LIBE 467: Assignment #2
Submitted by: Tania Sertic
Submitted by: Tania Sertic
Using Collaboration to Evolve Teaching Practices
With our school libraries transitioning to a Learning Commons model, teacher librarians (TL) are offered the opportunity to build an environment that allows students to explore, research and learn in a variety of ways. This library model is supported by the BC Curriculum’s recent focus on inquiry and collaboration as a way to build 21st Century skills in our learners to better prepare them for the future. This is not only for our students; we also have to build this environment of collaboration and lifelong learning with our colleagues.
Teachers come with a variety of experiences, knowledge and comfort levels when learning new things. As teaching practices change over time, the need to continually learn and adapt is necessary. A teacher librarian, with the flexibility to collaborate and co-teach, and with experiences and knowledge about curriculum across the grades, is in a good position to help others in their learning journey. As we do with students, scaffolding the learning experience is essential to success. When collaborating with teachers to help them improve their teaching practices, one can refer to the Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM). This model is based on the idea that “people considering and experiencing change evolve in the kinds of questions they ask and in their use of whatever the change is.” The CBAM identifies and provides ways to assess seven stages of concern, which are displayed in the table below.
Susan Loucks-Horsley states that “the strength of the Concerns model is in its reminder to pay attention to individuals and their various needs for information, assistance and moral support.''
The table below is the Concerns-Based Adoption Model which outlines the seven stages of concern and levels of use to help guide us in our collaborative learning and support.
One factor that is greatly influencing a change in some teaching practices is the explosion of technology in our modern world. This is important as Lingo Media Blog states, "Growth in technology within the education sector has advanced rapidly. This movement has increased the learning capability of students and the techniques of educators." (Lingo Media, 2015) The district in which I teach is investing in technology at a rapid rate. Our schools are being outfitted with iPad carts and Chromebooks to help expose students to various technological platforms and tools. At the school I am currently teaching, the range of knowledge about and comfort with technology is wide. Some teachers use the technology provided for attendance and sending and receiving emails only, while others are using it in their teaching practices to enhance student learning.
For this assignment, there are two particular teachers I’d like to focus on that would like to increase their use of reference resources by incorporating technology into their teaching and their students’ learning. Guided by the CBAM model, I will discuss how these teachers are currently using reference tools and create a plan for how these teachers can incorporate more technology and meet their teaching goals and the needs of their students. Using the Appendix 4 document from Leading Learning, I’ve honed in on four questions to guide my collaboration with these teachers.
1. Where are we at currently?
2. What changes do we want to make?
3. How will we achieve these changes?
4. How will we know it is working?
In addition, I will refer to the Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition Model (SAMR model) as a way to observe how computer technology might impact teaching and learning.
Teacher #1: Mrs. Ohmygoodness
1. Where are we at currently?
Mrs. Ohmygoodness is a grade 5 teacher and she has taught this grade for 20 years. She has a collection of personal resources in her classrooms to use when she is teaching her units. Up to this point, she has used primarily print-based materials in her teaching and has had her students practice researching skills from print materials (books, atlases, encyclopedias, and worksheets) and demonstrate their learning through paper and pencil tasks (ex. posters, reports, paragraphs, etc.)
Mrs. Ohmygoodness is currently at the level 1. Information stage of concern and 0l.-Orientation level of use stage. The only use of technology is allowing students to find images on the web to print out for projects, thus, putting her at the Substitution stage of technology integration in the classroom. She wants to know more and is taking the initiative to learn more about the innovation. With our district encouraging the use of technology, Mrs. Ohmygoodness is beginning to be open to change, she just does not know where to begin and is feeling overwhelmed about this change.
2. What changes do we want to make?
Mrs. Ohmygoodness wants to incorporate more technology and the use of online resources to compliment her teaching. She does not currently have the confidence with her technology skills to teach these skills to her students.
3. How will we achieve these changes?
In order to allow Mrs. Ohmygoodness to feel comfortable with the technology, we will collaborate and co-teach a unit on First Nations to increase her knowledge of the online resources available to her. I will also introduce her to the use of our school Chromebooks and Google Documents to increase her technology skills, and allow her to introduce those skills to her students. By demonstrating these programs with her students, and guiding Mrs. Ohmygoodness through the Google Suite, it will allow her to become more familiar with each component, while allowing her students to learn from their teacher librarian.
4. How will we know it is working?
After co-planning and co-teaching a unit together, Mrs. Ohmygoodness will teach a new unit (Canada inquiry) using the same skills, similar online data-bases and a curated list of websites that we came up with collaboratively. It will take her to the II. Preparation stage of use in that she will be prepared to use the innovation and will take her class to the Augmentation level of technology use in the classroom. They will be using technology to share their knowledge, rather than paper and pencil tasks.
Steps for Progress:
1. I will sit down with Mrs. Ohmygoodness and introduce her to the online learning databases we have available for teachers and students. One online database that I would start with would be https://indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca/, which our district has a link to within our Destiny system. In addition, I’d share with her the following sites to provide options for teacher information and/or student research:
2. Once exploring the sites, and exploring other curricular connections to the grade 5 curriculum, we will brainstorm other ideas that Mrs. Ohmygoodness could use these online databases for.
3. We could create a word bank and vocabulary list for students to refer to and remember when doing their research and create a curated list of resources she and her students can refer to (websites, data-bases and videos) when researching.
4. I would walk Mrs. Ohmygoodness through how to sign into a google account and access a google document. I would also show her how her students could share their document with her and it would be another way for her to see her students’ progress and understanding.
5. Collaborate with Mrs. Ohmygoodness and create an inquiry project for her students to explore First Nations based on questions they have about it.
6. Students can choose a way to demonstrate their learning by using the information they have learned from lessons on the use of Google Documents.
Teacher #2: Mr. Whatmorecanido
1. Where are we at currently?
Mr. Whatmorecanido is a grade 7 teacher who has been teaching this grade for about 10 years. Currently, he confidently uses a variety of print and digital sources to guide his teaching (showing images and videos from websites) and has had his students use Google Docs and Slides to show their understanding and to receive teacher feedback. When guiding his students through researching skills, he continues to have his students use print materials as a starting point, then they have the permission to “Google it” for more information. Up to this point, lessons and projects are teacher-driven. Mr. Whatmorecanido would like to shift his lessons to become more student driven as the BC Curriculum has a focus on inquiry based skill development and collaboration. He wants to explore more ways students can find information independently/cooperatively, to ensure they have access to authenticated information (rather than just “Googling it”) and would like to find more ways that students can collaborate and creatively share their knowledge.
Mr. Whatmorecanido is currently at the level 4. Consequence stage of concern and lll.-Orientation level of use stage. Currently, he is at the Augmentation stage of technology integration in the classroom. Mr. Whatmorecanido provides the information for his students but has a desire to take the use of technology beyond its use as a substitute for paper and pencil tasks. He wants to refine the use of innovation so that it has more impact on student learning.
2. What changes do we want to make?
Mr. Whatmorecanido would like to explore ways that students can independently find resources to support their inquiry, use technology to promote collaboration among peers, and provide options for sharing their knowledge that is based on each individual child’s unique interests and capabilities.
3. How will we achieve these changes?
In order for Mr. WhatmorecanIdo to learn the benefits of digital reference sources, we will co-plan and co-teach a Social Studies unit on Mesopotamia. I will show him our district’s online databases and co-teach lessons on C.R.A.P. detection so that students can critically think and analyze the authenticity and relevance of resources they are using. I can show him how to set up a Google Classroom that can contain curated lists of resources for students to refer to independently. In order to build collaboration in the classroom, I will also demonstrate to him and the class how to take the use of Google Docs and Slides a step further with the use of sharing and commenting/feedback features and share examples of how to incorporate video and audio to final products.
4. How will we know it is working?
After co-planning and co-teaching a unit together, Mr. Whatcanidonow will teach a new unit (collaborative Ancient Civilizations inquiry) in which he will guide students how to find relevant resources (with options on Google Classroom). He will encourage students to work collaboratively using the tools taught in the previous task, and share their knowledge in whatever creative way they choose. It will take him to the IV. Routine/Refinement stage of use in that the lessons will increase student outcomes, and will take his class to the Modification/Redefinition level of technology use in the classroom. They will be using technology to effectively search for resources and as a tool to improve their work, to collaborate, and to explore various ways to share their knowledge.
Steps for Progress:
1. I would set up a meeting with Mr. Whatcanidonow and introduce him to the online databases we have available to our students. I would start with World Book Online, which has many tools that could be used in his classroom as far as different subject areas and tools within the database such as a variety of reading levels to meet the needs of the classroom. These features include an audio option for reluctant readers and the highlighting option for word meaning. In addition, I’d share with him the Usborne internet-linked encyclopedias about Ancient Civilizations and other online reference resources.
2. Mr. Whatcanidonow would be shown that, through his google classroom, he could share video clips, articles and images and other websites that students can independently use to search for information. There would be an image to remind students about C.R.A.P. detection when searching their own references.
3. Mr. Whatcanidonow will be shown the various tools and ways Google suites can be used to collaborate (sharing, providing feedback, working on a document together) and the various ways students can show their learning.
4. I will co-plan and co-teach with Mr. Whatcanidonow lessons for students on finding authentic and relevant resources and C.R.A.P. detection.
5. I will co-plan and co-teach with Mr. WhatcanIdonow a unit on Mesopotamia that utilizes the strategies shown above in helping students work collaboratively and using tools that guide them in their learning and self-expression.
6. I would make myself available by email and in person to help with any clarification or trouble shooting that may arise as students work on a final project.
Summary
In reflecting on this process of collaborating with hypothetical teachers on improving their use of reference resources and technology in their practice, I come away with a feeling of excitement. I look forward to utilizing my growing knowledge from this course (and others) to collaborate with my colleagues in a manner that benefits them and student learning. Until then, I will implement the suggested tasks above in my own classroom. Life-long learning at its best!
Works referenced:
Building Student Success - BC's New Curriculum. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/.
Canadian Library Association,. (2014). Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. Retrieved 4 March 2016, from http://clatoolbox.ca/casl/slic/llsop.pdf
“Levels of Use - Concerns-Based Adoption Model.” Google Sites, https://sites.google.com/site/ch7cbam/home/levels-of-use.
Loucks-Horsley,S.(1996) The Concerns-Based Adoption Model (CBAM): A Model for Change in Individuals. Retrieved from http://www.nationalacademies.org/rise/backg4a.htm
Media, L. (2015). The 4 Stages of EdTech – The SAMR Model for Technology Integration [Blog]. Retrieved from http://lingomedia.com/stages-of-edtech-the-samr-model-for-technology-integration/
Riedling,Ann. Reference Skills for the School Library Media Specialist: Tools and Tips (Third Edition). Santa Barbara, California. Linworth,2013.
SAMR Model - Technology Is Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/a/msad60.org/technology-is-learning/samr-model.
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