Skip to main content

Experiences from a School Librarian Series: AASL Standards - Shared Foundation of Collaborate

Welcome to part two of a four part series on how practicing school librarians implement the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. This series will delve into four of the standards for school librarians: Explore, Collaborate, Engage, and Inquire.  

Shared Foundation: Collaborate (Standard 3) 

Not only do school librarians foster collaborative relationships with teachers, they also show students how to effectively collaborate to make the most of their learning. Veteren elementary school librarian, Besty Long, uses partnerships with teachers to create meaningful collaborative experiences with students at her school. Through these collaborative experiences, she is able to both engage students and meet the AASL’s National School Library Standards in the “collaborate” foundation (American Association of School Librarians [AASL], 2018).


When a first grade teacher came to her asking for help on some new Social Studies content she was struggling to teach, Mrs. Long immediately began working. She brainstormed ways to not only teach the new Social Studies standard, but also to find a creative and collaborative way to engage students (B. Long, personal communication, November 16, 2020). Through her own research on the content and through reaching out to other librarians in the state, she was able to create a collaborative experience unlike any her first grade students had ever had before. They used Google Hangouts to virtually work with another first grade class in the upstate as they explored problems and solutions to the decline of honeybees (B. Long, personal communication, November 16, 2020). 

The aforementioned experience shows that collaboration can happen in a variety of modes. In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many school librarians are getting creative with how to engage students in collaboration without putting them at risk. The virtual meeting between first grade classrooms not only allowed for students to “work with others to broaden and deepen understandings,” but it also allowed the librarian to “foster active participation” (AASL, 2018). This example shows that designing collaborative opportunities for younger students can go beyond basic “talk to" or "work with a neighbor” group work. No matter students' age or ability-level, there are a plethora of ways librarians can foster collaboration. 

References 

American Association of School Librarians (2018). National school library standards for learners, school librarians, and school libraries. Chicago: American Library Association.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Final Reflections/Takeaway from SLIS 761

          In deciding on entering into the Master’s in Library and Information Science program, I had major anxiety and worry about my ability to complete the program with a full-time job and a small child. However, my passion for literacy and being a support to other teachers outweighed my fears. I ultimately decided that by becoming a school librarian I would be able to have an impact on a wider audience than my classroom affords me. As I have been in the program for almost a year now, I have certainly learned a great deal about libraries and technology. However, this was the first class where I really saw the full potential of what a school librarian has to offer.           It is difficult to pinpoint one takeaway from the class as I have learned a great deal and tested my technology prowess in new ways. However, I feel that overall my greatest takeaway is that school librarians can have a great impact, advocate for their necessi...
Post a Comment
Read more

CyberBullying: Don't Bruise the Apples

      When I think about bullying in general, but especially cyberbullying, I am reminded at how invisible it can be, yet it can leave deep internal bruises and scars. I am further reminded of a picture of two apples I once saw as a illustration of bullying. The two shiny red apples looked almost identical - from the outside. Yet, when cut into, one apple has bruises in its flesh; it had visibly received trauma, but this trauma was not visible to the human eye from the outside. Cyberbullying, because it occurs in the digital world, may give the initial impression that it is more noticeable. However, it too often goes unnoticed by outsiders who are not paying attention or who do not want to pay attention. As a teacher in a K-12 setting, I have dealt with bullying issues every one of my eight years of educating middle school students. Within the last two years, the number of cyberbullying accounts I have learned of has increased. And if the statistics are true, then there ...
Post a Comment
Read more

It's a Bird, It's a Plane...No, It's a DRONE!

What are Drones?  Drones are unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) that can be flown a utonomously or by using a handheld controller. What once was thought of as a military piece of equipment has rapidly moved into the consumer world. Drones are available at a variety of retail stores and online ranging greatly in price. Some more simplistic drones are smaller and can only fly short distances from the person manning the controller. Other drones are more sophisticated and have GPS and cameras with the capability to take pictures and video. Even Amazon is working to use drones in their package delivery - known as Amazon Prime Air . With military, commercial, and residential uses, drones have become easily accessible, quickly recognizable, and of great interest for the future. As Smith and Image by  moerschy  from  Pixabay Sefton (2015) explain, “when students understand how drones work and use them in applications at a local scale their understanding of drone us...
1 comment
Read more