As an instructional media specialist, it is one's continuing goal to provide information skills and resources to all students who attend school that will enable them to grow as learners and achieve success with the curriculum, as well as with their learning future. (P1)(KW1). Stripling asserts that "The overarching implication is that library programs must be based around learning, not around libraries."  This idea is critical if libraries, particularly school libraries become an intricate part of the educational structure.  The library should be the hub of learning and the media specialist or teacher librarian an essential part of learning as a facilitator, learning leader, and curriculum developer.  

 

As a facilitator, students are led or guided into understanding various subject matter pertinent to them becoming 21st Century learners.(KW2) The instructional media specialist, teacher, and students are learn together and explore different subject matter that is relevant to today's world.  For example, students in economics could learn about the economy and investment of the stock market.  Each student and instructor chooses a stock to invest and given a sum of play money and then tracking how the investment plays out both gaining an understanding of the stock market.

 

As a learning leader, instructional media specialists and teachers model inquiry searching, exploration, evaluation, and synthesis of information creating a learning laboratory. (KW3) The instructional media specialist exhibits information retrieval methods to students in databases and websites giving parameters to look for in evaluation of good or bad information.

 

As a curriculum developer, the instructional media specialist gets to know the curriculum of the school in which she teaches so that she can find new ways to enhance the curriculum and be supportive of the teachers.  She is aware of what each subject area teaches and does her best to find ways to develop inquiry methods into each subject matter and ready and willing and able to assist teachers with more meaningful instruction.

 

It is very important to provide resources that meet each individual learner's needs as well as those of the teaching staff. (P7) By providing resources such as audiocassettes one engages those learners that learn better by hearing. One should provide reading materials and databases for visual learners, and provide links to other resources of value on the library webpage. The media specialist provides picture books, graphic novels, and books for the reluctant reader.  The media specialist teaches skills for information retrieval from print material as well as use of technology.  Sifting through the constantly changing world of the internet requires critical thinking and problem solving strategies.  For example, one might be looking for information about a genetic condition and not know where to look for good and accurate information.  The media specialist guides the learner to the Center for Disease Control or Mayo Clinic to find good information rather than the possibility of finding a paper with inaccurate information from an unreliable source who lacks the credentials or knowledge to support his given information.

 

The media specialist teaches information literacy standards as specified in Information Power, the guidebook for all teacher librarians.  We integrate those standards with academic standards set forth in Indiana's Department of Education. (KW3) The media specialist is a collaborative agent for teachers to use to bounce ideas from as well as join forces in implementing student-centered projects.  There are many times during the course of the day that collaboration can take place.(KW4)  For example, Mr. Smith comes into my office desiring to find out how to use a particular website that he intends to use for his classroom lesson that day.  He asks for instruction and the media specialist is only happy to help out.  Later in the day, he panics because the site is no longer working correctly, so he calls on the media specialist to come to his rescue.  She does. (P3) 

 

The media specialist has previously scheduled 2nd period to sit down and talk with Ms. Johnson about her freshmen Earth Space science unit that she intends to do with her students on Natural Disasters and we brainstorm different strategies to enforce the standards and the area of science she wishes her students learn and understand.  We took a constructivist approach to their learning. (KW5)

 

 First, we wanted to know what they knew about natural disasters.  So, the media specialist and subject teacher would start the inquiry with a youtube video on natural disasters titled Natural Disasters and Human Dignity (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwpqFm8LkPA) with the class.(P6)  This enables all students to start thinking about what constitutes a natural disaster?  Then, after watching the video we would allow a time of questioning. (KW7)  What are natural disasters?  We could have the students come up with a list and see if they can give evidence as to why it is a natural disaster.  "Beth Loch in her video tells of questioning as guiding student thinking. It increases involvement, enhances learning, and develops questioning attitudes for exploration." What natural disasters can occur in Indiana?  How do we prepare for them?  If the students had no prior knowledge of natural disasters, we would incorporate a little before the actual project.  Research has shown that prior knowledge affects learning and that educators must help students identify what those mental models or frameworks of knowledge lie so we can aid students with additional understanding or experience. (Stripling)  

 

Natural disasters occur all over the world, and in various forms as seen from our list.  So, the media specialist and subject teacher create a list of cities all over the world and the students will choose a city to research and tell about the natural disasters that occur in that particular city.  Depending on a city's location, a city may be subject to one or more of these disasters.  Disaster preparation can be a key to saving human life and property.

 

Using a checklist, students will have a choice of how to present their findings to the class. (See attached lesson plan)  The students are divided into groups of two for cooperative learning. (KW8)  Students can bounce ideas from one another and discuss each other's strengths and weaknesses that they can bring to the inquiry project.  The lesson plan gives the students the requirements needed to meet the standards and objectives of the project. (KW9)  The information literacy standards are an integral part to this unit because if the students do not have the skills needed then they could not meet the objectives so the media specialist guides the students to areas to look for further information in the INSPIRE databases, Elibrary, and SIRS Researcher provided by the school.(P9) The media specialist guides students in the use of the online catalog to see what print resources are available.(P5)  The media specialist also discusses keywords that students may use to look for information. (P2)  The media specialist and the teacher guide each group through what keywords or terms may be helpful in their search for information.  By working together, the media specialist and the subject teacher model a collaborative teaching environment.(P4)  Johnny looks in the books for pictures or maps to scan or draw on the computer.  He also goes to Google Images to find images about the city or see if any natural disasters have taken place there. (P8)  Prior to this unit, Ms. Johnson and Mrs. Snyder made a list of the cities where natural disasters have occurred.  Students are asked to journal their exploration daily with information they have found and feelings about what they found.  The media specialist and the subject teacher will check daily their journaling entries to look for struggles and a-ha moments.

 

As the students are beginning to do research, the media specialist notices that Johnny does not know where to start.  So, the media specialist looks over the requirements of the lesson with him again and asks him what city him and his partner Susie who is off on the computer by herself, researching.  Sometimes, students have a hard time working together and looking at the strengths and weaknesses of each partner.  The media specialist asks Johnny what he feels that he is very good at when getting together information for a research project.  Johnny is very visual, his reading skills are somewhat lower than Susie, but he is very creative and knowledgeable in computer graphics.  The media specialist gets Johnny and Susie together to discuss each other's strengths.  She did not know that Johnny could draw on the computer so well.  They decide that Susie will look for the statistical information and what type of disasters occurs while Johnny will look for the visual aids to enhance their project.  They will put together a power point. (P7)  The students are given a time period of two weeks to research and plan their projects.  They use a recursive process of going back to the checklist to make sure they have included everything in their inquiry. 

 

Time is set for presentations to begin.  Ms. Johnson and Mrs. Snyder watch each group give their presentation.  Mrs. Snyder and Ms. Johnson look at the checklist to make sure that each student provides information.  Then, the two compare notes made after the presentations are finished each giving a score.  Our combined scores result in a final grade.

 

Since we live close to Indianapolis, we contacted the Department of Homeland Security, Division of Emergency Response and Recovery, Mr. Arvin Copeland. http://www.in.gov/dhs/2446.htm We wanted to have him come to the school to discuss emergency preparedness with the students and what that entails.  The media specialist contacted Mr. Copeland to see if he or someone from his office could come and speak to the students. (P10)

The time is set in advance and Mr. Copeland comes to speak to our students.  There is a question and answer period.  Giving the students an opportunity to speak to someone in today's world about natural disasters brings the focus to our community and provides additional relevance to the students.

 

Now, is the time for reflection.(KW10)  Mrs. Snyder and Ms. Johnson have prepared an evaluation sheet to give to the students.  This enables the teacher and the media specialist needed information for future units of instruction on natural disasters.   The teacher and the media specialist meet to discuss what they feel might work better in the future and what is needed to keep as is.

 

It is critical for the media specialist to become a teaching partner in education and not just a supportive staff member.  In order to see the media specialist as a teaching professional, media specialists need to take a "leap of faith" in knowing that they have the information sources available for teachers and students to use.  Unless one instructs them on using those sources, classroom teachers do not know what is available in the collection.  By utilizing the resources available, it makes the media specialist a valuable commodity in instruction.