Dedra Van Gelder's Digital Portfolio
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Standard 1 Standard 2 Standard 3 Standard 4

Standard #2:  Teaching & Learning

Objective:  Effective & Knowledgeable Teacher

Indicator: Candidates work with classroom teachers to co-plan, co-teach, and co-assess information skills instruction.

 

So much good can come when great minds work together. One solid example of the powerful effect of Language Arts and the library media program working in conjunction with each other is my AR Scavenger Hunt. To create this lesson, I spent time consulting and planning with a sixth grade Language Arts teacher. She shared her concerns about her students’ independent reading (picking books that were too easy or too hard, reading only one genre, not knowing what to read next, etc), and we bounced possible ideas for lessons to address her students’ needs off each other. I then sat down and drafted a lesson. Based on what the teacher had shared, I tried to craft a lesson that could tackle several of the students’ issues in one swift shot. After consulting with the teacher again and making some adjustments, we were ready to put the lesson in motion.

Co-teaching was a big part of making the lesson successful. Prior to bringing her class to the media center, the teacher taught a mini lesson reviewing the different genres. She also made sure each student was cognizant of their independent reading level (ZPD). Once in the media center, I began with a review of the genres reinforcing what the teacher had previously taught. The students were confident and willing participants as I launched into the next steps of the lesson (using a special Accelerated Reader search feature on OPAC) with the teacher chiming in and assisting when appropriate. As the students finished the assignment given, the teacher and I worked together to assess their work, provide feedback, and reward students who had mastered the task with stickers. Not only was our collaboration effective, it was also a lot of fun.

The revamped unit I created with the social studies department made this year’s help our students to really achieve success at the History Day Fair. Love for learning filled the air on Valentine’s Day as students proudly shared their “match making” skills. I think even the students would agree that when highly qualified teachers and library media staff work together, the result is a match made in heaven!

 

 

AR lesson plan
AR Scavenger Hunt worksheet
Genre Review
History Fair Unit Plan
Matchmaker lesson plan

 

 

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