Libraries, Schools, Social Media and lots more...: 4 ways the school librarian can save teachers time and help support independent learners Independent learners What makes an Independent learner? • The ability to understand which resource is going to help you find the best quality information and being able to use research skills to locate it. • Knowing and understanding the importance of referencing, copyright and giving credit. Many teachers believe that if a student can find the answer via Google they have an independent learner. Independent learners start by connecting and wondering about the topic they are researching. Why does this happen? School librarian’s curators of information and collaborators One of our roles as information professionals, is to curate physical and online resources that not only are age appropriate but also good quality. Another role is using digital literacy to help make connections. Our collaborations This year we have been able to use and share both Padlet and Flipgrid with our teachers. Collaboration saves time and impacts student attainment! What can the librarian do for teachers? References
7 Tips for Successful Collaboration Who We Are and What We Do We are National Board Certified Teachers who have been collaborative partners for almost a decade at Oceanside High School in New York. Our collaboration works because we're working together towards a common goal: helping our students reach their fullest potential. We teach two integrated sections of ninth grade Honors English and Social Studies, where our students move as a cohort between our classes, giving them an experience that illustrates how English and Social Studies are related by providing them with the opportunity to read text deeply, and link themes occurring across both classrooms. In addition, we team teach a Conference class where students delve deeper into the humanities, exploring concepts that link us all in the human experience. Every year we have the opportunity to teach grades other than the ninth grade integrated program, and we choose to stay together. Carve Out Common Planning Time Use Your School Schedule To Your Advantage Maintain Hope
Building Teacher Collaboration School-wide Teacher collaboration has been a common element of middle grades initiatives for years, typically one or more of these three organizational models: common planning time, professional learning communities, and critical friends groups. Each model is distinct, yet they share common features. They 1) advance teacher learning, 2) address context-specific issues, 3) foster collegiality, 4) reduce teacher isolation, and 5) lead teachers to greater insights about teaching and learning. What makes each organization model unique? Table 1. Strategies for Building Teacher Collaboration Organizational models facilitate, but do not guarantee collaboration. As with other skills, we gain a greater capacity for collaboration with the opportunity to practice. 1. 2. Trust influences the effectiveness of collaborative work. 3. Identifying and establishing group norms also can help develop that safe environment. 4. Discussion moves the conversation forward. 5. Teacher Collaboration Micki M.
S.O.S. for Information Literacy Collaboration is an evolving process that does not happen overnight. Here are some of our tips for developing successful collaborative relationships. Develop a "collaborative mentality." This means your collaboration "antennae" are always seeking out collaboration opportunities wherever and whenever they arise.Get "up close and personal" with the curricula for each grade level in your school and determine the most likely "payoff points," where you can immediately provide services and resources to meet the needs of both teachers and students.Hang out with teachers; have lunch in the teachers' room, go to team planning meetings, join curriculum and technology committees---whatever it takes to be able to interact and learn what's important to them and their students.Be enthusiastic, approachable, and a good listener. You might also find the brief ERIC Digest "Teachers and Librarians: Collaborative Relationships" to be helpful as a background on collaborative relationships.
Young Tech Girl Superheroes create an app that makes reading fun - Nicola O’Brien - ABC Splash - A team of Year 4 and 5 girls have combined their love of reading and coding to create Reading Republic, an award-winning app that encourages kids to read books, write book reviews and take quizzes about the books they’ve read. The team’s coding coach Nicola O’Brien writes. When the team of Year 4 and 5 girls sat down to talk about their favourite books, it was hard to get a word in. They couldn’t wait to share which books they’d enjoyed, and why, and they loved the idea of making their own “must read” list based on friends’ recommendations. The girls also loved coding and were learning about how to use code to make an app. They decided to enter the 2016 Search for the Next Tech Girl Superhero Competition, which has a focus on solving a problem in the community. An app for young readers Reading Republic app inspires kids to read and share the love of reading. “Now you can add video book reviews - that makes it even more fun.” says Angelica Talevi, the team’s designer. Tips for making apps
How to Create Fruitful Co-Teaching Partnerships A MiddleWeb Bog By now co-teachers around the nation have had a chance to get off on the right foot. I hope you had a flying start! The first goal for co-teachers is to pave the way for a successful year by establishing a learning environment that nurtures a sense of community. If you are working together by choice, it’s likely you are well into a good groove by now! A forced pairing can flourish This is the reality: most co-teachers find themselves together in the same classroom because somebody says they have to be. Some “forced pairings” rise to the occasion and decide to just make it work. My quest to elevate co-teaching has always been to find an antidote for the feelings of resignation that frequently emerge when co-teachers are forced into a relationship. Jim Knight’s partnership approach Jim Knight For starters, colleagues should find common ground and engage in one-to-one meetings to get at the heart of the emotional stance and perspectives of each other. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
20 Collaborative Learning Tips And Strategies For Teachers 20 Collaborative Learning Tips And Strategies For Teachers contributed by Miriam Clifford There is an age-old adage that says, “two heads are better than one.” Consider collaboration in recent history: Watson and Crick or Page and Brin (Founders of Google). Yes, those two were, of course, Bill Gates and Paul Allen, the founders of Microsoft. Collaborative learning teams are said to attain higher-level thinking and preserve information for longer times than students working individually. Groups tend to learn through “discussion, clarification of ideas, and evaluation of other’s ideas.” Collaborative learning teams are said to attain higher level thinking and preserve information for longer times than students working individually. Many consider Vygotsky the father of ‘social learning.’ What are some ways to include best practices for collaborative learning in our classroom? 1. Effective collaborative learning involves the establishment of group goals, as well as individual accountability. 2.
Seven Tips to Make Teacher Collaboration Time Productive Become a Teacher >> Browse Articles >> Hot Topics Featured Author: Mrs. Laura Owen Mrs. Owen is currently teaching 3rd grade at the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, GA. Add Mrs. The opinions and statements made in this article are solely those of the author and do not represent the opinions or representations of the University of Phoenix. About University of Phoenix At the largest private university in North America, you can attend classes at one of our more than 190 convenient locations. Earn your degree sooner than you think. While widely available, not all programs are available in all locations or in both online and on-campus formats. University of Phoenix University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association (ncahlc.org). Walk into a school today and you will rarely see teachers independently planning for instruction. 1. Determine who will be doing what at each team meeting and develop an organized system. 2. 3.
ON LIBRARIES – The Highly Effective School Librarian – Hilda K. Weisburg When school librarians are recognized as a leader they are called highly effective.” Until now the best tool for evaluating this has been the Danielson Framework – Library Media Specialists, but thanks to ALA Past Presidents Sari Felman and Julie Todaro their ALA Initiative, “Libraries Transform – The Expert in the Library has given us something more precise. Now we can point to eleven competencies based on the National Policy Board for Educational Leaders’ Professional Standards for Education Leaders (PSEL). Thanks go to Susan Ballard, Dorcas Hand, and Sara Kelly Johns who have created a way we can self-assess and determine our own route forward. The website for School Librarian PSEL Competencies – Building Our Expertise has directions and the host of resources you need to act on what might be the best PD you ever had. To help you get started, I will unpack what is available for you on the website. First, there are 11 Competencies they have identified along with the explanation for each:
5 Free Tools for Creating Book Trailer Videos The traditional book report that asks students to critique the books that they read is a staple of many classrooms. If you would like to add a new element to book reports try having students add visual and audio components to book reports by having students create book trailers. Book trailers are short videos designed to spark a viewer's interest in a book. A great place to find examples of book trailers is Book Trailers for Readers. If you would like to have your students try to create book trailers, here are five free video tools that are well-suited to that purpose. Animoto makes it possible to quickly create a video using still images, music, video clips, and text. Stupeflix is a service that allows user to quickly and easily create video montages using their favorite images and audio clips. Shwup is a service similar to Animoto and Stupeflix for creating videos based on your images and audio files. Masher is a free tool for creating video mash-ups.
8 Fun Ways to Help Your Students Collaborate in the Classroom The days of students silently working independently from textbooks at desks neatly arranged into perfect rows are long gone! In today’s classroom, you’re more likely to see students standing or sitting together around tables or huddling on the rug, gesturing and talking excitedly, drawing diagrams on tablets, sketching ideas on whiteboards, or gathered around computers. Collaborative learning is a 21st-century skill that is at the top of most districts’ curricula. When students work collaboratively, they become involved in a process that promotes cooperation and builds community. New ideas are generated as students give one another feedback. Here are eight activities and tools to foster an environment of collaboration in your classroom. 1. Collaboration doesn’t necessarily come naturally to students. Source 2. Put your students’ affinity for selfies to good use with Flipgrid, a simple yet powerful tech tool that allows students to express themselves creatively and amplify their voices. 3.