readings_1.2



Readings Module 1.2

 * //Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact//. Introduction and Chapter I**

My notes: Strategies are tools that are used to answer or solve comprehensive questions encounterd when reading text. Zimmerman and Hutchins provides us with seven reading strategies that help to build comprehension when reading, they are: to activate or build on backgraound knowledge, use sensory images, questioning, making predicitons and inferences, determine main idea, suing fix-up options, and synthesizing. With this in mind, the opportunity for coteaching would lower the student-to-teacher ratio during instruction (Zimmerman and Hutchins,2003).

Moreillon, Judi. //Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact//. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007.


 * Coteaching Images PowerPoint**

My notes: The images of teachers and teacher-librarians bring to life the importance of a team and the success that can be gained by doing so.


 * Coteaching Strategies PowerPoint**

My notes: With collaboration between teacher and teacher-librarian there is interaction as well as being engaged in shared decisions on instruction. Friend and Cook describe various coteaching approaches, for example; one teaching, one supporting, station or center teaching, parallel teaching, alternative teaching, and team teaching. These approaches require planning time, and trust between the teacher and teacher-librarian. Teacher-librarians, working within a supportive learning community, must develop interpersonal skills as well as teaching expertise that can allow team teaching to flourish.

Quotes: Friend and Cook explain interpersonal collaboration as " a style for direct interaction between at least two coequal parties voluntarily engaged in shared decision making as they work towards a common goal" (1996, 6).

Citation: Friend, Marilyn, and Lynn Cook. //Interactions: Collaboration Skills for School Professionals//. 6th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2010.

**Readings Module 1.3:**
Schultz-Jones: //Collaboration in the School Social Network//

All groups involved in this pilot study were groups willing to collaborate in an ongoing study to gain results. The results show that while maintaining a social network within the school is still fundemental, the network varies in levels of collaboration regardless of the length of time in service. Librarians that had been in the profession for many years did not interact with their teachers much more than providing materials/resources. One librarian stating, "a lot of teachers think collbaoration is going to be a lot of trouble so they resist investing time to work together beyond requesting books that support what they are teaching" (librarian, 2009).

Visualizing the school learning environment as a set of social etworks provides the school with a way to map interactions and think strategically about building relationships.

Schultz-Jones, Barbara. //Collaboration in the School Network.// ALA Vol.37. 4. March/April 2009.

McGregor: //Collaboration and Leadership//

In the McGregor article, She starts with this, “To some, collaboration is a worn-out, overused word” (McGregor, 199). When trying to implement change, it is important to look at change and the larger organization as a whole. (McGregor, 200) It takes everyone to make an effective change. (TN) Peterson defines collaboration as simply as: “people working together” (1999, 134). Kearney provides many insights to the leadership role of a teacher-librarian. A teacher-librarian must assume a new leadership role as a part of library management, guided by a vision and a mission (McGregor, 200-201). As a librarian, we must move our role from support to intervention (McGregor, 201). A clear and comprehensive understanding of what a teacher and teacher-librarian do by collaborating is provide learning experiences that bring achievement, respond to learning needs, provide resources at the point of need, give teachers a working partner and promote academic growth (McGregor, 201). Collaboration is not an easy fix; in fact it can be a change that is very difficult to bring about. (TN) A teacher –librarian that is interested in creating an environment of collaboration should be ready to take the lead (McGregor, 202). With a number of changes forced on teachers over the years, teachers might be considered resistant to collaboration (McGregor, 203). An effective leader must be responsive to the ideas of those involved in the change. “Successful leaders combine leading with learning” (Binney and Williams 1997, 7). When creating a new environment for collaboration, there is no right or wrong way to make things happen, but attending to specific needs of the staff will allow change to become easier (McGregor 204). Leadership is a strong focus on student learning, engagement of school community, connection to the world outside of school, use of ongoing inquiry and reflection, coherence and integration among school goals and initiatives and building the internal capacity for change (Zimmerman and Lee, 1998a, 4). When concerns arise, handle them. (TN) One of the most important factors in this type of change is the principal. He or she can either be a vital support or a hindrance in the process (McGregor, 207-08). The principal’s past experiences with librarians and collaboration will color the attitudes brought to the situation (McGregor, 208). Knowledge of curriculum plays a role in the effectiveness of a teacher-librarian. (TN) Keep the knowledge of the curriculum current (McGregor, 209). “Developing trust is crucial” (McGregor, 209). For all teachers, knowing “what’s in it for them is vital” (McGregor, 209). Unless there are positive effects to be gained, teachers are not willing to collaborate (McGregor, 210). A strategic teacher-librarian goes one step farther, to produce evidence of the effect the experience has on learning (McGregor, 210). The big picture is usually seen by the principal and the teacher librarian and think ahead to provide ways to collaborate to address overall problems. (McGregor, 210). A teacher librarian can have concerns over their ability to be an effective leader (McGregor, 210). When collaborating, people skills is one of the best skills a teacher-librarian can possess to collaborate successfully, with one of the most important qualities is empathy (McGregor, 211). Always show that you care and understand how they feel while trying to lead them. (TN) Be willing to adjust expectations (McGregor, 213). When collaborating with teachers, discuss goals and objectives in both planning and collaboration (McGregor, 214). Set priorities, but with limits (McGregor, 214). When collaborating with a team: Have a clear, evaluating goal, results-driven structure, competent team members, unifies commitment, a collaborative climate, standards of excellence, external support and recognition, principle leadership (Larson and Lafasto 1989, 1995, 98). The job of the teacher librarian is to keep the team focused on the mission of the project (McGregor, 215).

Evaluation must include and evaluation, debriefing, feedback-teacher, feedback –student (McGregor, 216). I think a teacher-librarian should have some type of feedback relating to his/her part n the collaboration. (TN) Documenting evidence helps to prove your importance and the value of your collaboration program (McGregor, 216). A teacher-librarian should provide professional by leading in sharing ideas, creating an awareness of the advantages of the use of technology and the knowledge and skill changes (McGregor, 217). “If and when this happens, though, the teacher-librarian leader must work to maintain the collaborative relationship already built and make teachers aware of how a more formal arrangement is an advantage to all concerned” (McGregor, 218).
 * Reflection: Goal teams must also remain focused on the mission and the goal of their team. (TN)

Moreillon, Judi. //Collaborative Strategies for Teaching Reading Comprehension: Maximizing Your Impact //. Chicago: ALA Editions, 2007 .