The ABCDE of Teacher-School Librarian Collaboration:

1

• The ABCDE of Teacher-School Librarian
  Collaboration
• Advances
• Barriers
• Challenges
• Directions
• Enablers
• With thanks to
• Dr Jannica Heinstrom (Research Associate, CISSL)
• Paulette Kerr (Doctoral Student, SCILS)

2
Recent Key Sources

• Patricia Montiel-Overall Toward a Theory of
  Collaboration for Teachers and Librarians SLMR
  (Volume 10, 2007)
• Barbara Immroth and W. Bernard Lukenbill
  Teacher-School Library Media Specialists
  Collaboration through Social Marketing
  Strategies An Information Behavior Study SLMR
  (Volume 8, 2005)
• (http//www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/
  slmrb/slmrcontents/contents.htm)
• Carol Doll Collaboration and the School Library
  Media Specialist. Scarecrow Press, 2005)

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Background

• Dominant construct in professional rhetoric of
  school librarianship
• Advocated as a high priority for school
  librarians
• Emergence in 1980s Cooperative Program Planning
  and Teaching (CPPT) Haycock
• Important dynamic in student achievement (eg
  Lance)
• Little evidence that teachers were consulted in
  the formulation of the collaboration focus
• Lack of theoretical grounding weakly
  articulated education / social psychology /
  leadership / networking teaming underpinnings
• lack of consensus as to its conceptual boundaries
  and operational definition confusion between
  coordination, cooperation, collaboration
• Schrage (1990) John-Steiner, Weber, and Minnis
  (1998) Shared creation built on complementary
  domains of expertise
• Callison (1997) coplanning, coimplementation, and
  coevaluation
• Montiel-Overall (2007) trusting, working
  relationship between two or more equal
  participants involved in shared thinking, shared
  planning and shared creation of integrated
  instruction.
• Goal to enhance student learning? is it mastery
  of curriculum standards is it mastery of
  information skills and the creation of students
  who mirror librarians collaboration itself
  sometimes appears as key goal
• Low levels of collaboration are documented
  (Callison, 2005, Todd 2005)

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Instruction and Collaborations Some Vexing
Questions

• What constitutes effective shared school
  librarian-teacher collaboration and pedagogy?
• Do teacher-school librarian collaborations
  actually work, that is, do they enable students
  to achieve?
• Do they enable students to achieve better and/or
  more than traditional instructional methods such
  as isolated library lessons not linked to
  curriculum content?
• What is the nature of the achievement enabled by
  teacher-school librarian collaborations?
• If collaborations do work, why is participation
  in collaborations by school librarians seemingly
  low?
• Is collaboration the most appropriate mode of
  instructional intervention?
• Should school librarians focus on the individual
  and small group help rather than class room
  collaborations?

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Purpose of ILILE Study

• To develop a deeper understanding of classroom
  teacher-school librarian instructional
  collaborations
• - their dynamics, processes, enablers, barriers
• - their impact on perceptions of learning and
  instruction, how (if at all) collaboration has
  changed the nature of classroom practices
• - impact on learning outcomes
• - its role in continuous improvement and school
  change

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Approach

• Qualitative study of the experience of the
  instructional collaboration
• Operational definition Instructional
  Collaboration is where the classroom teacher and
  school librarian jointly set goals, design
  learning experiences, and teach and evaluate a
  unit of study.
• 170 partnerships established as part of the
  IMLS-Kent State University ILILE program over a
  three year program 2003-2005.
• Experience with the first instructional
  collaboration undertaken with the school partner
  as a result of the ILILE program

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Sample

• 130 of 340 who participated in the ILILE training
  program (38 response rate)
• 85 school librarians (65) and 45 teachers (35)
• 121 (85) with masters degrees in LIS / education
• Average work experience T 12 years (range 1
  36 years) L 13 years (range 1 32 years)
• T L 25 had 5 years or less teaching
  experience

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Respondents per Role and Grade Level
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The Structure of the Survey

• The survey instrument was in 6 parts
• Part 1 Background information
• Part 2 The class details
• Part 3 Planning your collaboration
• Part 4 Implementing your collaboration
• Part 5 The impact and outcomes of your
  collaboration
• Part 6 The future of your collaborations

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Class Details

• Grade level
• Number of students
• Number of lessons
• Curriculum area(s)
• Content standard(s)
• School Library Guidelines
• Culminating activity / product that the students
  completed

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Curriculum Areas
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Contents Standards Focus

• Language Arts acquisition of vocabulary
  comprehension strategies writing processes and
  conventions
• Science standards related to nature of matter
  and properties of pure substances standards
  related to chemical reactions (in the context of
  common household ingredients)
• Social Science standards related to Native
  Americans, Ohio Prehistoric People

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School Library Standards

• Identify directories and search engines.
• Select a specific database for an assignment and
  explain why it is the appropriate one to use.
• Use a variety of technology resources for
  curriculum and personal information needs.
• Review strengths and weaknesses of various types
  of electronic resources for research need
• Develop open-ended research questions about a
  defined information need.
• Create information products to share information
  using different formats.
• Take notes, organize information into logical
  sequence and create product.
• Evaluate how information was found and assess the
  quality of the information product.
• Perform searches for information in specific
  formats
• Use technology to conduct research generate
  questions to be answered

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Planning the Collaboration

• Motivations for collaboration
• Strengths brought to the collaboration
• Gains through this collaboration What was in it
  for me?
• Gains for students through this collaboration
• Initial concerns, why you felt that way, and how
  you dealt with them.
• Range of activities that you engaged in to plan
  the collaboration
• Communication channels during the collaboration
• Main strengths of taking the time to plan
  instructional collaboration
• Difficulties encountered during the planning of
  the collaboration and how dealt with

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Implementing the Instruction (Doing the teaching)

• Strengths you perceived about teaching the unit
  together, and why it was a strength in the
  collaboration.
• Difficulties you encountered during the teaching
  of the unit, and why you thought it was a
  difficulty in the collaboration. Indicate how you
  dealt with it.
• In what way, if any, did the collaboration change
  how you typically do things in your work?
• What did the collaboration enable you to do as an
  educator, if anything, that might have been
  difficult to do without it?

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The Impact and Outcomes of The Collaboration

• Perceived success of the instructional
  collaboration.
• Factors that contributed most to the success or
  absence of success of the instructional
  collaboration
• What did the instructional collaboration do for
  your students in the class? And how do you know?
  (identify the evidence that enabled you to know
  this outcome.)
• What were, if any, the most important personal
  learning outcomes for you as a result of this
  instructional collaboration?
• In what way(s), if any, did your instructional
  collaboration change your subsequent professional
  relationship with your school partner?

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Collaborating in the future?

• Number of instructional collaborations you have
  undertaken since you participated in the first
  ILILE program.
• Factors contributing to undertaking or not
  undertaking further instructional collaborations?
• What incentives would encourage more
  instructional collaborations in your school?
• What advice, if any, would you give to members of
  your school community contemplating instructional
  collaborations sometime in the future?
• Record any additional ideas about your experience
  with the ILILE instructional collaboration here.

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Motivations for Instructional Collaborations

• Primary motivation for teachers was to build
  collegial and collaborative relationships
  teaching as a social and collegial experience
  socialization and networking. (80 of
  motivations) Collaboration with librarian was a
  natural extension of social dynamic of teaching
• Primary motivation of librarians centered on
  marketing library services, increasing their
  status within the school, and spreading
  library-centered collaboration in the school.
  (38 of motivations)
• Librarians also sought to develop their content
  knowledge or pedagogical skills around which they
  would cooperate with teachers. The collaborative
  project was viewed as a means to acquire needed
  professional development (22 of motivations).
• Only 6 (L) and 5 (T) motivations centered
  improvement of students learning outcomes.
• MUTUALITY OF INTENT? PRINCIPLE OF MUTUAL
  INTENT?

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Strengths brought to the collaboration

• Teachers and librarians mentioned their
  particular areas of professional expertise as
  their major strengths. Librarians took pride in
  their insights into technology and information
  skills (60 of strengths identified), while
  teachers referred to curriculum knowledge,
  pedagogical skills, collaboration and social
  skills (63 of strengths identified).
• Characteristics such as divergent and convergent
  thinking, creativity, flexibility, openness to
  experience, organization, planning were regarded
  as important traits that facilitated the working
  process by both partners.
• Some participants also saw value in insight into
  the partners area of expertise, so that teachers
  were proud of the technological and information
  insights they had, while librarians regarded
  their understanding of the curriculum topic being
  studied as important to enabling the
  collaboration
• COMPLEMENTARITY OF EXPERTISE FLEXIBILITY OF
  OPERATION

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What participants hoped to gain through the
collaboration

• Teachers
• Improved pedagogy, content knowledge, better
  understanding of curriculum (55 of gains
  identified)
• Resources, technology help or support from
  librarian to meet teachers needs for students
  (26)
• Affective reason, eg friendship, relationship
  with colleague, have fun (9)
• OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP TEACHING AND INSTRUCTIONAL
  SKILLS

• School Librarians
• Integrated notion of library as part of the
  educational milieu, marketing, model best
  practice for libraries, (44 of gains identified)
• Improved pedagogy of information literacy (27)
• Improved status of librarian, demonstrate
  importance (13)
• Affective reason, eg friendship, relationship
  with colleague, have fun (10)
• OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE OWN PROFESSIONALISM, ROLE
  AND LIBRARY SERVICES

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What participants hoped the students to gain
through the collaboration

• Teachers
• students to learn curriculum content (28 of
  student gains identified)
• increased information literacy (26)
• Increased depth, better quality of learning
  (14)
• View of the library as an instructional space, an
  extension of the classroom (14)
• integrated view of learning combining both
  curriculum areas (7)

• School Librarians
• students to develop information literacy (34 of
  gains identified)
• students to develop a better perception of the
  library and the librarian (20).
• integrated view of learning combining both
  curriculum areas(14)
• students to learn curriculum content (12)
• Increased depth, better quality of learning (7)

Mutuality of Intent?
22
Initial Concerns Solutions
23
Planning Difficulties and Strengths
24
Strengths in teaching together
25
Difficulties during Project
26
Changes in the ways they typically work

• Closer relationship to other partners in the
  school, and a better understanding of their needs
  and capacities. This understanding makes it
  easier to adjust to and work with them in the
  future. (51 T 12 L)
• Changes in practical work routines, such as
  planning more within the project, or working at
  another location than customary. (24 T 22 L)
• No change (13 T)
• The librarians regarded their increased status
  and appreciation in the school as the biggest
  change the project brought them. (25 L)
• When librarians work closely with a trained
  teacher, they learn valuable instructional
  techniques, and gain a deeper understanding of
  the students learning process. The librarians
  grow as teachers (16 L)
• Confidence of librarians to start to market
  collaboration more, and reach out more actively
  to teachers pursuing more collaborative projects.
  (24)

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Factors Behind the Success of the Collaboration
28
Impact of collaboration on students
29
Evidence of Impact of Collaboration
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Personal Learning Outcomes

• Deeper understanding of collaboration, and a
  stronger belief in its benefits.
• Development of professional skills, refinement of
  practice, and a more profound insight into
  pedagogical processes
• Deeper appreciation of the partners
  professionalism. This entailed both admiration
  for professional skills, as well as an
  understanding of what the partner wanted to
  accomplish.
• For teachers
• Richer insights into student learning outcomes
• Acquire new information literacy skills and a new
  appreciation of library resources
• For Librarians
• Including the librarian in the actual teaching
  processes brought students closer to the library
  and its services a professional reward

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Subsequent Professional Relationship with
Collaboration Partner

• Working closely together at the collaborative
  project had brought the partners together. In
  almost all cases the subsequent relationship
  continued as a genuine friendship within and out
  of school, or as a supportive and highly valued
  working relationship.
• 40 of the participants indicated a deeper
  understanding and respect for the others work,
  saw the partners efforts and professional goals
  valuing of partners teaching style.
• 30 of participants continued to refine and
  develop the structure that had developed through
  the first collaboration, and over time the model
  of collaboration stabilized.
• Partners continued to bounce ideas and brainstorm
  with each other, seek advice, outside of the
  formal collaborative structure.
• Ongoing consultative role Teachers asked
  librarians for help related to information
  literacy instructions, while librarians consulted
  teachers for curriculum advice in order to adapt
  their information literacy instruction to the
  current curriculum content the teacher was
  addressing in class.

32
Positive Factors Contributing to Further
Collaborations

• Teachers
• Good outcome of the first collaboration
• Acquired collaboration skills
• Understanding of partners needs
• Undertaken on average 2 collaborations since
  ILILE project

• Librarians
• Good outcome of the first collaboration
• Marketing of library, status, reputation
  developed / spread in the school
• More confidence
• Undertaken on average 3 collaborations since
  ILILE project

33
Absence of further Collaboration

• Teachers
• Time
• No opportunity

• Librarian
• Time
• Partner unwillingness

34
Incentives to Encourage More Collaborations

• Teachers
• Time (50 of incentives identified)
• Tangibles (money, credits) (19)
• Support by school / administrator staff
  replacement, scheduling, release time (19)

• Librarians
• Time (35 of incentives identified)
• Support by school / administrator staff
  replacement, scheduling, release time (30)
• Appreciation / validation by others, value and
  status recognized (13)

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Advice to Members of School Community
Contemplating Instructional Collaborations

• Do it for the kids focus on the learning
  outcomes
• Just do it go for it / give it a try Go for
  it! Shake up those laminated lesson plans and
  jump in!
• Start with something / someone familiar build
  gradually
• Work to build social relations as a foundation
  for developing instructional partnerships
• Prepare and plan, divide responsibilities, and
  revise as needed build a team of equals, build
  commitment
• listen to each others expectations
• Flexible, open attitude
• Get training the professions exhortation to
  collaboration seems to deny the complexity of
  dynamics and relationships then ILILE came
  along

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Guiding Principles for Effective Instructional
Collaborations

• Principle of sustained and guided development
• Principle of transcendent belief in instructional
  collaboration
• Principle of mutual intent
• Principle of socialization
• Principle of complementarity
• Principle of integration sum of parts is
  greater than the whole
• Principle of where there is a will there is a
  way