Creating Hybrid Spaces for Exploration

Subramaniam, M. M., Ahn, J., Fleischmann, K. R., & Druin, A. (2012) Reimagining the role of school libraries in STEM education: Creating hybrid spaces for exploration. The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy. 82(2) pp. 161-182.

Summary: This article examines the role of school libraries in STEM education from a sociocultural approach. The article stresses the need for school libraries to create hybrid spaces for STEM education and to maximize the roles school librarians have in that education. The authors propose that teachers and librarians take on an active role in STEM education through advising, collaboration, and technology. The authors further propose that librarians are in a unique position to create an environment for active participation for STEM activities which will further aid students in creating a STEM identity.

Evaluation: Though focused on STEM education, the takeaways from this article really stress basic elements of teacher-librarianship and library space. They stress libraries being active learning commons, collaboration with teachers and librarians advising students on resources and technology to provide transformative experiences for learning. 

Making the Classroom-library Connection

Moreillon, J. (2016). Making the classroom-library connection. Teacher Librarian 43(3). p 8-18.

Summary: This article describes the author’s experience with providing a workshop to pre-service teachers about collaboration and co-teaching with a teacher-librarian. The workshop was co-taught and featured small and whole-group sessions where preservice teachers were exposed to areas of teacher-librarian expertise such as copyright and fair use and a co-planning demonstration.  The author found that the majority of preservice teachers saw the benefit of collaboration with a teacher librarian and that efforts by teacher-librarians to reach out to these teachers would generally be well-received.

Evaluation: This article stresses an important element about co-teaching that is rarely addressed in the literature: teacher instruction. While librarians are taught about collaboration and co-teaching as fundamental to their careers, preservice teachers are not getting this exposure in their education. The author suggests that teacher-librarians reach out to teachers for co-planning, and that engaging new teachers in collaboration early can set the stage for more co-teaching. The author also suggests that this workshop could be given to education students and foster the idea of collaboration and co-teaching before teachers enter the school system.  

Collaborative Relationships with Principals

Eric Sanderson

CO

Moreillon, J. (2014, December / 2015, January). Collaborative relationships with principals. School Library Monthly, 31(3), 27-28.

Summary. In this brief article, Moreillon speaks directly to school librarians about the importance of establishing positive collaborative relationships with school principals. Both descriptive and prescriptive in its content, Moreillon's article offers an introduction to the ways in which such relationships can (a) enrich a school's learning and teaching ecosystem and (b) develop the professional experience and expertise of school librarians and principals.

Evaluation. While we spend a great deal of time considering collaborative relationships between classroom teachers and teacher librarians, Moreillon's article reminds us that such relationships are often predicated on or shaped by the institutional framework developed or implemented by school principals. Moreillon's article provides a useful introduction to understanding the ways in which teacher librarians can carve out and/or develop their niche within a school's learning and teaching ecosystem by working proactively with school-level administrators. Also, it is worth noting that this article speaks to the Cutting Edge E (Expertise and Leadership) component of the LIITE model.

Design thinking in a day

Found at: http://designthinkingforlibraries.com/

With the help of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation IDEO and the Chicago Public Library created and shaped this guide for design thinking specifically for busy librarians! IDEO and Chicago Public worked really hard to create a beautiful guide that covers the basics of what DT is and how to be successful at it. It's quick, 17 pages) and does gloss over the finer points of DT but overall if you just are looking for a quick primer or how-to it's well worth the read.

IDEO also created a design kit for further study that can be found here. http://www.designkit.org/

Newslet for Libraries

Newslet for Libraries is a monthly aggregated online newsletter for librarians by librarians. You can subscribe for free and unsubscribe at any time. Each "issue" is full of current trends, ideas, and stories for and about libraries. I love it and it's FREE.

Sign up here at http://libraries.newslet.org/

The Information Literacy User ’s Guide: A Remixed Open, Online Textbook

A free open source textbook on information literacy from The College of New Rochelle in New Rochelle New York.

Pros: In-depth FREE textbook on information literacy, well organized, you can cherry pick for only the information you need, great examples, excellent graphic orginizers.

Cons: In-depth textbook*

*full disclosure I'm cherry picking right now as there is no way I will be able to sit and read if all over the course of this review. I am really enjoying what I am reading. They provide great examples, the information is current and timely, and the graphic organizers help me to visualize what information literacy really looks like to my students.

Fazzino, L., Kahn, M., Octobre, M., Sucre, N., & Turley, J. (2016). The information literacy user’s guide: A remixed open, online textbook. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.cnr.edu/gill-publications/59. Licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA and derived from Bernnard, D., Bobish, G., Bullis, D., Hecker, J., Holden, I., Hosier, A… Lorey, T. (2014). The information literacy user’s guide: An open, online textbook. Retrieved from http://textbooks.opensuny.org/the-information-literacy-users-guide-an-open-online-textbook/.

Blended Instructional Practice: a review of literature.

Johnston, Jeff

ET-Blended learning

Brown, M. m. (2016). Blended instructional practice: A review of the empirical literature on instructors' adoption and use of online tools in face-to-face teaching. Internet & Higher Education, 311-10.

Summary:  Blended learning has been discussed and researched by academia, but the primary focus has been student-centered.  Most students enrolled in degree programs have experienced some form of blended learning practices.  What has not been researched as greatly is the impact that blended learning shifts have on pedagogy, institutional practices, student and faculty behaviors, institutional infrastructure and more.  This article reviews existing literature to identify influences on blended learning in higher education.  

Analysis/Opinion:  Rather dry empircal review of existing research regarding blended learning practices.  I found it interesting that most of the research has been driven by examining the student role, receptivity, and success in blended learning classrooms.  Very little research exists about the instructor role, particularly in higher education, and what internal and external influences exists.  The tables at the end of the article are useful in that they define the four external and two internal influences on collegiate and university instructors utilizing blended instructional practices (BIP), and point to further research which both supports, is neutral toward, and is opposed to these influences.