Collaborating with Teachers to Evolve their Practice

As facilitators of change in the school system, Teacher Librarians (TLs) need to be familiar with how teachers perceive change and how to adjust to help them create change (Oris, Intro to CBAM). The Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) can be used by TLs to help teachers who are wanting to change aspects of their practice. The model contains seven stages of concern and seven levels of use. This is a crucial skill for TLs. TLs are responsible for :”facilitating collaborative engagement to cultivate and empower a community of learners” and “cultivating effective instructional design to co-plan, teach and assess learning” (C.L.A., 2014) in order to support student and teacher growth.

*Above is a video supporting the importance and benefits of collaboration between TLs and teachers. 

As a TL I have to be receptive to teachers' concerns and questions regarding the delivery and resources for curriculum implementation. For this report, I will look at two separate cases. Explain the teacher’s pedagogy and how I can help improve their pedagogy using the CBAM process from the tables below. “The Concerns- Based Adoption Model addresses each one of these assumptions: the individual’s concerns about an innovation, the particular manner in which the innovation is delivered or implemented, and the adaptation of the innovation to the individual” (Oris and Huang, Into to CBAM).

Every term I give teachers the option of collaborating for at least one term. Each teacher can sign up for one term and pick one or two blocks per week to collaborate.

Jonathan

Jonathan is one of our English grade 6/7 teachers. He approached me wanting to teach students how to do research online. He wanted me to come to his class to promote and explain why students should use our digital resources instead of copying from Google and Youtube. 

He is very confident with technology. He knows about the biases of researching and his student’s tendency to use information that may be unreliable and false. I remember discussing in another LIBE course how most students use Google for research. Google can give you a multitude of results but it's up to the students to decide which ones to choose. My friend was telling me how she showed her class an untrue video (Spaghetti grows on trees) from Youtube and it was so persuasive that some of the students believed it was true.

*Videos by BBC on April Fool's Day: Spaghetti grows on trees.

Experiences and methods

He had the students do research on the school Ipads. He let students pick what they wanted to learn more about and had them research. He didn’t put any requirements on the type of sources they used. He supervised the process and questioned the students if they had unreliable sources in their project.

Taking Jonathan to a higher level of integration, application and embedding of the potential resources into practice

His Stage of Concern is a level one: Informational, because he did not know the digital resources that were available through our Library Learning Commons (LLC) and wanted to find out how students could use them. His Level of Use is also a level one: Orientation, because he is taking the initiative to ask and learn more about the digital resources we have on our website.

I created a plan following the chart above on relationships between level of concern and level of use. We met and discussed the resources that were available and how the students could use them. This moved him from level one Stage of Concern to level two: Personal, because we discussed how students will have better resources to get information from. Consequently, this moved him from Level of Use level one to level two: Preparation to teach students the digital resources they could use because they are curated sources from specialists.

After our meeting he picked four different sources to teach the students so that they would use it in their projects. This means that his Stage of Concern is at a management level because he is collecting and planning to present it to the students and Level of Use has changed to mechanical level.

After our meeting/planning, Jonathan taught his class all he knew about the digital resources. The class went on to explore them and use at least one digital resource in their project. I noticed that this put him in level four, Stage of Concern: Consequence because he supervised how the students explored the digital resources and made sure students understood the resources they had available to them. This places him into Level of Use four: Routine because he has made some changes and established using the new found resources for the project.

Sherryl

Sherryl is a very kind and patient teacher. This is her first year of teaching and despite doing her best, she feels overwhelmed. She has a very challenging class, with students who need a lot of support at school. In addition to being her first year and the challenges in her class, our district has taken the initiative to focus on literacy. The literacy district specialists have developed a pillar system for teachers to follow with lessons and guides that will optimize the delivery of the curriculum and help students.


Experiences and methods

After attending a professional development on the “Pillars of Literacy”, Sherryl became more overwhelmed and confused about the process. Her experience and methods with this innovation are at a level two Stage of Concern: Informational because she would like to know more about the pillars and how to implement them. Her Level of Use is level one: Orientation because she wants to learn more.

*The Pillars of Literacy as they appear on the district portal.

Taking Sherryl to a higher level of integration, application and embedding of the potential resources into practice

When we met to plan our unit, she communicated how she felt overwhelmed and asked if I could take charge of the unit to demonstrate how one would use the pillars resources to teach the literacy unit.

We began by developing a class profile in which we discussed her student’s strengths and stretches. Her students are within a wide spectrum. Some students are below grade level in reading and writing, some are proficient and a couple are above grade level.

As I went through the lessons, Sherryl began to get a better idea on how to incorporate and lead the use of the innovation. This is when Sherryl moved to level three Stage of Concern: management because it's where she organized and gathered information on how to teach the innovation she was learning (from my modeling). Before each lesson we would discuss what the lesson would look like, why we were doing it and how it was going to help the students. I would include her in the planning of following lessons by asking her opinion on various lesson ideas. Sherryl’s Level of Use was level three: Mechanical because she organized how she would use the innovation.

Second term following a professional development day Sherryl reported to me that she refined her lessons and understood how to implement them better. She came up with ways to adapt her teaching. This moved her level four Stage of Concern to consequence and her Level of Use to level four: Routine and Refinement.

Conclusion

As a TL, using the CBAM approach with teachers that I am collaborating with will help me recognize the Stages of Concern and Levels of Use that they are experiencing. Knowing that will help me move them along to higher levels of concern/use. All teachers have their own special set of skills. They bring these special skills to collaboration and it is respectful to acknowledge those skills while encouraging them to try something new. I am very proud of Sherryl and Jonathan for being extremely organized and committed teachers who are trying to keep up with the needs of their 21st century learners.



Citations

Oris, Alex. Intro to CBAM – Concerns-Based Adoption Model. sites.google.com/site/ch7cbam/home/introduction.

Canadian Library Association (CLA). The Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. 2014 Ottawa ON, Canada: Canadian Library Association’s Voices For School Libraries Network and the CLA School Libraries Advisory.

Loucks-Horsley, S. (1996). The concerns-based adoption model (CBAM): A model for change in individuals. Retrieved from https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/731/2015/07/CBAM-explanation.pdf

Richmond School District No. 38 Portal. Pillars of Literacy 3-5. https://portal.sd38.bc.ca/group/41bjggo/Pages/default.aspx#/=. Retrieved February 28th, 2023. 

BBC: Spaghetti- Harvest in Tocino. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVo_wkxH9dU&t=88s. Retrieved February 28th, 2023.

Heraper, Sue. “Teacher Librarians and Classroom Teachers: Collaborative Partners.”, 5 Mar. 2015, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyYKkh0n7Vg. Retrieved February 28th, 2023.

LIBE 467 Blog 2

Introduction

The position of a Teacher Librarian (TL) is composed of many roles and tasks. Despite being the only TL in one school, the position is nothing but lonely. The TL has the opportunity to create relationships with support for those in the school. Instead of working in one class, TLs have the chance to create meaningful connections with the same students over and across their elementary school years. Below is a summary of how I will use Theme Two to guide my practice.

The reference interview
Teacher Librarians (TLs) have the responsibility “to assist students in the use of the library and its collection.” (Riedling, 2019. Pp. 99). TLs can do this through “Reference interviews”. Even though, Reidling’s requirement for having interviews may not always be possible as it is hard to find quiet places. We can conduct reference interviews while collaborating with teachers or during book exchanges with the purpose of helping students find what they seek. The interactions between the TL and students should be happening all the time anyways. This develops a relationship where students will feel comfortable bringing up any questions. 
I like that Riedling divided them into three types of reference interviews: ready reference interviews, research project interviews, and reader's advisory. 

Cooperative program planning and teaching for personalized inquiry

Supporting reference skills through cooperative program planning and teaching ensures all students have the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to access and use a wide variety of reference sources. Lesson 5 provides a number of ways in which I can promote reference sources:

1. Give all students the opportunity to develop skills to access and use a variety of reference sources

2. Show students the advantages and disadvantages of using one reference source over another

3. Give students direction on how to use the sources without making assumptions about their skills and abilities to use the sources

4. Reference centres so students walk through several formats

5. Have students compare and contrast information taken from several sources to determine the  importance of authority, bias, currency, etc.

6. Have them distinguish between ready reference and in-depth research

7. Search Curricular Competencies that develop research reference skills

8. Promote reference skills at every level

9. Show colleges the value of using reference resources in all formats

10. Develop creative assignments that require students to develop good questioning strategies

Role of the teacher librarian

The gold standard for all TLs is collaboration as explained in the Leading Learning document. This way we can work with teachers in various projects, at various levels of depth and assist them with the LLC's (Library Learning Commons) resources to best supply students and their projects. Within this course and many other LIBE courses I have come to learn that a TLs role within a school consists of many tasks. When funding is at a deficit the TL is one that is often in question for elimination which is why TLs need to be viewed as a valuable asset. If you change “the perception of instruction in the school library to relevant tasks developed to support curricular standards further creates a perception of indispensability and expertise” (Burns, E.A., 2018). 

Managing the reference collection
The city of Greater Victoria district has created a description for TLs to follow. They have divided the description into three sections: Program and instruction, learning resource management, leadership in resource based learning. All three sections will impact the managing and organization of reference materials. For example, providing leadership and promoting strategies for the effective use of a wide variety of learning resources which support and extend the curriculum; requires students to develop “information skills”.

In addition, managing the reference collection is determined by the budget. When budget and time are limited Riedling states that “the primary consideration is providing teachers and students with easy access to a high-quality collection”. Without a fantastic collection we won't have the resources we need for teachers and students to use.

(Achieving Information Literacy)

In Achieving Information Literacy, they recommend the following strategies for the budget process:

Evaluating reference services
In the document Achieving Information Literacy they provide standards for assessing your reference collection. TLs could use these standards to decide which books to weed and how to replace them with more valuable resources.

There are three categories:

Below Standard Resources	Acceptable Standard Resources	Exemplary Standards Resources
provides limited opportunities for reading and learning Materials support few areas of curriculum Don’t meet student needs Little materials for student interest Little balance is reflected among print, non print and electronic resources Materials are not available to all users Not current Wedding infrequently Little to no access to information resources beyond school hours Not sufficient budget	Available in and or through the school library  provides students and teachers with opportunities for resource based learning Collection reflects needs of people Balance of print, non print and digital resources Mostly current and in good repair Selected according to district adopted and approved selection policies Weed on a regular basis Access beyond school through electronic information networks Sufficient funding Program requirements are met Innovative learning resources are available and in school access to digital resources is possible	available in and or accessible through the school library provides students and teachers with opportunities for resource based learning. (i.e. Includes: development of literacy skills, reading, listening, viewing, curriculum implementation, for meeting the diverse/interest of students) organized and circulated through the school library. Available to all users. Materials are current Selected according to district adopted, board approved selection policies Balance among print, non print and digital Dated, worn and missing materials are replaced immediately Sufficient funding to support resource based teaching and learning and a wide range of teaching and learning styles Innovative learning resources are available and access to digital resources is possible from home and school

 

Conclusion

The roles and responsibilities in Theme Two really speak to me. Even though others have told me how the role of a TL can be a lonely one, I feel it will be anything but. It will give me the chance to work with teachers and their classes; get to know students across grade levels and give me the chance to form meaningful connections. I look forward to collaborating with teachers and helping them strengthen their practice through my support and LLC's resources!

Citation

Burns, E. A. (2018). Advocating for Change in School Library Perceptions. Teacher Librarian.

Canadian Library Association. (2014). Leading Learning:  Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. Available:  http://llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/llsop.pdf

Riedling, A. M., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference skills for the school librarian: Tools and tips (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited, an imprint of ABC CLIO, LLC.

Beaudry, Richard. Theme Two course work material. Retrieved February 6th, 2023. 

Achieving Information Literacy: Standards for School Library Programs in Canada ail110217.pdf. P. 26-27.

Vision of the Future: Artifact

My collaborative artifact

According to the document "Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada" a virtual learning commons is just as important to maintain as the physical one. Currently our virtual space is limited to the software Destiny Discover. 

Even though I enjoy using the feature of this software. I find that there are limitations with being able to collaborate with colleagues. According to the document "Leading Learning" a virtual learning commons "is an organized but collaborative space for learning". This is why I thought about creating a "Padlet" which would facilitate collaboration and invite teacher participation. I wanted something that could contain information that can easily be shared and accessed by teachers.

My Process

Since working at this school, I have realized that I never had an orientation nor was I ever explained any procedures. Since accepting the position for Teacher Librarian (TL) I wanted this to be different for new and existing teachers. I realized that there is a lot of information to pass on to staff and students. In the past, this information would only be communicated directly from the TL’s mouth. I wanted a place where teachers can access as much as possible without taking their precious time to ask me. Ideally, I want a source that provides information that they could access themselves and utilize at their own discretion without going through me first. I will position the most important and most used information at the top of the Padlet (Buerkett, R., 2014). 

My Learning

Right now there is nothing available to teachers nor students. It’s all in a Microsoft Teams folder shared with me from the retired TL. I wanted to make public what I thought would be valuable for teachers, thus helping them achieve teaching their students more effectively (Toor and Weisburg, 2015). I want the Padlet to provide teachers with professional development opportunities and resources (International Federation of Library Association, 2015). My goal is to create a “flexible, dynamic, and collaborative inquiry based school library program” (BC Teacher-Librarian Association, 2007). 

Image Source

My Challenges

At first it was difficult to find the right application for this project. There is no one size fits all application that I could provide teachers. I want to simplify how teachers access resources and not complicate the matter by giving them more to do and remember how to access. Hopefully, my strategies to introduce the application will make it simple. Another challenge was that I used so many apps to get the info, set up tutorial and have sources to back up my findings. I didn't want to flood the site with information. I wanted to be diligent about the kind of information I put on. The trick is to resist putting too much information or it will be hard for teachers and students to find what they need (Buerkett, R., 2014). 

Teachers' time is also a challenge. I don't want to add to what they have to do. Maria Kampen states that “time is not a commodity that you cannot avoid using - but you can spend it wisely… it means maximizing the time you have”. This is why as Kampen suggests to embed Professional Development opportunities into the teaching day. For example, hosting a lunch and learn event or a drop in so that teachers can learn about the Padlet application. 

Image Source

How I plan on sharing my artifact

I intend to share it with others by sending them the link to the Padlet and having a short video explaining how they can use the application (Leading Learning, 2014). In addition, I will create stickers or magnets that teachers can use in case they forget the web address.  I will share it at the first staff meeting of the year by reaching out to the admin and asking to be on the agenda for the first staff meeting. I plan on adding to it by assessing the functionality through creating a questionnaire for staff. I will provide incentives to return surveys. In the surveys I plan on asking the following questions: how they use the site, what they don’t like, what they find useful and if they have any recommendations. Ideally, I would like to get to know the staff and have them know me to create a strong relationship where they can seek my help when needed. 

My vision for the future is that teachers and students can access this for help and direction. As mentioned, I did not have the benefit of an orientation when I started.  My hope is that with my digital artifact, I can help provide a strong tool and resource to support both new and long term staff as we work together to support our students. I hope that teachers can comment and create a dialogue around interest areas. As more information is added I also hope to have useful sources for parents around fostering reading at home. 

 

Bibliography 

Kampen, Maria. (2019, April 24) 5 Ways to Make Teacher Professional Development Effective [With Examples].  Prodigy Game.  Retrieved from: www.prodigygame.com/blog/teacher-professional-development

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. (2015). IFLA School Library Guidelines. 2nd revised edition, pg. 27-29.

Toor, R., and Weisburg, H.K. (2015). “Your Philosophy”. New on the job: A School Librarian’s Guide to Success. 2nd Edition. Chicago: American Library Association.

BC Teacher-Librarians' Association. (2017). From School Library to Learning Commons: A Pro-Active Model for Educational Change.

Buerkett, R. (2014). Where to Start? Creating Virtual Library Spaces. Knowledge Quest, 42(4), E24–E27.

Drop Everything and Read, 2018. https://youtu.be/eAfI5LzkWHw

Elementary Literacy Tips: ABCs of Literacy for Parents. Edmonton Public Schools, August 2015. https://epsb.ca/media/epsb/ourdistrict/topicsofinterest/literacy/elementary/tipsheet_ABCs.pdf

Pollock, V. (2021, August). Library Learning Commons. Microsoft Teams. https://teams.microsoft.com/_?culture=en-ca&country=CA&lm=deeplink&lmsrc=homePageWeb&cmpid=WebSignIn#/school/files/Library%20Learning%20Commons?threadId=19:c5fbe1cb787a403099260565d3379073@thread.tacv2&ctx=channel

Benedictine University Library. Last updated: Jan. 19th, 2021. https://researchguides.ben.edu/source-evaluation

Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada. 2014. https://llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/appendix-6-building-a-virtual-learning-commons/