Previous Research

Check out a brief synopsis of the contents below:

Part 1: The Why of Co-teaching

1. Todd, Ross. “The Power of (in) the (Im)possible,” Teacher Librarian, v. 4 1, no. 2, December, 2013.

Todd discusses seven principles for effective and sustainable school libraries. These principles center on the school library as a center for pedagogical development, innovation, and experimentation; the pervasive visibility of the school librarian as a teacher and co-teacher; an inquiry-centered pedagogy; a content knowledge–outcomes orientation; and the advancement of social justice and learning for life capabilities.

2. Lankes, David R. “Joining the Conversation: School Librarians as Facilitators of Learning,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 39, no. 3, February, 2012.

Lankes calls for school librarians to marry function with mission and focus on building connections and knowledge creation opportunities in their learning community.

3. Zmuda, Allison and Violet H. Harada. “Librarians as Learning Specialists: Moving From the Margins to the Mainstream of School Leadership,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 36, no. 1, October 2008.

Become a collaborative learning leader and change agent for excellence in curriculum design in your school to capture the support of administration.

4. Friesen, Sharon. “Uncomfortable Bedfellows: Discipline-based Inquiry and Standardized Examinations.” Teacher Librarian, vol. 38: 1, October, 2010.

High inquiry schools are proven to achieve higher than average results on Provincial test in this Canadian study. In view of the significant results, Friesen calls for administrators to re-engineer schools through methods of inquiry that lead to deep understanding and knowledge creation.

Part 2: The Impact

5. Loertscher, David V. “Collaboration and Co-teaching: A New Measure of Impact.” Teacher Librarian, vol. 42, no. 2, December, 2014.

Loertscher developed a simple method of measuring the impact on teaching and learning when the teacher librarian is co-teaching in the library learning commons. The study produced spectacular results indicating that teacher librarian co-teaching is a wise investment for schools.

6. Lance, Keith Curry, Marcia J. Rodney, and Bill Schwarz. “Collaboration Works -When It Happens!: The Idaho School Library Impact.” Teacher Librarian, vol. 37, no. 5, June, 2010.

The evidence from the Idaho study is clear: when administrators value collaboration between teacher-librarians and classroom teachers and when teacher-librarians and their classroom colleagues report that it happens more frequently, students are more likely to master ICT standards and more likely to earn advanced scores on state reading and language arts tests.

7. Todd, Ross J. “Visibility, Core Standards, and the Power of Story: Creating a Visible Future for School Librarians,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 39m bi, 6m October, 2012.

Todd’s research leads to a vision of the school library as a pedagogical center; the school librarian primarily working as a co-teacher; the focus on curriculum knowledge and meeting syllabus standards; and the implementation of an inquiry based pedagogy. These are the building blocks of sustainable school libraries for the future.

Part 3: Exemplary Practice

8. Lewis, Kathryn Roots and David V. Loertscher. “The Possible is Now: The CCSS

Moves Librarians into the Center of Teaching and Learning,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 41, no. 3, February, 2011.

Discover ten practical initiatives you can take in the library learning commons when partnering with teachers to elevate your school’s goals addressing Common Core State Standards, based on the Achieve/AASL action brief.

9. Loertscher, David V. “At the Center of Teaching and Learning, or Isolated Again, It’s Time to Decide,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 39, no. 5, June, 2012.

The time is now! Each teacher-librarian must assess and reassess their role position in the school and use every means possible to move to the center

10. Marcoux, Elizabeth “Betty’ and David V. Loertscher. “Achieving Teaching and

Learning Excellence with Technology,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 37, no. 2, December, 2009.

Start with desired learning when co-designing a learning experience, then seek out the best technologies to help learners achieve and exceed your expectations.

11. Mackley, Allison. “Murmuration: Building a Participatory Culture,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 4o, no. 4, April, 2013.

Develop a participatory culture in your school learning community by building on the expertise of each adult and student. Create conversations, design opportunities for reflection, invite contribution and learn and fly with each other in true learning commons style.

12. Moreillon, Judi, Jennifer Hunt, and Sara Ewing. “Learning and Teaching in Wanda Wiki Wonderland: Literature Circles in the Digital Commons,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 37, no. 2, December, 2009.

Classroom teacher and teacher-librarian team up to co-plan, co-teach, and co-assess 8th grade students’ wiki work in literature circles. These students, began to experience the powerful benefits of a 21st century collaborative learning environment; they began to prepare themselves for living and working successfully in a participatory culture.

13. Cohen, Sydnye. “Growing a Knowledge Building Center,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 37, no. 5, June, 2010.

The virtual knowledge building center (KBC) is a one-stop shopping research experience for teachers and students who participate in learning together and learning from each other in this collaborative space.

14. Koechlin, Carol, Michelle Luhtala, and David Loertscher. “Knowledge Building in the Learning Commons,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 38, no. 3, February, 2011.

Building a learning community where everyone, students and teachers, gets better and better is the mantra of the school library learning commons. Discover the characteristics of excellent learning experiences built collaboratively in the real world environments of Knowledge Building Centers (KBCs) .

15. Davis, Vicki, “Influencing Positive Change: The Virtual Behaviors to Turn Schools Toward Success,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 37, no. 2, December, 2009.

When teacher-librarians, tech directors, and other specialists in the school collaborate and co-teach, if they all adopt an assessment attitude throughout a learning experience reflecting with the students about what they know and are able to do, and then reflect together as adults, the likelihood of excellence in teaching and learning is exponential rather than incremental.

16. Loertscher, David V. and Carol Koechlin. “The Virtual Learning Commons and School Improvement,” Teacher Librarian, vol.39, no. 6, October, 2012.

The Virtual Learning Commons (VLC) is the online force of the Learning Commons; it’s a digital learning community in which the whole school participates. The VLC is an opportunity to establish a whole new dimension to learning in your school. It is the authentic fusion of learning and technology educators need and not to be shelved!

17. Loertscher, David V. and Carol Koechlin. “Personal Learning Environments in the Learning Commons,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 39, no. 2, December 2011.

Teacher-librarians have an opportunity to empower both students and teachers to take control of their own learning by helping them learn how to build and effectively use a Personal Learning Environment (PLE).

18. Loertscher, David V. and Carol Koechlin. “Online Learning: Possibilities for a Participatory Culture,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 41, no. 1, October 2013.

Teacher-librarians and teacher-technologists are uniquely positioned to lead in inventive ways to make online learning really work. Bring your expertise and the rich resources of the library learning commons into the center of online teaching and learning. Seek new ways to work with teachers to infuse learning to learn skills and processes with curriculum content in online environments.

19. Loertscher, David V. “Co-teaching on and Off Line: A Tech Tipi,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 42, no 2, December, 2014.

Whether a learning experience is going to be a face-to-face experience in the classroom and the library learning commons, a blended learning experience, or totally online, create a web page for that experience that invites partnerships for co-teaching to blossom.

20. Crow, Sherry R. and Jennifer Robins. “Play in the Library: Primordial Learning,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 39, no. 5, June, 2012.

When teachers and teacher-librarians direct their expertise to creative instructional design and infuse opportunities for building curiosity, questioning, experimentation and play then the learning commons becomes a playground for the mind where students discover and develop a love of learning that can last a lifetime.

21. Loertscher, David V., Leslie Preddy and Bill Derry. “Makerspaces in the School Library Learning Commons and the uTEC Maker Model,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 41, no. 2, December, 2013.

The uTEC Maker Model visualizes the developmental stages of creativity from individuals and groups as they develop from passively using a system or process to the ultimate phase of creativity and invention. Teacher-librarians are encouraged to embrace the maker movement using this model in the library learning commons.

22. Loertscher, David V. “Makers, Self-Directed Learners, and the Library Learning Commons,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 41, no. 5, June, 2014.

Loertscher proposes the maker movement as a way to ensure time for informal collaborations and learning in the learning commons. Welcome experimentation and play as you challenge learners to become self directed explorers of their world.

23. Cook, Michelle and Cynthia Cassidy. “Generation Linked,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 38, no. 5, June 2011.

A library media specialist and language arts teacher team up and build on each other’s expertise to design an engaging unit utilizing differentiated resources and best technologies to meet the needs of their diverse student needs. The results are stellar.

24. Jones, Sephanie A. and Lucy Santos Green. “Transforming Collaboration: Student Learning - Anytime, Anywhere,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 40, no 2, December, 2012.

The development of online learning units (OLU) open up endless opportunities for teacher-librarians to collaborate virtually with students and teachers and embrace and support anytime learning anywhere.

25. Markham, Thomas. “Project Based Learning: A Bridge Just Far Enough,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 39, no. 2, December, 2011.

The fundamental issue facing educators and everyone else is this: Education is turning into a collective effort. For PBL, this means that teachers must be quite proficient at facilitating teamwork and channeling group problem solving to-ward excellence and high performance.

26. Koechlin, Carol and Sandi Zwaan. “The Big Think: Reflecting, Reacting, and Realizing Improved Learning,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 37, no. 3, February, 2010.

Helping teachers get better and better at teaching and students get better and better at learning are outcomes of the collaborative Big Think strategy for school wide improvement.

27. Loertscher, David V. “Finland, Collaboration, and Coteaching,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 42, no. 3, February, 2015.

What can we learn about co-teaching success from other districts and countries and how can we apply this knowledge to teacher-librarian co-teaching in the learning commons?

Part 4: Showcase

28. Lamb, Christopher, Winnie Porter, and Carol Lopez. “Three Heads Are Better Than One: The Reading Coach, the classroom teacher, and the Teacher Librarian,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 36, no. 1, October, 2008.

The major discovery in this account is that the specialist and teacher-librarian collaborate with the classroom teacher on a learning unit making each other’s work easier and more effective. Their work with ESL learners is remarkable and demonstrates what happens when ESL youngsters suddenly find meaning in what is being asked of them.

29. Poinier, Sara and Jennifer Alevy. “Our Instruction DOES Matter! Data Collected From Students’ Works Cited Speaks Volumes,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 37. no. 3, February, 2010.

Collaboration matters, so how do you provide evidence to demonstrate the impact of co-teaching on student learning. These teacher librarians share a measure that worked for them.

30. Snethen, Terri and Abby Cornelius. “All the Way to the End Zone,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 38, no 1, October, 2010.

Collaborative assessment of both process and product is key to achieving co-teaching success. Design Big Think activities at the end of an instructional unit and achieve collaboration success at the highest level.

31. Kaldenberg, Kathy. “Go, Set, Ready: Collaborative Relationships for 21st Century Learning,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 38, no. 4, April, 2011.

Kaldenberg shares many collaborative experiences and offers a plethora of practical strategies for both classroom teachers and teacher librarians to strengthen their co-teaching efforts.

32. Mitchell, Tamara and Fran Potvin-Schafer. “The Creation of the Edgewood Experiential Lab and Learning Commons for the 21st Century Learner,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 39, no 4, April, 2012.

Creative administration and school wide collaborations solve the many challenges of this small K-8 elementary school in suburban Toronto, Canada. The results are unique learning environments and programs that bring relevance and joy to their learning community.

33. Crompton, Marc. “Hypertext Novel Studies,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 41, no. 3,

February, 2014.

This example of a teacher-librarian and teacher partnership to co-design a more engaging novel study experience will inspire collaborative knowledge building.

34. Hyman, Shannon C. “Planning and Creating a Library Learning Commons,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 41, no. 3, February, 2014.

A learning commons planning team led by teacher-librarian Shannon Hyman, envisioned and developed a vibrant physical space and program based on 3 distinct priorities - people, flexibility and durability.

35. Sobolik, Joanne, et.al.” Exciting Times: A Transformation of Media Centers, Media Specialists, and Learning: A District’s Philosophy,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 41, no. 4, April, 2014.

Collaboration between library media specialists and classroom teachers has significantly improved in the Kettle Morain School District due to transformed physical and digital learning spaces, the role of the LMS and learning approaches that foster personalized learning.

36. Davies, Pippa. “Engaging Students in the Heritage Christian Schools Learning Commons,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 41, no 4, April 2014.

A virtual teacher-librarian leads collaborative teaching and learning to address the diverse needs of distance as well as school based learners and builds a new culture of participatory learning.

37. Stephenson, Chad and Jason Stone. “Why a Middle School Learning Commons?” Teacher Librarian, vol. 41, no. 5, June, 2014.

Finding the ideal coordinator to lead program in a middle school new learning commons, centers around collaborating with teachers to support the integration of information and communication skills, media literacy and information technology.

38. Ackroyd, Joan l. “The Evolution of a Traditional Library to a Learning Commons,” Teacher Librarian, vol. 42, no. 2, December, 2014.

A traditional elementary school library is transformed to dynamic physical and virtual learning commons. Both successes and challenges are celebrated as the journey continues.