Lisa%20Ford

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CollaborationThe Next Step to Exemplary

• Lisa Ford
• Dolores Thurmond
• Fall 2008

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What is collaboration?

• The act of working together united labor
• (collaboration, n.d.).
• It is seen as a positive, enabling, and
  energizing
• approach to professional practice, and also as a
• negative, guilt-producing stumbling block to
• day-to-day practice (Todd, 2008).

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The 2nd Colorado Study

• A central finding of this study is the
  importance of a collaborative approach to
  information literacy (Lance, 2000).
• Test scores rise in both elementary and middle
  schools as library media specialists and teachers
  work together (Lance, 2000).
• Test scores increase as library media
  specialists spend more time
• Planning cooperatively with teachers
• Identifying materials for teachers
• Teaching information literacy skills to students
  (Lance, 2000).

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Advantages

• Planning and teaching is shared between the
  teacher and librarian.
• Higher-order thinking skills are used more
  frequently by students.
• Students have an increased chance of learning and
  retaining information literacy skills.

Collins, 2007
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• Disadvantages

• Intimidating
• Working with different types of personalities
• Lack of time

• Ways to Minimize

• Be flexible
• Administrative support
• Common planning times
• School-wide commitment
• Sharing success stories

Baskin, 2003
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Steps for Successful Collaboration
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Step 1 Initiate Collaboration
Jointly planned and implemented. Teaching is
shared on all aspects. Evaluation.
ULTIMATE Collaboration
Library is informed about the goals, expected
outcomes, timing, evaluation. Shows students
how to use resources, do research, develop
projects.
Coordination
Library is informed about lessons. Minimal input
about the types of resources to use. Works with
students on how to use resources and do research.

Cooperation

• Library is informed
• about the lesson,
• but has no input.

Connection
Students use library resources
Consumption
Marcoux, 2007
8

• Step 2 Meet discuss possibilities with each
  other
• Choose a lesson that can be improved
• What information literacy skills needs to be
  taught?
• Step 3 Research ways to teach and evaluate the
  lesson
• Resources books non-books
• Talk with other teachers
• Utilize the instructional method that works best
  for your students
• Step 4 Meet again to share ideas
• Decide which ideas will be used
• Determine when the lesson will be taught how
  long it will take
• Determine how the lesson will be evaluated

Dawson, 2008
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• Step 5 Organize materials and resources
• Develop handouts, PowerPoint, Web quests,
  rubrics, etc.
• Pull library resources
• Make sure all equipment is working
• Step 6 Teach the lesson
• Present all parts of the lesson

Dawson, 2008
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Step 7Evaluate

• Students

• Process

• Discuss
• Strengths and weaknesses
• Instructional format
• Available resources
• Unit objectives
• Technology
• Make notes or use an evaluation form
• Ongoing

• Follow rubrics
• Determine how well the lesson met your
  instructional goals
• Follow-up with students

Dawson, 2008
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Critical Components of Collaboration

• Flexibility
• Trust
• Communication
• Cooperation
• Teamwork
• Evaluation Reflection
• Commitment

Preddy, 2008
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Value of Collaboration for Students

• Preparing them for the 21st century
• Increasing information literacy skills and
  content knowledge
• Creating life-long learners

Jenney, 2007
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Teaching today is a challenge.

• One of the best ways for educators to meet these
  tough challenges is to collaborate or work
  together as a team (Preddy, 2008).

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Resources

• Baskin, K. (2003, January). What literature has
  to tell us. Library Media Connection, 21(4), 24.
  Retrieved December 3, 2008, from Academic Search
  Complete database.
• collaboration. (n.d.). Webster's Revised
  Unabridged Dictionary. Retrieved December 03,
  2008, from Dictionary.com website
  http//dictionary.reference.com/browse/collaborati
  on
• Collins, J. (2007, July). School improvement, the
  school librarian and the process approach.
  Improving Schools, 10(2), 117-131. Retrieved
  December 3, 2008, from ProQuest database.
• Dawson, K. (2008, March). Collaboration for
  dummies one step at a time!. Library Media
  Connection, 26(6), 34-35. Retrieved December 2,
  2008, from Academic Search Complete database.
• Kenney, B. (July 2007). Getting it together.
  School Library Journal, 53(7), 9.
• Lance, K.C., Rodney, M.J., Hamilton-Pennell, C.
  (2000). How school librarians help kids achieve
  standards the second Colorado study. Retrieved
  December 2, 2008 from http//www.lrs.org/documents
  /lmcstudies/CO/execsumm.pdf
• Marcoux, B. L. (December 2007). Levels of
  collaboration where does your work fit in?.
  School Library Media Activities Monthly, 24(4),
  20-4.
• Preddy, L. (2008, November). Collaboration the
  motown method. School Library Media Activities
  Monthly, 25(3), 26-28. Retrieved December 2,
  2008, from Academic Search Complete database.
• Todd, R. (March 2008). Collaboration from myth
  to reality let's get down to business. just do
  it!. School Library Media Activities Monthly,
  24(7) 54-8.