Keeping the Connections Electric

Sharon ArmstrongHead of Library, North Park Collegiate

Valerie BureauTeacher-Librarian, Courtland & Walsh

Public SchoolsGrand Erie District School Board

Keeping the Connections Electric

Keeping the zap in your library program can be challenging when you’re not scheduled full-time.

What can you do to charge up your library program?

Agenda

1. Fantasy vs reality2. The challenges3. Charge up to electrify 4. When the going gets tough,

remember the little engine that could…Ideas, ideas, ideas

5. Evidence based practice tips

Fantasy vs Reality

The Fantasy:• a full-time teacher-librarian in every

school (some schools do have ‘em)

The Reality:• I am a .x teacher-librarian - how

can I run a great program?

The Challenges

• Inflexible scheduling • Prep coverage• Lack of administration time• Volunteers• Lack of staffing• Outdated materials• Outdated technology• Lack of funding/budget

Inflexible Scheduling

• Research says - use the Scholastic Research Foundation paper studies to help educate and advocate decision makers

• Evidence based practice - use the tools you have at hand and the student success that you collect to forward the rationale for the need

• Collective bargaining issue - your CBC should be negotiating flex scheduling into your collective agreement if it’s not already there

http://www.scholastic.com/librarians/printables/downloads/slw_2006.pdf

http://www.accessola.com/osla/toolkit/home.html

Inflexible Scheduling

Be creative! Look for opportunities to maximize the time you have.– in elementary: divide the class in half and

do two activities at once– alternate weeks: use one week for book

exchange, the next week to teach information skills

– in secondary: trade classes – use your prep period: collaborate with

teachers, help students, do administrative tasks

Prep Coverage

You have the power - use prep coverage as library time for students.

• book talks, book exchange• literacy initiatives• research skills, library skills• information technology skills• information management skills

Ideas

• Kindergarten Journal• Research Slideshow• Forest of Reading book clubs• Library skills• Note-taking skills• Software skills• Project skills

Lack of Admin Time

• Make every minute count - have ongoing tasks at hand to work on

• Block off a rotating period a day• Recruit volunteers• Survey teachers and students for their

wish lists for library purchases• Collaborate by email• Don’t reinvent the wheel…• SHARE!

Volunteers

• Library club - student volunteers• Class room - student volunteers• Community hours - student volunteers• Parent/grandparent volunteers• Student-teacher volunteers• Community College/Co-op work

placement students

Lack of Staffing

Be proactive !– join Canadian and Ontario Coalitions for

School Libraries, People for Education– political action (letters, M.P.P.)– union action (educate rep, become a rep)– TL association meet with Director or senior

administrators – parent council (speak, show)– use the evidence you collect to advocate for

more time

Outdated Resources

• Weed collection to demonstrate need• Create a collection development plan

supported by statistics• Incorporate resources as part of

student success plan• Have wish lists at hand; share them• Demonstrate technological limitations• Sit on your school’s IT committee

Lack of Budget

• Create a success plan that fits the school & board strategic plans

• Be proactive - ask your principal for money to support your success plan

• Present at Parent Council meetings regularly - ask for money & support

• TL association - present to trustees, senior administration

• Fundraise through book fairs

• Be student oriented - kids count

• Be staff oriented - teachers count

• Be community oriented - parents count

• Use what you have to make it great

• Find opportunities to connect

Charge Up

Kids Count

Keys to making kids count:• Create a warm, caring,

inviting environment • Interact with students• Know students likes and

needs• Provide inspired, current,

diverse collections

Kids Count

Add zap to your program:• SSR/DEAR• Author visits• Book fairs• Web quests• Thematic displays• Battle of the Books• Contests

Kids Count

Offer informal program before/ after school, at lunch/recess:

• Reading time • Book exchange• Book clubs• Help (for school projects)

Kids Count• Help students

to achieve higher academic success by having a research guide available for them when you’re not.

Kids Count

• Writing/Poetry club• Drama club (puppetry,

etc.)• Hobby club• Games club• “Make and take”• “Breakfast and Books”• Pen pals

Teachers Count

Provide “helps” for teacherswhen you’re not there.• Plan collaboratively with

teachers in advance of a visit

• Create visit notices clearly defining what the teacher wants to do in the library

• Create “pathfinders” for teacher use with a class

Teachers Count

• Send research materials to classrooms

• Display relevant resources for research topics

• Create easy to use organizers for teachers to use with students

• Trade classes for a period to teach skills

Teachers Count

Don’t leave your colleagues to fend for themselves…

Provide the helping hand to teach them how…in-service your colleagues on the 4 stages of research and your library’s resources (data bases etc.)

Teachers Count

• Share new resources at every opportunity

• Always speak briefly at every staff meeting

• Communicate regularly through principal’s bulletin, newsletters

• It will take personal time

Parents Count

Partnerships with parents:

• Family literacy • “Snuggle-up and Read”• Volunteers• Newsletters • Evidence of student

success• Fund raising for projects

Community Counts

Investigate the possibilities in your community:

• Contributions• Guest speakers• Advertising/promotion of

events• Fundraisers

Opportunities to connect

Be part of every school initiativeBe visible in school and public communitiesCelebrate: -National School Library Day-Forest of Reading voting day-student success (projects, literacy,awards, accomplishments, excellence)

Opportunities to Connect

Sharing the Evidence of student success

• turn evidence into action research - share results

• display results• video students in action• share the process

leading to success• share collaboration

Strategy based on research Action Evidence of SuccessCollaborate with teachers to build solidlearning experiences

-use email as a communication and planninginitiative method-keep all assignments, units, lessons in anindexed binder by discipline for teachers toaccess

-colleagues recommendation to colleaguesby talking about successes-more teachers want to collaborate

Teach integrated information Literacy -create ready to use lessons with blacklinemaster organizers and worksheets whichare multi-disciplinary in nature-collect samples of student work to use asexemplars for teachers

-teachers use lessons and worksheets withtheir classes-noticeable higher info literacy rates amongstudents, reflection, self-assessment-build body of evidence from a variety ofdisciplines

Motivate learners to read more -provide opportunities for students to readin non-class room time –book clubs, readalouds in library at lunch, read-a-thons etc.-reading programs (Reading AcrossCanada) awards-provide diverse and current collections

-increased numbers of studentsparticipating-reading journals, reflections-higher reading test scores

Push information beyond the library into theclassroom and into the home

-provide & advocate use of remote access toonline databases-purchase multi copies of newspapers –encourage students to take home-give aways of back issues of periodicals-webquests, internet pathfinders

-increases in remote usage noted in reports-students ask for papers and magazines totake home-positive parents comments on initiatvies-increased teacher and student use of andasking for pathfinders, webquests, etc.

Work on the leadership agenda -be there for colleagues and students-demonstrate through program initiativesthat you are a valuable resource-sit on committees and be proactive-create a program that promotes the schoolsuccess plan

-teacher-librarian is consulted regularly forinput-teacher-librarian seen as a vital force in theschool-school library is the hub of the school

5 key things to do every day to make a differenceEvidence Based Practice Ideas for Pro-rated schedules

Collaboration Log Day/Week: January 16 -20

T e a c h e r ( s )N a m e s

T y p e o f C o l l a b o r a t i o n C u r r i c u l u mF o c u s / N o t e s

G r a d eL e v e l

T i m e

S h e r r e dp r i n t r e s o u r c e s *d i g i t a l r e s o u r c e sp l a n n i n g *t e a c h i n g / a s s e s s i n g *l i t e r a c y s u p p o r ti n - s e r v i c eo t h e r

- a r c h i t e c t u r ea s s i g n m e n t- p a t h f i n d e r ,n o t e s h e e t s ,w o r k i n gb i b l i o g r a p h y

H o u s i n g- 1 1 o p e n

0 - 5 m i n u t e s5 - 1 0 m i n u t e s1 5 - 3 0 m i n u t e s *3 0 + m i n u t e s

N y y s s o n e np r i n t r e s o u r c e s *d i g i t a l r e s o u r c e sp l a n n i n g *t e a c h i n g / a s s e s s i n g *l i t e r a c y s u p p o r ti n - s e r v i c eo t h e r *

- i s s u e s r e p o r t- p a t h f i n d e r ,n o t e s h e e t s ,w o r k i n gb i b l i o g r a p h y ,M L A c i t a t i o nr e p o r t f o r m a t

E n g l i s h

- 9 a p p l i e d

0 - 5 m i n u t e s5 - 1 0 m i n u t e s1 5 - 3 0 m i n u t e s3 0 + m i n u t e s *

W a t t s , B r u n n i n g ,M a c D o n a l d

p r i n t r e s o u r c e sd i g i t a l r e s o u r c e sp l a n n i n g *t e a c h i n g / a s s e s s i n g *l i t e r a c y s u p p o r t *i n - s e r v i c e *o t h e r

O S S L T - p r e p- c r o s s - c u r r i c u l a rt e a c h i n gt e m p l a t e s- n e w s r e p o r t- i n f o p a r a g r a p h- e s s a y f o r m a t s

- 1 00 - 5 m i n u t e s5 - 1 0 m i n u t e s1 5 - 3 0 m i n u t e s3 0 + m i n u t e s *

M a n t o p o u l o u sp r i n t r e s o u r c e s *d i g i t a l r e s o u r c e s *p l a n n i n gt e a c h i n g / a s s e s s i n g *l i t e r a c y s u p p o r ti n - s e r v i c eo t h e r *

L a w- p a t h f i n d e r- a n n o t a t e db i b l i o g r a p h y- c o n f e r e n c e

1 1 o p e n 0 - 5 m i n u t e s5 - 1 0 m i n u t e s1 5 - 3 0 m i n u t e s *3 0 + m i n u t e s

M a c K e n z i ep r i n t r e s o u r c e s *d i g i t a l r e s o u r c e sp l a n n i n g *t e a c h i n g / a s s e s s i n gl i t e r a c y s u p p o r t *i n - s e r v i c eo t h e r

E n g l i s h- p a t h f i n d e r- b r o c h u r em a k i n g- M L A f o r m a t

1 0 -a p p l i e d

0 - 5 m i n u t e s5 - 1 0 m i n u t e s1 5 - 3 0 m i n u t e s *3 0 + m i n u t e s

C o l t o np r i n t r e s o u r c e sd i g i t a l r e s o u r c e sp l a n n i n gt e a c h i n g / a s s e s s i n gl i t e r a c y s u p p o r ti n - s e r v i c e *o t h e r

- o n - l i n ed a t a b a s e s

s t a f f 0 - 5 m i n u t e s5 - 1 0 m i n u t e s1 5 - 3 0 m i n u t e s *3 0 + m i n u t e s

Class Planning Sheet f or Library Visit

Teacher _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _Cour se or Grade _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _Topic _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _Date(s) requested _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _Blocks r equested R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 Day R 1 R 2

W hen would you like to meet to discuss and plan the assignment?Date _ _ _ __ _ __ _ _

Q Bef ore school Q Lunch Q A f ter school Q Prep Per iod _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _

Preliminary assignment ideas:_ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _

Resources: Supports:

G books Q key-word webG on-line databases Q working bibliographyG web sites Q note-taking sheetsG A/ V Q KW LG other _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ Q other _ _ _ _ __ _ __ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _

Skill s Lessons:•••••

I know I can, I know I can...

• There are many things you can do to make and keep the connections electric

• Start with baby steps - no one can do it all - prioritize what, how, when

• You can do it - you are magic!