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Page 1: Library presentation

It’s all about student learning.

Flexible Library Scheduling in the Elementary School

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What is Flexible Scheduling?"a scheduling arrangement that allows

for variation in library use, rather than having each class scheduled into the library for a regular, fixed period“

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Shannon (1996):   “The library media specialist and the teacher plan together for instruction or use of resources based on student learning needs in each curriculum unit and schedule on that basis. The schedule is arranged on an ad hoc basis and varies constantly.”

Everything that the teacher librarian is qualified to teach, and is interested in having the students learn, is inextricably tied to the classroom curriculum.

What is Flexible Scheduling?

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Flexible SchedulingAllows teachers to bring their classes to

the library at the time of greatest need for instructional purposes.

Flexible AccessAllows students to visit the library at their

point of need.

What is Flexible Scheduling?

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Why Flexible Scheduling?

Educational research on effective learning tells us:• learning skills in context is more effective than

learning in isolation 

• inquiry-based learning is more meaningful

• student achievement increases when libraries and librarians play an integral role in student learning

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Why Flexible Scheduling?

Donham van Deusen and Tallman (1994)  . . . found that more collaborative planning and teaching existed in schools with flexible- or mixed-scheduled libraries, particularly where principals expected team planning and librarians were full-time and did not cover teacher planning time.“

Librarians are NOT single-subject teachers, as are music, art, PE. These Single-subject teachers will integrate what they do into the UOI, but they teach a specific subject.

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• Teacher Librarians are trained as:• Teachers• Information specialists – • skilled at sourcing and selecting

resources;• Skilled at search techniques, evaluating

websites, using information.

Why Flexible Scheduling?

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Why Flexible Scheduling?

• "In1998 Haycock . . . discovered that more than three times as many curriculum units were carried out by teacher-librarians and

• more than twice as • much collaborative • planning occurred in • schools with mixed or • flexibly scheduled • libraries than in • schools with fixed • schedules."

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Why Flexible Scheduling?

• Information Power Standards: 

• “The library media program fosters individual and collaborative inquiry”

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Why Flexible Scheduling?

"Schools must adopt the educational philosophy that the library media program is fully integrated into the educational program. This integration strengthens the teaching/learning process so that students can develop the vital skills necessary to locate, analyze, evaluate, interpret, and communicate information and ideas."

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Why Flexible Scheduling?

"The integrated library media program philosophy requires that an open schedule must be maintained. Classes cannot be scheduled in the library media center to provide teacher release or preparation time. Students and teachers must be able to come to the center throughout the day to use information sources, to read for pleasure, and to meet and work with other students and teachers.”

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• “If you’re going to teach anything in the Information Age shouldn’t it be how to find, evaluate, and use online information critically?” Alan November

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21st Century learning/PYP: 1. Creativity and Innovation (risk-takers)

2. Communication and Collaboration (communicators, open-minded, balanced)

3. Research and Information Fluency (inquirers, knowledgeable)

4.. Critical Thinking, Problem-solving, and

Decision-making (reflective, caring, thinkers)

5. Digital Citizenship (principled)

6. Technology Operations and Concepts

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• Donham van Deusen (1995) suggested the following conditions are necessary for successful implementation:

• An information skills curriculum matched with the content area curriculum

• Flexible access to the library media center throughout the day

• Team planning• Principal expectations for collaboration• A commitment to resource-based learning

What does it take to implement?

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• Process followed by The American School of Lima/Colegio FDR:

• Gathered information about flexible scheduling/access

• Wrote a comprehensive Information and Technology Literacy curriculum.

• Got administrative support

What does it take to implement?

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• FDR encountered ‘bumps’ along the way & addressed these concerns:

• Book check-out• Losing “library time”• Control of Schedule: from online to paper• Equitable access

• Give it time! Two years after implementation, it was a very successful program.

What does it take to implement?

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What does a successful flex program look like for students?

• The library is a very busy, dynamic place.

• Students are in the habit of coming to the library as soon as they need new reading materials.  Many come more than once a week.

•  Students see the librarian as a literacy and inquiry resource.

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What does a successful flex program look like for students?

• Students are responsible for what they've learned in the library; it is tied to what they are doing in their classes.

• Students learn inquiry skills systematically.• Book checkouts increase.

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• Students are allowed to go to the library on their own when they need new books.

• Grade-level teams meet at least once per thematic unit with tech teachers and the librarian.

• Classes are scheduled in the library and tech lab as needed.  

What does a successful flex program look like for teachers?

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• Library resources related to the current unit are made available in the library or the classroom.

• Classroom teachers, librarians, and tech teachers are all responsible for the Information and Technology Literacy curriculum.

• Classroom teachers often team teach with the tech teachers and librarian.

What does a successful flex program look like for teachers?

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What does a successful flex program look like for administrators?

• Flexible scheduling won't be successful without administrative support.

o allowing time to investigate and implement a flex schedule

o requiring and attending planning meetings

o allowing for adequate staffing

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What does a successful flex program look like for librarians?

• Collaboration with every teacher in the school

• Busy and varied days• Time with students focused on learning, not

on management• Accommodating several classes at once• Length of time with students varies• Library management during "slow" periods

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Current library program:

Each class visits the library once a week: book exchange, short lesson – sharing new titles, introducing a genre, learning library lay-out, very basic skills.Library schedule fixed.Teachers’ schedules fixed, with little room for manoeuvre.

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Flexible Library schedule:

Classes sign up for a 20 minute book exchange per week/ could be a reading period. Teacher accompanies students.

Teacher librarian works with grade level teachers, team teaching, supporting units of inquiry, reinforcing information literacy skills.

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• Planning:• Teachers, PYP coordinator, TIFs and TL look at

learning experiences, engagements for the following unit, and discuss where information skills will come into play. TL and TIFs will attend max 2 planning sessions per UOI. Plan times through the unit where TL will join classroom teacher to teach information literacy skills.

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• Essential Skills:

• Questioning• Brainstorming• Recognizing an information • need• Finding key words• Evaluating information• Note-making• Searching different media• Using the WWW• Ethical use of information• Citations• Sharing information - collaboration

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• Research:

• There is significant research proving that a well-resourced school library, with a qualified TL, makes a difference to students learning.

• In our situation, I believe that with our resources, and the fact that we do have qualified library staff, it does not make sense to not utilize fully either the resources or the skills of the library staff.

• Our library does not need to be purely a repository for books and other resources – it can be the heart of all learning in our school – and will be so when the new learning hub comes into being, but only if the philosophy is in place.