ISCI 794: Implementing the AASL Standards in the School Library (4 of 4)

This is the fourth entry in a four part series, in which I have interviewed four librarians about ways in which they implement one of the six Shared Foundations (Inquire, Include, Collaborate, Curate, Explore, and Engage) of the AASL National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries (American Association of School Librarians, 2018). Specifically, the focus was on the Shared Foundations as they relate to School Librarians. Each librarian was paired with a Shared Foundation, was allowed to review the associated Domains and Competencies beforehand, and then asked the same five questions.

For my final interview, I spoke with Elisabeth Funderburk at Socastee Elementary School and the Shared Foundation that I selected for her was Inquire:

Question 1: What are some examples of the ways in which you are implementing these competencies in your library program?

One example of a way in which Mrs. Funderburk implements the Inquire competencies is that, when doing read-alouds, she will stop during the reading and ask the students questions to encourage them to wonder about the story that is being read. In this way, she is implementing competency I.B.1., “Ensuring that learners probe possible answers to questions” (p. 68). Just asking a student what happens next in the story causes them to reflect on what they know about the story so far and allows them to think about possible outcomes.

Mrs. Funderburk told me that she likes to use stations during lessons. Some examples of the types of stations that she uses are listening, engineering, or building. Each one is designed so that students can exercise different skills. The engineering and building stations allow for students to create or assemble things and through that process, they are able to explore the thing that they are trying to create or put together. The reason why she likes to use stations is because she wants the students to be able to explore and find ways in which they can be successful, that is not just through reading and writing, which is what they do in class all day.

In this activity, I recognize a couple of ways in which the competencies are being implemented. By allowing students to choose what kind of product they want to create, she is implementing competency I.B.3., “Facilitating the development of products that illustrate learning” (p. 68). I also think that by having students work in groups for these kinds of activities, she is also satisfying competency I.C.2. “Providing opportunities for learners to share learning products and reflect on the learning process with others” (p. 68).

Question 2: What are some of the resources in your library program that you are using to implement these competencies?

When I asked her this question, the first resource that Mrs. Funderburk listed was the library standards themselves. I thought that this was interesting because my other interviewees spoke about the resources involved in carrying out their lessons, but none of them mentioned the standards. It seems obvious, but I like that response because it illustrates that in order to be able to implement these competencies, then you need to be familiar with them. She also has access to curriculum documents and the teachers’ lesson plans. I think though, that by starting with the standards and looking at the curriculum, you can better plan activities and lessons that will pair what is being taught in the library with classroom learning. Other resources utilized include the library collection and the students’ iPads. In her station work, engineering kits, Legos, and books are used.

Question 3: Do any of the competencies that you are implementing include collaboration with classroom teachers? If so, please provide examples.

Mrs. Funderburk’s answer to this question was similar to Ms. Carmody’s. She said that, aside from being able to access their lesson plans, there is not really any collaboration because the teachers have their planning periods while the students are in the library for lessons. Sometimes, a teacher will ask for materials to be used in their own class, but otherwise, there is no overlap between the library and classroom.

I find it interesting that a lack of or limited collaboration has become somewhat of a running theme throughout the interviews. For elementary school, it is due to a lack of flexible scheduling. For the middle and high school, it is a strict pacing guide that limits collaboration to favor one department over another. Hearing about this from four different people, in four different schools, at different grade levels, indicates to me that this is a systemic problem. I do not know what can be done about this, but I do know that when I am placed in my own school, that I am going to try my best to build relationships with my fellow educators so that they will hopefully be more open to collaborating.

Question 4: What are some of the challenges that you face when trying to implement these competencies?

Not being able to plan with the classroom teachers is the main challenge. She also told me that compared to what is offered to the teachers, there is not a lot of professional development support. It is on the librarian to independently seek out opportunities. She stated that the SCASL conference is the biggest opportunity for professional development available to her. Also like at Forestbrook Elementary, she said that an increased emphasis on technology is altering the kinds of library lessons being taught.

Question 5: Are there any other comments that you would like to make regarding the Shared Foundation / Competencies and Domains that we have discussed today?

Mrs. Funderburk made a statement to me that I feel is very much in keeping with competency I.D.3., “Enabling learners to seek knowledge, create new knowledge, and make real-world connections for lifelong learning” (p. 68). That statement was that her focus is to get kids to come in and love the library. If you get them hooked onto something that they love, then they will want to engage with it and inquire more about it.

Reference

American Association of School Librarians. (2018). National school library standards for learners, school librarians, and school libraries. ALA Editions, an imprint of the American Library Association.