SLIS 794 - Teacher Librarian Interview #3

Interview date: February 25, 2022

Librarian and school: Melissa Zahler at Chicora Elementary School, North Charleston, South Carolina

Shared Foundation:  Engage

While observing Teacher Librarian, Melissa Zahler, at Chicora Elementary School in North Charleston, South Carolina, I had the opportunity to discuss with her what she has learned about implementing the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians and School Libraries shared foundation Engage (American Library Association [ALA], 2017).  My own experience as an elementary school teacher has taught me that keeping students engaged can be one of the most challenging tasks a teacher faces. If students are not interested in what is being taught, respectful, responsible behavior does not naturally follow.  So, talking with her about her experience in the context of the library gave valuable insight to this future school librarian!

When teaching elementary students as young as six years old, a wise educator starts with the basics by laying solid foundations of responsible digital citizenship. Common Sense Education (2019), a reputable provider of digital citizenship education, concurs that teaching students to consciously think about what they are viewing online is an important lesson to impart early on. The Think domain of Engage states that, “School librarians promote ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information by directing learners to responsibly use information technology, and media for learning and modeling this responsible use…” (ALA, 2017, p.112).

Ms. Zahler shared that the main way she implements this competency is by teaching her young charges which databases are safe for them to use and explore. This practice goes hand in hand with her “Question of the Week” routine which simultaneously addresses the domain Share. Share states that, “School librarians promote the responsible, ethical, and legal sharing of new information with a global community by imparting strategies for sharing information resources in accordance with modification, reuse and remix policies…” (ALA, 2017, p.112). The Question of the Week is announced on Monday’s morning news. Participating students must use a database (not Google) to find the answer and submit an answer ticket that indicates what database they used. A few acceptable databases, for example, are Animal Kingdom, CultureGrams, Gale in Context and Britannica. As a reward for their research effort, answer tickets are included in a raffle drawing. Winners receive a fidget toy at the end of the week. Check out the video below (recommended for grades K - 2) from Common Sense Education if you are interested in a resource that promotes safe online behavior with your little charges!

 

Click here for a printable poster of Pause and Think Online lyrics!

Ms. Zahler said that, as an additional perk, her Question of the Week routine solicits natural collaboration with teachers because most recognize it as a group effort and choose to encourage and help students conduct successful research. Other collaboration  also tends to center around assisting students in research, third grade is assigned a Black History month project each year, for example, or takes place as enrichment activities in the library that reinforce classroom curriculum - science themes are a common target.

When asked about challenges she faces implementing the Engage foundation, Ms. Zahler cited meeting diverse needs as a focal point.  She stressed that it is important to always be on the lookout for information sources that take into consideration different learning styles and abilities. Databases with audio features is one that she particularly appreciates and uses frequently with her emerging readers.

References

American Library Association. (2017). National school library standards for learners, school librarians and school libraries. 

Common Sense Education. (2019, August 8). Pause and Think Online [Video].                           https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_duZ-1LApg

SLIS 794 - Teacher Librarian Interview #2

 

Interview date: February 15, 2022

Librarian and school: Glenda Kern at Haut Gap Middle School, Johns Island, South Carolina

Shared Foundation: Collaborate

This semester, as part of my practicum experience, I have been given the privilege of learning from Haut Gap Middle School’s teacher librarian, Mrs. Glenda Kern. Mrs. Kern and I chose the shared foundation Collaborate from the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians and School Libraries (American Library Association [ALA], 2017) as a topic of focus for her interview. Specifically referencing the school librarian domains and competencies, we discussed the Collaborate domains Share and Think and how she addresses them with her middle school students.

The domain Share states that, “School librarians promote working productively with others to solve problems by…advocating and modeling respect for diverse perspectives to guide the inquiry process” (ALA, 2017, p. 84). Mrs. Kern shared that she has placed a heavy emphasis on promoting diversity during her interactions with students this year.  One way that she accomplishes this is by consciously choosing diverse books to present during regularly scheduled book talks.  She is also very deliberate in modeling the validity of literature written for less represented student groups, such as LBGTQ+ and diverse culture groups. I especially appreciated the example she set for me regarding LGBTQ+ materials even in the face of immature snickering.  Controversy and conflict are things I naturally tend to avoid but watching her matter-of-fact demeanor reminded me of my experience teaching a health class for eighth grade girls years ago. Although I don't remember who, I was given the advice to run my vacuum cleaner at home and to just practice saying the word, "penis," over and over out loud until it was no longer uncomfortable. I'm not sure if the advice was meant to be humorous or practical but, by the end of the semester, I could speak of any body part or function without blushing!  Mrs. Kern also takes advantage of opportunities of natural dialog with her students. For example, when reminding students of the variety of library materials available to them, she does not shy away from topics that some adults might find uncomfortable but instead encourages them to pursue their unique interests when choosing independent reading material. Her conscious modeling of a respectful acceptance of all perspectives encourages her students to likewise be respectful of each other’s differences.

The domain Think states that, “School librarians facilitate collaborative opportunities by challenging learners to work with others to broaden and deepen understandings and…organizing learner groups for decision making and problem-solving” (ALA, 2017. P. 84). Mrs. Kern shared two specific ways she has successfully met this challenge. One strategy she has used to encourage collaboration is to create a Padlet, a digital collaboration tool, for each respective class so that students can record their individual book recommendations to help peers find their next great book. As a further enhancement the collaboration process, Padlet also allows students to post comments and questions about their classmates’ posts. The comment feature creates great potential for a naturally occurring ‘book club’ to ensue! A second way that Mrs. Kern encourages students to work together and problem solve is by teaching a semester long unit about evaluating online information.  Beginning with trying to differentiate between an original and altered photo, then analyzing the trustworthiness of websites, and finally discussing social media and one’s digital footprint, students are challenged to engage in peer discussions to share their thinking and to come up with viable solutions for these timely issues.

Mrs. Kern notes that most challenging factors in implementing Shared Foundation competencies are managing her time with students and being able to judge what skills students already have and which are lacking or need strengthening. To that end though, in her final comments Mrs. Kern praised the intensity of ALA’s new standards specifically noting the detailed guidance they give librarians and how very meaningful they are to today’s generation of students when compared to library standards of the past.

References

American Library Association. (2017). National school library standards for learners, 

                    school librarians and school libraries.

SLIS 794 - Teacher Librarian Interview #1

Interview date: February 14, 2022

Librarian and school: Alexandra Magee at Hunley Park Elementary School, North Charleston, South Carolina

Shared Foundation: Include

Teacher Librarian, Alexandra Magee, at Hunley Park Elementary School in North Charleston, South Carolina, graciously agreed to discuss her experiences implementing the shared foundation Include from the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians and School Libraries (American Library Association [ALA], 2017).  Before conducting this interview, I wrongly believed that Include would be one of the simpler foundations to address in an elementary school.  It became clear though, that in the absence of  a culture of collaboration, complicated by the youth of the clientele, it could actually be quite challenging.  Read on for to learn how Mrs. Magee has successfully addressed this foundation for her K5 students and examples of challenges she has encountered.

                                 

The domain, Grow, states that, “School librarians explicitly lead learners to demonstrate empathy and equity in knowledge building within the global learning community…” (ALA, 2017, p. 76). Mrs. Magee shared a practical way that she addresses this domain to make it meaningful for younger students during partner activities. She explained that while she often allows students to choose their own partners for group activities, she also strategically plans activities with assigned student pairs. Thoughtfully assigning student partners creates opportunities for students to work with peers they might not normally interact with. She noted that while students sometimes push back against the arrangement, she typically observes positive interactions once an activity is underway. Occasionally stretching students beyond their social comfort zone gives them the chance to learn to appreciate perspectives different from their own as they work within their school community. 

Technology can also be used to foster a global mindset, in students by stirring interest and bringing awareness to their place in the world. The third competency of the domain Think, states that librarians should, “…support learners’ understanding of cultural relevancy and placement within the global learning community” (ALA, 2018, p. 76). The database, Culture Grahams, accessed through Macinvia is one tool Mrs. Magee uses to broaden students’ global perspective. When context allows, for example after a diverse read aloud or to parallel with classroom content, Mrs. Magee often guides her classes into deeper exploration of other cultures.  She says her students especially enjoy the Life as a Kid tabs featured on each culture page because they think it is fun to compare themselves with children around the world.

Mrs. Magee shared that one of her biggest challenges as an elementary school librarian is finding time to collaborate with teachers.  She noted that when she is able, however, the impact on student learning is exciting.  Last year, working with the school’s 5^th grade team, she collaborated on a social studies unit about muckrakers - journalists, photographers, and writers from the progressive era of the United States who focused on controversial social issues of the day.  Mrs. Magee’s role was to teach students research strategies and support their efforts as they sought out information about current social issues. Students were highly invested because they were researching issues they personally cared about, and their end products reflected such. To demonstrate learning, students created posters in class that featured their own perspectives about a social issue of their choice.  Each poster included its creator’s personal perspective and a call to action.

In summary, Mrs. Magee strives to employ organic strategies with her students' age in mind to address the Shared Foundation, Include (ALA, 2017, p. 76).  A final point that she added to our conversation is that she felt this particular foundation is sometimes difficult to address with younger students simply because of their youth.  Limited life experiences and exposure to diverse thinking can make it difficult for students to put themselves in another’s shoes.  This insightful point validates the importance of intentionally exposing young students to high interest books with diverse characters so that while they grow in maturity, the seeds that will enable them to progressively participate in a global learning community are being planted.

References

American Library Association. (2017). National school library standards for learners,
                school librarians and school libraries.