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Collaboration is a daily practice for students and teachers. In the classroom, students are engaged in hands-on activities and problem solving scenarios as they work in small groups. As you walk into classrooms you can hear students interacting respectfully with their peers and communicating with academic vocabulary.

Teachers guide students through the learning process and use more of a flipped classroom model for lectures and direct instruction. Learning activities allow students to think critically and creatively and transfer their learning skills between classes. There is a strong connection between our student outcomes/goals and ATL skills and they are communicated in all classrooms and visible schoolwide.

Teachers don’t just collaborate during the set Instructional Analysis time, but work with their colleagues on an almost daily basis. Lesson planning, formative assessments and data dialogues are a common practice allowing teachers to reflect on instruction and learning and make in the moment adjustments. Teachers share best practices, create interdisciplinary projects, and work with colleagues in common courses and vertically.

Students practice their self-management skills and the school supports their social-emotional learning. Personal goals are created and regularly reflected on. Students have learned how to manage their time effectively, live a healthy lifestyle, and balance their academic/social/extra-curricular activities.

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Rogers - Module 4, learning engagement 2

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Rogers - Module 4, learning engagement 2

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Future condition - 2 Years Time

Students are capable of sustained, self-directed learning. They meet deadlines on a consistent basis. They have a strong sense of the role of IB in their school journey. They are future oriented with long term, sustainable, and achievable goals.

Teachers are incorporating and linking ATL skills into their lessons and unit plans through integrating ATL skills with their content in an organic way.

Parents have a strong grounding in the IB and its value to their students and an meaningful appreciation of ATL skills.

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Module 4, learning engagement 2, Rachel Pernet

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Module 4, learning engagement 2, Rachel Pernet

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Future condition- in 2 years' time
Students are independent learners. They are well organized and  usually meet deadlines, whilst at the same time being less stressed and more balanced. They are confident and self-aware: they reflect on their learning and know how they learn. They are inquirers, who get excited about learning.
Teachers feel less pressure to cover the syllabus and are more confident in guiding students to discover knowledge for themselves.
Parents value ATL skills and discuss them at parents' conferences.
Unit plans include meaningful links to ATL skills and resources for teaching them.
Reports include meaningful student self-assessment of ATL skills.
Collaborative planning time includes groups of teachers working on how to teach ATL skills.
We have a plan and resources for teaching certain ATL skills in the homeroom period. Focus on affective skills in homeroom groups means that there is a stronger sense of trust and community.

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Future Condition (2023)

There is a designated link between the Raider Goals and the ATL skills

The link between the school wide expectations (Raider Goals) and the ATL skills has created more visibility of the ATLs on campus.

The school’s collaboration time (late start system) has been reorganized to support program needs allowing for IB teachers to have more dedicated time with each other.

There are ongoing efforts with lesson plan design on the school level

With the work on lesson design, school wide expectations, and increased collaboration time there is increased movement towards cross curricular alignment of the ATLs.

In the classrooms there is more student directed learning with a good balance of instruction by teachers.

There was a development of CAS projects that reached out to the wider community to provide for a deeper relationship.

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Having a school leadership and middle managers committed to realising ATL through ensuring that teachers collaborate effectively has brought about a wonderful transformation of the school.

The school leadership and academic heads of department regularly meets to chart directions, monitor progress and to review the school's journey regarding ATL.

Every teacher in the school is also part of a professional learning circle, which brings together a team of teaching staff to work collaboratively on specific aspects of ATL including designing lesson experiences and resources. Such groups also help support vertical spiral and horizontal alignment in the school.

Students in the classrooms have also embraced ATL in their learning process. They work collaboratively, and are able to self manage and regulate, exhibiting strong thinking skills and dispositions, even as they work on their academic outcomes, taking ownership of their own learning.

Parents are supportive of the school's emphasis on ATL, and have come to embrace the bigger picture regarding their children's education, as opposed to being fixated on grade attainments.

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Learning engagement 2: Providing support and setting priorities forum-Envision your school community in two years time

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Learning engagement 2: Providing support and setting priorities forum-Envision your school community in two years time

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·       It is great to see that our monthly ATL skills teaching schedule goes smoothly. Teachers and students benefit from it and are able to learn from it proactively.

·       It is great to see that every teacher is an ATL teacher and each student understand the importance of ATL skills. Implement ATLs in class become a culture of school.

·       It is wonderful to see that teachers teach focus on conceptual understanding and tend to be transmission oriented.

·       It is wonderful to see that when see the grades of ATL skills on the report cards, our parents and students take it as serious as their subjects’ grades on it.

·       It is wonderful to see that most of our students can meet the deadlines of assignments under the training of self-management, research, thinking, social and communication skills.

·       It is great to see that our DP teachers are able to collaborate on high-quality curriculum planning and unit planning, and interdisciplinary classrooms can be more planned and colorful.

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Learning engagement 2: Providing support and setting priorities forum

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Learning engagement 2: Providing support and setting priorities forum

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·       If I enter a classroom during a lesson I can see students working in groups, sitting, standing or moving around in positions showing that they are genuinely engaged in what they are doing. Their faces are very much alive showing the signs of interest, concentration, focusing.

·       The classroom is not quiet, one can hear the voices of students arguing, engaging in conversation, contemplating possible solutions. The teacher’s voice is just one of many.

·       If I enter a classroom during the lesson I can find the teacher constantly circulating among the groups of students supporting, challenging, encouraging.

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Learning engagement 2: Providing support and setting priorities forum

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Learning engagement 2: Providing support and setting priorities forum

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·       It is so good to see that our Calendar of School deadlines models time –management and cooperation skills to our students.

·       It is reassuring to know that our students are practiced and responsible peer reviewers.

·       It makes our collaborative planning and reflection process so much easier that we use a common unit planner template.

·       It was so beneficial to our planning practices that some of us could take part in workshops supporting unit planning with ATL in mind.

·       The first reports on ATL skills have been positively received by parents.

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One of the most successful elements of our pre-service two weeks for this school year was we had one day of protected collaborative time for HS departments and one day of protected time for collaboration between the HS and Middle School departments. This was actual protected time where other priorities we held at bay and teachers across all ends of the MYP and the DP/CP program were able to work on vertical articulation - both on content and ATL skills.

For the HS history department this was extremely critical time and has allowed to us to be more closely linked across the 9th/10th grade MYP program and the 11th/12th grade DP program. We were able to  the department in a way that I think will pay dividends for the class of 2024 and beyond.

We desperately need more of this collaborative space at DCI. Too often "collaboration time" is eaten up by other priorities or understandable needs of the moment. However, it is also important for administrators to carve out and protect it. This is something we struggle with at DCI.

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TOK across the curriculum (Rachel Pernet)

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TOK across the curriculum (Rachel Pernet)

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We add collaborative planning time to the schedule for teachers who have parallel classes (1 hour/week), which supports the expectation that they will plan together and have shared course outlines and assessments. This is during the teachers free/planning time, but they really appreciate it.
However, one of the challenges of having DP teachers collaborate is that for most subjects we only have 1 teacher, and that teacher teaches different students from a colleague in another subject. One area where all DP teachers can collaborate is in TOK across the curriculum. One of the most successful sessions we did had teachers in groups according to the area of knowledge they teach. We asked them:
- In your subject, what methodology/process is used to acquire new knowledge?
- Each group had a poster, and was asked to draw a diagram to represent how the body of knoweldge in their subject grows. (Is knowledge added, discarded or modified?).
I could imagine involving DP2 students in TOK across the curriculum sessions, and having them help to teach their teachers.

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Collaborative Learning Strategies for online teachers (Rachel Pernet)

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Collaborative Learning Strategies for online teachers (Rachel Pernet)

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During lockdown I found that one of the added bonuses of using breakout rooms on Zoom was that students could be assigned to random groups. They found it exciting to see who would be in their room, and worked with different students they would not normally have contact with. Each group was then given one shared Google document to work on together.

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Understanding group dynamics through Tuckman's model 

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Understanding group dynamics through Tuckman's model 

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This model helps teachers to understand group dynamics, and empowers teachers to better facilitate collaboration among students.

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You can't just switch on teamwork. It takes time for a new team to "gel" and work to its full potential. What's more, team members go through stages as they move from strangers to co-workers.

Bruce Tuckman's Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing model describes these stages. When you understand Tuckman's model, you'll know how to help your new team to become effective - faster. Let's look at how.

Click here to view a transcript of this video.

Where Does Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing Come From?

Psychologist Bruce Tuckman came up with the memorable phrase "forming, storming, norming, and performing" in his 1965 paper, "Developmental Sequence in Small Groups." [1] It describes the path that teams follow on their way to high performance. Later, he added a fifth stage, "adjourning" (also known as "mourning") to mark the end of a team's journey.

What Happens at Tuckman's Forming Stage?

In the beginning, when a new team forms, individuals will be unsure of the team's purpose, how they fit in, and whether they'll work well with one another. They may be anxious, curious, or excited to get going. However they feel, they'll be looking to the team leader for direction.

This may take some time, as people get to know their new colleagues and one another's ways of working.

What Did Tuckman Mean by Storming?

In the storming stage, people start to push against the established boundaries. Conflict or friction can also arise between team members as their true characters - and their preferred ways of working - surface and clash with other people's.

At this stage team members may challenge your authority or management style, or even the team's mission. Left unchecked, this can lead to face-to-face confrontations or simmering online tensions.

If roles and responsibilities aren't yet clear, individuals might begin to feel overwhelmed by their workload or frustrated at a lack of progress.

How Do I Recognize the Norming Stage?

Gradually, the team moves into the norming stage. People start to resolve their differences, appreciate one another's strengths, and respect your authority as a leader.

Now that they know one another better, your team members will feel more comfortable asking for help and offering constructive feedback. They'll share a stronger commitment to the team's goals, and they should make good progress toward it.

What Does the Performing Stage Look Like?

Now your team is in flow and performing to its full potential. With hard work and structured processes, the team is likely to achieve its goals efficiently.

Judith Stein, from MIT's HR department, says of this stage, "Roles on the team may have become more fluid, with members taking on various roles and responsibilities as needed. Differences among members are appreciated and used to enhance the team's performance." [2]

What About Tuckman's Adjourning (or Mourning) Stage?

Many teams reach this stage naturally. For example, projects come to an end, or permanent teams are disbanded and people redeployed.

People who like routine, or who have developed close working relationships with colleagues, may find this time difficult.

Using the Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing Tool

Follow the steps below to ensure that you're doing the right thing at the right time:

1. Identify the stage that your team is at from the descriptions above.

2. Consider what you need to do to move on to the next stage.

3. Schedule regular reviews of where your team is at, and adjust your behavior and leadership approach accordingly.

Tuckman's model isn't a one-way street - teams may go back and forth between stages. When you hit the performing stage, keep observing your team's progress in case it slips back. For example, a new team member can disrupt the group dynamic, or a new business direction might mean you have to reevaluate your team roles and goals.

Leading Through the Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing Stages

Forming to Storming

To establish clear objectives for the group at this first stage, create a team charter. And help team members to set personal goals so that they can see how their work will fit with the bigger picture.

Storming to Norming

Storming can make or break a team, so it's essential that you establish processes to track the progress and success of tasks.

Norming to Performing

Use your regular one-on-ones to encourage individuals to step back, review their goals, and take responsibility for them.

Performing to Adjourning

When the team has settled into the performing stage, you can focus on other goals and new areas to benefit the business. Free up more time for yourself - and boost team engagement - by delegating tasks and projects.

You should also make time for the group's personal development. Discuss with your team what opportunities and resources are available to them, such as the Mind Tools toolkits.

Adjourning (or Mourning)

If any team members feel uncertain about what's ahead, boost their confidence and career prospects by praising them at company meetings. And offer to provide LinkedIn recommendations and references if they're moving on.

Key Points

Psychologist Bruce Tuckman described how teams move through stages known as forming, storming, norming, and performing, and adjourning (or mourning).

You can use Tuckman's model to help your team to perform better. First, identify the stage your team is at, then use our tips to move them through the stages.

Remember, teams can slip back a stage, too. Use Tuckman's model to continually review where you team is at - and make any necessary changes to get back on course.

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Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing: Tuckman's Model for Nurturing a Team to High Performance

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You can't just switch on teamwork. It takes time for a new team to "gel" and work to its full potential. What's more, team members go through stages as they move from strangers to co-workers. Bruce Tuckman's Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing model describes these stages.

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An English B and Music Collaboration Class

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An English B and Music Collaboration Class

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Some information on what we include in our school's student planner

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Some information on what we include in our school's student planner

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30+ Virtual Learning Platforms and Tools for Teachers and Kids

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Keep your online classroom running smoothly.

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The days of students silently working independently from textbooks at desks neatly arranged into perfect rows are long gone! In today's classroom, you're more likely to see students standing or sitting together around tables or huddling on the rug, gesturing and talking excitedly, drawing diagrams on tablets, sketching ideas on whiteboards, or gathered around computers.

Collaborative learning is a 21st-century skill that is at the top of most districts' curricula. When students work collaboratively, they become involved in a process that promotes cooperation and builds community. New ideas are generated as students give one another feedback. Collaboration creates a culture that values every student's strengths and an environment that believes that everyone can learn from one another.

Here are eight activities and tools to foster an environment of collaboration in your classroom.

1. Play games!

Collaboration doesn't necessarily come naturally to students. It is something that requires direct instruction and frequent practice. One of the best ways to train your students to work collaboratively is through game playing. Cooperative classroom games help students become critical thinkers, learn to work with one another and establish a positive classroom environment. The best part? Kids have fun while developing these skills! Check out these ideas from TeachHub and TeachThought.

Source
2. Give everyone their moment in the spotlight!

Put your students' affinity for selfies to good use with Flipgrid, a simple yet powerful tech tool that allows students to express themselves creatively and amplify their voices.

Teachers create grids with topics of discussion and students respond with recorded videos to talk about, reflect, and share via webcam, tablet, or mobile device. Talk about active, engaged learning!

Read this article to learn more about how the six C's of 21st-century learning are an intrinsic element of the Flipgrid experience.

3. Save the last word!

Tap into your students' visual skills with a fun strategy called Save the Last Word for Me.

How to do it: Prepare a collection of posters, paintings and photographs from the time period you are studying and then ask students to select three images that stand out to them. On the back of an index card, students explain why they selected this image and what they think it represents or why it is important.

Divide the students into groups of three, labeling one student "1," one "2" and the other "3." Invite the 1s to show one of their chosen images and listen as students 2 and 3 discuss the picture. What do they think it means? Why do they think this image might be important? To whom? After several minutes, the 1 students read the back of their card (explaining why they picked the image), thus having "the last word." The process continues with student 2 sharing and then student 3.

4. Create a safe space for discussion.

Edmodo is a multi-platform, kid-safe platform that is perfect for active learning. Kids can share content, have a dialogue (in or out of the classroom), and even get parents involved! Tools like Learning Communities and Discussions have made Edmodo one of the most popular free education tools on the Web.

5. Zoom in on the details!

Zoom is a storytelling game that is a classic classroom cooperative activity. It gets kids' creative juices flowing and allows them to not only tap into their own imaginations but create an original story together.

How to do it: Form students into a circle and give each a unique picture of a person, place or thing (or whatever you choose that goes along with your curriculum). The first student begins a story that incorporates whatever happens to be on their assigned photo. The next student continues the story, incorporating their photo, and so on. (Younger kids may need some coaching around appropriate language, topics and so on.)

6. Try Brainwriting!

Brainstorming is a common element of collaborative learning. But sometimes a brainstorming session only results in the easiest, loudest, most popular ideas being heard, and higher-level ideas never really get generated.

The general principle of Brainwriting is that idea generation should exist separate from discussion-students write first, talk second. When a question is introduced, students first brainstorm on their own and write down their ideas on sticky notes. Everyone's ideas get posted on a wall, with no names attached.

The group then has a chance to read, think about and discuss all of the ideas generated. This technique provides a level playing field for the best ideas to surface as students combine, tweak and come up with original, higher-level solutions.

7. Dive into a Fishbowl!

Fishbowl is a teaching strategy that lets students practice being both speaker and listener in a discussion. The steps are simple. Form two circles with student desks, one inside the other. The conversation begins as kids on the inside circle of the Fishbowl respond to a teacher-provided prompt. The first group of students asks questions, expresses opinions and shares information, while the second group of students, on the outside of the circle, listens carefully to the ideas presented and observes the process. Then the roles reverse.

This strategy is especially helpful for modeling and reflecting on what a "good discussion" looks like, for making sure that no one is left out of the conversation, and for providing a structure for discussing controversial or difficult topics.

Check out this link from Facing History and Ourselves for a step-by-step explanation and watch these middle schoolers demonstrate a Fishbowl on YouTube.

8. Give every student a voice.

We've all witnessed the group activity where the students with the strongest verbal skills or personalities end up taking over the conversation, crowding the rest of the students out. Teaching your students how to have meaningful conversations by introducing the rules of collaborative conversation and giving them specific language to articulate their ideas is a valuable investment.

These sentence stems from TeachThought are just the ticket for providing the scaffolding necessary so that all students can receive the level of support they need in order to be communicate successfully.

What are your best strategies for encouraging collaboration? Tell us in the comments.

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8 Fun Ways to Help Your Students Collaborate in the Classroom

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Here are eight great games, activities and tech tools to help your students learn to collaborate in the classroom. Build your student community!

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One of the primary issues with distance online learning is isolation. Although people can now opt for Cohort-based courses where they can learn collaboratively, it can still throw one down the 'Zoom Fatigue' spiral. Forget students, Zoom fatigue even got to the founder of Zoom, Eric Yuan. Students feel worn out from sitting in front of a computer screen for hours on end. As a result, their concentration levels dip, and learning suffers. This is where collaborative learning strategies prove useless by ensuring that students enjoy online learning and perform better.

The idea of learning together collaboratively was first popularized by the Soviet psychologist, Lev Vygotsky. His sociocultural theory of human learning describes learning as a social process and the origination of human intelligence in society or culture. This is further supported by various studies conducted over the years that emphasize the importance and effectiveness of collaborative learning as opposed to learning individually.

Keeping in mind the troubles of interactive online learning that course creators and instructors are now facing, I have put together this list of effective collaborative learning strategies.

Top Collaborative Learning Strategies for Improved Student Engagement

The Jigsaw Method

The primary idea behind the Jigsaw method is to break a large group (home group) of students into smaller groups (expert groups) and assign them a specific topic each. These groups are entrusted to learn and then teach others about their assigned topic. In this way, students get to learn different concepts in relatively less time and can retain the newly acquired information better.

The jigsaw method was first used by a professor of the University of Texas - Elliot Aronson - in 1971 to combat rising hostility among students after segregation. The technique was immensely successful and has been in use since.

Brainwriting

Source: Miro.com

It can be a challenge to get shy and introverted students to participate more in group activities. However, such students tend to perform better on online platforms where they can anonymously or individually share their thoughts. Brainwriting is such a technique by which instructors can make such learners more involved in group work. In this technique, instructors start a discussion thread on an online forum. They provide a topic or prompt under which students can share their views either openly or anonymously.

A great online tool for brainwriting is Miro. It is an online whiteboard platform that comes with various templates for brainwriting and other team projects as well.

Think-Pair-Share Technique

Source: Vanderbilt University

Think-pair-share is one of the most common collaborative learning strategies. In this, the instructor breaks students into pairs. Students are then given a topic which they discuss and analyze together and finally, share it with the rest of the class. Group-based or pair-based strategies work better with open-ended questions which allow greater intellectual freedom.

Break-out rooms

Source: Zoom

Breakout rooms are an effective online learning strategy. Just like in physical classrooms teachers would make students work in groups, Breakout rooms do just that but online. These smaller groups meet for scheduled sessions and brainstorm ideas. Not only is that an effective learning technique but it also fosters community building.

Zoom is a popular video-conferencing platform that comes with the breakout room feature. You can easily divide your audience into these breakout rooms during your live sessions. Similarly, there are other apps besides Zoom that also offer the breakout-room feature. For example, Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, Stixy, etc.

However, as an online teacher, it can be tough to switch between different platforms trying to manage your course i.e. hosting a lecture on one LMS and then moving to other platforms to utilize the collaborative learning features. For this purpose, opt for an LMS that covers all your needs. Teachfloor is one such platform that comes with Zoom integration. For the price of one app, you can access the features of many.

Peer Review

Teachfloor.com

In a purely academic sense, peer review is the process of assessing and verifying a document before its publication. However, in a more basic sense, peer review is an activity in which students review and provide feedback on the assignments of fellow students. The idea behind this is to strengthen students' evaluative skills and make them independent.

Keeping in mind the importance of collaborative learning, Teachfloor provides its users with a community space with a discussion forum, Q&A thread, and Peer Review feature. With this instructors can schedule students' assignments and peer reviews. The discussion forum will also keep a track of all the reviews and keep a record of them for later use.

Scaffolding

Source: University at Buffalo - Center for Educational Innovation (CEI).

Scaffolding is a teaching method that involves gradually sharing the instructor's assistance as students increase their understanding of a concept. Just like scaffolding provides structural support to buildings during construction, scaffolding in teaching provides instructional support to students to help with their intellectual development.

A good example of scaffolding is community guidelines. In this way, moderators set some basic rules that determine the course of discussion and interaction in a session. The process of scaffolding involves first determining how much the students know about the subject. Then by setting learning outcomes, the instructor decides the sort of instructional support or guidelines which are then drip-fed over the duration of the online course. Eventually, the intensity of the guidance is increased to scale up the learning of students.

Value Diversity

Diversity is crucial to any collaborative working or learning environment. Researches prove that diverse classrooms improve learning for everyone. This is because a diverse environment brings together people from various differing (often contradicting) backgrounds and encourages them to interact devoid of any prejudices or biases. When people are made to work in such spaces, it introduces people to a multiplicity of perspectives which they otherwise did not have access to. Moreover, by sharing and understanding others' opinions, people also come to respect others.

Therefore, as an online course instructor, it should be a primary focus during the student onboarding process that your class is diverse. Bear in mind that diversity is not tokenist. On the contrary, it is less about the number and more about inclusivity and mutual respect for everyone.

Provide Learning Scenarios

Learning scenarios are a useful way of breaking down complex concepts and making students think out of the box. Moreover, it is refreshing for students too. So often teachers use analogies and real-life examples to explain topics. By doing so, students can understand concepts in a simple language without feeling bored or confused.

Some other examples of learning scenarios are case studies and role-plays. These scenarios act as prompts for discussions that stimulate students' thinking and push them to dissect concepts in unique ways.

Socratic Seminar

As the name suggests, the Socratic method dates back to Socrates. The great Athenian philosopher used to engage in extensive intellectual dialogues with his disciples. They would sit circularly and go over a topic using a series of questions until they were able to deduce viable conclusions from their discussion.

Similarly, the Socratic seminar approach is used quite frequently in classrooms. As for online classes, this approach is only feasible for live cohort-based courses where students interact in real-time. Here the instructor introduces an idea by asking a thought-provoking question and then over the course of discussion acts as a devil's advocate stimulating further series of questions.

3-2-1 Technique

The 3-2-1 is a quick reflective activity that encourages students to reflect on a course experience and analyze the contents and identify problem areas. It provides an easy way for teachers to determine how well the students are picking up the learning materials. The technique follows three simple rules. Towards the end of the course ask your students the following questions in the sequence below:

1. Ask them to give 3 key ideas presented in the sesson.

2. Metion 2 examples that implement the idea.

3. State 1 unresolved point or question.

Students are then asked to share and go over these points with the rest of the class. For online classes, teachers can easily convert the activity into an online discussion board or even a quiz using Quizlet, where they can share their responses.

Conclusion

The rationale behind incorporating collaborative learning strategies during online learning is to help combat the feeling of weariness that often students complain of. Learning off a computer is already a tedious task and having to learn alone on top can be depressing too. Which in turn lowers student participation and learning. By including these strategies in your online courses, teachers can effectively make their students participate more in the classes and perform better overall. And not to forget, collaborative working prepares one for teamwork which is an essential skill for professional life.

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10 Collaborative Learning Strategies for Online Teachers - Teachfloor Blog

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One of the primary issues with distance online learning is isolation. Although people can now opt for Cohort-based courses where they can learn collaboratively, it can still throw one down the 'Zoom Fatigue' spiral. Forget students, Zoom fatigue even got to the founder of Zoom, Eric Yuan .

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https://connected.unmc.edu/blog/2018/05/09/group-work-vs-collaborative-learning-is-there-a-difference/

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Ten ways to work with your highly trained colleagues in the library to enhance literacy instruction.

©Shutterstock/wavebreakmedia

Literacy instruction, especially on the secondary level, is currently undergoing a major overhaul. Teachers and authors Penny Kittle, Kelly Gallagher, Donalyn Miller, and others are leading the way in this resurgence-advocating for book clubs and student choice of reading material, promoting diversity in reading selections, and even providing grants for teachers to build classroom libraries.

While it's easy to get excited about educators promoting these research-based literacy strategies, there is one group of educators who know that none of this is new: school librarians.

The South Carolina Association of School Librarians is a strong network of school librarians working across the state to advocate for school librarianship and our vital role in student achievement. In 2016, for example, the network presented research showing that standardized test scores increase in schools with a full-time, certified school librarian.

Importantly, the research showed that students were more likely to score Exemplary (the highest rating) on South Carolina state testing "where librarians spent 20 or more hours per week teaching." Teaching? The librarian? Yep, the librarian.

It's no accident that librarians hold positions in schools. We are highly trained literacy professionals, in print, visual, digital, and technological formats. The school librarian position requires teaching certification, and gaining that certification requires completion of a master's in library and information science. School librarians can also achieve National Board certification in library media. All of this makes the current trend of eliminating positions or replacing them with assistants, community members, or computer technicians even more troubling.

10 Suggestions for Collaborating With Your School Librarian

1. Certified school librarians take courses in children's and young adult materials, learning American Association of School Librarians standards and building standards-based instructional units using those materials. Revisit your content standards and ask your school librarian how books and readings can be incorporated to reach those standards.

2. Many school librarians serve on book award committees, reading hundreds of new books each year to vote on winners. Secondary classroom teachers may not be aware of the Printz Award, the Odyssey Award, or the Alex Awards, to name just a few. Let us help you bring award-winning books from across the curriculum to your students. Historical fiction and young adult nonfiction science books are vastly underused in classrooms.

3. Classroom teachers know they shouldn't rely on textbooks and PowerPoint presentations as teaching strategies, but they may not know that school librarians can provide reliable online, real-world texts from databases and websites for a student-centered classroom.

4. As you build a classroom library, collaborate with your school librarian to determine which books will ensure diversity and equity-we're professionally trained in building collections with equity, access, and diversity as key components. Your school librarian can supplement your classroom library with the school collection. Ask about ebooks and digital audiobooks, books for displays, and mentor/anchor texts.

5. In our required coursework, we learn how to teach research skills to students, how to retrieve information from all types of databases and web browsers, and how to choose appropriate tools for student use. These are skills that require explicit teaching and are needed across academic disciplines.

6. School librarians read professional journals related to book publishing and literacy as well as lesson plans published by other school librarians to learn how others promote reading in their schools. You can enhance your personal learning network by tapping into your school librarian's network.

7. We also take courses in how to build successful reading programming. We set up reading contests, writing contests, book clubs, book giveaways, reading goals, Skype sessions with authors, and more.

8. School librarians can help classroom teachers implement various reading strategies, such as chunking a difficult text, journaling during reading, listing difficult words encountered while reading, and making reading goals.

9. We can plan events using resources from local public libraries, museums, businesses, community leaders, and more for students to engage in authentic learning experiences. A school librarian can help you connect students with local historical resources, for example.

10. Using information ethically is arguably one of the most important parts of teaching digital literacy, and we teach students how to cite information appropriately, guard their privacy, and share information ethically.

School librarians are passionate about new literacy trends that classroom teachers are eager to implement, and there are several ways they can collaborate:

English language arts teachers and school librarians share similar passions, and we can maximize all of our talents by combining forces to achieve our goal: guiding students to become literacy leaders themselves.

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Collaborating With Your School Librarian

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Ten ways to work with your highly trained colleagues in the library to enhance literacy instruction.

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Please use this padlet to add thoughts, challenges, opportunities, engagements, websites, resources or anything that strikes you as relevant or meaningful to building collaboration within your school.  Add new topics or posts to your heart's content.  This is an open space for our own collaboration.

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Please use this padlet to add thoughts, challenges, opportunities, engagements, websites, resources or anything that strikes you as relevant or meaningful to building collaboration within your school.  Add new topics or posts to your heart's content.  This is an open space for our own collaboration.

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Getting More Familiar with Unit Planners

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Getting More Familiar with Unit Planners

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06 Getting more familiar with a unit planner