The Library as a Digital Learning Space -- THE Journal. Library Evolution | Feature Page 2 of 2 The Library as a Digital Learning Space Recent Modifications A recipient of the National School Library of the Year Award in 2008, Simsbury High School has modified its library over the last few years. The original plans called for a distance-learning classroom that teachers would use to provide instruction to students on a remote basis. "The idea of distance learning was short-lived for the library because we now have a virtual high school," said Snyder. The lab was converted into a second library classroom/computer lab where students can use the computers independently and also attend classes on media and information literacy.
"There is so much information out there, but that doesn't mean students know how to use it and evaluate it," said Snyder, who said she sees the marriage of classroom lessons and information literacy as an important asset for today's young learners. The library's layout has also been tweaked since 2005. About the Author. School Library Monthly - A Matrix for School Librarians: Aligning Standards, Inquiry, Reading, and Instruction. School Library Monthly/Volume XXIX, Number 4/January 2013 A Matrix for School Librarians: Aligning Standards, Inquiry, Reading, and Instruction by Judi Moreillon Judi Moreillon, Ph.D., is assistant professor in the School of Library and Information Studies, Texas Woman’s University, Denton, TX. She has served as a school librarian at every instructional level. Email: info@storytrail.com When new initiatives such as the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) ( are being launched, it is imperative that school librarians get "out in front" as part of the decision-making team.
Student Learning Within CCSS there is an emphasis on the inquiry learning process and reading comprehension, both of which are integral to the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Standards for the 21st-Century Learner (2007). It is important to start with standards when coplanning a lesson or unit of study with classroom teachers and specialists. Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback. The School Library Media Specialist: Overview. The teacher librarian must be prepared for a wide variety of leadership roles in the learning community. These multifaceted roles require a thirst for knowledge and a commitment to on-going professional development.
The library media specialist has many roles and responsibilities including teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator (Information Power, p. 4-5). Teacher. The teacher librarian must be an effective educator and curricular leader. The media specialist must possess up-to-date knowledge and skills on a wide range of educational topics including teaching, learning, and information literacy. School media specialists should be teachers first! Take me seriously Challenge me to think Nurture my self-respect Show me I can make a difference Let me do it my way Point me toward my goals Make me feel important Build on my interests Tap my creativity Bring out my best self A.Biffer Nathan Hale-Ray Middle School, Moodus, CT Instructional Partner.
The flipped classroom. Assessing an innovative teaching model for effective and engaging library instruction The flipped classroom is a teaching model that inverts the traditional lecture-plus-homework formula. By moving the delivery of foundational principles to digital media, such as video lectures or tutorials, class time is freed up for engaging activities that allow students to apply these basics to practical scenarios in the presence of their instructor.
The setting At Towson University’s Albert S. Cook Library, research and instruction librarians teach course-integrated IL sessions to students at all levels. These sessions can vary from a “one-shot” general orientation on library collections and resources to a series of sessions scheduled throughout a semester to support scaffolded research assignments, depending on the needs of each course and the relationships between faculty and librarians. The project The components of the Cook flipped classroom project are: Pre-library session assignments The feedback. School Library Monthly - Building Guided Inquiry Teams for 21st-Century Learners. School Library Monthly/Volume XXVI, Number 5/January 2010 Building Guided Inquiry Teams for 21st-Century Learners by Carol C. Kuhlthau and Leslie K. Maniotes Carol C. Kuhlthau, Ed.D., is a Distinguished Professor Emerita in the Department of Library and Information Science, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
Email: kuhlthau@rutgers.edu Leslie Maniotes, Ph.D., is a Literacy & Learning Consultant, Denver Public Schools, Denver, CO. How can students learn to think for themselves, make good decisions, develop expertise, and become lifelong learners in a rapidly changing information environment? Guided Inquiry Guided inquiry is based on extensive studies of the Information Search Process (ISP) in assigned research projects (Kuhlthau 1985, 2004). Studies of the ISP identify six stages of learning that provide insight into how to guide students in the inquiry process: Complex Learning Core and Extended Team Flexible teams change with the learning needs of students. Examples of Teams Example 1. Today's Media and Knowledge Specialists.
A New Breed of Librarian Not your grandma's librarian... As workstations replace dust-covered shelves in your district libraries, a new breed of librarian—the library media specialist (LMS)—has become an essential part of a school’s faculty. These are the people who will integrate the digital world into today’s classroom and throughout the curriculum. Specially trained and knowledgeable in the use of information technology, library media specialists have become one of the most important instructional partners, working with teachers and administrators to change what is possible in the classroom.
“Library media specialists empower students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information,” says Sara Kelly Johns, president of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), one of the 11 divisions of the Chicago-based American Library Association. The LMS is not confined to the library or to a single function. Are YOU Qualified? Education World: Strong Libraries Improve Student Achievement. From time to time, Education World reposts articles with important messages.
This article, originally posted in 2000, makes a point worth revisiting about the importance of school libraries and librarians. Last month, site-based management teams at 11 elementary schools in Kalamazoo, Michigan, chose to cut their budgets for the 2000-2001 school year by eliminating the position of school librarian. Did they make the right decision? A new study indicates that what they made was a big mistake! Included: Results of a recent study show that students at schools with strong media centers scored significantly higher on standardized tests than students at schools with less-well-equipped and staffed libraries. Last month, site-based management teams at 11 elementary schools in Kalamazoo, Michigan, chose to cut their budgets for the 2000-2001 school year by eliminating the position of school librarian.
"The school media center is not just a place, it's a program," Lance said. Flipping the Classroom: A revolutionary approach to learning presents some pros and cons. Illustration by Brian Stauffer Back in 2007, two high school science teachers in Woodland Park, CO, decided to try a “crazy idea.” “We said, ‘What if we stopped lecturing and committed all our lectures to videos?’”
Says Jon Bergmann, now the lead technology facilitator at the Joseph Sears School in Kenilworth, IL. He and fellow educator Aaron Sams posted their short films—15 to 20 minutes long—for students to watch at home. (Parents could also look and say, “Oh, I see how the teacher wants it done!” Flipping the classroom lets school become a place for talking, doing group projects, and getting individual help from teachers—and lets home become a place for watching instructional videos.
Aside from the technology involved, it’s not necessarily a new idea. Ideally, flipping the classroom gives kids “a personalized learning experience,” says Wade Roberts, CEO of Educreations, which makes a free iPad app that more than 150,000 teachers are using to make interactive video lessons.