LIBE 467 - Assignment #2 - Collaborate with a teacher and evolve their practice

Background Information and Context: 

The school I work at is one that is more on the traditional side. Teacher led lessons, followed by individual student desk work and a written test would be fairly typical practice. Project based learning is occurring also, and some inquiry projects are present within units of study. The curriculum is quite dated, between 15-25 years in all major subject areas, and it is also worth noting that some of the assignments and projects would be that age as well. 

The Learning Commons is seen largely as a book exchange by many teachers. The Learning Commons concept is new to the school, but in addition, this is the first year to have a Teacher Librarian employed. The establishment of that role, and what it entails is still very much evolving. Prior to this year, no classes have used the Learning Commons for reference resources. Using the continuum from the Leading Learning publication, the school community is largely in the ‘Exploring’ phase, with some teachers moving into the ‘Emerging’ phase. Helping a teacher evolve their practice can only begin once a trusting relationship has been built and there is value seen in collaboration with the Teacher Librarian. Change is a process, and takes time. The change I am looking to institute is really two-fold: first the teacher needs to be open to partnering with the Teacher Librarian to use the learning commons, and from there, the development of reference resources can begin. 

                                   

                       

(image source: Leading Learning, 2014, pg. 9) 

                       

General plan to increase Learning Commons use and collaboration

Step 1	Build a trusting relationship  listen be proactive
Step 2	Be present schedule time  come prepared share ideas  be open, non-judgmental, and positive  meet them where they are
Step 3	Create  research find resources build the project
Step 4	Reflect, refine, adjust
Step 5	Share with others teachers parents  admin

Teacher Profile: 

Teacher #1 Ms. Bright has been in the elementary classroom for over 20 years. She takes pride in running ‘a tight ship’ and has clear expectations for student behaviour, conduct and manners. In her grade two classroom, she sets strict parameters around students reading chapter books only (not graphics, picture or non-fiction books) and only at their level. She wants students exchanging books weekly and finding ‘good fit’ books with a high degree of independence. She personally oversees the checkout process and often tells students that the books they have chosen are not a good fit, sending them back to ‘try again.’ This background information is an important piece in understanding the teacher, as this example is illustrative of her view of the Learning Commons, and also her approach to research.  She does not think grade two is able to research on their own, and she provides her own research books for her class.  She has not previously used resources in the Learning Commons for research. Her outlook on teaching and learning could be classified as traditional as she likes to be in control of the ‘knowledge’.

(image source: Leading Learning pg. 10)  

Objective for Teacher #1 - Ms. Bright 

Under the category of: Facilitating collaborative engagement to cultivate and empower a community of learners. The goal is to bring her on to the continuum for “Design for Collaboration” and end in a place of ‘Emerging, or Evolving’

(image source: Leading Learning, 2014, pg 11) 

Teacher #1 - Ms. Bright’s plan 

Grade two was beginning a unit on physical geography in social studies. I reached out to Ms. Bright, to see if she would like any resources pulled. She said no, as she has everything she needs in her personal book collection. However, this conversation led to a discussion around resources regarding Indigenous perspectives of the land. Ms. Bright wondered if the Learning Commons had anything? This led to a later discussion around the land acknowledgement, and that students don’t really understand what it means, as there has been no context or teaching in this area. She does not have any information, experience or background knowledge of Indigenous teachings. She does not know where to begin, but would like to meaningfully incorporate Indigenous content into Social Studies.  

Together, Ms. Bright and I decided to work with students on looking at perspectives of the land, exploring what the land acknowledgement means, and individual relationships with the land. 

Teacher Concerns 

• Awareness (how can it be done properly, authentically?)
• Information (where do we get the information?) 

(image from https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/731/2015/07/CBAM-explanation.pdf)

In our initial planning session, Ms. Bright expressed she is most comfortable using an established curriculum. She had heard about Under One Sun, and was interested in trying it in her classroom. She thought we could use these as a starting place to guide the classroom teaching. In the Learning Commons, there would be a section for students to find related books on landforms, geography, Indigenous stories about land, and atlases will all be utilized as students explore the question from the program of studies. In the Learning Commons time, we would learn about the land acknowledgement, and explore online resources, such as ‘Walking Together.’ Students will record their learning, reflections and thoughts in their Visual Journals. 

Gr 2 Social Studies Specific outcome 2.1.1 from the Alberta Program of Studies

Appreciate the physical and human geography of the communities studied:  -appreciate how a community’s physical geography shapes identity  -appreciate the diversity and vastness of Canada’s land and peoples -value oral history and stories as ways to learn about the land -acknowledge, explore and respect historic sites and monuments -demonstrate care and concern for the environment

Resources

Under One Sun

https://school.nelson.com/under-one-sun/

Walking Together

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/aswt/traditional_environmental_knowledge/#beginning-3

We are in the beginning phases of this project. The ultimate goal is that Ms. Bright’s learning will be a starting point for further student research and collaborative projects in the Learning Commons. On the CBAM model, she is already moving to the third step, and working on a plan to incorporate. 

Having lessons in the Learning Commons that are exploring information online is also a new step for her. It is a beginning in how the space is used and viewed that is larger and more broad than a book exchange. 

Teacher Profile: 

Teacher #2, Ms. Blackwell has been a teacher for seven years, and has taught exclusively at our current school.  She is new to working with a teacher librarian and has not ever used the Learning Commons for research. She has been working in Grade five for most of her career, and teaches the same curriculum and assigns the same projects. She finds change ‘overwhelming’ and she often talks about how swamped she is, how much is expected of teachers and how she is ‘drowning’ in work. When attempts to collaborate on a new research project have been broached, she has agreed that it sounds good, but not right now. For our weekly Learning Commons time, she is open to ‘doing whatever’ but she wants the students to sign out books and read because there is not much class time for reading because she is so busy. In her classroom, research done for projects is mainly through the information students find in their textbook. She says she is open to change, but hesitant to stray from what she knows. 

Objective for Teacher #2 - Ms. Blackwell 

Under the category of: Fostering literacies to empower lifelong learners, the goal is to bring Ms. Blackwell onto the spectrum for Information Literacy, to the ‘evolving’ category this year, with an aim of becoming ‘established’ in following years.  

(image source: Leading Learning, 2014, pg 17)

Teacher #2 - Ms. Blackwell’s plan 

Since the projects in grade five largely stay the same each year, as planning for one of the larger ones neared, I approached Ms. Blackwell and asked if I could meet with her. My goal was not to help her create a new project, but to modify an existing project to incorporate more research. 

I asked her what her plan was and what she was hoping for from the project this year. I listened carefully, shared some of the positive experiences I had from viewing the final project from seeing it presented over the past few years. I then asked if she would be open to partnering with me, to create additional research opportunities. She was hesitant, but open to hearing me out. 

The original project: 

Wax Museum Biography Book Talk 

Summary: Students read a biography. They then create a life size poster based on information they read in the book. Students write a speech that is less than 1 minute in length based on the poster. On gallery day, students come dressed as their character, and remain at their poster, frozen. When a viewer comes, and presses their play button, the character comes to life and recites the speech they wrote, before freezing again. 

Teacher Frustrations: 

-students all choosing the same character 

- trouble finding biographies at grade five reading level (‘Who am I?” series were deemed too easy; many other published biographies are for adults and contain adult themes) 

- students ‘not really reading’ their books

Proposed Change: 

Instead of reading a printed biography in book format, students research online. Using the Points Of Inquiry model, begin with “connect and wonder” mapping out individual interests, hobbies, and activities. From here, teach students how to research, and model researching skills. Searching first for the leaders in the area of student’s interest, finding a person who has made a significant impact and who is important to the student, based on shared interests. 

Students will learn:

-Points of Inquiry Model

-Jot notes (how to take notes, avoiding plagiarism) 

-Research strategies (scanning rather than reading thoroughly, consolidating information)

-Information literacy skills, such as website credibility

-How to access information using the Online Reference Center 

-How to cite sources

Specific Learning Outcomes covered (from the Alberta Program of Studies) 

3.1 develop and follow own plan for gathering and recording ideas and information 3.2 locate information to answer research questions, using a variety of sources, such as newspapers, encyclopedias, CDROMs, a series by the same writer, scripts, diaries, autobiographies, interviews and oral traditions 3.2 skim, scan and listen for key words and phrases 3.2 determine the usefulness and relevance of information for research purpose and focus, using pre-established criteria 3.3  record information in own words; cite titles and authors alphabetically, and provide publication dates of sources 3.3 record ideas and information in relevant categories, according to a research plan

Teacher Concerns (expressed in the initial meeting)

- Time 

-Work Load 

On the Stages of Concern model, these initial concerns can be qualified as Personal.

(image from https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/731/2015/07/CBAM-explanation.pdf)

These initial concerns were addressed by mapping out a weekly block where the students come to the Learning Commons, and the Teacher Librarian takes on the teaching component of the research component of the project. Ms. Blackwell will come with her class to the Learning Commons to be part of the lesson, to share information about the remaining parts of the project, and to learn about researching herself. The in-class component of the project remains similar, so she felt comfortable making this change.

Check-in

Students have been very engaged in this process thus far. I have heard feedback from students that they are glad that they can research anyone, and that they don’t have to have a book written about them. It has felt like a very positive partnership between teacher and teacher-librarian.   

Assessment: Hearing feedback from teachers to determine where they are at with the individual changes might be easily facilitated through a google form. Basing the survey on the questions in the CBAM method would be a place to begin. This can then be used to reevaluate and determine next steps.

Conclusion

As I learn my role, the most effective starting place is to develop positive relationships with the teachers. Listening to their needs, and meeting them where they are at will be the most effective way to get teachers to collaborate and get excited about the learning commons partnership. The CBAM method will be helpful in guiding my practice about how to meet teachers at their level, address their concerns and help to be the bridge to move them forward. 

Works Cited

Alberta Education Program of Studies Elementary Language Arts (2000) Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/160360/ela-pos-k-9.pdf

Alberta Education Program of Studies Elementary Social Studies (2005) Retrieved from https://education.alberta.ca/media/159594/program-of-studies-k-3.pdf

Canadian Libraries Association. Leading learning: Standards of practice for school library learning commons in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Canadian Libraries Association. 

The Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) Retrieved from https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/731/2015/07/CBAM-explanation.pdf

Learn Alberta Online Reference Centre. (2019) Retrieved from http://www.learnalberta.ca/OnlineReferenceCentre.aspx?lang=en

Learn Alberta. (2019) Walking Together: First Nation, Inuit and Metis Perspectives in the Curriculum. http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/aswt/

Nelson Educators (2020) Under One Sun Retrieved from https://school.nelson.com/under-one-sun/

The Immigrant Education Society. (2017) Land acknowledgement: Why do we acknowledge Treaty Land? https://www.immigrant-education.ca/knowledge-base/land-acknowledgement/#1530131484051-f640c30f-92c8