AASL Standards for Initial Preparation of School Library Media Specialists:
Standard 1: Teaching for Learning: Candidates are effective teachers who demonstrate knowledge of learners and learning and who model and promote collaborative planning, instruction in multiple literacies, and inquiry-based learning, enabling members of the learning community to become effective users and creators of ideas and information. Candidates design and implement instruction that engages students' interests and develops their ability to inquire, think critically, gain and share knowledge.
1.3: Instructional Partner: Candidates model, share, and promote effective principles of teaching and learning as collaborative partners with other educators. Candidates acknowledge the importance of participating in curriculum development, of engaging in school improvement processes, and of offering professional development to other educators as it relates to library and information use.
Artifact Descriptions: ISTC 789: Practicum and Portfolio in School Library Media - Schoolyard habitat research and paraphrase. I developed a lesson within a unit on researching schoolyard habitat which would enable students to best use research skills to construct new knowledge from their experience and from researched information. The four week unit launches from a Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) designed research "slam dunk" includes lessons on note-taking skills and citing sources to support better research. ISTC 601: Administration of School Library Media - School Library Media Action plan. Reference to this assignment helps me to link school library incentives to school-wide goals. The appendix two and three provide structure for developing a plan and organizing the timing to meet the set goal.
Relevance: ISTC 789: Practicum and Portfolio in School Library Media- Schoolyard habitat research and paraphrase. This artifact is a lesson in a unit developed by the candidate in collaboration with the mentoring LMS, language arts teachers, and homeroom teacher. There was also communication with the science teacher and the school’s green team. The candidate can meet the AASL standard 1.3 when developing or improving existing curriculum in collaboration with other educators. ISTC 601: Administration of School Library Media - School library media action plan. The assignment was developed as an action plan which considers school-wide goals and incentives as it addresses a specific improvement measure. The LMS can use informational handouts such as those shown in the appendix to provide communication to principal and staff; it demonstrates how the school library media program (LMP) supports school improvement with library media instruction to meet AASL standard 1.3.
Analysis/Reflection: Where possible in my Practicum experience, I have taken opportunities to collaborate with other educators. I have met with the teachers who see grade 5 to best develop a unit that will model writing skills, support library media skills and science content, and provide an example of a student initiative to study, maintain, or improve their schoolyard habitat. I anticipate that in the future, as an LMS recognizes many opportunities for modeling, sharing, and promoting effective teaching principles in collaboration with other teachers. When developing an action plan for ISTC 601 Administration of the School Library Media I visited a school library and worked with a LMS who developed lessons to address a school-wide incentive to show people at work in the community. More recently as I work with my mentoring LMS I see that she has designed instruction to increase student awareness of other cultures in support of the SPP. The candidate hopes to model, share, and promote effective principles of teaching and learning in collaboration with teachers in the school community, using instruction that aligns with curriculum and is supported by school-wide goals. When doing this and when collaborating with other educators to promote effective principles of learning, the AASL standard 1.3 for Instructional partner is met.