Utilize instructional strategies and communication in both formal and informal interactions to increase information competence.

4.1 Identify Instructional Needs: Gather evidence, prioritizes needs and determines which problems can actually be addressed through instruction. 

4.2 Design Instruction: Engage in design thinking to plan lessons with reasonable instructional goals and all content/activities are aligned with instructional goals

4.3 Deliver Instruction: body language, charismatic, engaging, deliver instruction

4.4 Assessment of Instruction: Student accesses all aspects of instruction, including teaching, materials, and learning

4.5 Support Patron Learning through Effective Instructional Communication: Creates informal learning during interactions with patrons; going beyond giving the patron what they need to actually educate them in teachable moments. 

Artifacts

LIS 693 Collaborative Learning Experience (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5)

LIS 693  Professional Development Assignment: "Using DC Public Library's Research Databases" (4.1, 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, 4.5)

PLO 4 aims to improve instructional collaboration and information competence. This is demonstrated in my Collaborative Learning Experience with my 6th grade Civics teacher and in my PD "Using DC Public Library's Research Databases", both from LIS 693. "School librarians are teachers in the school's largest classroom and integral to educational equity. Research shows the presence of a professionally staffed school library improves achievement for all students, with proportionately higher benefits for disadvantaged students" (American Library Association, 2021). Working collaboratively with my teachers as an instructional partner with professional communitation skills,  we can more successfully offer educational equity to all in our learning community. 

In sitting down with my 6th grade Civics teacher, I learned of his concern that his students did not know how to use a physical dictionary. He feared that not only was this affecting their ability to grow as writers, it was hindering their ability to grow as individuals who could express themselves well. We decided to work together on a lesson that aligned with this instructional need (4.1). Through backwards design, we were able to keep our end-goal at the center of all planning, incorporating inquiry throughout as we crafted a lesson that taught the skills of guide words and alphabetizing through multiple letters. Our lesson was student-centered, keeping the the class motivated through whole and small group work, competition, and action, all of which encouraged critical thinking, probelm solving, and deeper aquitision of skills (4.2, 4.3). By recording my delivery of this lesson, I was able to see how the teacher and I worked together, how I managed classroom behaviors, and pinpoint areas for my own assessment and instructional improvment (4.3, 4.4). The race to alphabetize activity gave me formative assessment material, while the worksheets handed in at the end gave me summative assessment material from which to gauge student's level of understanding (4.4). As Kristin Fontichiaro says in her article, Nudging Toward Inquiry, “Students flourish when they are given time and space to explore ideas” (Fontichiaro, 2009, p. 18). The group work offered me many moments to circle the room, offering assistance where and when needed, as students explored these skills and demonstrated understanding (4.5).

My PD "Using DC Public Library's Research Databases" likewise is a great example of PLO 4. The instructional need was made abundantly clear throughout this past school year; teachers did not know where to send their students for independent, reliable academic research since our school could not afford the subscription fees for such resources. A PD workshop from me on the free databases available through our public library was glaringly obvious (4.1). I designed an engaging presentation addressing this need walking my teachers through the "Research & Learn" databases offered through the public library. Following backward-design principles, my goal of the session was to introduce my teachers to the resource, show them how to navigate GaleInContext and Britannica Schools, and offer examples of how it could be implemented into their lessons (4.2).  As above, my delivery of this PD was recorded allowing me to assess my instructional delivery, ability to take on-the-spot questions, and see areas for improvements (4.3, 4.4). The teachers were visibly excited to learn about this resource. As their questions came, I was able to harness these teachable moments and dive deeper into their particular areas of interest (4.5).

These assignments allowed me the opportunity to go through all the steps of PLO 4; identitfy an instructional need, design instruction, administred instruction, assess my own instruction, and practice taking advantage of teachable moments  to support further student learning. These have been excellent exercises, giving me confidence in my ability as a Teacher-Librarian. Watching my body language, expressions, and delivery of content in the videos gave me the opportunity to reflect on where I was effective and where I could improve. I will take these deeply learned lessons with in the many years to come as an instructional partner with my teachers. 

References:

American Library Association. (2021). Students reach greater heights with school librarians [Infrographic].

https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/advocacy/content/stateandlocal/School%20Librarians%20v2.pdf 

Fontichiaro, K. (2009). Nudging toward Inquiry: Re-envisioning Existing Research  Projects. School Library Monthly, 

XXVI(1), 17–19. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CItZmbhcRJfDvUrmmo4YYEPT6iTKJnQl/view?usp=embed_facebook