long learners. Also, the collaboration with a teacher-librarian can add flavor to the same old method a teacher uses to facilitate learning in her classroom. Teachers feel bombarded often, yet if only they could understand collaboration with another person with the same goals would make their jobs more delightful.
Next, Abilock discusses that collaborative leaders asks questions, mediates, identifies learners, buys books, and values thinking together (2002). I think these all relates to just simply being a proactive partner. By treating adults as learners and by using language that is not so finite, one encourages thought and respect. Respect is often something an overwhelmed teacher feels they have the least amount of from those around them. Including teachers in the thinking process makes them feel appreciated and respected. Not to mention when there are supplies available to differentiate a lesson. This also makes the teacher-librarian seen as a vital asset to the learning community and not just as the person who loves books.
In conclusion, I think teacher librarians are assets to any school culture, but especially when there is a spirit of collaboration. Neither teacher nor librarian is seen in isolation when they work together. Working together benefits our students and benefits us as well because we remove boundaries that are put in place by misconception.
Harada, Violet. (2002). Taking the lead in developing learning communities. Knowledge
Quest, (2), 12-30.
"The traditional model of classroom teachers working alone is no longer effective". This quote was chosen because as education changes, so must how we utilize our resources. The roles of teachers are changing and so is how they must facilitate learning in the classroom. The needs of our students are so diverse that the teacher is not working alone anymore in the classroom. But the biggest effect is how educational funding is decreasing. The push of doing more with less. This forces the classroom teacher to update how he/she serves students. The answer is utilizing available resources to the maximum, which is the teacher-librarian.
Harada present a central concept of social learning which is presented in learning communities. The heart of these learning communities are collaborative relationships between teachers, administrators, teacher-librarians, and counselors. Teamwork is crucial to the development of curriculum and resources. The goal is long-term results. One important long-term result is the development of life-long learners who are information literate. This means the teacher-librarian is integral in instructional planning and teaching. Thus thrusting teacher-librarians in a leadership role. This is because the teacher-librarian not only has the advantage of seeing the whole school, but the skill set to access information and utilize technology. Their roles on teams are interchangeable. Their skill set is complimentary to their peers.
So we see that teacher-librarians are vital to success at schools. Their skill set is vast and their collaboration with teachers can facilitate growth and change in the school environment. Teacher-librarians are resources and resource leaders that can assist students in becoming life-long learners and improve achievement.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)