Introduction:
Teacher-librarians bring a wealth of knowledge and skills to the school community. They are effective teachers, collaborators and strong leaders. They are knowledgeable, skilled and competent in multiple literacies and "provide the all-important human connection between students and information, as well as between teachers and information" (Riedling & Houston, 2019, para. 3, p. 4.). Teacher-librarians not only connect students and teachers with information, but support them in developing the information literacy skills necessary to effectively locate, analyze, evaluate and use information in multiple formats. They are also effective mentors and leaders, equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills to support and guide their colleagues in evolving their practice in a variety of ways.
The following essay will explore the role of the teacher-librarian in collaborative planning for the effective use of reference resources through the integration of technology and the inquiry model.
Role of the Teacher-Librarian:
As described by the American Library Association, teacher-librarians hold five primary roles, commonly identified as teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, program administrator and leader (2003, p. 18). In order to fulfill these roles and their responsibilities, teacher-librarians must work collaboratively with their colleagues, while also taking on a position of leadership within the school community. The Canadian Association for School Libraries states that "as members of the school instructional team, teacher-librarians provide a leadership role in information literacy and work collaboratively with classroom teachers" (Asselin et al., 2006, p. 7). Collaboration between the teacher-librarian and classroom teachers is critical to ensuring that students develop the information literacy skills they require to be successful in the 21st-century. In fact, "research clearly indicates that the development of student competence in information literacy skills is most effective when integrated with classroom instruction through collaborative program planning and teaching by the teacher-librarian and the classroom teacher" (Asselin et al., 2006, p. 7). Thus, teacher-librarians must actively pursue collaborative partnerships with their teaching colleagues in an effort to support student development of information literacy skills through the effective use of reference materials and resources.
The Collaborative Process:
A common process for engaging in collaboration between teachers and teacher-librarians is known as Collaborative Program Planning and Teaching (CPPT). CPPT is a process through which "classroom teachers and teacher-librarians teach and evaluate information literacy learning activities together" in effort to achieve school-wide information literacy (Asselin, et al., 2006, p. 52). According to the Canadian Association for School Libraries (2006), "the CPPT process is well developed in successful school library programs and is endorsed by current research linking successful school library programs with student achievement" (Asselin, et al., p. 52). Furthermore, "research clearly indicates that the development of student competence in information literacy skills is most effective when integrated with classroom instruction through collaborative program planning and teaching by the teacher-librarian and the classroom teacher" (Asselin et al., 2006, p. 21). As such, this process is particularly suited to teacher-librarians working to support their teaching colleagues in evolving their practice in respect to the effective use of reference resources and technology to support the development of information literacy skills amongst students.
Models for Assessing Professional Learning Needs:
Prior to engaging in CPPT to support the effective use of reference resources, the teacher-librarian must first assess the professional learning needs of the classroom teacher, by evaluating their current level of concern, use and progression in regards to the effective use of reference resources and technology in their pedagogical practice. To do this, teacher-librarians can utilize the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM) and the Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition (SAMR) Model. The CBAM model is centred on change, and "holds that people considering and experiencing change evolve in the kinds of questions they ask and in their use of whatever the change is" (Luocks-Horsley, 1996, p. 1). Thus, the teacher-librarian must establish what level of concern the teacher holds in regards to their current use of reference materials to support information literacy and the potential to evolve their practice in this area through collaboration. The seven stages of concern as identified in the CBAM model are presented in the following table:
Stages of Concern. (Loucks-Horsley, 1996). Once the teachers stage of concern has been established, the teacher-librarian will be better equipped to address the teachers professional learning needs and develop a plan to support the teacher in moving through the remaining stages. Similarly, the teacher-librarian must also monitor the teachers level of use in regards to the innovation. The following table depicts the levels of use as described in the CBAM model:
Levels of Use. (Loucks-Horsley, 1996).
By identifying the teachers level of use of the innovation, teacher-librarians can then work with the teacher to devise a plan to help move them through each level. For example, the following table provides suggestions for actions teachers can take in effort to progress through the first few levels of use:
Levels of Use Decision Points. (Loucks-Horsley, 1996).
The SAMR model is another useful tool for teacher-librarians working to support their colleagues in elevating their practice in terms of technology use. The SAMR model provides a method for identifying ways in which technology affects teaching and learning through four levels of progression which "adopters of educational technology often follow as they progress through teaching and learning with technology" (Gaudet, 2014). The four levels of progression in the SAMR model include:
Substitution (technology is used to support tasks that students complete without technology, ex. worksheets printed for student use)
Augmentation (technology is used to complete basic tasks, ex. quiz is completed on computer instead of
paper)
Modification (technology is used to conduct variety of classroom activities, ex. students individually select how to use technology to demonstrate their learning)
Redefinition (technology is used in innovative ways, ex. students explore and challenge themselves to use technology in new ways through collaboration, experimentation and self-directed learning)
(Gaudet, 2014).
By identifying the level of progression a teacher is at with the SAMR model, teacher-librarians can work together with their teaching partners to progress through the model to ensure technology is effectively being used to utilize reference materials and support student development of information literacy skills. This is critical to student success in the 21st-century as one of the responsibilities of teacher-librarians is to facilitate student development of information and digital literacy skills to enable them to "locate, evaluate and use information in a variety of formats to meet their information needs" (Riedling & Houston, 2019, para. 5, p. 6). Thus, in order for students to become information literate, they must have opportunities to engage with information in a variety of formats, including online, digital formats.
Assessment Summary and Evaluation of Results:
In order to effectively identify a teacher's professional learning needs (their level of concern, use and progression according to the CBAM and SAMR models) in regards to the effective use of reference resources in their pedagogical practice, teacher-librarians can request that teachers fill out a questionnaire, complete a written statement or conduct an interview ("Concerns-Based Adoption Model", 2020). Through these methods, the teacher-librarian can assess where the teacher is currently at in regards to the innovation and ultimately devise a plan to help the teacher progress in their practice.
The following is a summary, along with an evaluation of the results and answers from a questionnaire and interview with Mr. Smith from Pine View Elementary. (Names and places have altered for the purpose of this assignment).
Mr. Smith is a grade 5/6 combined classroom teacher who has been teaching for 6 years. This is his first year teaching a combined 5/6 class, though it is his second year teaching grade 5. Mr. Smith explains that the majority of his lessons are teacher-led, however he also mentions a slight interest in learning more about inquiry based learning, although he has not yet explored this. Mr. Smith states that he provides the majority of the reference resources for his students to use for conducting research, usually providing one or two websites and a small collection of print materials that he has requested from the school librarian. There are minimal reference resources located in the classroom, which are limited to a handful of dictionaries, thesauruses and atlases, and a small collection of relevant non-fiction. He does not explicitly teach information literacy skills, however at the start of the school year he demonstrates to his students how to conduct a basic Google search. He believes that student choice is important, and allows for this by giving his students options for demonstrating and presenting their learning, such as choosing to create a poster, a Google Slide or to act out a skit. However, when it comes to research assignments and projects, Mr. Smith states that ultimately he selects the topics, while students may choose how to present on the topic. At the end of a project, Mr. Smith has his students reflect by conducting a self-assessment of their presentation of their project.
Currently, Mr. Smith does not engage in collaboration with the school librarian, although on occasion he notifies her of upcoming units or projects so she can gather relevant print resources. Mr. Smith has his students conduct research in the classroom and brings in print resources and the Chrome-cart rather than taking his students to the learning commons to access materials and technology. Mr. Smith does not have a class set of Chromebooks, but shares a cart which must be booked in advance. The only other technology available in Mr. Smiths classroom is his desktop computer and the SmartBoard at the front of the room. When asked about integration of technology, Mr. Smith explained that his students primarily use the Chromebooks to access information through Google, to present information in a few formats such as Google Slides and to present projects on the SmartBoard. This use of technology is infrequent and inconsistent however, as Mr. Smith often forgets to book the Chrome-cart for use. Mr. Smith expressed his concerns about technology use in the classroom, stating his unfamiliarity with using search engines or databases other than Google. He also expressed concerns about student engagement and accountability when using the internet and the varying degrees of digital literacy amongst his students.
Based on the information summarized above from an interview with Mr. Smith, and the results of a 35 question Stages of Concern questionnaire, I believe that Mr. Smith is currently somewhere between the Awareness and Informational stage of concern in regards to trying new resources, technologies and pedagogies for research projects with his students. Although he currently seems unconcerned in regards to resources and technology, he expressed his interest in learning more about the inquiry model. In terms of level of use, Mr. Smith is currently at the Non-Use level, as he is currently taking no initiatives to learn more about this innovation. Mr. Smiths current level of progression with technology use according to the SAMR model falls within the enhancement levels of Substitution and Augmentation, as the technology is used as a direct substitution, with some functional improvement.
Supporting Professional Development and Application of Innovation:
To support Mr. Smith in elevating his practice to a higher level of integration and application of reference resources and technologies and to support changes to his pedagogical approach, I will continue to use the CBAM and SAMR models as scaffolding guides, aiming to support him in progressing through multiple of levels of concern, use and progression.
Moving Beyond Awareness, Non-Use and Substitution:
In order to effectively initiate this effort, I will begin developing a positive collaborative partnership with Mr. Smith by offering my services to support an upcoming unit. He has expressed that he is comfortable with me providing resources, as he has requested this of the school librarian in the past. From our recent interview, I learned that Mr. Smith is currently planning an upcoming unit on Sky Science. To support him with this, I will take a proactive stance in preparation for the unit. According to the infographic entitled
What Can Collaboration With A Teacher-Librarian Look Like? from the Surrey Teacher Librarians Association (STLA), there are three parts to collaboration: collaboration in preparation, in action and in reflection (2019). As a teacher-librarian, I will take the lead on initiating preparation by using my "specialized knowledge of texts and library collections and familiarity with OPAC searches to provide the resources most suitable to the task and learners involved" (STLA, 2019, para. 4).
What can collaboration with a teacher-librarian look like? (STLA, 2019).
In addition to acquiring, gathering, evaluating and preparing relevant resources on Sky Science in multiple formats, I will assist Mr. Smith in arranging for regular, scheduled use of the Chromecart, as he admits to struggling with organizing and managing the use of these devices. Once I have gathered and organized all relevant resources, I will share them with Mr. Smith, highlighting our new, digital resources such as
World Book Kids. As I know that Mr. Smith is reluctant to utilize unfamiliar resources and technologies, I will invite his class to the learning commons and provide a demonstration and a guided class lesson on how to use the program. To do this, I will utilize some of the resources supplied by World Book Kids such as the following video:
World Book Kids Online Video. (World Book Online, 2020).
As well as the corresponding WebQuest activity:
World Book Kids Research WebQuest. (World Book Inc., 2015).
Alternatively, with Mr. Smiths permission and ideally with his input, I will create my own WebQuest activity, focused on the Sky Science unit. Once Mr. Smith agrees to this, he will progress from the Awareness stage of concern to the Informational stage, as he agrees to learn more about this digital resource. He will also progress from the level of Non-use to Orientation, as he begins to learn about how to utilize the new reference resource World Book Kids along with his students. Additionally, in terms of the SAMR model, Mr. Smith will progress fully to the Augmentation stage, as he and his students learn to use a new program to perform the common task of accessing information through the Chromebooks.
Moving Beyond the Informational, Orientation and Augmentation Stages:
Following our tutorial and guided lesson in the learning commons, Mr. Smith expresses further interest in learning about how to use World Book Kids and other digital resources in his class. In response to this, I will refer him to the
World Book Kids Training and Support page, as it provides helpful tutorials for learning about the different features of the program. I will also provide him with the following guide/brochure as it provides additional information and tools he may find useful for himself, his students and their parents:
World Book Kids Educator Starter Kit. (World Book Training Team, 2020).
To further Mr. Smith's orientation, I will also suggest that we continue to engage in collaboration so that I may support him in learning about and using digital reference resources throughout the remainder of the Sky Science unit. I will also inform him that I am able to support him in trying new inquiry approaches, as he had previously mentioned an interest in this. At first Mr. Smith appears reluctant, expressing concerns about the additional work this will involve on his part. This suggests that Mr. Smith is transitioning to the Personal stage of concern. To acknowledge this and to further scaffold Mr. Smiths progression according to the CBAM model, I developed an Innovation Configuration Map, to describe the various approaches Mr. Smith may take to adopting new resources, technologies and pedagogies in relation to student research activities. Innovation Configuration Maps are a primary component of the CBAM model, which describes the different ways a teacher might go about implementing a new innovation and serves as an exemplar to guide a teachers efforts. The following map will be helpful to Mr. Smith as "staff can use the IC Map to guide and focus their actions as they develop competence with an innovation" and may "focus on one component at a time, which can make learning a program less overwhelming" ("Innovation Configurations", 2020).
Through this configuration map, Mr. Smith will learn "the ideal, acceptable, and less desirable variations of implementation" along with how he has already begun to progress and may continue to do so ("Innovation Configurations", 2020). Furthermore, this will map will assist Mr. Smith in progressing beyond the Personal stage of concern, as it supports him in identifying the implications of the innovation, ultimately encouraging his progression to the Preparation level of use, through which we will make a plan to engage in the use of the innovation to make a change. However, because Mr. Smith is still currently in the Personal stage of concern, and is thus reluctant to enter the Preparation level of use, I will offer to take the lead in developing a cooperatively planned inquiry based project on Sky Science. This will help to put Mr. Smiths mind at ease, as I will be taking on the majority of the work, once again preparing all necessary materials, allowing him to progress to the Preparation level of use as we develop definitive plans for an inquiry project using digital reference resources. To develop an inquiry project on Sky Science, we will employ the CPPT process, following the six stages outlined by Haycock to guide the collaborative planning process:
Objectives
Content
Sequence
Methodology
Activities
Evaluation
(UBC, Module 5, 2020).
To further support our efforts and to ensure that I continue to grow and evolve in my role as a collaborative partner, I will consult the document entitled Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. This is another scaffolding tool to support teacher-librarians as they engage in collaboration with classroom teachers and deliver inquiry based learning opportunities to students. Currently, Mr. Smith and I are in the Emerging stage in terms of instructional partnerships and engaging with inquiry approaches. Through engaging in the process of CPPT to develop an inquiry project, we will transition to the Evolving stages.
Leading Learning (Canadian Library Association, 2014).
Additionally, through engaging in the process of CPPT, we will be able to collaboratively develop an inquiry project that will support students in the development of information literacy skills. This collaborative process is especially critical to effectively planning inquiry based learning activities because "if we prioritize the process involved in doing a research assignment and the inherent skills in the process and not the end product it holds that cooperative planning on the part of the classroom teacher and the teacher-librarian is essential" (UBC, Module 5, 2020).
With this in mind, I will prioritize the inquiry process by guiding Mr. Smiths students through the use of the Alberta Learning Inquiry Model:
The Inquiry Model (Alberta Learning, 2004).
Inquiry Based Learning. (Alberta Education, 2005).
Furthermore, to assist Mr. Smith in progressing from the Augmentation stage of the SAMR model to the Modification stage, I will suggest that we work to integrate technology into the project by teaching the students about an optional new tool for presenting their work. This will continue to support his method of allowing students to exercise choice in how they present their research, while expanding their possible choices and introducing them to new technologies and tools. To ease Mr. Smith and his students into this, I will suggest that I teach a lesson on blogging. Blogs are a great tool for developing students literacy and technology skills simultaneously, while also helping them to build confidence, creativity, relationships and digital citizenship skills (Poth, 2017). To educate Mr. Smith on the benefits of student blogs, I will refer him to the following resource entitled Promote Student Choice and Voice with Blogging. Since Mr. Smith and his students are already familiar with using some basic tools from Google (Docs and Slides), it will be a fairly smooth transition to teach them how to utilize Blogger. Blogger provides Mr. Smith and his students with new functional benefits, transitioning Mr. Smith into the Modification stage of the SAMR model. Additionally, "while all students are learning similar writing skills, the reality of an authentic audience gives each student a personal stake in the quality of the work" (Gaudet, 2014).
Conclusion:
Through the use of the CBAM and SAMR models, teacher-librarians are able to employ a structured scaffolding system for assisting classroom teachers in implementing change in their teaching practices. By supporting Mr. Smith in the effective use of reference materials through the sequenced integration of technology, the collaborative process and the inquiry model, I will be able to successfully assist him in evolving to a higher level of integration and application of these resources within his practice.
Alberta Education. (2005). Inquiry-based Learning [Ebook]. Learn Alberta. Retrieved 1 November 2020, from.
Alberta Learning. (2004). Inquiry Model [Digital image]. Retrieved September 13, 2020, from https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/school-libraries-resource-centers/oberg_il_and_the_school_library.pdf
American Library Association. (2003). ALA/AASL Standards For Initial Programs for School Library Media Specialist Preparation [Ebook]. Retrieved 28 October 2020, from http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aasleducation/schoollibrary/ala-aasl_slms2003.pdf.
Asselin, M., Branch, J., & Oberg, D. (2006). Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada [Ebook]. Canadian Association for School Libraries. Retrieved 1 October 2020, from: http://accessola2.com/SLIC-Site/slic/ail110217.pdf.
Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading learning: Standards of practice for school library
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Loucks-Horsley, S. (1996). Professional Development for Science Education: A Critical and Immediate Challenge. In R. Bybee, National Standards & the Science Curriculum. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co.
Poth, R. (2017). Promote Student Voice and Choice with Blogging [Blog]. Retrieved 3 November 2020, from https://www.iste.org/explore/Digital-citizenship/Promote-student-voice-and-choice-with-blogging.
Puentedura, R. (2020). Thinking About SAMR: Two-Pass Ladders [Ebook]. Williamstown: Hippasus. Retrieved from http://hippasus.com/blog/archives/501
World Book Inc. (2015). RESEARCH SKILLS: Using the World Book Database [PDF]. Retrieved 6 November 2020, from https://media.worldbookonline.com/image/upload/v1481649072/asset/webquests/Research_Kids.pdf.
Riedling, A., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.
Stages of Concern │Concerns-Based Adoption Model. (2010). Retrieved 28 October 2020, from https://www.air.org/resource/stages-concern
Surrey Teacher Librarian's Association (BCTLA). (December 17, 2019). "What can collaboration with a teacher-librarian look like?" British Columbia Teacher Librarian's Association. Retrieved from: https://surreychapterofthebctla.com/2018/12/17/what-can-collaboration-with-a-teacher-librarian-look-like/
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World Book Online. (2020). World Book Kids Online [Video]. Retrieved 6 November 2020, from https://www.worldbookonline.com/training/assets/free-resources/help-students/KIDS_video_for_students_10.18.19.mp4.
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