Cooperation Cooperation and Collaborationand Collaboration

Similarities and Similarities and DifferencesDifferences

By Judi Moreillon, By Judi Moreillon, Ph.D.Ph.D.

With a great deal of help from:With a great deal of help from:

Dr. David LoertscherDr. David Loertscher

Before you view this mini-Before you view this mini-lecture…lecture…

think about preparing for an individual think about preparing for an individual or shared meal.or shared meal.

All images copyright-free from MorgueFile.com

What different considerations What different considerations do you have if you are:do you have if you are:

– eating a meal at home alone?eating a meal at home alone?

– bringing a dish to an unplanned bringing a dish to an unplanned potluck?potluck?

– bringing veggies because bringing veggies because someone decided all the people someone decided all the people whose last names begins with A-D whose last names begins with A-D will bring veggies?will bring veggies?

What different considerations What different considerations do you have if you are:do you have if you are:– bringing a tray of raw veggies because bringing a tray of raw veggies because

someone decided that all of the A-D people someone decided that all of the A-D people should coordinate their efforts and bring should coordinate their efforts and bring different kinds of veggies?different kinds of veggies?

– planning and cooking for a special planning and cooking for a special birthday or other celebration that involves birthday or other celebration that involves collaborating with others to determine a collaborating with others to determine a theme, location, sequence of events, theme, location, sequence of events, means to document the party, and means to document the party, and feedback from party-goers for the food, feedback from party-goers for the food, decorations, music, activities, and more?decorations, music, activities, and more?

Classroom-Library Classroom-Library Collaboration is like…Collaboration is like…

– planning and cooking for a special birthday or other planning and cooking for a special birthday or other celebration that involves collaborating with others to celebration that involves collaborating with others to determine a theme (goals and objectives), date, time, determine a theme (goals and objectives), date, time, and location (scheduling), sequence of events (lesson and location (scheduling), sequence of events (lesson or unit plan), means to document the party (learning or unit plan), means to document the party (learning artifacts or exam), and feedback from party-goers artifacts or exam), and feedback from party-goers (assessment) for the food, decorations, music, (assessment) for the food, decorations, music, activities, and more?activities, and more?

Collaboration requires communication,shared goals and objectives, assignment of responsibilities, negotiation, flexibility, and more…

With different members of your With different members of your faculty faculty

at any given time, you will…at any given time, you will…Be involved in cooperative activities such as: Be involved in cooperative activities such as: – sharing resources for classroom use that you sharing resources for classroom use that you

believe will benefit students and teachers;believe will benefit students and teachers;– responding to requests to locate, collect, or even responding to requests to locate, collect, or even

create resources for others to use in their teaching; create resources for others to use in their teaching; – being asked to contribute teaching ideas that being asked to contribute teaching ideas that

others will use in their teaching;others will use in their teaching;– connecting students or other educators with one connecting students or other educators with one

another because you are aware of their shared another because you are aware of their shared needs or interests.needs or interests.

Do NOT expect…

to collaborate with ALL members of the to collaborate with ALL members of the faculty ALL of the time. You will spread faculty ALL of the time. You will spread yourself too thin and will not be able to yourself too thin and will not be able to focus your efforts focus your efforts at any given moment where they will make at any given moment where they will make the greatest impact. the greatest impact.

Still producing and sharing results…in terms of student achievement

is the BEST way for you to advocate for your school library program and the school librarian’s contribution as a vital member of the teaching faculty.

How then should you spend MOST of your time and energy?

The effective school The effective school librarian....librarian....Spends the majority of her/his time Spends the majority of her/his time

and energy in activities such as:and energy in activities such as: – co-planning, co-teaching, and co-co-planning, co-teaching, and co-

assessing lessons and units of assessing lessons and units of instruction with classroom teachers instruction with classroom teachers and specialists;and specialists;

– collecting student outcomes data to collecting student outcomes data to show the impact of classroom-library show the impact of classroom-library collaboration on student achievement; collaboration on student achievement;

– collaborating with administrators to collaborating with administrators to help them achieve their instructional help them achieve their instructional goals for the school;goals for the school;

moremore on the next slide… on the next slide…

The effective school The effective school librarian....librarian....Spends the majority of her/his time and Spends the majority of her/his time and

energy in activities such as:energy in activities such as: – providing informal and formal individual, providing informal and formal individual,

small group, and whole faculty mentoring small group, and whole faculty mentoring and workshops related to library and and workshops related to library and technology resources, instructional technology resources, instructional strategies, and more;strategies, and more;

– serving on curriculum and other committees serving on curriculum and other committees to ensure that the school library program is to ensure that the school library program is a vital part of the literacy team at the site a vital part of the literacy team at the site and district level and beyond;and district level and beyond;

– keeping current and updating his/her keeping current and updating his/her knowledge and practice in teaching and knowledge and practice in teaching and learning.learning.

David Loertscher’s David Loertscher’s Taxonomies of the School Library Media Taxonomies of the School Library Media ProgramProgram........

1.1. No InvolvementNo InvolvementAt the lowest ineffective level, students and teachers bypass At the lowest ineffective level, students and teachers bypass the library all together.the library all together.

2.2. Self-Help WarehouseSelf-Help WarehouseAt this level, the resources of the library and the facility At this level, the resources of the library and the facility itself are available for students and teachers who can use it itself are available for students and teachers who can use it on their own - without school librarian’s input or on their own - without school librarian’s input or intervention.intervention.

3.3. Individual Reference AssistanceIndividual Reference AssistanceThis is the first level at which there is minimal cooperation. This is the first level at which there is minimal cooperation. The school librarian provides materials and information The school librarian provides materials and information upon request in the manner of many public library upon request in the manner of many public library reference desk interactions.reference desk interactions.

Loertscher, David. Loertscher, David. Taxonomies of the School Library Media ProgramTaxonomies of the School Library Media Program. 2. 2ndnd ed. Salt ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.

David Loertscher’s David Loertscher’s Taxonomies of the School Library Media Taxonomies of the School Library Media ProgramProgram........

4.4. Spontaneous Interaction and GatheringSpontaneous Interaction and GatheringThe librarian provides resources, information, and The librarian provides resources, information, and minimal teaching support on the spur-of-the-moment. minimal teaching support on the spur-of-the-moment. There is no preplanning or prior communication.There is no preplanning or prior communication.

5.5. Cursory Planning Cursory Planning At this level, the school librarian is just beginning to At this level, the school librarian is just beginning to reach out. She/he participates in and seeks out informal reach out. She/he participates in and seeks out informal and brief planning with teachers and students. This is and brief planning with teachers and students. This is likely to occur in the hall or faculty lounge or at the copy likely to occur in the hall or faculty lounge or at the copy machine. The focus is usually on resources or “activities.”machine. The focus is usually on resources or “activities.”

6.6. Planned GatheringPlanned GatheringThis level indicates a move toward greater cooperation. This level indicates a move toward greater cooperation. After a teacher request, the school librarian gathers After a teacher request, the school librarian gathers materials and information in advance of the learning materials and information in advance of the learning event.event.

Loertscher, David. Loertscher, David. Taxonomies of the School Library Media ProgramTaxonomies of the School Library Media Program. 2. 2ndnd ed. Salt Lake City: ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.

David Loertscher’s David Loertscher’s Taxonomies of the School Library Media Taxonomies of the School Library Media ProgramProgram........

7.7. Evangelistic OutreachEvangelistic OutreachThe librarian develops and executes a plan to promote the The librarian develops and executes a plan to promote the mission, goals, and objectives of a more integrated library mission, goals, and objectives of a more integrated library program.program.

8.8. Scheduled Planning in the Support Role Scheduled Planning in the Support Role At this level, the school librarian responds to a group of At this level, the school librarian responds to a group of students or individual or a team of teachers who have students or individual or a team of teachers who have already planned a learning experience. She/he provides already planned a learning experience. She/he provides materials or activities to support the resource-based materials or activities to support the resource-based instructional plan created by someone else.instructional plan created by someone else.

9.9. Instructional Design, Level IInstructional Design, Level IThis is the first step in collaboration. The school librarian This is the first step in collaboration. The school librarian participates in planning, implementing, and assessing a participates in planning, implementing, and assessing a resource-based lesson or unit of instruction. At this level, resource-based lesson or unit of instruction. At this level, the classroom teacher thinks of the library component as the classroom teacher thinks of the library component as “supplemental” or as “enrichment.”“supplemental” or as “enrichment.”

Loertscher, David. Loertscher, David. Taxonomies of the School Library Media ProgramTaxonomies of the School Library Media Program. 2. 2ndnd ed. Salt Lake City: Hi ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.Willow Publishing, 2000.

David Loertscher’s David Loertscher’s Taxonomies of the School Library Media Taxonomies of the School Library Media ProgramProgram........10.10.Instructional Design, Level IIInstructional Design, Level II

At this level, the school library and the resources of At this level, the school library and the resources of the library are central to the students and teachers the library are central to the students and teachers achieving their objectives for the lesson or unit. This achieving their objectives for the lesson or unit. This learning experience simply could not take place learning experience simply could not take place without the school librarian’s involvement, including without the school librarian’s involvement, including planning, teaching, and assessing student work.planning, teaching, and assessing student work.

11.11.Curriculum DevelopmentCurriculum DevelopmentAt this level, the school librarian has a global reach. At this level, the school librarian has a global reach. She/he works with other educators to plan She/he works with other educators to plan curriculum, to decide what is taught and how it will curriculum, to decide what is taught and how it will be taught at the school or district level.be taught at the school or district level.

Loertscher, David. Loertscher, David. Taxonomies of the School Library Media ProgramTaxonomies of the School Library Media Program. 2. 2ndnd ed. Salt ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.

CooperationCooperationThese are some key ideas and phrases that These are some key ideas and phrases that

describe describe cooperationcooperation::• Dividing up the workDividing up the work• Being flexibleBeing flexible• Getting alongGetting along• CommunicatingCommunicating• Listening to othersListening to others

Cooperation is an important part of effective school librarianship.

CollaborationCollaborationThese are some key ideas and phrases that These are some key ideas and phrases that

describe describe collaborationcollaboration: : • Standards-based curricular focus Standards-based curricular focus • Joint planning and designing of learning Joint planning and designing of learning

experiencesexperiences• Common goals and shared objectivesCommon goals and shared objectives• Process and product equally importantProcess and product equally important• Shared and negotiated responsibilities, including Shared and negotiated responsibilities, including

gathering and creating resources, teaching, and gathering and creating resources, teaching, and assessmentassessment

• Coteaching and co-evaluating (students’ learning Coteaching and co-evaluating (students’ learning processes and products, the collaborative processes and products, the collaborative process and the lessons or units themselves)process and the lessons or units themselves)

Collaboration is an essential aspect of effective school librarianship.

Can you imagine working flexibly Can you imagine working flexibly on a continuum between the two? on a continuum between the two?

What are your questions about What are your questions about cooperation and collaboration?cooperation and collaboration?

What as been your experience What as been your experience cooperating or collaborating with a cooperating or collaborating with a

school librarian?school librarian?

Please bring your vision, questions, Please bring your vision, questions, experiences, and concerns to the online experiences, and concerns to the online

discussion.discussion.

Work CitedWork Cited

Images as linked from Images as linked from MorgueFileMorgueFile. 17 Aug. 2009 <. 17 Aug. 2009 <http://morguefile.com>.>.

Loertscher, David. Loertscher, David. Taxonomies of the School Taxonomies of the School Library Media ProgramLibrary Media Program. 2. 2ndnd ed. Salt Lake City: Hi ed. Salt Lake City: Hi Willow Publishing, 2000.Willow Publishing, 2000.

Moreillon, Judi. Moreillon, Judi. Collaborative Strategies for Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your ImpactYour Impact. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007.. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007.