Case+Study+Summary-Reflection

most recent draft Introduction

Amid the pressure to improve student performance with ever shrinking budgets, school librarians are seeking ways to solidify their positions by taking a visible, active role in facilitating student achievement. The most direct means of affecting overall campus performance is through the establishment of collaborative communities, in which the librarian works with teachers in all subject areas to develop “inquiry-driven curricular units that effectively teach content and research skills” (EL 20). When librarians collaborate with teachers to impact student learning, everyone benefits. Successful collaboration strengthens the position of the librarian and is simultaneously advantageous to teachers, administrators and most importantly, to students.

Benefits of collaboration to students

Collaboration between the classroom teacher and the librarian is beneficial to students of all learning styles. First, co-teaching effectively lowers the student teacher ratio, which has been shown to positively affect student achievement (Moreillon 7). Two teachers may alternate roles and responsibilities, as well as group students with similar learning styles. As a result, “the students get a lot more individualized attention because they are working with two teachers instead of one” (Kindergarten Teacher). According to Moreillon, lowering the student-teacher ratio and increasing personalized instruction improves student performance, “particularly for children who enter formal schooling with fewer school-like literacy experiences” (Moreillon 7). Another advantage of collaboration is that students become familiar with library resources and the librarian, serving to “break down barriers between the library and the classroom” (Successful Partnerships). In her interview, Peggy cites successful collaboration as the reason that her students began to view the library as a place of learning (Kindergarten Teacher), and Mary Ann believes that one of the keys to student success with her collaboration projects is the feeling that they were “welcome in the library” (Seventh Grade Language Arts Teacher). In addition, the literacy skills embedded in collaborative assignments add depth to the instruction, guiding students toward the development of higher order thinking skills and enabling them to connect learning across the curriculum. Paula states that students adopt a "global perspective" from the cross-curricular connections (Principal). In addition, the school librarian who teaches skills using 21st Century Standards is teaching students to self-assess, resulting in positive overall learning behaviors, including ownership over their learning (Harada 14). Ultimately, students will engage in what Judy refers to as “authentic learning” (Third Grade Teacher) as they master the learning process. That is to say, students will learn how to learn.

Benefits of collaboration to teachers

Even though collaborative efforts are designed for students, teachers also gain a great deal from these endeavors. Working with the librarian, teachers report an increase in creativity resulting in expanded instructional opportunities ; Peggy states they, "feed off each other" (Kindergarten). Yet, planning lessons in conjunction with the librarian actually saves time. Teachers can bring “very vague and kind of nebulous” ideas to the librarian (High School English Teacher), who can (CHANGED FROM WILL) then do the time-consuming job of collecting all the necessary resources and developing strategies and options for instruction. Moreover, the teacher can choose to ask the librarian to grade portions of the lesson, which will save even more time. Teachers can rely on the expertise of the librarian instead of trying to learn the same set of skills another professional has or rush to learn those skills. One teacher learned about booktalks from the librarian's modeling of them (Eighth Grade Language Arts Teacher). In the long run, the inquiry-based lessons and literacy skills taught during collaboration will transform students from passive receivers of information into aggressive, self-directed learners. For the teacher, it seems as if this independent learning style will mean that there is less need for teaching process steps or doling out information. Instead, the teacher can facilitate learning and have more time to give individualized help where it is needed. Most importantly, inquiry-based learning improves the higher order thinking skills that are critical to improving student achievement. As the emphasis in education continues to shift toward more accountability, it seems obvious that increasing student performance has the added benefit of decreasing teacher stress. Along with this emotional benefit, a teacher stated that it was "fun" and "exciting for the teacher" (Seventh Grade Language Arts Teacher). Finally, collaborating with the librarian provides opportunity for learning about new technologies, skills and strategies that the teacher may otherwise not have time to learn.

Benefits of collaboration to librarians

While the practice of collaborative instruction is clearly advantageous to both students and teachers, librarians are not without rewards of their own. First, the librarian has an expectation of becoming familiar with a wide range of students, observing the development of their learning over time. In the process of collaborating in many different subject areas, it is possible for the librarian to learn the curriculum of the entire campus and identify areas of weakness that could be mitigated by targeted instruction. As a result, the librarian develops a global perspective of campus activity and is thus positioned to take a leadership role in campus decision making. The teacher librarian's formerly "restrictive vision" becomes a "shared and dynamic vision of effective change for learning" (McGregor 207). Every successful collaboration reinforces that stature by creating the impression among students and teachers that the librarian is a knowledgeable problem solver. As McGregor states, it is a way for the "teacher librarian to prove his or her value in the learning experiences of students" (19). Perhaps the greatest benefit derivative of collaboration is the opportunity to collect data to support the librarian’s position as an equal stakeholder in student outcomes on the campus.

Benefits to principals

The development of a collaborative environment is definitely in the best interest of the principal. Collaboration leads to collegial relationships, or the support of a professional learning community, which lends itself favorably to school reform (Moreillon 6). Principals are accountable for ensuring student achievement by providing excellent teachers supported by advanced technology and resources. That being the case, collaboration between teachers and the librarian can assist in meeting all criteria for the principal’s success. Librarians have access to the latest innovations in technology tools and research-based teaching strategies. By incorporating these elements into collaboration, teachers are receiving “embedded staff-development,” (Moreillon, 8) which not only improves the quality of teaching, but also increases student performance. For example, the excellent teaching of ICT standards (the foundation of Standards for the 21st Century Learner such as social responsibility, independent learning, and ICT literacy), as rated by principals, showed a positive impact on high achievement scores on standardized tests (Lance 16). Furthermore, according to Paula, the global perspective that is a byproduct of collaboration enables the librarian to “impact the academic achievement of each student” (Principal), helping to keep pace as accountability standards continue to rise.

Reflection

Classroom-library collaboration has benefits to the stakeholders in education. However, there is still resistance. McGregor outlines several reasons for this resistance to classroom collaborations, ranging from the principals' and teachers' prior experiences to the librarians' comfort at leading (199-212). Because teachers already feel so stretched for time there is additional pressure on the librarian to prove the benefits of collaboration and make a successful experience for the teachers. New teachers, especially, who might seem more flexible and willing to collaborate, are likely to feel overwhelmed with learning curriculum, the policies and procedures of their school, and classroom management. Librarians who want to collaborate with them will have to be able to prove that the endeavor will be successful. Until teachers feel that success, they will continue to resist collaboration. Principals will more likely support the efforts of collaboration if they, too, can see the benefits. Librarians need to be active in promoting collaboration on their campus in order to reap the benefits for all involved.