Minisha Manj
Assignment #2: The Importance
of Teacher Collaboration
Reflection:
Prior to starting this assignment, I felt nervous because I currently
do not have any experience being a teacher-librarian, nor co-planning units
with colleagues. After reviewing the Concerns-Based
Adoption Model (CBAM) and the SAMR
(Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition), both of these resources
helped me gain a better understanding of how and when to approach teachers (to
collaborate), to assist teachers (helping to select reference resources-both
print and digital), and steps on how to co-plan units.
As I worked on this assignment, I also thought about how TLs
are able to realistically collaborate units/themes with teachers; for instance,
to take TL time/availability and the budget into consideration.
Why Collaborate?
Image Retrieved From: https://clipartfest.com/categories/view/c55c8808bb1a851e87fd4056a2f3703e58a6d74c/teacher-collaboration-clipart.html
Teacher and TL collaboration is crucial to ensure that students
receive the best possible education and through a variety of lens (print, non-print,
digital sources). The collaboration piece is even more significant for 21st
century learners, as technology has become the ideal place to gather resources
for projects and for general interest. Thus, teaching information literacy
skills is a mandatory skill that must be taught in some capacity, with the
involvement of both teacher and the TL.
In the article “School Library Media Collaborations:Benefits and Barriers,” by Dawn Frazier, she discussed a TL’s role in the 21st
century- “A school librarian's curricular role has expanded from resource
provider to educational partner with the goal of creating 21st century learners.”
(Frazier, pg. 34). https://koollibrary.wikispaces.com/file/view/article+benefits+and+barriers.pdf.
Some benefits of
co-planning units include:
·
To introduce new technology resources
·
Teachers discover new reference resources and
may be willing to try/implement these new resources into their practice.
·
TL’s may notice gaps in the collection-are
there mandatory resources that are missing/needed in the collection?
·
Encourage other teachers to collaborate
more often to learn and discover new things.
Why some teachers
want to avoid collaboration:
·
Time to meet with teacher(s)
·
Limited TL availability
·
Veteran teachers having established
routines for certain units
·
Differing opinions between TL and teachers
https://koollibrary.wikispaces.com/file/view/article+benefits+and+barriers.pdf
Collaboration
Models:
The following resources were used for this assignment (when
collaborating with the teachers):
Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) is a great model for TL’s,
as it provides information to identify ‘Typical Expressions of Concern’ and
‘Typical Behaviours.’ Thus, this model helps determine if a classroom teacher
is ready/not ready to try something new-an especially great tool for
inexperienced TL’s.
Images retrieved from: http://www.nationalacademies.org/rise/backg4a.htm
The SAMR (Substitution
Augmentation Modification Redefinition) Model is another beneficial
resource, as it focuses heavily on how often technology is being used in the
classroom. “As one moves along the continuum, computer technology becomes more
important in the classroom but at the same time becomes more invisibly woven
into the demands of good teaching and learning.” https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/samr-model
Image Retrieved From: https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/samr-model
“Collaborative Program Planning and Teaching” (C.P.P.T.) by Ken
Haycock is another excellent tool, as it provides the TL some guiding questions
to follow when collaborating:
·
Objective
·
Content
·
Sequence
·
Methodology
·
Activities
·
Evaluation
(Mueller, Theme Two; Lesson 5)
Teacher #1-Mrs.
Florence Grade Three Teacher
Educational Background:
Mrs. Florence is a grade three teacher who has taught this
grade level for several years. She has a Masters in Educational Leadership and
is seen as a mentor. She is the Pro D rep at the school, is involved in
district inquires/projects (core competencies and curricular based inquiries),
and often volunteers to assist with set-ups for special events (Yukon Dan,
Metis presentations, Jump Rope for Heart, etc.). During staff meetings, Mrs.
Florence likes to present in-school and provincial workshop choices for her
colleagues (based on high interest and school needs). Overall, Mrs. Florence is
highly involved in the school community and is seen as a leader at her school.
Mrs. Florence’s
Unit Overview:
Over the last five years, the school has seen an increase in
the enrollment of First Nations students. Due to the large number of First
Nations students enrolling, Mrs. Florence has been teaching her class about
First Nations (culture, storytelling) over the last couple of years. When
teaching the First Nations unit, she does the following:
·
Reads books about First Nations (fiction
and non-fiction)
·
Students receive a booklet with various
activities (colouring sheets, word searches, and cloze activities).
·
Showcases First Nations books and leaves
both fiction and non-fiction books out for students to read.
·
Final Project: Poster Project about First
Nations (Culture, storytelling, food, history, Totem Poles, etc.).
Use of Library
(prior to TL collaboration):
Mrs. Florence’s library time was set aside for her class to
participate in a book exchange. Time was also set aside for her students to
listen to a story being read-aloud, followed by a discussion of the book.
Situation/Experience:
Over the last five years, Mrs. Florence has noticed that her
students tend to copy information word for word and have difficulty finding
relevant information for their poster projects. She has also noticed that
students prefer to find information online using iPads, but many students tend
to either use Wikipedia as their main source and/or have difficulty looking for
information.
During a staff meeting, Mrs. Florence asked if any
colleagues had experiences teaching a First Nations unit to a primary grade. Using
the CBAM Model, with Mrs. Florence seeking advice, she was seen in the stage of Renewal in terms of ‘Typical Behaviours’-Teacher seems content with
her routines, but is looking to have some guidance with research and
note-taking skills. In terms of the ‘Expressions of Concern’ stage, Mrs.
Florence is in the Refocusing stage-Looking
to find more better suited resources/guidance.
The SAMR Model-The TL could also use this model with Mrs.
Florence and her class-many of her students enjoy using technology but have
little knowledge on how to actually use technology properly. As a result, Mrs. Florence's class is in the Augmentation and Modification stages of SAMR.
Next Steps:
Step 1:
Reference Interview: The TL then spoke to Mrs. Florence about setting up a time
to meet and to go over resources. The two teachers met at an agreed upon time
and went over the needs of the students.
Step 2:
Next
Steps/Recommendations:
Using Haycock’s
C.P.P.T. Model, the TL and classroom teacher decided to try the following:
·
Provide
‘just right’ books about First Nations-the books that Mrs. Florence had in her
classroom were not at grade level. Example of ‘just right’ books about the
First Nations culture: PM Benchmark and Strong Readers book series (available
in all different levels).
·
Create a criteria for information: Get
students to look at different sources (both print and non-print) to find
information, such as asking students to use at least one book, two online
sources, etc.
·
Library time: TL can assist students
in-class during their library time (iPad cart will be in the classroom). The TL
will also bring kid-friendly books about First Nations on a cart.
· Information
literacy skills will be taught in
class-the TL will go over how to search for information and use online
databases (World Book Online,
websites about First Nations).
·
Big Buddies: Are also learning about a
First Nations unit and could possibly collaborate/do arts and craft activities.
Example of a 'just right' book (picture from SD #79 District Resource Center).
Teacher #2-Mr. P
Grade Five Teacher
Educational Background:
Mr. P is a grade five teacher and has been teaching for over
twenty years. He has taught the grade five level for eight years. Prior to
teaching the grade five level, he used to work at a Secondary School and taught
grade ten history and geography. As a veteran in the teaching profession, he is
comfortable with his teaching practices and routines; he rarely ever asks for
support or advice from colleagues.
Unit/Theme Overview:
Mr. P has been teaching a Canadian unit entitled “Going
Across Canada,” in which students learn about different Provinces and
Territories and represent their learning in various ways; for instance, write a
short story about Alberta, create a pamphlet for Nunavut, etc. (Mr. P informs
students what type of activity they will have to complete for that particular
Province or Territory).
Use of Library
Services (prior to TL collaboration):
Prior to TL collaboration, Mr. P used his library block to
send his students for a book exchange. He occasionally sent some of his
students to the library for catch-up time (for students to have a quiet place
to complete their work).
Situation/Experience:
Mr. P has noticed that his grade five classes have been
academically low over the last couple of years. During an LST meeting, he
informed the school team about his class and how a large number of students are
in the ‘Not Yet Within’ range for reading and writing.
Based on the CBAM Model, Mr. P is in the Refinement stage in terms of ‘Typical
Behaviours’-Teacher is willing to make some modifications to the unit in order to increase student interest.
‘Expressions of Concern:’ Informational-Willing to learn about other ways to introduce
project and use resources to increase student engagement.
Next Steps:
Step 1:
Reference
Interview: The TL then spoke to Mr. P about setting up a time to meet
and to go over resources. The two teachers met at an agreed upon time and went
over the needs of the class.
Step 2:
Next
Steps/Recommendations:
Using Haycock’s
C.P.P.T. Model, the TL and classroom teacher decided to try the following:
· Access to
‘just right’ books about Canada and its Provinces/territories-Mr. P did not
have very many print materials available in his classroom.
·
Create a criteria for information: Get
students to look at different sources (both print and non-print) to find
information, such as asking students to use at least one book, two online
sources, etc.
·
Library time: Students are able to use
some of the library block to work on projects.
·
Adrienne Gear- to help with note-taking
and writing down information.
·
TL will also present information about
each Province and Territory (read-aloud, show videos, scavenger hunt games,
etc.)
·
Information literacy skills will be taught
in class-the TL will go over how to search for information and use online
databases (World Book Online,
websites about Canada’s Provinces and Territories).
Conclusion:
When teachers are willing to collaborate with the TL, they have the opportunity to learn about new resources and new approaches to delivering information. In the case of Mrs. Florence and Mr. P, they both were very comfortable with their routines and delivery of lessons that they did not think about collaborating with the TL to teach that particular unit. Of course both teachers were not that confident that the new changes would even work-but once the collaboration took place, however, both teachers started to see change in the way their students approached their respective units (increased engagement, ability to follow specific criteria and direction). Once the teachers saw positive changes by co-planning a unit with the TL, their attitude and mindset about collaborating also shifted as well.
References:
Concerns-Based
Adoption Model (CBAM): A Model for Change in Individuals. Retrieved
From: http://www.nationalacademies.org/rise/backg4a.htm
Frazier, Dawn. “School Library Media Collaborations: Benefits and Barriers.” Library Media Collection (November/December 2010). Retrieved From: https://koollibrary.wikispaces.com/file/view/article+benefits+and+barriers.pdf
Freitas,
Beth. (2015, July 23). “Teachers and librarian in collaboration - EARJ Gávea.”
Retrieved From: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bcoee6Nw1Wc
Haycock, Ken. "Collaboration: Critical success factors
for student learning" School
Libraries Worldwide 13.1 (2007): 25-35.
Riedling, Ann; Shake, Loretta;
Houston, Cynthia. Reference Skills for the School Librarian: Tools and Tips.
ABC-CLIO. Kindle Edition. https://www.amazon.ca/Reference-Skills-School-Librarian-Tools/dp/1586835289
Mueller,
Aaron (UBC Instructor). (2017). LIBE 467-LTheme Two, Lessons 5-7.
“SAMR Model.” Technology
is Learning (2014). Retrieved From: https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/samr-model
“Teacher Collaboration Clipart.” Clipart Fest (2016). Retrieved From: https://clipartfest.com/categories/view/c55c8808bb1a851e87fd4056a2f3703e58a6d74c/teacher-collaboration-clipart.html
