Site: The Library of Michigan
Link: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mde/lm_SL21_313134_7.pdf
This is actually a link to an evaluation guide that the Library of Michigan published in conjunction with the Michigan Department of Education. I feel that it is valuable, especially given the current political climate in the state, to be up to date on the state's own published guidelines for libraries.
The evaluation rates libraries on 21 categories and allows for results of "at risk," "qualified" or "exemplary." As schools face continued budget constraints and the state turns more and more to quantitative measurements to evaluate school effectiveness, I feel that all school librarians in the state should do all in their power to bring their media centers as close to the exemplary mark as possible. Failure to do so will make media centers an easy target as the cuts keep coming.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Week 9 - Assessment Planning
Stephen and I have been planning the assessment for our unit since the beginning, and by this point we have a good sense of how that will unfold. We feel that the English-centric content and the library skills content both need their own specific assessments. I'll be creating the one for the poetry writing and reading piece of the unit, Stephen will be doing the one for the research skills. We both agree that these assessments should be tied to rubrics, and we have a plan in place to begin creating those rubrics and sharing them in the coming days.
Additionally, we both understand the need for frequent formative assessments. As we construct our unit plan, we will be building in small check-in activities that allow the students to demonstrate that they understand the material as it is presented. This type of assessment will allow both the teacher and the media specialist to redirect those students that are headed in the wrong direction. Moreover, they allow the librarian and the teacher to modify the unit on the fly as needed if it seems that the students are not grasping the material or if they seem to be moving faster than expected.
Overall the planning is going well. I expect that by the end of Spring Break we will be well on our way.
Additionally, we both understand the need for frequent formative assessments. As we construct our unit plan, we will be building in small check-in activities that allow the students to demonstrate that they understand the material as it is presented. This type of assessment will allow both the teacher and the media specialist to redirect those students that are headed in the wrong direction. Moreover, they allow the librarian and the teacher to modify the unit on the fly as needed if it seems that the students are not grasping the material or if they seem to be moving faster than expected.
Overall the planning is going well. I expect that by the end of Spring Break we will be well on our way.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Week 7: Mid-Planning
To date, the planning for the collaborative unit is going well. Stephen and I have a clear direction, have well defined roles, and are working well together. Stephen has taken on the role of media specialist, and has been mindful of finding diverse resources that will appeal to students of all backgrounds. I have taken the role of classroom teacher, and have tried to develop activities that will appeal to diverse learning styles and will not over-emphasize any one instructional modality. Additionally, in our most recent chat, we agreed that some group work will allow us to accommodate for lower level students that may struggle with writing, technology work, or both.
We have given some consideration to assessment techniques in the most recent chat we've had. The thinking now is that the final project will be enough of a culmination, meaning that mid-point formal assessment is not needed. However, we will be building in some formative assessment measures to be sure that the students are staying on pace both in the library instructional phase and in the classroom portion.
Finally, we've settled on some clear unit goals, or essential questions. These include: What is style and how do poets use it? What types of styles are most suited to me? What poet, then, do they most want to write like? To achieve these goals Stephen and I will both be establishing specific objectives - Stephen's related to resource searching and evaluation and technological issues, mine focused on writing practice and reading strategies.
All in all, the planning is going well, and I'm confident that we'll put together a strong unit.
We have given some consideration to assessment techniques in the most recent chat we've had. The thinking now is that the final project will be enough of a culmination, meaning that mid-point formal assessment is not needed. However, we will be building in some formative assessment measures to be sure that the students are staying on pace both in the library instructional phase and in the classroom portion.
Finally, we've settled on some clear unit goals, or essential questions. These include: What is style and how do poets use it? What types of styles are most suited to me? What poet, then, do they most want to write like? To achieve these goals Stephen and I will both be establishing specific objectives - Stephen's related to resource searching and evaluation and technological issues, mine focused on writing practice and reading strategies.
All in all, the planning is going well, and I'm confident that we'll put together a strong unit.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Week 6: Curriculum Map Website
Rockford Public Schools Curriculum Map
Link: http://www.rockfordschools.org/?i=curriculum9-12curriculummaps
Rather than link to a site that illustrates how to make a curriculum map, I thought it might be beneficial to look at an actual curriculum map. The Rockford Public Schools have not only posted their district-wide map on-line, but have a detailed explanation of how to read the map as well. A quick look at one entry on the map indicates that the Rockford map, while comprehensive, does not include much in the way of actual classroom activities. Rather, the map seems to be an elaboration of the state standards that illustrates the specific content areas that will be studied in order to meet the skills required by the state standards. Overall, this is an interesting site, but my guess is that it's usefulness is more for public relations than for actual educational benefit, as the content is too vague to yield any clear conclusions about the activities in the classroom.
Link: http://www.rockfordschools.org/?i=curriculum9-12curriculummaps
Rather than link to a site that illustrates how to make a curriculum map, I thought it might be beneficial to look at an actual curriculum map. The Rockford Public Schools have not only posted their district-wide map on-line, but have a detailed explanation of how to read the map as well. A quick look at one entry on the map indicates that the Rockford map, while comprehensive, does not include much in the way of actual classroom activities. Rather, the map seems to be an elaboration of the state standards that illustrates the specific content areas that will be studied in order to meet the skills required by the state standards. Overall, this is an interesting site, but my guess is that it's usefulness is more for public relations than for actual educational benefit, as the content is too vague to yield any clear conclusions about the activities in the classroom.
Week 6: Curriculum Mapping
Everett, J. (2003). Curriculum mapping and collection mapping: Otherwise
known as "The Camel with Two Humps." In B.K. Stripling & S. Hughes-Hassel (Eds.)
Curriculum Connections through the Library (pp. 119-137). Westport, Conn: Libraries
Unlimited.
"The beauty of having a collection map is the ability to to know very quickly if the current collection of materials supports the school's curriculum." (Everett, 2003, p. 131).
Whether or not a school actually has a viable curriculum map, a collection map is an idea that I had never before thought of and one that I will most certainly implement once I begin work as a media specialist. Everett describes a collection map as a document that speaks to the curriculum map and ensures that the materials in the media center match up with the activities and units of study in the classroom. Even in a school that does not have a comprehensive and up-to-date curriculum map, the state standards can still be used to guide the construction of a collection map though.
A collection map will ensure that the media center's resources are optimized - that they align with what is happening (or supposed to happen) in the classroom, and that they are specifically targeted to meet the academic needs of the students.
The collection map construction process requires that the media specialist engage with the teaching staff, seeing what is studied and what is not. This means that it fosters school-wide collaboration. Additionally, once a collection map is created, the staff know what materials the library has that speak directly to their classroom activities, thereby further fostering collaboration while at the same time improving library use.
Finally, a collection map makes the weeding process more simple. Media specialists will have a more clear sense of what materials are needed in the collection and will also have a clear document that justifies the removal of certain items from the collection. A collection map removes much of the mystery and guess work from the media specialists' work.
known as "The Camel with Two Humps." In B.K. Stripling & S. Hughes-Hassel (Eds.)
Curriculum Connections through the Library (pp. 119-137). Westport, Conn: Libraries
Unlimited.
"The beauty of having a collection map is the ability to to know very quickly if the current collection of materials supports the school's curriculum." (Everett, 2003, p. 131).
Whether or not a school actually has a viable curriculum map, a collection map is an idea that I had never before thought of and one that I will most certainly implement once I begin work as a media specialist. Everett describes a collection map as a document that speaks to the curriculum map and ensures that the materials in the media center match up with the activities and units of study in the classroom. Even in a school that does not have a comprehensive and up-to-date curriculum map, the state standards can still be used to guide the construction of a collection map though.
A collection map will ensure that the media center's resources are optimized - that they align with what is happening (or supposed to happen) in the classroom, and that they are specifically targeted to meet the academic needs of the students.
The collection map construction process requires that the media specialist engage with the teaching staff, seeing what is studied and what is not. This means that it fosters school-wide collaboration. Additionally, once a collection map is created, the staff know what materials the library has that speak directly to their classroom activities, thereby further fostering collaboration while at the same time improving library use.
Finally, a collection map makes the weeding process more simple. Media specialists will have a more clear sense of what materials are needed in the collection and will also have a clear document that justifies the removal of certain items from the collection. A collection map removes much of the mystery and guess work from the media specialists' work.
Week 6: Curriculum Mapping
Vlasis, C. (2003). Librarian morphs into curriculum developer. In B.K. Stripling & S. Hughes-Hassel (Eds.) Curriculum Connections through the Library (pp. 107-117). Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited.
"Curriculum mapping raises the level of professionalism in the building." (Vlasis, 2002, p. 112)
Though I am familiar with the concept of curriculum mapping, I have never worked in a district that employed it. This chapter is a valuable one to a reader such as me, because it fully illuminates what the core purposes of curriculum mapping are, the basic steps of a successful implementation of a curriculum mapping plan, and the benefits of successful implementation. Ultimately, this information could be useful in convincing a district to pursue the creation of a fully developed curriculum map.
In my district, there is frequently discussion centered on the fact that the students entering high school are not sufficiently prepared for the rigors of the high school curriculum. A district-wide curriculum map, as defined by Vlasis, would help to alleviate this problem by illustrating what is covered at the middle school level and illuminating any disconnects between the middle school curriculum and the high school curriculum. Vlasis states that curriculum maps encourage teachers to be mindful about the purposes behind every classroom activity by requiring them to document not only how activities meet standards, but how the work is assessed and how effective the activity is. Doing so could in theory help to ensure that students are not moving into high school without completing the academic work needed in order to succeed in high school.
The main drawback to a curriculum map, though, is that it can become a bit unwieldy to maintain, and may encourage instructional stagnation as a result. Since the map is only valuable if it is updated every time instruction changes, teachers may find it cumbersome to modify their instruction as time passes. Moreover, curriculum maps may not be entirely necessary for teachers that work in districts where adherence to state standards is rigidly enforced. If one assumes that the state standards are constructed to build year-to-year, and if a teacher is required to employ standards-based grading and prove adherence to the the the state standards, then a map loses its benefit.
However, a document that depicts the specific actions that are taking place in classrooms on a unit-by-unit basis is at its heart a valuable document for a variety of reasons and construction of a legitimate curriculum map is, undoubtedly, a worthwhile practice in professionalism.
"Curriculum mapping raises the level of professionalism in the building." (Vlasis, 2002, p. 112)
Though I am familiar with the concept of curriculum mapping, I have never worked in a district that employed it. This chapter is a valuable one to a reader such as me, because it fully illuminates what the core purposes of curriculum mapping are, the basic steps of a successful implementation of a curriculum mapping plan, and the benefits of successful implementation. Ultimately, this information could be useful in convincing a district to pursue the creation of a fully developed curriculum map.
In my district, there is frequently discussion centered on the fact that the students entering high school are not sufficiently prepared for the rigors of the high school curriculum. A district-wide curriculum map, as defined by Vlasis, would help to alleviate this problem by illustrating what is covered at the middle school level and illuminating any disconnects between the middle school curriculum and the high school curriculum. Vlasis states that curriculum maps encourage teachers to be mindful about the purposes behind every classroom activity by requiring them to document not only how activities meet standards, but how the work is assessed and how effective the activity is. Doing so could in theory help to ensure that students are not moving into high school without completing the academic work needed in order to succeed in high school.
The main drawback to a curriculum map, though, is that it can become a bit unwieldy to maintain, and may encourage instructional stagnation as a result. Since the map is only valuable if it is updated every time instruction changes, teachers may find it cumbersome to modify their instruction as time passes. Moreover, curriculum maps may not be entirely necessary for teachers that work in districts where adherence to state standards is rigidly enforced. If one assumes that the state standards are constructed to build year-to-year, and if a teacher is required to employ standards-based grading and prove adherence to the the the state standards, then a map loses its benefit.
However, a document that depicts the specific actions that are taking place in classrooms on a unit-by-unit basis is at its heart a valuable document for a variety of reasons and construction of a legitimate curriculum map is, undoubtedly, a worthwhile practice in professionalism.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Week 5: Early Planning Phase
The planning for our collaborative unit has begun very well. So far Stephen and I have exchanged a number of e-mails and have had one lengthy chat via the Blackboard collaboration tool. In the course of these discussions, we've defined our individual roles, established a topic, set mini deadlines, and constructed an overall skeleton of what the unit will ultimately look like.
Stephen will take on the role of media specialist, while I will serve as the classroom teacher. The subject we'll be addressing is middle school English, and we'll be specifically focusing on poetry. The aim of the unit is to have students research a specific poet of their choosing, read his/her poetry and interpret it, and try to write a poem in the style of that poet. The students will rely on the media specialist for training in the poet research and for training on the final assessment tool - an online video creation program called Animoto. Students will rely on the classroom teacher for instruction on poetry analysis and poetry writing. the teacher and media specialist will collaborate to find appropriate materials for the students and to help them create dynamic final products.
Thus far the e-mails and chats have been very productive. We move efficiently and seem to be operating on the same wavelength. Stephen has graciously taken on the role of media specialist, though he is currently and art teacher, and his willingness to do so has been helpful. Our recent chat was very productive, and resulted in us agreeing to meet regularly from here on out and to have mini deadlines for each coming meeting.
I have no significant concerns on the process thus far, other than some minor uncertainty as to the specific requirements of the final unit plan and its presentation. I am confident that in the coming weeks those concerns will be addressed though, and am positive that we'll be able to put together a high quality final product.
Stephen will take on the role of media specialist, while I will serve as the classroom teacher. The subject we'll be addressing is middle school English, and we'll be specifically focusing on poetry. The aim of the unit is to have students research a specific poet of their choosing, read his/her poetry and interpret it, and try to write a poem in the style of that poet. The students will rely on the media specialist for training in the poet research and for training on the final assessment tool - an online video creation program called Animoto. Students will rely on the classroom teacher for instruction on poetry analysis and poetry writing. the teacher and media specialist will collaborate to find appropriate materials for the students and to help them create dynamic final products.
Thus far the e-mails and chats have been very productive. We move efficiently and seem to be operating on the same wavelength. Stephen has graciously taken on the role of media specialist, though he is currently and art teacher, and his willingness to do so has been helpful. Our recent chat was very productive, and resulted in us agreeing to meet regularly from here on out and to have mini deadlines for each coming meeting.
I have no significant concerns on the process thus far, other than some minor uncertainty as to the specific requirements of the final unit plan and its presentation. I am confident that in the coming weeks those concerns will be addressed though, and am positive that we'll be able to put together a high quality final product.
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