Scheduling, Forms, and DisciplineMod 7Dianne McLaren-BrightonOctober 23, 2011

Rationale

While scheduling, planning, collaborating, and assessing are a significant part of the library

program, little thought may go into the actual documents needed to accomplish these goals. Yet,

one needs to address the “nuts and bolts” of the paperwork school librarians use on a daily basis.

This means choosing or creating scheduling, planning, collaboration, assessment, and discipline

forms, as well as passes that allow a school librarian to focus on instruction, not paperwork. By

necessity, these forms will be different for different grade levels, but at all levels there should to be

a consistent set of paperwork in order to ensure that students, teachers, and the librarians

themselves do not become confused with an ever-changing pile of forms.

In her introduction to Power Tools Recharged, Joyce Kasman Valenza states that her ready-to-

use forms and tested ideas will:

Help you manage, promote, and assess your program; Increase the effectiveness of your program while reducing your workload; Help your students and faculty partners develop information skills; and Help teachers integrate information skills into the whole-school program (viii)

Whether you design your own forms or use ready-made ones, you create a professional image

with consistent, easy-to-use documents.

Scheduling Library Use

Library schedules have been a source of controversy for decades. While the fight between

those who favor fixed-schedules and those who favor flexible-schedules rages on, you, the

librarian, still need to schedule classes and ensure that students and staff have access to the library.

Examples of fixed, flexible, or a combination of the two abound on the Internet, though

combination schedules seem to predominate. The Grand View Elementary School Library from

Manhattan Beach, California is an excellent example of a combined schedule, including allowing

more time for upper-elementary students. With color-coding for the different classes and clearly

delineated flextime makes the schedule easy for students and staff to understand.

Creating schedules for schools that span grade levels has special challenges. Honey Creek

Community School in Ann Arbor, Michigan serves students from kindergarten through eighth

grade. In addition, the school librarian position is half-time, making scheduling more difficult. The

elementary students are on a fixed schedule so that all students have time in the library each week.

The middle school students however are scheduled using flextime. Individuals, small groups, or

even whole classes use the middle school block of time. In order to see as many students as

possible the library is open during lunch and recess.

The Plainview School Library Media Center of the DeKalb County Public School System

serves both elementary and secondary students through twelfth grade. According to the library’s

policy and procedures manual, kindergarten and first grade students have a set time to be in the

library. Students in grades 2 through 12, on the other hand, have a flextime schedule. For both the

elementary and secondary students, use of the library is at the discretion of the classroom teachers

who “are encouraged to schedule additional time for activities/lessons to enhance what students are

doing in the classroom and foster information literacy” (3). While high school students are

welcome to come individually during when the library is open, the librarian does not encourage

collaboration, especially with the high school teachers. The policy states, “Teachers are encouraged

to plan class lessons which include research and reference materials and to schedule time for

classes to meet in the library and/or projects computer lab. Teacher and librarian collaboration

beforehand assures the best use of resources and time” (3). The only mention of collaboration is the

suggestion that the high school teachers should check with the librarian prior to bringing students

to the library. Regardless, the burden seems to be on the classroom teachers to initiate use of the

library.

Scheduling at the high school offers a unique challenge. Students do not have scheduled time

in the library, and many teachers, worried about “teaching to the test,” do not take time to use the

library unless they need to use the computers. When I taught high school English, the librarians had

enough trouble attempting to get the ninth grade English teachers to come to the library for a quick

orientation. In the nine years I taught there, I did not participate in any collaborative lessons

beyond a mini-lesson on computer usage, much less collaborative units. Other than reserving the

computer carts or checking out materials, the only help I ever asked a librarian for was creating a

worksheet on the use of MLA citations. According to my colleagues, this is the norm. If a teacher

had the library reserved, it usually meant he or she had an event that needed a bigger space than the

classroom. A quick check of high school library schedules on the Internet shows most teachers

signed up for the computers, with far fewer signed up for other purposes.

Planning Forms

Unless a specific form is required, school librarians have a great deal of flexibility when

choosing planning forms. Besides teacher planning books available on-line or at any school supply

store, school librarians can choose from simple templates that outline a lesson, online lesson

planning “books,” or formal planning forms that go into greater detail.

Hanover County Public Schools in Ashland, Virginia’s planning forms are formal and detailed,

yet they are easy to understand. The form requires, among other elements, the national literacy

standard, objectives, resources, introduction, activity, and evaluation. The evaluation section is,

arguably, the most important since the librarian needs to know if the students met the objectives of

the lesson.

Collaborative Planning Forms and Assessments

Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe suggest in their book Understanding by Design that when

teachers and librarians collaborate, “We must be mindful of who the users are and design so that

they are all maximally engaged and productive. Out design must be truly user-friendly, in other

words, not just intellectually defensible” (191). Orange Preparatory Academy offers a good

example of a one page UBD planning form that can work for any type of assignment at any grade

level, something that is important since school librarians often teach to a wide age and ability span.

Columbia County Schools in North Carolina created a one page Library Media Center

Collaborative Planning Form that puts all the pertinent details on one page. While this form is best

for initial planning, it does ask for curriculum standards that are to be met and who is expected to

do what. Knowing the role the classroom teacher expects from the school librarian at the onset of a

plan can cut down on problems later in the process.

By creating an appropriate document, it is easy for both the librarian and the classroom teacher

to ensure that all criteria are met. In addition, the Web has many examples of lesson planning forms

for the school librarian to collaborate with classroom teachers.

Creating lessons that meet AASL standards is not enough, however. The AASL also requires

that “The School library media program is guided by regular assessment of student learning to

ensure he program is meeting its goals (Empowering Learners 27). According to the PA

Guidelines, “Assessment tools, from simple checklists to more sophisticated rubrics, track and

record student outcomes and can also indicate changes in dispositions” (10). What form these tools

take is dependent upon the complexity of the assignment, but all concerned should know what is

being assessed and how it will be measured. Two examples I created from a lesson on reliability of

websites are included to demonstrate the ease of creating both rubrics and checklists for

assessment.

Passes

Passes are one of those little details that can make a school librarian’s day run smoothly or

create a feeling of chaos, depending on the design of the pass and whether or not classroom

teachers use them. In her book Power Tools Recharged, Joyce Kasman Valenza provides an

example of a simple pass (2-15) that lets the librarian know which teacher is sending students to the

library, what class period, the grade and class, number of students, and the assignment the students

are working on. This is especially good for small groups of students who may otherwise waste time

because the librarian does not know why the students were sent to the library. More specific and

detailed passes are especially helpful at the secondary level. High school and middle school

students have more freedom of movement within the school, and the librarian is unlikely to know

many of the students. This combination can be a source of trouble without clear communication

between the classroom teacher and librarian by way of the library pass. Hopewell Valley Regional

School District offers a good example for a group pass for study halls. The fact that the total

number of students allowed at any given period helps all concerned know the parameters before

any students arrive at the media center door.

At every grade level, a simple template designed by the teacher with the name of the student,

the class, date, time, and teacher is enough for the librarian to know who should be in the library.

At the lower grade levels, a laminated card that says, “library pass” in fancy letters is sufficient.

Discipline

Taking care of the paperwork, from lesson planning and assessment to passes, lessens

discipline problems because the students are engaged in the learning process. However, the library

is also a place for students to be comfortable and relax with a good book or magazine. Therefore, it

is necessary to have a plan for any discipline problems.

In her article “Promoting Appropriate Behavior in the Media Center,” Dian Walster states:

Behavior policies and procedures guide students to appropriate behavior. However, policies and procedures can't actually make students adhere to the rules. Ultimately students must make a choice) and then suffer the consequences. If you have made

responsibilities clear there is no need to feel guilty about making students responsible for the consequences of their actions.

Although this article is aimed at high school librarians, this advice works for students at all

grade levels. As in any classroom, the simpler the rules, the easier it is to enforce them. When

students refuse to follow rules or are disruptive, most schools have a standardized discipline form.

Like other teachers, the school librarian should have a supply of forms and know the procedures for

using them as necessary.

Conclusion

While schedules, lesson planning and assessment forms, passes, and discipline are not the

“sexy” part of the job, and are certainly not the reason anyone chooses to become a school

librarian, they are, nonetheless, an important part of the program. By having and consistently using

the individualized or stock forms, the library runs smoothly and the librarian should know who is in

the library, when, and why.

Works Cited

American Association of School Librarians. Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs. Chicago: ALA, 2009. 27. Print.

Columbia County Schools, North Carolina. "Library Media Center Collaborative Planning Form." N.d. Microsoft Word file.

DeKalb County Public School System. “School Library Policies and Procedures Manual.” N.d. PDF file.

Hanover County Public Schools Elementary Library Media Specialists. “Kindergarten Curriculum.” N.d. PDF file.

Hopewell Valley Regional School District. "Media Center (MC) Study Hall Pass."      N.d. Microsoft Word file.

McLaren-Brighton, Dianne M. "Is this Website Reliable? Aassessment Checklist."      14 Nov. 2009. Microsoft Word file.

- - -. "Is this Website Reliable? Assessment Rubric." 14 Nov. 2009. Microsoft Word file.

Orange Preparatory Academy. "Resources." Orange Preparatory Academy. Schoolwires, 2010. Web. 24 Mar. 2012.

Snively, Heidi. “Library Schedule 2011-12.” 2011. PDF file.

Valenza, Joyce Kasman. Power Tooks Recharged. Chicago: ALA, 2004. viii, 2-15. Print.

Walster, Dian. “Promoting Appropriate Behavior in the Media Center.” School Library Journal 36.8 (1990): 26-29. Academic Search Complete. Web. 23 Oct. 2011.

Wiggins, Grant, and Jay McTighe. Understanding by Design. Expanded 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River: Pearson, 2005. 191. Print.

Appendix AHoney Creek Community School Media Center Schedule 2011-12

Appendix BGRAND VIEW LIBRARY CLASS VISITS 2011-12

MONDAY 7:00-3:30 TUESDAY 8:00-4:30 WEDNESDAY 8:00-4:30 THURSDAY 8:00-4:30THE LIBRARY IS OPEN FROM 8:00-8:10 FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 1-5 TO CHECK OUT OR

8:15-8:458:45-9:15

MANGAN - K BRANCATO - KHilarie Murad Lee

9:50-10:20 9:50-10:20 9:50-10:209:55-10:25 ROBERTSON - 3MILES - 3 Joni Ramallo

9:55-10:25

SPONDIKE

GOODLAD - 3

K.Childress

PLIACONIS - 2

Betty Law N.Grimes Anna Lee

10:25-10:45 10:25-10:45 10:25-10:45 10:25-10:4510:25-10:45

RECESS GRADES 3-4-5 RECESS GRADES 3-4-5 RECESS GRADES 3-4-5 RECESS GRADES 3-4-5 RECESS 10:45-11:15 10:45-11:15 10:45-10:55-11:25DEVER

10:50-11:35CLAYTOR

- 5

MOLL - KPam KawaiNicole Pagel

GUELFF - 1

MUSHET - 1K.McKinney Lorri Kampfner 11:15-11:45 11:15-11:45 11:15-

Kathleen LUN GLADSTONE - 211:30-12:00 11:45-12:15 C.Daviduk J.Feng Melissa FARRIS

- 3Becky Bruhns Jill

Kohler

CRUM - K P.Saltzmann P.Serota Anna Lee Jenny 11:40-12:25

WITZANSK

Karen ArensdorfCourtney Pogson

11:45-12:15 11:45-12:15

LUNCH12:00-12:30

Mary HayesKim Kluth

12:20-12:50BRITTON - 1 12:20-12:50

12:30-1:00

Lisa Taylor C.Gebhardt C.Knox

12:30-1:00

OLSON - 1

Cathy 12:30-1:00 Julie ArgueKaren Iantuono LUN 1:00-1:30 Kristen Meyers 12:50-1:20

1:05-1:50

FAIRBROTHER

1:20-2:05

THOMPSO

ELLIS - 1Jo

1:05-1:50SHAW - 4

Jamie Arnold

HARDING - 1

HilaryMcDonald Pulliam Furth

Gray2nd Semester

Fishman

Mark Hurst

Bettina Javellana

1:30-4:30

STAFF COLLABORATI

Lisa Coppedge

Laura Lewis1:50-

2:45SPRAGG

- 4Sara Ahmed (Cook) Susan

2:05-2:45

DUNCAN - 5

Stefanie Bond

MEETINGS.

NOT OPEN

1:50-2:45 1:50-2:45

KINZER - 4 SLATER - 4

Melissa Arentsen Beth-jana Dahl Jan Dunbar Jill OPEN 2:45-3:30 OPEN

2:45-4:30OPEN 2:45-4:30 OPEN

2:45-4:30Heidi Snively Library Media Specialist --- 30 K-5 Classes --- Approx. 750 Students --- 40 Work

Appendix C

Purpose

The purpose of the policy and procedures manual is to provide a guide for the operation of the Plainview School Library Media Center. The manual will be updated as changes are made in the library media center.

Mission Statement of the DeKalb County Public School System

The mission of the DeKalb County Public School System is to produce healthy, happy, well-adjusted graduates who are academically competent and who have the career and life skills necessary to become contributing and productive citizens and to provide services for all students, regardless of disabling condition, in order to enable them to take their place in society.

Mission Statement of Plainview School

The mission of Plainview School is to provide a safe, positive learning environment for all students, which will empower them with confidence to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing society.

Mission Statement of the Plainview School Library Media Program

The mission of the Plainview School Library Media Program is to ensure that students are effective users of ideas and information. The library media center strives to provide the school community with a wide range of materials on appropriate levels of difficulty that will encourage growth in knowledge, establish a life-long love of reading, and foster information literacy.

Objectives

The goals of the media specialists are:

1. To teach students to access, evaluate, and use information.

2. To maintain a well-balanced collection of media appropriate to the needs of the school.

3. To provide assistance in locating and using instructional materials.

4. To promote instruction in information literacy to students and faculty.

5. To provide instructional materials that will stimulate growth in factual knowledge and literary appreciation.

6. To manage a planned program and a welcoming environment.

Library Media Center Hours of Operation

The Plainview Library Media Center is open from 7:30 a.m. until 3:15 p.m. every school day. Students must come with a purpose for learning or a classroom pass for elementary checkouts. Faculty members are welcome to browse and pick up materials in person or notify a librarian of needs via email, phone or student messenger.

Student Conduct

Student patrons of the library media center must follow the established rules of acceptable behavior listed below. Failure to comply will result in the following consequences.

R u l e s 1. Use a quiet voice so as not to disturb other media center patrons.2. Take care of all library media center materials.3. Keep hands, feet, and objects to self.4. Leave food and drink outside the library media center.5. Follow Internet AUP guidelines. Sign in at the desk when using a computer.6. Do not print from computers without permission.7. Listen and follow directions from all library media center staff.

C on s e q uen c e s 1. Verbal warning from a media center staff member.2. If a student continues misbehavior, the student will be asked to return to

class and the teacher will be notified. Students may first beseparated from other classmates when visiting with a group.

3. If misbehavior is severe, the student will be asked to return immediately to class or be sent to the office.

Scheduling

E le m enta ry Student sKindergarten and 1st grade classes have a weekly fixed time to visit the library media center for 30 minutes. These students may checkout one book for a period of two

weeks. Other elementary students are not allowed to visit the library during scheduled classes. Teachers should refer to the library schedule and avoid sending students during these class times. Visitation for students in 2nd -6th

grades is flexible. Teachers may send up to 3 students at a time to checkout books as needed. These students may checkout two books for a period of two weeks. Elementary teachers are encouraged to schedule additional time for activities/lessons to enhance what students are doing in the classroom and foster information literacy. Additional time should be pre-scheduled with the library media specialist in order to ensure needed materials are readily available and other classes can be notified of the arrangement.

Hi g h S c hoo l Student s There is no fixed schedule for grades 7-12. Teachers are encouraged to plan class lessons which include research and reference materials and to schedule time for classes to meet in the library and/or projects computer lab. Teacher and librarian collaboration beforehand assures the best use of resources and time. Students may visit the library individually to use computers or internet, to check out books, to use periodicals, or to browse between the hours of 7:30 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. Teacher permission is needed during class times. Checkouts are for two weeks and are limited to two books per student unless special requests are made. With teacher permission, students may use the library for study, make-up tests or small-group meetings.

Appendix DHanover County Public Schools – Ashland, Virginia – Kindergarten Lesson

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARY LESSON PLAN # K-1.2a

National Literacy Standard

1.2 The student who is information literate accesses information efficiently and effectively by recognizing that accurate and comprehensive information is the basis for intelligent decision-making.

VirginiaSOL K.2(E) The student will use listening and speaking vocabularies.

LibraryObjective Students will differentiate between fact and fiction.

Title “Bat Facts”

Resources Stellaluna by Janell CannonChart paper

IntroductionIntroduce the story about a bat. Ask the students to listen for facts aboutthe bat so you can create a fact sheet at the end of the story. Discuss the difference between fact and fiction.

Vocabulary

Activity

• Read the story of Stellaluna.

• Model listening for a fact about Stellaluna by pointing out a fact in a passage just read.

• After the story, go back and recall facts about bats. Make a list of “bat facts.”

Closure/ Evaluation

Revisit fact and fiction. Ask students to recall the differences between fact and fiction. Read the list of facts about bats,

Intro

Appendix EOrange Middle School

Understanding by Design Template

Teacher___________________________ Grade_______________________Date______________________________Subject______________________

Stage 1- Desired ResultsEstablished Goals:

Understandings:Students will understand that…..

Essential Questions:

Student will know…. Student will be able to…

Stage 2- Assessment EvidencePerformance Tasks: Other Evidence:

Self-Assessments Other Evidence, Summarized

Stage 3 Learning Plan. Learning Activities:

Intro

Appendix F

Library Media Center Collaborative Planning Form

Teacher’s Name____________ Subject Area____________ Grade Level___________

Lesson/Unit Topic________________________________________________________

Student’s Final Product___________________________________________________

Dates Lesson/Unit will be taught________________ Assessment Date_____________

Essential Question________________________________________________________

Curriculum Standards to be covered________________________________________

Information Literacy/Technology Standards to be covered______________________

What types of resources are you requiring your students to use? (Internet, reference books, magazines, etc.)_____________________________________________________

Which Information Literacy and/or Technology Skills would you like Mrs. Brandy Lee to work on with your students? ( Internet search skills, word processing, Use of Reference materials, evaluation of websites.______________________________________________________________

Please attach any lesson plans, handouts, rubrics or other information to this sheet or email Mrs. Lee at blee@columbus.k12.nc.us.

List any notes or questions here___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Role of Media Specialist__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Role of Classroom Teacher_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Evaluation

What worked__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What we would change next time____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Intro

Appendix G

IS THIS WEBSITE RELIABLE? ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

STUDENT

(place check mark in

each section when

completed)

TEACHER

(grades will be entered in this section)

I took notes during lecture. (3 points)

I used the checklist to help determine reliability of each website. (2 points)

I can identify one reliable sample website.

(5 points)

I can identify one unreliable sample website.

(5 points)

I can identify and explain five characteristics of a reliable website. (15 points)

I can identify and explain five characteristics of an unreliable website. (15 points)

I can identify at least three reliable websites that would be appropriate for my topic and explain why they are reliable. (15 points)

Total points (60)

Intro

McLaren-Brighton 11/14/2009Appendix H

IS THIS WEBSITE RELIABLE? ASSESSMENT RUBRIC

Category 1 2 3

Identify sample websites as reliable or not.

Is able to correctly identify the reliability of at least one sample website.

Is able to correctly identify the reliable of at least three sample websites.

Is able to correctly identify reliability of all sample websites.

Identify reasons why a website is reliable or not.

Is able to identify at least two reasons why a particular site might or might not be reliable.

Is able to identify at least five reasons why a particular website might or might not be reliable.

Is able to identify at least eight reasons why a website might or might not be reliable.

Identify ten sites that might be used for informational speech

Is able to identify at least five websites that might be useful for informational speech.

Is able to identify at least eight websites that might be useful for informational speech.

Is able to identify at least ten websites that might be useful for informational speech.

Using criteria from checklist, determine reliability of websites

Using checklist, is able to identify the reliability of at least three websites.

Using checklist, is able to identify the reliability of at least six websites.

Using checklist, is able to identify the reliability of all ten websites.

McLaren-Brighton 11/14/2009

Intro

Appendix I Hopewell Valley Regional School District