Research Finding:
Collaborative planning requires a knowledgeable
and flexible teacher-librarian, with good interpersonal
skills and a commitment to integrated information
literacy instruction, and the active support of
the principal.
Comment
Teacher-librarians recognize the critical importance
of their participation in curriculum development; however,
their actual involvement in collaboration with classroom
teachers does not match the theoretical role and the
role they were trained to perform.
Collaborative planning is impacted by the individuals
involved, school climate, time for planning, the organization
of the school, the facility and collection and training;
of these, the characteristics and actions of the people
involved is most important..
Collaboration with colleagues and varied student use
(individual, small group) is more evident in schools
with flexibly scheduled library resource centers. Regardless
of whether the schedule is flexible or fixed, classroom
teachers tend to accompany their classes the schedule
is thus more a reflection of the schools philosophy
and goals.
While elementary teacher-librarians participate more
on school curriculum committees than their secondary
school colleagues, secondary teacher-librarians plan
library-based units with teachers more often and more
formally.
Collaboration between teacher and teacher-librarian
not only has a positive impact on student achievement
but also leads to growth of relationships, growth of
the environment and growth of persons.
Sources
Cate, Gwendolyn Landrum. (1998). A teachers perceptions
of the library media specialist as instructional
consultant. Ed.D. dissertation. Texas Tech University.
Farwell, Sybil M. (1998). Profile of planning:
A study of a three year project on the implementation
of a collaborative library media programs. Ed.D.
dissertation. Florida International University.
Jones, Annease Chaney. (1997). An analysis of the
theoretical and actual curriculum development involvement
of Georgia school library media specialists. Ph.D.
dissertation. Georgia State University.
Wilson, Locordkenic Retroze Douglas. (1997). An
investigation of the differences between a flexibly
scheduled media center and a traditionally scheduled
elementary school media center and the effects on
administration, faculty, and students. Ph.D.
dissertation. Walden University.
