The School Librarian and You!

1. The School Librarian and You! How we can and why we should work together for the benefit of students…

2. Who are You?

3. Who am I? Graduate Student Masters in Library Science School Library Media Specialist a.k.a. - SLMS (pronounced slims) a.k.a. - School Librarian a.k.a. - Teacher Librarian (CAN) Certified K-12 Teacher Just like you!

4. What is your schema of Librarian? “A schema (pl. schemata), in psychology and cognitive science, is a mental structure that represents some aspect of the world.” -Wikipedia.com (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schemata_theory) 10/15/2008 • Characteristics • Qualities • Tasks • Responsibilities

6. School Librarian 2.0 • Teacher • Certified • Instructional Consultant • Collaborator, Tech Assistant • Program Manager • President, CEO, CFO, and COO • Information Specialist • Teaching students and staff the skills of locating, selecting and evaluating information

7. So…Out with the old (stereotype) and in with the new! • The realities: • 50% of school librarians are over the age of 55 • In 2006 two thirds (2/3) of librarians - most of which work in school and academic libraries - were aged 45 or older

8. Why Collaborate? Small, Ruth, Snyder, Jaime & Parker, Katie. “New York State’s School Libraries and Library Media Specialists: An Impact Study.” February 2008 Center for Digital Literacy, Syracuse University.

9. Common Goals • Helping students flourish in a learning community not limited by time, place, age, occupation or disciplinary borders • Joining teachers and others to identify links in student information needs, curricular content, learning outcomes, and a variety of print and non-print resources • Design authentic learning tasks and assessments Taken from www.aasl.org in summary of Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. Chicago: American Library Association, 1998. ISBN 0-8389-3470-6

10. Learning Skills cannot be absorbed without content.

11. Ideas for Collaboration: • Lesson Ideas: • Research Projects • Effective Searching • Citations/Works Cited • Creative Projects • Student Reading?

12. Out of the Box… • Need an Idea? • Want some Educational Resources? • Feeling Stressed? • Book Clubs • Alternative Locations for Students • Test Taking • Teachable Moments • And much more…

13. And Why Not?

14. Information Literacy Defined: “Information literacy is the ability to recognize the extent and nature of an information need, then to locate, evaluate, and effectively use the needed information.” (Plattsburgh State Information and Computer Literacy Task Force, 2001)

15. AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner • “To become independent learners, students must gain not only the skills but also the disposition to use those skills, along with an understanding of their own responsibilities and self-assessment strategies. Combined, these four elements build a learner who can thrive in a complex information environment… “In this increasingly global world of information, students must be taught to seek diverse perspectives, gather and use information ethically, and use social tools responsibly and safely.” http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/AASL_LearningStandards.pdf

16. LEARNERS USE SKILLS, RESOURCES, & TOOLS TO: • Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.

17. INDEPENDENT LEARNING STANDARDS • Standard 4: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and pursues information related to personal interests. • Standard 5: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and appreciates literature and other creative expressions of information. • Standard 6: The student who is an independent learner is information literate and strives for excellence in information seeking and knowledge generation.

18. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY STANDARDS • Standard 7: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and recognizes the importance of information to a democratic society. • Standard 8: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and practices ethical behavior in regard to information and information technology. • Standard 9: The student who contributes positively to the learning community and to society is information literate and participates effectively in groups to pursue and generate information.

19. Standards for the 21st- Century Learner • 1. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge. • 2. Draw Conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge. • 3. Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society. • 4. Pursue personal and aesthetic growth. • http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslproftools/learningstandards/AASL_Learning_Standards_2007.pdf

20. In conclusion…

21. Resources: • Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning. Chicago: American Library Association, 1998. ISBN 0-8389-3470-6 • Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning. Prepared by the American Association of School Librarians and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, 1998. <http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslproftools/informationpower/InformationLiteracyStandards_final.pdf > (October 16, 2008) • AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner. Prepared by the American Association of School Libraries, Chicago: American Library Association, 2007. <http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards.> (October 16, 2008) • Business First elementary school rankings 2008: <http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=60491&catid=273> (October 16, 2008) • Retirement statistics: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Librarians, on the Internet at <http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos068.htm> (October 16, 2008).