Integrating Common Core Standards

CA

Hill, R. (2010).  All aboard!  School Library Journal, 58(4), 26-30. 

In this article, the author discusses the impact and meaning of the new Common Core standards for school librarians.  Although school librarians weren’t included in the decision-making process about the new standards, their role in implementing them is critical.  Due to Common Core’s emphasis on higher level reading, librarians have the potential to increase their relevance through the instruction of critical thinking and information literacy skills.  Further, Common Core’s focus on informational, non-fiction texts also presents librarians with an opportunity to expand and re-focus their libraries’ collections. The author encourages librarians to weed out materials that are outdated and irrelevant and focus on finding new and in-depth non-fiction materials.  Librarians must also learn to step out of their traditional comfort zone by helping students expand their comprehension skills, another focus of Common Core.  The author points out that this additional task falls easily in line with librarians’ traditional work, though, since they have long helped students create big picture connections to what they read.  The author encourages librarians to take advantage of their unique relationship with students, using even brief conversations as teaching moments.   Lastly, she encourages collaboration with teachers and emphasizes the need for librarians to leave their libraries and bridge the gap with the faculty, strengthening the library’s connections to the curriculum and reminding teachers of the library’s many resources and forms of additional support. 

All in all, this article provided useful information about the implementation of Common Core and how librarians can embrace its changes.  However, further details and creative thinking about how to integrate the standards in a fresh, meaningful way would have been helpful. 

Theory, Practice, Tools

Theory, Practice, Tools

Wiest, Stefani

ET-New Trends, ET-Learning Styles

Rebmann, K.R. (2012). Theory, Practice, Tools. Teacher Librarian, 39(3), 30-34

Summary: Digital storytelling (DS) is an emerging learning tool that combines the use of digital media content and narrative. It has gained prominence in the classroom and school library setting as a teaching tool designed to reach all learning styles through the presentation of kinesthetic, auditory and visual learning. To begin a DS activity, the development of an idea, the collection of digital content and the determination of what tools will be used to complete the story or narrative are needed. Since its emergence into the educational setting, digital storytelling has evolved, most recently with the introduction of Web 2.0 tools. The article maintains there are several benefits of presenting digital storytelling to students, including, offering students access to technology, its adherence to curricular standards, and its effectiveness in utilizing library resources. DS is a tool that can be applied to all core standards.

Evaluation: The DS learning activity outlined in this article is a beneficial tool not only to schools, but also public libraries that could introduce the concept during story time hours. The utilization of technology and the creative outlet it provides will help students who are not motivated or are unsure how to start a writing assignment. The article also outlines ways to assess the effectiveness of digital storytelling in the classroom, how DS can be implemented into specific core standards, and the benefits of this tool to students who have varying learning styles. This technology will encourage creativity as well as bolster confidence after students view the completed product and present their ideas to fruition.

School Libraries and Increased Student Achievemnt: What's the Big Idea?

Tami Sickels
IL-Research About Information Literacy


Scott, K. Poulder, L.  (2007).   School Libraries and Increased Student Achievement:  What's the Big Idea?  Education., 127(3), 419-439

This article, which was written as a paper, shows the research being done to move school libraries from the reputation of being a place of quiet place of order where the librarian sat behind a desk and offered very little assistant to students to a place where collaboration and activity are encouraged. 
The purpose of this research was to answer several questions about library learning and informational skills in students.   There is a brief history of the history of the public school library program and also the impact that No Child Left Behind (NCLB)  has had on the school library.  The writers tell the process of developing the curriculum for the library and boost student achievement.  This is an ongoing process.  This paper and study were very interesting to me because there are so many libraries that are not trying to boost development of student information literacy and the library program in these schools do not cover topics across the curriculum and cover standards in other curriculum areas besides the library.  This was a great study to introduce what's being done in some of these libraries to make things better.  

Who's Creative?

Tami Sickels
IL-Creative Thinking

Scherer, M.  (2013).   Who's Creative?  Educational Leadership, 70(5),  7-7

This article is an article on students' creativity.  The author refers to several cases where creative teaching and learning has positive and measurable results.  Unfortunately, this article also states that there is a "creativity crisis" in our nation.  The cause of this is unknown but is being blamed on rigorous school schedules and hours of media where there is no activity.  In a lot of countries around the world, creativity is a priority, yet in our country we have seen a downward spiral.
I loved this article.  It was so inspiring to read about teachers who are making a difference and closing the gap in low and high level learning and teaching.     

Project Based Learning

Tami Sickels

CO
IL

 Markham, T.  (2011).  Project Based Learning.  Teacher Librarian,  39(2),  38-42

This article is a great overview on project based learning.  It shows the difference between "doing a project" and project based learning or PBL.  This article states that knowing and doing have always been two separate things in teaching but PBL blends the two.  In PBL,  collaborative learning takes place just as in the real world.  These real world skills are assessed as the teacher(s) observe and measure the progress.  Markham also gives a good description of the seven principles used in PBL and how the whole process works.  Even though this method encourages students to learn to function in the real world, most schools do not use project based learning.  We, as teacher librarians, should promote the use of PBL in our schools. This article also offers the notion that we are moving forward with the idea of the group mind.  Markham offers the suggestion that to see this first hand you should visit the "mulit-level, multiplayer gamin sites on the web.  We are being challenged to move to a collaborative form of learning that will involve everyone, parents, students, and teachers.  This article is a very informative article on Project Based Learning and gives a couple of resources on critical thinking. I wish there would have been a little more information on resources where we could read more about PBL. 

Online Virtual Environment Game Used to Teach Information Literacy & Technology Instruction

IL

Kowalsky, M. (2009). A quest for information literacy skills. School Librarian's Workshop, 30(1), 16-17.

This article relays the details of a program created by researchers at Indiana University for youth, ages nine to fifteen.  The program, an online virtual environment called Atlantis Quest, invites students to conduct a variety of educational and research-related tasks in order to provide useful information and assistance to the fictional residents of Atlantis.  There are 500 quests from which youth can choose, all of which are based on skills driven by the curriculum and real-life situations.  Their purpose is to promote research, information literacy, writing skills and mathematics.  Additionally, the games emphasize safe online navigation, compassion, cultural sensitivity, cooperation and more.  Participation in the games requires critical thinking skills and thoughtful responses, rather than simple one-word answers or quiz formats.  Students use online role-playing to interact with both the game’s fictional characters as well as other participants, such as teachers.  Teachers participate by assisting students with the quests and assigning quests that are suited to the current curriculum.  Online assistance is also available to students in the form of the Council and the Elders, two participant groups in the game that are comprised of teachers and volunteers, respectively, and which are meant to provide feedback on the students’ performance.  The article relays that this form of information literacy instruction is becoming increasingly popular.  Currently, over 10,000 people internationally have begun using the program and the Atlantis Quest researchers and developers have been awarded a 1.8 million dollar grant to expand the project.
This program's creative approach toward information literacy instruction is worth the read, though I was disappointed that the author didn't share any actual findings about Atlantis Quest's actual efficacy.

Implications of Information Technology Literacy in the Classroom

IL

Ezziane, Z. (2007).  Information technology literacy: Implications on teaching and learning. Educational Technology & Society, 10(3), 175-191.

This article explores the effect of information technology in the classroom on students' learning styles and teachers' instructional approaches.  It explains that effective information literacy and technology skills are especially critical as the role of technology in the workforce becomes increasingly predominant.  As such, students must be equipped with sufficient technological skills during their education.  The author posits that meaningful interaction with information technology promotes students' use of unique problem-solving methods, collaboration, directed learning, and increased researching capability.  The author argues that the integration of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is positively impacting education, and posits that its benefits include a richer student learning experience, a broader range of teachers' capabilities, and a more varied and diverse learning institution.  Theoretical frameworks for information technology literacy are also considered, including organizational knowledge creation theory, relational information literacy theory and practice, and systems thinking methodology. The author concludes by acknowledging that although administrative issues and costliness may present barriers to technology integration in the classroom, teachers, curriculum developers and administrators to work together to improve their technological and virtual reality skills in the face of the computer's increasing role in classroom learning. 

Overall, the article offers broad support of ICT but does not offer any detailed evidence or compelling theories to demonstrates its efficacy and value.