Introduction: Approaching Collaboration
When I first started as a media specialist at Talyn K. Martin Junior High School I felt like I had stepped into an episode of the Twilight Zone. I was used to an environment where teachers used the library and media specialist frequently and without hesitation, but here I was seen as just a “keeper of the books.” After some careful inquiry, I found out that the previous media specialist had done little in working with the teachers and was often hard to reach or speak to. I knew I needed to change the teachers’ perspective of the library, but realized that it would take a lot of hard to work. I would have to approach them and prove to them that the library and I had a lot of resources that could compliment their lessons. After all, “collaboration, leadership, and technology integral to every aspect of the library media program” (Information Power, 49) and would benefit the teachers more than they would know. Of course, even if I am successful, “teachers forget that success and return to the original practice of teaching alone” (Curriculum Connections, 200). I would need to be persistent on reminding teachers on what I offered so that our working together would not become isolated incidents. Once I got past those first hurtles, I knew our relations could really grow and benefit both us and the students. I only need to find a way to make that first connection.
My first big break came less than a month into the school year, when I heard Mr. McKinney complaining about an upcoming unit he was to do. “I’m doing this unit on letter writing and journals where the class reads certain journals of historical people and discuss them in class. I use to love teaching this unit! I’ve always thought it was interesting to see into someone else’s life, but the students complain about how boring it is every year! I just don’t know how to get them see how exciting it really it. I’m dreading doing it again this year because I know how much they’ll hate it. I would even drop it if I could, but it is a mandatory requirement.”
I could hear the frustration in his voice about not being able to reach the students in this assignment and decided to approach him. I explained to him that I had encountered a similar lesson unit plan before and that I may be able to give him some additional resources and ideas that may be able to help him out [p1]. He seemed a little hesitant about it, but I encouraged him to come by my office so we could discuss it further. He agreed to stop by after his last class to see if I had anything that he could use.
By the time that Mr. McKinney stopped by my office, I had my ideas outlined and several resources pulled that would be good for this unit. When he arrived I offered him a seat and we began by discussing what he had been doing in the past. He had been using a controlled inquiry where students were given no choice in the materials or assignments that were used. I proposed that guided inquiry approach may be what he needed to get the students more interested in the unit. By allowing them a little more control in the assignment, the students would see a “reasonable need to seek answers to the questions” they have and see more value in the answers that they find (Callison, 99). After a little more discussion about how we could make the lesson plan meet both academic and literary standards [p2], he decided that collaboration [ki2] between us would be the best approach [p3].
The Lesson Plan: Journals and Diaries and Letters, Oh My!
Mr. McKinney brought his class down to the library the following week to select a primary source [ki6] they would want to read. Mr. McKinney and I both agreed that the only way to get the students interested and excited about the lesson would be to allow them to read something of interest to them [ki4]. The only rule was that the letters, diary, or journal would have to be non-fiction [ki5] to ensure that students were reading true accounts on their person. I had many resources pulled to demonstrate the wide variety that students could choose from, such as celebrities, politicians, poets, and sport heroes [p6]. I even had a few audio books to ensure that all students’ needs and learning styles were met [p7]. By the end of the session, all students had something picked out and were excited to start reading.
The students were given two weeks to finish their book before the research stage would begin. For this stage, the students would spend a full week working with myself and Mr. McKinney in the library. On the first day, we had them work on things they would want to know about their person and the time period they lived in [ki7]. We helped the students get beyond the basic questions and dive into ones that dealt more about things that effected or shaped their life and what the time period overall was like. Since Mr. McKinney was requiring at least different resources, I introduced them to some databases, magazine, pathfinders and books that may help them answer their questions [p5]. I also walked around as they worked and made sure the students knew I was available for any help that they may need along the way [p8]. Mr. McKinney and I also made sure that students were taking good notes so that they could refer back to them when creating their own journals.
The next step of the assignment is what I was really excited about. We would be asking students to take what they learned and do some creative thinking [ki3] by creating their own journals, diaries, or letters. The students would be required to tell a story [ki9] of what their life would have been like if they lived in the same time period as their person. Students were given a rubric [ki8] so they knew what was expected from their journal/letters and how they would be graded. While they were allowed to use a paper journal, we were encouraging students to use new technologies [ki10] such as blogs [ki1] or videos [p9] so that their projects could be viewed online. Since Mr. McKinney was unfamiliar with the new technologies, I created a mini-lesson where I introduced students to blogging software, such as edublogs.org, and on how to use the flip-cameras the library had for check out [p4]. For those who chose to do a video blogs, once they had permission from their parents, I showed them how to upload their videos onto SchoolTube.com. Students all agreed that not only did they have fun making their own journal/diaries/letters, but they loved seeing what everyone else was doing as well.
Conclusion: Expanding Collaboration
Mr. McKinney and I both agreed that it had been very enjoyable to see what kind of stories the students were able to create during their week of posting. We both thought it would be a waste of excellent projects if we were the only ones to see what the students had accomplished. After talking to the principal and getting permission from the parents, we created a link on the schools website so that all the entire school system could view them as well. Of course, we never imagined how much of a buzz it would create! As students and teachers began to read and view the journals, I got several requests from different teachers on how to adapt this lesson plan so they could use it as well. Before I knew it, I was collaborating with different teacher and media specialists across the school system to help create projects and lesson plans that would fit into their own needs [p10].
While I truly enjoyed working with others in the school system, my true pleasure comes from working with the teachers and students in my own school. That Twilight Zone episode is something of the past now. I will admit that it did not happen all at once, but thanks to Mr. McKinney and his students, teachers slowly trickled in over time. As each connection was made, the bond between me and teachers slowly strengthened. Before too long, the teachers had fully grasped what the library and I could offer. Now the library had become a “dynamic, student-centered library media program that fosters information literacy and lifelong learning” (Information Power, 47). While I have received many thank yous over the past three years, nothing will mean more than that first one I got from Mr. McKinney. He is still one of my favorite teachers to work with. In fact, we are getting ready to teach the journal/letter lesson plan for a fourth time this year! We have collaborated on many other lessons since then, but we both agree that the journal unit is our favorite. It is always a joy to see how excited the students get and I will never grow tired of seeing what stories or adventures they will come up with. Collaboration has taught me so much so far and I cannot wait to see what it holds for me in the future!