Presented by Colleen Graham

What is collaboration? Doll (2005) describes collaboration as the school media specialist and teachers in the school working together “to plan for, design, teach, and evaluate instructional events for students” (p. 4).

Benefits According to Taylor (2007, p. 50): More effective use of resources More effective use of teaching time Integration of educational technologies Shared efforts of promoting literacy Developing the goal of life-long learning

Additional Benefits Fewer discipline problems occur More time to dedicate to individual students’ abilities Better able to meet students’ needs Varied learning styles are incorporated Facilitation of small groups and independent study A variety of resources can be used optimally Students are excited about learning

Who is involved in collaboration? Those involved:Responsibilities: Library Media SpecialistProvides resources, teaches information literacy, coordinates team and facilitates communication between team members Classroom TeacherDefines the content and curricular objectives, plans and provides intervention Special Area TeachersAdd a creative dimension, add content expertise, make the lessons more interesting Other Specialists (from the school or community) Add content expertise, make the lessons more interesting, involvement can be tailored to student needs AdministratorsSupport collaboration and constructivist learning, encourage team teaching, support staff, foster the development of information literacy

What role should you play? If you are the school library media specialist: Approach the teachers to find opportunities within which you can integrate information literacy Work with the teacher to design and plan instruction which integrates technology Ensure the lines of communication remain open between team members Teach information literacy to the students

What role should you play? If you are the classroom teacher: Select which curricular objectives should be addressed Identify standards which will best lend themselves to inquiry learning Plan innovative lessons with the SLMS Provide intervention when students struggle

What role should you play? If you are a special area teacher or other specialist, such as a guidance counselor, nurse, reading specialist, custodian, school nutritionist, etc.: Allow for cross-curricular integration of the subject- matter Add a creative dimension to the lessons Share your content expertise Provide needed guidance to the students

What role should you play? If you are an administrator: Foster a constructivist learning environment Support collaboration by allowing opportunities for shared planning Flexible scheduling Encourage team teaching and inquiry-based learning

What role should you play? If you are a parent? Ask your children about their schoolwork Encourage your children to read Support their inquisitiveness by asking leading questions – Why do you think that is? What do you think causes that? How might we solve this problem? Do you have specialized knowledge you can share?

What about the students? Students have an important part in the collaborative process. Actively participate Work independently when necessary When working in a small group, do your fair share of the work Ask questions

The Collaborative Process “To be effective, library media specialists and classroom teachers must work together on all aspects of the unit: planning, teaching, and evaluating.” (Taylor, 2006, p. 51)

6 Steps 1. Invitation to the classroom teacher 2. Flexible planning 3. Stay actively involved 4. Share responsibilities 5. Reflect 6. Save the lesson (Taylor, 2006, p )

References Doll, C. A. (2005). Collaboration and the school library media specialist. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press Kuhlthau, C. C., Maniotes, L. K., & Caspari, A. K. (2007). Guided inquiry: Learning in the 21 st century. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. Taylor, J. (2006). Information literacy and the school library media center. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.