Preparing Teachers and Librarians to Collaborate to Teach 21st Century Skills

Friel, Holly

Latham, D., Gross, M., & Witte, S. (2013, April 4). Preparing Teachers and Librarians to Collaborate to Teach 21^st Century Skills: Views of LIS and Education Faculty.  School Library Research, 16, 1-23. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslpubsandjournals/slr/vol16/SLR_PreparingTeachersLibrarianstoCollaborate_V16.pdf

Summary:

This research study explores the question of: if so much emphasis is put on collaboration between teacher librarians and classroom teachers, how are we each (teacher librarians and classroom teachers) actually be trained for this? The article explains that while there is a lot of emphasis on collaboration in the MLIS programs, collaboration is not a significant emphasis of most teacher training programs. The study analyzes what type of instruction (if any) the two groups receive regarding collaboration in their respective programs, obstacles to collaboration in the field, and suggestions for coursework that can include an emphasis on collaboration

The article also discusses 21st Century Skills: “thinking, learning, technology, and information-literacy, life, and career skills essential for success in this century” referencing the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, The Institute of Museum and Library Services 21st Century Skills Initiative, the American Association of School Librarian’s Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, and the Common Core State Standards. 

Quoted from the Partnership for 21^st Century Skills are these helpful terms and definitions:

· Information literacy: “the ability to successfully access, evaluate, use, and manage information”

· Media literacy: “the ability to successfully analyze media and create media products”
· Information and communication technology (ICT) literacy: “the ability to successfully apply technology”

Review:

The discussion in this article regarding how teacher librarians and teachers are taught (or not) to collaborate very interesting, as well as the overview of 21^st Century Skills. One of the things that stood out to me the most is this statement: “Clearly, more research is needed to identify and develop best practices for teaching collaboration to pre-service librarians and teachers.” It reminds me of a fundamental question that my colleagues and I would sometimes ask each other: “but how do you teach?”

Books for Reading Haters

Amy Hubschman
Z- Fun

Resource:

Trombetta, S. (2015, August 14) 9 Books to read if your are someone who "hates" reading, because there is a book out there for even you Retrieved from http://www.bustle.com/articles/104059-9-books-to-read-if-you-are-someone-who-hates-reading-because-there-is-a-book

Summary:

This web article focuses on high interest, easy-to-read, highly circulated books that most non-avid readers would find pleasurable.  The article reminds us that not all books need to be classics, critically acclaimed, or award winners to be a pleasure to read.    

Evaluation:

Like the author of the article said, I too am always stunned when people say "they don't enjoy reading".  Many of those who say they don't enjoy reading haven't either found the right genre or the perfect book to pull them in.  Or possibly they were force fed the "classics" like many of us were in high school and as a result look at reading as a virtual whopping.  Obviously there is a time and place for the classics like Moby Dick and Shakespeare but perhaps opening up to new classics such as The Kite Runner or Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? could open the world of reading to so many new patrons.    

How schools would be judged under ‘Every Student Succeeds,’ the new No Child Left Behind

Friel, Holly

Brown, Emma. (2015, November 30). How schools would be judged under ‘Every Student Succeeds,’ the new No Child Left Behind. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2015/11/30/how-schools-would-be-judged-under-every-student-succeeds-the-new-no-child-left-behind/

Summary:

This article provides key changes between the old version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB), and its new version, known as the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA).  A major difference is that the new version largely shifts power from the federal government to the state governments. Key features of the new bill, set to be signed into law by the end of 2015, as quoted from the article include:

• ·      The testing regime remains in place. 
• ·      States get to set their own academic goals.
• ·      Test scores still matter, but how much is up to the states.
• ·      What should be done in schools that are struggling will be up to states and districts.
• ·      What happens if lots of kids opt out of testing? Again, it’s up to the state.”

Review:

This short, accessible article is great for non-teachers or teachers or other people who haven’t followed the education reform landscape too closely.  

Every Student Succeeds Act Explained

Friel, Holly

Klein, Alyson. (2015, November 30). ESEA Reauthorization: The Every Student Succeeds Act Explained. Education Week. Retrieved from http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2015/11/esea_reauthorization_the_every.html

For free access to Education Week, access this article through the SJSU MLK Library:

http://blogs.edweek.org.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2015/11/esea_reauthorization_the_every.html

Summary:

This article on the proposed Elementary and Secondary Education Act, commonly called the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), asks: “So what is in the ESSA, when it comes to accountability, testing, programs, and more? And how does it compare to No Child Left Behind Act, Classic Edition, and the Obama administration's NCLB waivers?”  The article explains each of these aspects of ESSA, including a summary of the sections on English-Language Learners, students in Special Education, and teacher evaluation. Fascinatingly, this bill also contains a pardon for legendary black heavyweight boxer Jack Johnson (1878-1946)!? Please note that this is a proposed bill; it is not law yet, and there may be more changes in store!

Review:

This article provides a good over of the proposed education reform bill.  It has a lot of links that connect you to pages with more depth on key aspects of the bill.  A great primer!

California Public School Library Standards

      While exploring possible subjects for our blog reading, I stumbled upon qualitative gold!  The report, “Model School Library Standards for California Public Schools Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve” , located on the California Department of Education website reveals an inside look in the health and condition of California school libraries, but even more interesting; a review of California’s adopted school library standards. This adoption is dated back to two thousand and ten, but is still relevant and still needs a great deal of implementation. It is my hope for California, that grants are on the way to establish these standards in public schools across California. Four standards are outlined in the report, each standard classified by grade level. Standard 1 reviews how students access information. Including how to locate and use the library and the tools and resources available within the library. Standard 2, Students evaluate information. Standard 3, students use information. The student will organize, synthesize, create, and communicate information. Standard 4. Students integrate information literacy skills into all areas of learning (CDE, 2010). After reviewing the standards, it’s encouraging to know that the CDE values library services and is educated on current library practices and expectations. The report also stresses that schools that offer quality library programs demonstrate a direct correlation with improved academic scores. This report is a fantastic resource for librarians and MLIS students.

References

   http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/librarystandards.pdf

Model School Library Standards for California Public Schools Kindergarten Through Grade Twelve.

Adopted by the California State Board of Education September 2010

The Art of War for Librarians

Posted by Caitlin Wallingford

Ken Kempke makes an interesting argument for librarians to implement many of the strategies set forth by Sun Tzu.  Obviously ignoring some principles from The Art of War (don't demoralize the enemy or set fire to their resources), Kempke highlights other teachings that most librarians would do well to heed.  For example: "Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength." Simply put, we all need to become more aggressive about our needs, gifts, etc. and less prone to complaining to our coworkers!

Kempcke, K. (2002). The Art of War for Librarians: Academic Culture, Curriculum Reform, and Wisdom from Sun Tzu. Portal: Libraries and the Academy, 2(4), 529–51.

Ruth Mitchell

ET

Dweck, C. (2015, September 22). Carol Dweck revisits the 'growth mindset'. Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/09/23/carol-dweck-revisits-the-growth-mindset.html?cmp=eml-eb-pop112715.

Carol Dweck provides her reflection on the Growth Mindset and what we, as educators, need to do to follow the growth mindset journey and adopt a "deeper, true growth mindset." She explains that in order to do this we need to accept our fixed-mindset and carefully watch for "our fixed-mindset triggers" when we face challenges or feel incompetent as teachers. In addition, she gives the following statements to use when encouraging students:

• "When you learn how to do a new kind of problem it grows your math brain!"
• "If you catch yourself saying, 'I'm not a math person.' just add the word 'yet' to the end of the sentence."
• "That feeling of math being hard is the feeling of your brain growing"
• "The point isn't to get it all right away. The point is to grow your understanding step by step. What can you try next?"