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This document explains the roles of the librarian, teacher and digital and print library collections as a whole at Bradfield Elementary. Special thanks to Lori Riley, AASL and Armstrong Elementary for providing the framework for this document.

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A more comprehensive blog post about Nancy Jo Lambert's experience collaborating with teachers

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One of the things I get asked about the most as a presenter and speaker is to talk to librarians about flexible scheduling. Or in some cases, to avoid talking about it because "it just isn't possible at (insert campus name or district name)." I know elementary libraries; I served for one year at the Pre-K level and 4 years at the elementary level at two different schools. I know that mentality of "we have always done it this way, and this is the way we are going to keep doing it."What I also know is that a person with enough gumption to go in and rock the boat and change things up can fight for change and make it work!

The thing about libraries on a fixed schedule that I noticed too was that I didn't have any curriculum. Music, art, PE, have TEKS (state learning standards) they have to teach and cover, but there is no such thing in Texas as library curriculum. So I was busy trying to make up stuff to do with my students and entertaining storytimes, but these things were not instructionally relevant. I mean they could be, but I had no real way of knowing because I wasn't collaborating with the teachers.

I went to an elementary school that was used to a very fixed schedule where classes came every week and returned their books and checked out new books and had some library activity or story time. Over the course of three years, I was able to move that campus from a very fixed schedule to a complete flex schedule. The first year I was there, teachers in grades K-2 dropped their classes off for 30 minute library times and teachers in grades 3-5 dropped their classes off for 30 to 45 minute library times every week. One of the things that bothered me most about the schedule was that my precious readers were returning their books on library day every week regardless of whether or not they were done with their books. I watched in horror as they would yank bookmarks right out of the middle of a book and turn it in! Why?!?! You aren't done with it? They were so involved in the routine and the excitement of getting more books, but they were not behaving like genuine readers. Genuine readers don't turn in their book just because it's library day! I wanted to instill the habits and behaviors of readers in my students, not increase my checkin and checkout stats. I knew something had to change.

I asked to move to a flex schedule my second year at that school, but was told that just wouldn't work. So, I went to the 2nd grade team of teachers and asked them if they would be willing to do an experiment with me. I explained what I was seeing with the kids and their behaviors with books and I explained that I wanted to nurture our readers and be instructionally relevant. Here's what I asked them to do:

1. No more whole class check-in and checkout. They would send their kids individually, in pairs, or in small groups of three to come to the library and check-in and out books as they needed to based on their reading needs for their classroom reader's workshop. This allowed me to engage in actual reader's advisory with my students instead of herd mentality where are the Wimpy Kid books?

2. Their classes would come to the library as a whole class for curriculum related activities that the teachers would collaborate with me on with no set schedule, but as the lesson actually fit in the curriculum timeline. (So we need to teach X on Wednesday and Thursday so that's when we go to the library.)

3. They could come as a whole class for a 15 minute "Book Blast" if they had a significant number of students who needed to go to the library on an as needed basis, but with no set day or time. (And any kiddos without the need to do anything with their book wouldn't have to bring their books.)

4. I also became VERY lenient with "due dates." I began telling the kids your book is due when you are done with it. If you need to abandon a book the next day because you don't like it or it's too easy or too hard, so be it. If it takes it two months or two days to read your book, you return it when you're done. (To this day I do not believe in Due Date stamps, cards, or slips in a book.) No more pulling bookmarks out of the middle of a book they weren't actually done with.

These rules took effect across an entire grade level with the whole team of teachers on board. We then proceeded to start the collaboration process. Throughout the school year we collaborated 16 times for curriculum related lessons. I would email, meet with the teachers, talk to them on the phone on a regular basis to help them determine what pieces of their lesson plan would make the most sense to teach in the library. In most cases, I would take a lesson that was less than awesome, and bring it to life with technology, library resources, stations, and hands-on activities. I would create the activity page or the product that the students would work on throughout the course of the activity. I would gather the necessary resources and supplies. Acquire any additional technology. Make the answer key (if there was one) and provide copies to each teacher. I did all the leg work for the lesson so that the teachers just had to show up with their students and help me co-teach the content. I relied heavily on the teachers because of course they were the experts on their content. I would ask for their guidance and input on the activity sheet I was creating to make sure it aligned with what they were doing in the classroom. I also relied on them when they were with me in the library to ensure that students with IEP's or 504 students were given all the necessary modifications and accommodations.

These library lessons became some of the most memorable experiences for the students and teachers for that year because they were such shining examples of the power of collaboration and enriching and enhancing the curriculum!

I asked those teachers and students at the end of that year to help me create a video about this flex schedule experience. That video is embedded below. So, I went to my principal armed with this experience and the video and examples of the curriculum related work we had done together, the teachers, the students, and myself. The result, I was asked to present that video and examples of the lessons and student work at the back to school faculty professional development days. That third year, I was allowed to implement that model across grades 2-5. There were bumps and other issues that we had to work through in the other grade levels, and still some opposition, but it was clear this model was in the best interest of student achievement and making the library instructionally relevant.

The following year, I went to and opened a new elementary in my district, and my new principal was behind the flexible schedule model 100%. I did still have Kinder and First on a somewhat "fixed" 30 minute library visit each week (especially at the start of the school year). However, as the school year progressed, I was able to collaborate on broader scale with those Kinder and First grade teachers and make their library visits more curriculum driven. I also made it clear that we could change their "times" at any point should we need more time or to see all the classes over the course of a day or two to get in their curriculum lesson. I would also tell their "times" had to be flex in case another grade level needed that day for their lesson.

I know that flexible scheduling is one of those topics that we all know is what's best for kids "in theory," but often difficult to implement in practice. However, I encourage you to find ways to make it a reality in your elementary or secondary campus. After putting flexible scheduling into practice and making it a reality at more than one school, I know it can work. It does take a lot of perseverance and dedication though. Be prepared to consistently having to solicit and remind teachers you are there as a resource. Be present as much as possible in planning meetings to offer those ideas and suggestions to enrich and enhance the curriculum with library resources and your own ability to co-teach. Find a tool that works for you AND for your campus when it comes to scheduling. I have used a variety of resources like Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, my library website, and email as a way to schedule the library. Be prepared to meet the teachers at their point of need to accomplish the planning and collaboration (in person meetings, email, phone, text, carrier pigeon, etc.).

Flexible scheduling can be a hard road to hoe, but it is so worth it for your school and your students! I am here as a resource and there are many other librarians out there who can also serve as resources for those of you who want to make it work, but aren't sure how to do it. We are all in this together, and we are better together! Let m e know if I can help! (Seriously.)

Also, here is a link to all the of the Grade Level Activities I have done throughout the years. These are where the images for this blog post came from. ;-D

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Flexible Scheduling for the Library - Mackin TYSL

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A Mackin Educational Resources initiative which has gathered a fully engaged assemblage of professionals who will actively be supporting the role of the librarian as the library and the librarians focus transitions to meet the educational challenges of the future.

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A video the librarian complied to show how she collaborated with teachers in her building.

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AASL Position Statement on Flexible scheduling

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AASL Position Statement on Flexible scheduling

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What the American Association of School LIbrarians has to say about a flexible Library schedule.

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American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

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The library program is fully integrated into the educational program so that students, teachers, and school librarians become partners in learning. This integration strengthens the teaching for learning process to ensure students are active learners who guide and continually assess their learning process. Open access to a quality school library program is essential for students to develop the vital skills necessary to analyze, evaluate, interpret, and communicate information and ideas in a variety of formats. Inquiry skills are taught and learned within the context of the curriculum and may occur in the classroom, the library, or at home with 24/7 accessibility to a wide range of resources, technologies, and services.

The integrated library program philosophy requires an open schedule that includes flexible and equitable access to physical and virtual collections for staff and students. Classes must be flexibly scheduled into the library on an as needed basis to facilitate just-in-time research, training, and utilization of technology with the guidance of the teacher who is the subject specialist, and the librarian who is the information process specialist. The resulting lesson plans recognize that the length of the learning experience is dependent on learning needs rather than a fixed library time. Regularly scheduled classes in the school library to provide teacher release or preparation time prohibit this best practice. Students and teachers must be able to come to the library throughout the day to use information sources, read for pleasure, and collaborate with other students and teachers.

Collaboration with classroom teachers to design, implement and evaluate inquiry lessons cultivates high level learning experiences for students and is the catalyst that makes the integrated library program work. The teacher brings to the planning process knowledge of subject content and the student needs. The school librarian contributes a broad knowledge of resources and technology, an understanding of modern teaching methods, and a wide range of strategies that may be employed to help students learn inquiry skills. Together they are able to provide differentiated and adaptable experiences for students of all abilities and interests to meet the requirements of the curriculum.

The responsibility for flexibly scheduled library programs must be shared by the entire school community: the Board of Education, District Administration, Principal, School Librarian, Teachers, and the Library Support Staff.

The BOARD OF EDUCATION endorses the philosophy that the library program is fully integrated into the district's educational program and ensures that flexible scheduling for libraries is maintained in all buildings and at all levels through district level policies.

The DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION supports this philosophy and ensures appropriate staffing levels so that all teachers, including the school librarians, can fulfill their professional responsibilities.

The PRINCIPAL creates the appropriate climate within the school by understanding and advocating the benefits of flexible scheduling to the faculty, by monitoring scheduling, by maintaining appropriate staffing levels, funding, and joint planning time for classroom teachers and school librarians.

The TEACHER and the SCHOOL LIBRARIAN work collaboratively to provide differentiated and adaptable experiences for students of all abilities. The collaborative lessons meet curricular requirements through relevant and engaging learning experiences that promote positive instructional use of time.

The LIBRARY SUPPORT STAFF works to maintain the daily operation of the library to allow the professional school librarian and teaching staff the time and flexibility to collaborate together to provide students with excellent educational experiences for learning.

The PARENTS advocate for a library program that provides their child with access 24/7. They promote the use of flexible scheduling so their students are able to come to the library throughout the day to use information sources, read for pleasure, and collaborate with the school librarian, other students, and teachers.

The STUDENTS stress the need for anytime access to their school library to assist them in completing their academic pursuits and exploring their personal interests.

Adopted 09/2011, Revised 06/2014

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Position Statement on Flexible Scheduling

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The library program is fully integrated into the educational program so that students, teachers, and school librarians become partners in learning. This integration strengthens the teaching for learning process to ensure students are active learners who guide and continually assess their learning process.

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Animal Research using Puppet Pals for Presentation of Information

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Animal Research using Puppet Pals for Presentation of Information

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This week at the McSpedden Library our 2nd graders came to the library to make Puppet Pals Videos. Previously they researched animals and other creatures for research they did in Science.

Then, they used the Doodle Buddy App to create a picture of their animal and a picture of their habitat.

Then, they came to the library this week and we used Puppet Pals to create short videos of the information they researched.

Mrs. Kopil's Class Videos

Mrs. Davies' Class Videos

Mrs. Alexander's Class Videos

Ms. Brown's Class Videos

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This week at the McSpedden Library our 2nd graders came to the library to make Puppet Pals Videos. Previously they researched animals and other creatures for research they did in Science. Then, they used the Doodle Buddy App to create a picture of their animal and a picture of their habitat.

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our Kindergarten and 1st grade students came to the library for their regular check in and checkout, but also for Poetry! I love poetry! I love reading poetry and writing poetry, so I was excited to get to share poetry with our youngest students.

I read to them "I Made This Morning" from What a Day It Was at School! : Poems by Jack Prelutsky and pictures by Doug Cushman. Then I sent them to experiment with poems at 6 different poetry stations.

I had Outside the Box by Karma Wilson at one station with short poems they could copy on half sheets of Poem In Your Pocket pages. They could also write their own poem. I had Messing Around On The Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices by Betsy Franco and illustrated by Jessie Hartland out for partners to read together. I had some other poetry books spread out on a table for the kids to read and explore. I had I Haiku You by Betsy Snyder out with a few of the poems printed out with a line from the poem blanked out. I then had the missing lines on little strips for the kids to place on the correct poem. I had a jumble of word cards (some blank) for the kids to assemble into poems of their own. They could write on the blank ones or leave them blank and fill in any word there. I also had Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees : School Poems edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins and pictures by Sachiko Yoshikawa out with a poem called "Library" all cut into line strips. The kids then used the image to try and order the lines from the poem.

Pics of Students at the Stations

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#MSELib Kinder & 1st Grade Poetry Stations

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our Kindergarten and 1st grade students came to the library for their regular check in and checkout, but also for Poetry! I love poetry! I love reading poetry and writing poetry, so I was excited to get to share poetry with our youngest students.

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our Kindergarten and 1st grade students came to the library for their regular check in and checkout, but also for Poetry! I love poetry! I love reading poetry and writing poetry, so I was excited to get to share poetry with our youngest students.

I read to them "I Made This Morning" from What a Day It Was at School! : Poems by Jack Prelutsky and pictures by Doug Cushman. Then I sent them to experiment with poems at 6 different poetry stations.

I had Outside the Box by Karma Wilson at one station with short poems they could copy on half sheets of Poem In Your Pocket pages. They could also write their own poem. I had Messing Around On The Monkey Bars and Other School Poems for Two Voices by Betsy Franco and illustrated by Jessie Hartland out for partners to read together. I had some other poetry books spread out on a table for the kids to read and explore. I had I Haiku You by Betsy Snyder out with a few of the poems printed out with a line from the poem blanked out. I then had the missing lines on little strips for the kids to place on the correct poem. I had a jumble of word cards (some blank) for the kids to assemble into poems of their own. They could write on the blank ones or leave them blank and fill in any word there. I also had Hamsters, Shells, and Spelling Bees : School Poems edited by Lee Bennett Hopkins and pictures by Sachiko Yoshikawa out with a poem called "Library" all cut into line strips. The kids then used the image to try and order the lines from the poem.

Pics of Students at the Stations

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#MSELib Kinder & 1st Grade Poetry Stations

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our Kindergarten and 1st grade students came to the library for their regular check in and checkout, but also for Poetry! I love poetry! I love reading poetry and writing poetry, so I was excited to get to share poetry with our youngest students.

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3rd Grade: Using Poetry to Prepare for the STAAR Test

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3rd Grade: Using Poetry to Prepare for the STAAR Test

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This week at the McSpedden Library, we are preparing for the STAAR test. Since April is Poetry Month, and there is poetry on the STAAR test, I thought I would offer a STAAR Special to our 3rd grade teachers.

The teachers brought in their students in and we examined and analyzed a poem called "Fishing for Compliments" by Colin McNaughton from the book Wish You Were Here (And I Wasn't): A Book of Poems and Pictures for Globe Trotters..

Our students and I read the poem together and then discussed what we thought the poem was about. Then we answered 4 STAAR style questions about the poem. I put the questions in the below Google Presentation.

We used cards from the Plickers App for the students to respond with what they think the answer to the questions are. This is a really cool app that works with the website. I entered the questions on the website, then the kids held up their plickers cards to give their individual answers. I then showed the kids the graph how many answered all the answer choices. It really helped them understand the answer choices.

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This week at the McSpedden Library, we are preparing for the STAAR test. Since April is Poetry Month, and there is poetry on the STAAR test, I thought I would offer a STAAR Special to our 3rd grade teachers.

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our 2nd graders came to the library to engage in stations designed as an author study. The fabulous author that we are studying is Tomie dePaola! He has made over 200 books selling more than 6 million copies worldwide! He is definitely someone who has made great contributions to the world of children's literature!

The teachers had certain TEKS that they needed to cover, so I created some fun stations for the kids where they could explore some of Tomie dePaola's books, explore some of the books that are about him, get to practice their illustrator skills, and do some research to learn more about how he became an author and illustrator.

Below are descriptions of the stations and any materials that I created for those stations. The students recorded all their learning in this Tomie dePaola Research Booklet. Here are all the Tomie DePaola Station Signs as well.
Station 1
Draw your own picture of Tomie dePaola and think about why he is an important author for us to study. Complete pages 2-3 of your research booklet.

At this stations, students used PebbleGo to do research about Tomie dePaola. In their research booklets, they answered questions and wrote down facts on pages 4, 5, and 8. They also wrote down the real citation on page 12.

Since many of the teachers were reading Strega Nona to the kids, I paired Strega Nona with Charlie Needs a Cloak and the students filled out a Venn Diagram on pages 6 and 7. The students read the library copy of this book aloud at the station.

At this station, students watched a video of me reading the book The Art Lesson and filled in page 10 of their research booklet.

At this station, students will listen to Nana Upstairs and Nana Downstairs and fill in page 11 of their research booklet.

https://borchardtlibrary.edublogs.org/files/2015/04/Nana-Upstairs-and-Nana-Downstairs-o35g5m.mp3

At this station, students looked at the wordless picture book Pancakes for Breakfast and created a wordless story of their own on page 9 of their research booklet.

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2nd Grade Tomie dePaola Author Study Stations

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our 2nd graders came to the library to engage in stations designed as an author study. The fabulous author that we are studying is Tomie dePaola! He has made over 200 books selling more than 6 million copies worldwide!

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3rd Grade Poetry Analysis to prep for STAAR

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3rd Grade Poetry Analysis to prep for STAAR

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Last week at the McSpedden Library, our 3rd graders came to the library to do some poetry analysis. I collaborated with the 3rd grade teachers, and I pulled 2 poems addressing the skills they were teaching in their classrooms that week. I used released Reading STAAR tests to help me create questions for the poems.

The 2 poems I used were "A Character Pleads for His Life" from B ookspeak! : Poems About Books by Laura Purdie Salas and illustrated by Josée Bisaillon and "Mother To Son" from Langston Hughes edited by David Roessel & Arnold Rampersad and illustrated by Benny Andrews.

I created an image for each question and I attached it to a QR Code. I then placed the QR Codes in order on the tables. Each question had a copy of the poem in front of for the students to reference as they answered the questions. I checked out our 2 iPad carts from technology so each student could use their own iPad to go around and answer the questions on this 3rd Grade Poetry Stations Answers.

Here are the questions I used: A Character Pleads for His Life Questions and Mother To Son Questions.

Student Pics of the Activity

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Last week at the McSpedden Library, our 3rd graders came to the library to do some poetry analysis. I collaborated with the 3rd grade teachers, and I pulled 2 poems addressing the skills they were teaching in their classrooms that week.

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4th Grade: Using Poetry to Prepare for the STAAR Test

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4th Grade: Using Poetry to Prepare for the STAAR Test

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This week at the McSpedden Library, we are preparing for the STAAR test. Since April is Poetry Month, and there is poetry on the STAAR test, I thought I would offer a STAAR Special to our 4th grade teachers.

The teachers brought in their students in and we examined and analyzed a poem called "Martin Luther King Day" by NMyra Cohn Livingston from the book Celebrations.

Our students and I read the poem together and then discussed what we thought the poem was about. Then we answered 4 STAAR style questions about the poem. I put the questions in the below Google Presentation.

We used cards from the Plickers App for the students to respond with what they think the answer to the questions are. This is a really cool app that works with the website. I entered the questions on the website, then the kids held up their plickers cards to give their individual answers. I then showed the kids the graph how many answered all the answer choices. It really helped them understand the answer choices.

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This week at the McSpedden Library, we are preparing for the STAAR test. Since April is Poetry Month, and there is poetry on the STAAR test, I thought I would offer a STAAR Special to our 4th grade teachers.

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5th Grade Living History Research Project

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5th Grade Living History Research Project

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This week and next week at the McSpedden Library, our 5th grade students are coming to the library to work on research. The students are going to do a Living History Presentation and write a report on their famous person.

I collaborated with the 5th Grade teacher, Mr. Lambert (no relation, just coincidence) and we worked together to present the project to the students and to co-teach the research and plagiarism lessons.

This week, the students are coming to the library to use MackinVia and the Chromebooks. They are using the World Book, EBSCO, and Gale Databases to determine which person they want to choose, then they are going to start a KWL about their person, research their person, and then write a paper about their person. After they know a lot about their historical person, they will have the opportunity to BECOME their person and share all about what they have learned with students in other grade levels through a Living History Museum!

Here are the resources our 5th Grade students need:

1. Living History Research Paper & Presentation Instructions

2. Living History Research Paper & Presentation Rubrics

3. Living History Research Notes Page

Students, please submit your Google Account Login only on this form for you class:

Students, you will return to this form to submit the links for your shared Google Drive Documents for this project:
Pics of 5th Grade Student Research

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#MSELib 5th Grade Living History Research

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This week and next week at the McSpedden Library, our 5th grade students are coming to the library to work on research. The students are going to do a Living History Presentation and write a report on their famous person.

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This week at the McSpedden Library, we are preparing for the STAAR test. Since April is Poetry Month, and there is poetry on the STAAR test, I thought I would offer a STAAR Special to our 5th grade teachers.

The teachers brought in their students and we examined and analyzed a poem called "Secrets" by Naomi Shihab Nye from the book Come With Me: Poems for a Journey.

Our students and I read the poem together and then discussed what we thought the poem was about. Then we answered 4 STAAR style questions about the poem. I put the questions in the below Google Presentation.

We used cards from the Plickers App for the students to respond with what they think the answer to the questions are.

We also had a lot of poetry books on display and encouraged our readers to check out some poetry for pleasure reading!

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This week at the McSpedden Library, we are preparing for the STAAR test. Since April is Poetry Month, and there is poetry on the STAAR test, I thought I would offer a STAAR Special to our 5th grade teachers.

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Animal Research using Doodle Buddy/Chatter Pix app smash

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Animal Research using Doodle Buddy/Chatter Pix app smash

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our 1st graders came to the library to do some research. I collaborated with the teachers on this Science lesson to help them research animals.

During the first part of the week, the students came to the library with an animal that they chose to research. We used this Animal Research Page to record our information. We used Pebble Go Animals to gather information from. We also talked about how Google is a great place to get information, but that when we do this type of research for school, we want to use the best and most current information possible since we will be sharing our learning with others.

Later in the week, the students came back to the library and we used the iPads to create a digital product of our learning. First the students drew a picture of their animal using the Doodle Buddy app. Then, they used the picture in the Chatterpix App and recorded themselves reading from this Student Learning Page about what they had written about their animal.

Then, I uploaded their videos to YouTube for all to enjoy! Below are the class playlists of the student videos. We sure had fun learning about different kinds of animals and then using the iPads to share our learning!

Ms. Dautrich's Class Videos

Mrs. Cain's Class Videos

Mrs. Taylor's Class Videos

Mrs. Eichenberger's Class Videos

Mrs. McLaughlin's Class Videos

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our 1st graders came to the library to do some research. I collaborated with the teachers on this Science lesson to help them research animals. During the first part of the week, the students came to the library with an animal that they chose to research.

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During the week of February 17th-20th our 2nd graders came to the McSpedden Library to do research. They were embarking on a research writing unit, and so I collaborated with the teachers to help with the research portion of the unit.

All of the classes came to the library two times. The first time they came to the library we did a lesson on using databases instead of Google for academic research. We talked about times when using Google is ideal, but when we are doing research for school, we want to use the best most current, most reliable information. Therefore, we use databases. We also talked about plagiarism and the importance of citing our sources. We all took an oath to never ever copy from a print or online resource!

The next time the classes came to the library we spent the entire time using the PebbleGo databases on the Chromebook to research their topics. We used this Topic Question Page, this Online Resources Citation Page, and this Learning Page during the resource process.

Since we were so engaged in the research and the lessons, I did not take any pictures of this week to post.

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During the week of February 17th-20th our 2nd graders came to the McSpedden Library to do research. They were embarking on a research writing unit, and so I collaborated with the teachers to help with the research portion of the unit. All of the classes came to the library two times.

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This week at the McSpedden Library, I will be helping teach Media Literacy to our Kindergarten students.

I love teaching Media Literacy, so I am excited to take on the challenge of teaching it to our Kinders!

I will be using the below presentation and these Media Literacy Tools Cards with the kids: Graphics Card Picture Cards Sound Cards Video Cards Words Cards.

I am going to talk to them about what each card represents and then we are going to look at some different forms of media to see which tools we can identify in the media. I have little baggies with each tool card in it and a white piece of cardstock for them to put the cards on as we identify the tools.

Kindergarten Media Literacy Presentation

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This week at the McSpedden Library, I will be helping teach Media Literacy to our Kindergarten students. I love teaching Media Literacy, so I am excited to take on the challenge of teaching it to our Kinders! I will be using the below presentation and these Media Literacy Tools Cards with the kids: Graphics Card Picture Cards Sound Cards Video Cards Words Cards.

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Last week at the McSpedden Library our 1st graders came to library for a Media Literacy Lesson. The 1st grade teachers and I collaborated on 2 lessons, 1 lesson they did in the classroom and another that we co-taught in the library.

We used the Google Presentation below for our lessons. We also used this Media Literacy Reading Response T Chart and this Media Literacy Reading Response Tools. The teachers did the first part of the Google Presentation in their classrooms, Slides 4-11 and used the T-Chart. Then, they came to the library and the teachers and I guided the kids through slides 12-19. We looked at the purpose of different kinds of media first, then we talked about the different tools used in media. After that, we identified the tools used in different media, the purpose of the media, and how the tools impacted the purpose of the media.

The kid did really great with this digital kit and with Media Literacy!
3/13/17 UPDATE Due to the MANY requests I have had for this Google Slides Presentation, I am providing a link to a copy of it. Please make a copy for yourself so you become owner BEFORE you make any changes: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13ZXKArYMA0JtuKqtrYHbYnqRyKl8Qf_FNZLa1eiVDGs/edit?usp=sharing
1st Grade Media Literacy Digital Kit

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Last week at the McSpedden Library our 1st graders came to library for a Media Literacy Lesson. The 1st grade teachers and I collaborated on 2 lessons, 1 lesson they did in the classroom and another that we co-taught in the library. We used the Google Presentation below for our lessons.

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This week at the McSpedden Library our 2nd graders will learning about media literacy. They are going to come to the library for a lesson to:

(A) Recognize different purposes of media (e.g., informational, entertainment)

(B) describe techniques used to create media messages (e.g., sound, graphics);

(C) Identify various written conventions for using digital media (e.g., email, website, video game).

We will be using this Media Literacy Reading Response Page to record our learning and observations as we look at the Google Presentation below.

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This week at the McSpedden Library our 2nd graders will learning about media literacy. They are going to come to the library for a lesson to: (A) Recognize different purposes of media (e.g., informational, entertainment) (B) describe techniques used to create media messages (e.g., sound, graphics); (C) Identify various written conventions for using digital media (e.g., email, website, video game).

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Last week at the McSpedden Library our 2nd graders came to the library to do an activity with Fiction and Nonfiction.

We started off the lesson by reviewing the characteristics of fiction and nonfiction books by filling in a T-Chart. I also had an example book for each to show the kids. I used fiction Froggy book and a nonfiction book about frogs. We looked at those books, but we talked about the in general characteristics of these genres of books and not specifics of the 2 example books.

After we reviewed the characteristics and filled in our T-Chart, I had pairs of fiction and nonfiction books on all the tables. I literally just pulled 24 books off the cart and typed the titles of the books into this Fiction or Nonfiction Activity Page (which is also where the T-Chart is).

I gave the teachers the answer key and this activity was for a grade. The kids did a great job with this activity!

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2nd Grade Fiction and Nonfiction Activity

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Last week at the McSpedden Library our 2nd graders came to the library to do an activity with Fiction and Nonfiction. We started off the lesson by reviewing the characteristics of fiction and nonfiction books by filling in a T-Chart. I also had an example book for each to show the kids.

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our 3rd graders will be learning about Media Literacy.

I created the Google Presentation below as a direct teach lesson to co-teach with the teachers and to share with the students. We will talk about media literacy toegther, learn about media tools, and then analyze some different forms of media together. The students will work with me and their teacher to complete these Media Literacy Reading Response pages.

After the lesson, we will all take the 3rd Grade Media Literacy Quiz together to check our understanding and extend our learning.

Media Literacy Quiz Digital Kit
Media Literacy Quiz

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our 3rd graders will be learning about Media Literacy. I created the Google Presentation below as a direct teach lesson to co-teach with the teachers and to share with the students. We will talk about media literacy toegther, learn about media tools, and then analyze some different forms of media together.

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Today at the McSpedden Library our 3rd graders came to the library to do some hands on learning with nonfiction text features. In their classrooms our students have been learning about nonfiction text features for a few weeks.

The teachers wanted to see the kids identify the correct text features in nonfiction books. So, I pulled several nonfiction books that had the types of text features that our teachers were focusing on. I created these Nonfiction Text Features QR Code Station Signs and this Nonfiction Text Features Reading Response. I placed the books and the QR Code Station signs around on the tables. I also checked out 2 iPad carts from technology so that each student could have their own iPad for the activity. I also created an answer key for each teacher as they wanted to take a grade on this assessment.

The students had a lot of fun using the iPads and locating the nonfiction text features on the images and in the real books!

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3rd Grade Nonfiction Text Features With QR Codes

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Today at the McSpedden Library our 3rd graders came to the library to do some hands on learning with nonfiction text features. In their classrooms our students have been learning about nonfiction text features for a few weeks. The teachers wanted to see the kids identify the correct text features in nonfiction books.

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This week at the McSpedden Library our 1st graders came to the library to explore some of our #MakerSpace kits!

The students were studying inventions and learning about what it takes to invent something. The teachers and I thought this would be an exciting opportunity for the kids to get to create and build something and learn the importance of having a plan.

The kids partnered up and they either built something with some of our Lego We Do Kits or they created something with our Deluxe Little Bits Kits.

The kids and teachers had so much fun and it was awesome to get to connect some of the resources I got through my Canvas Grant!

Pics of the 1st Grade Invention Lab

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This week at the McSpedden Library our 1st graders came to the library to explore some of our #MakerSpace kits! The students were studying inventions and learning about what it takes to invent something. The teachers and I thought this would be an exciting opportunity for the kids to get to create and build something and learn the importance of having a plan.

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our 4th graders will be experiencing the Engage & Explore portion of their 5E Science lesson on Shadows in stations in the library!

This is really exciting for me as these are going to be some super fun stations for learning and discovery!

Each station will have some reading, some experimenting, and some recording of learning to go with it.

The activity sheet that the students will use to record their learning on is here. The graph for students to record the data at Station 4 is here.

Station 1: Shadow Box Theater

At this station, students will engage in learning about shadows by using a shadow box and some stick puppets to explore using shadow and light! Students will read about and learn about opaque objects versus transparent objects at this station as well with the book Light and Dark.

Station 2: What are Shadows?

At this station, students will engage in learning about shadows by reading the World Book Online article about shadows: Click Here for the World Book Online Article. Students will also read from the book National Geographic: All About Light.

Station 3: Shadow Hand Puppets

At this station, students will engage in learning about shadows by using the projector and a white slide to see how shadows change as they move an object closer and further from the light. They will also use the iPad to watch a short video about how to create amazing hand puppets!

How to Make Cool Shadow Hand Puppets

Station 4: Measuring Shadows

At this station, students will explore by learning about shadows using a lamp, an object to cast a shadow, and a meter stick and yard stick. Students will record data about certain positions of the light and object and how it affects the size of the shadow.

Station 5: Amazing Shadows

At this station, students will engage in learning about shadows by watching a short video of a shadow time lapse! Then students will read from Sun Up, Sun Down: The Story of Night and Day about shadows and Times of Day.

At this station, students will explore how shadows are used for sundials. Students will read the World Book Discover online article about sundials first. Then they watch a short video of a time lapse for a sundial and a video about the history of sundials.

Sundial Time Lapse Video

Pictures of the Kids at the Stations

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This week at the McSpedden Library, our 4th graders will be experiencing the Engage & Explore portion of their 5E Science lesson on Shadows in stations in the library! This is really exciting for me as these are going to be some super fun stations for learning and discovery!

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Last week at the McSpedden Library our Kindergarten and 1st Grade students reviewed the difference between Fiction and Nonfiction books.

For our Kindergarten students, after the lesson, they were able to start choosing books from the nonfiction shelves as well as the fiction shelves.

In the Kindergarten lesson, I read Curious George Goes to the Library, a fiction book, and then I read Let's Go to the Library, a nonfiction book. After I read both books and we examined the text features of both, our Kidergarten students and I looked at several books and marked them as either F for fiction or NF for Nonfiction on this Fiction or Nonfiction Activity Page.

In the 1st Grade lesson, We examined the text features of both fiction and nonfiction books (the same ones I used with kindergarten), our 1st graders also marked them as either F for fiction or NF for Nonfiction on this Fiction or Nonfiction Activity Page. However, after we looked at several books and identified the text features of the books, then we filled out this Fiction and Nonfiction T-Chart.

Both the Kindergarten and 1st Grade students had already been learning about Fiction and Nonfiction text features in their class, so it was fun to carry that learning into the library and have our Kindergarten students start checking out Nonfiction if they wanted to!

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Fiction and Nonfiction with Kinder and 1st Grade

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Last week at the McSpedden Library our Kindergarten and 1st Grade students reviewed the difference between Fiction and Nonfiction books. For our Kindergarten students, after the lesson, they were able to start choosing books from the nonfiction shelves as well as the fiction shelves.

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Last week at the McSpedden Library our Kindergarten and 1st Grade students reviewed the difference between Fiction and Nonfiction books.

For our Kindergarten students, after the lesson, they were able to start choosing books from the nonfiction shelves as well as the fiction shelves.

In the Kindergarten lesson, I read Curious George Goes to the Library, a fiction book, and then I read Let's Go to the Library, a nonfiction book. After I read both books and we examined the text features of both, our Kidergarten students and I looked at several books and marked them as either F for fiction or NF for Nonfiction on this Fiction or Nonfiction Activity Page.

In the 1st Grade lesson, We examined the text features of both fiction and nonfiction books (the same ones I used with kindergarten), our 1st graders also marked them as either F for fiction or NF for Nonfiction on this Fiction or Nonfiction Activity Page. However, after we looked at several books and identified the text features of the books, then we filled out this Fiction and Nonfiction T-Chart.

Both the Kindergarten and 1st Grade students had already been learning about Fiction and Nonfiction text features in their class, so it was fun to carry that learning into the library and have our Kindergarten students start checking out Nonfiction if they wanted to!

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Fiction and Nonfiction with Kinder and 1st Grade

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Last week at the McSpedden Library our Kindergarten and 1st Grade students reviewed the difference between Fiction and Nonfiction books. For our Kindergarten students, after the lesson, they were able to start choosing books from the nonfiction shelves as well as the fiction shelves.

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This week at the #MSELib our 5th graders will be coming to the library for some Adaptation Stations. The students will be learning about the structure and functions of different plant and animal adaptations.

The students will respond in their Science Journals by completing these Science Journal Inserts. They will identify the organism and the adaptation, describe the structure and function of the adaptation, draw and label an illustration of the organism, and write a short expository paragraph about the organism and adaptation.

The students will use these QR Codes and iPads to watch the below videos about each organism.

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This week at the #MSELib our 5th graders will be coming to the library for some Adaptation Stations. The students will be learning about the structure and functions of different plant and animal adaptations. The students will respond in their Science Journals by completing these Science Journal Inserts.

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Learning about Writing Leads to Devleop a Personal Narrative

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Learning about Writing Leads to Devleop a Personal Narrative

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This week in the #MSELib, the 3rd graders came to the library to work with Leads. They are learning about writing personal narratives, and any good personal narrative starts with a great lead.

I talked to kids about how a great lead will guide or lead the reader into your memory. Writers want the reader to feel like they are there with you. In order to make this happen, a great lead has to have lots of descriptive details, action words, and word choice that paints a picture in the reader's mind.

We used a couple of example leads that the students had been reading and working with in Writer's Workshop, then I wrote 4 additional leads as well.

I created these Writing Journal Response inserts for the kids to put in their Writing Journals. Then, I made lots of copies of all of the Example Leads and cut them down to size. I modeled how to respond as a reader and how to respond as a writer with one of the example leads, and then I read the other leads so the kids would know which ones they wanted to pick.

The kids then chose 3 of the leads they liked the best. They responded to each with a Reader's lens and then with a Writer's lens. After this activity, the kids did more exploration of leads with their teachers and then they had the chance to revise their own leads using what they learned from the example leads.

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This week in the #MSELib, the 3rd graders came to the library to work with Leads. They are learning about writing personal narratives, and any good personal narrative starts with a great lead. I talked to kids about how a great lead will guide or lead the reader into your memory.

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A blog about a librarian's experience implementing a flexible Library environment. Part 1 of 2.

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A year ago I shared a post called Momentum in a Fixed World. In this post, I shared the goal to move to a flexible schedule. Just as planned we transitioned to this type of schedule with the first- and second-grade students this year. The library works with 261 students that are enrolled in preschool to second grade. We decided to start with our oldest students when making this change. This is a new approach for everyone involved and will be the main focus of my library journey this year.

Setting the Stage:

Presenting to My Colleagyes: My school director has been very supportive of this transition from the start. She sees the value in the library having a flexible schedule. Last June, she gave me the opportunity to roll out "the plan" at our faculty meeting. I shared the library data from the year and then explained the flexible model. This gave me a chance to share the benefits with all faculty members. This also allowed me to share that first- and second-graders would still be learning the same skills as before, but they would no longer be in isolation.

Questionnaire: In an effort to start the collaborative process, I had teachers fill out a quick questionnaire if they had an idea in mind. This way, I can now revisit these notes to see what we can build on together. I received eleven questionnaires from that meeting. Two collaborative projects have already been developed from the ideas!

Starting the Year:

Team Meetings: In August, before school began, I got myself invited to the team meetings. In these meetings, I shared my vision for what this type of schedule would allow us to do. I gave my colleagues talking points in case parents should question the new schedule. We also discussed what concerns the teachers had.

Menu of Options: Many of the concerns were related to trying to add me into their already busy schedule. To help show teachers that the goal was not to be an "add on," but to be a part of what they were already doing, I came to the meeting with a menu of options. This menu is meant to be a la cart. I stressed that these were just ideas. We could do all or none of them based on what fit best for the needs of their students. I plan to create this on a monthly basis with different lesson options that will tie to the curriculum. This way they can see the many ways I can be helpful to them. Additionally, I will have evidence to show the administration when they ask what I did to help develop a collaborative relationship with each teacher. This is not meant to replace their own ideas, but just give us a place to start.

Digital Planning Form: I shared a collaborative planning form that was created in Google Forms with all teachers from preschool to second grade. This form can be submitted if they have an idea they would like help with. When shared, I walked teachers through the steps of creating a bookmark so they all have the form at their fingertips.

One Month In:

During the month of September, I was able to work with first- and second-grade students on thirty-six collaborative lessons. I have seen these students more than when using a fixed schedule. Additionally, teachers are beginning to see some of the ways we can "marry" our curriculum to accomplish more with their students.
What We Are Still Working On:
Keeping My Mojo: For me, the most challenging thing so far is trusting myself and my direction. It is easy to get caught up in what is not working instead of focusing on what is. Remaining positive is usually a strength for me, but I have found that I have been second-guessing myself. I do believe that a flexible schedule will provide the most benefit to the students I teach. Yet, remaining confident can be difficult when not everyone shares your vision. This is something I am going to have to keep reminding myself as the year moves forward.

Book Check Out: We still have a fifteen-minute check out time each week. I would like to move to a come-when-you-need-a-book type system, but for now we are using a group check out model. I have been training the teachers how to check out books. This will make it so I do not always have to be there during check out. Then I can make more time available for collaborative projects.

Do you use a flexible schedule in an elementary school library? Please share your story!

Categories: Blog Topics, Community/Teacher Collaboration, Student Engagement/ Teaching Models

Tags: Classroom teachers, co-teaching, collaboration, flexible schedules, Library Media Specialists, school librarians

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Journey to a Flexible Schedule: Part 1 | Knowledge Quest

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A year ago I shared a post called Momentum in a Fixed World. In this post, I shared the goal to move to a flexible schedule. Just as planned we transitioned to this type of schedule with the first- and... Read More ›

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The great John Dewey once said, "We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience." Reflecting is what I am doing every day this year as I move forward using a flexible schedule with first- and second-grade students.

I shared Journey to a Flexible Schedule: Part 1 in October. Now, several months later, here are a few more things that I have learned:

What we are still working on:

Are you using a flexible schedule? Please share what is working for you!

John Dewey Quotes (Author of Art as Experience). Retrieved January 22, 2017, from https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/42738.John_Dewey

Categories: Blog Topics, Community/Teacher Collaboration, Student Engagement/ Teaching Models

Tags: Classroom teachers, co-teaching, collaboration, collaborative culture, fixed schedule, flexible schedule, leadership, Library Media Specialists, reflection, school librarians

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Journey to a Flexible Schedule: Part 2 | Knowledge Quest

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The great John Dewey once said, "We do not learn from experience...we learn from reflecting on experience." Reflecting is what I am doing every day this year as I move forward using a flexible schedule with first- and second-grade students.... Read More ›