COLLABORATION POLICY

 

Collaborative planning with your certified library media specialist can help you effectively teach your students using the Nevada standards. Research shows that schools with a high degree of collaboration with the media specialist score higher on standardized tests and produce learners of higher quality. We are here to co-teach with you.

 

Getting Started

Your first step is to come by the media center and schedule an appointment about one week in advance of when you need services. At that time, we’ll give you a preliminary form to complete. When we meet face-to-face in our first collaborative session, you can expect that we will work together to develop a collaborative plan, schedule the dates you need in the media center, and help you create a research project or lesson that is authentic and productive. 

 

In addition, media center staff can test-run resource-based assignments, making sure that adequate materials are available for student use. We can help design units that involve research and critical thinking skills. We can also make a classroom presentation and provide instructional materials. Some units involve several days of students having hands-on experience in the library. Still other units require no more than a single day of class time in the library. Simply let us know your needs and we will work with you.

 

The Collaboration Meeting

Together, we will determine your goals and objectives of your project.

·         This means we’ll clarify the purpose, academic and informational literacy standards, essential questions, types of information and resources required, as well as determine the skills students already know and will need to know at the end of the collaborative unit.

 

Together, we will determine the proposed learning activities and products of the project/unit.

·         This means we’ll help design the mini-lessons to be presented by the certified media specialist and the classroom teacher, and determine the final product students will produce to reflect upon their investigation and learning.

 

Together, we will determine the responsibilities of all stakeholders of the research project/unit.

·         This means we’ll lay out the roles and responsibilities of the classroom teacher, media specialist, students, and ECS, if needed.

 

Together, we will determine the assessment tools and strategies of the research project/unit.

·         This means we’ll map out the research process and final project assessment, design other related student assessments, if needed, schedule the final reflection and evaluation meeting with the teacher and media specialist, and design the student evaluation. Please see the Appendix for an example teacher/media specialist evaluation form.

 

Teacher Expectations

·         The teacher will remain with his or her class for the entire schedule period and be an active participant in the instructional process.

·         The teacher will help the media specialist maintain an atmosphere conducive to learning—the library is a classroom, too.

·         The teacher will address off-task or inappropriate student behavior promptly and decisively.

·         The teacher will not use the media center when he or she has a substitute teacher.

·         The teacher will convey his or her expectations for good behavior, active listening, and productive use of media center time prior to the class’s visit.

·         The teacher will complete and maintain a student seating chart for computer use and general library seating. (We will provide you with a form already laid out.)

·         The teacher will cancel his or her media center appointment as quickly as possible so that other teachers and students may take advantage of the media center’s services.

·         The teacher will reinforce to students that gum, food, and drink (including water) is not allowed in the library media center at any time.

·         The teacher will plan to meet with the media center staff a minimum of one week in advance so that library time can be scheduled and collaborative planning can be conducted.

·         The teacher will quickly begin class so that media center instructional time is maximized.

 

Care of Media Center Materials

·         Please keep track of all parts and accessories for items checked out from the media center.

·         Please keep track of barcoded bags. This is part of our inventory tracking.

·         Do not check out materials or equipment to students or other teachers. Direct all students and fellow colleagues to the media center so that items can be properly attached to the appropriate patron’s account.

·         Do not take library equipment off campus without prior written permission from the building administrator and library media specialist.