Curriculum Leadership Institute

Pathways to School Improvement

bloom's taxonomy

Library Standards to Support Your Curriculum

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As we begin the month of April, the annual month celebrating contributions of school libraries and staff, Curriculum Leadership Institute would be remiss if we didn’t call attention to the American Association of School Library’s (AASL’s) newly released standards. After reading this E-Hint summary, you may appreciate visiting AASL’s website designed specifically to assist with the understanding and implementation of these standards: http://standards.aasl.org/.

The Framework for Learners is one of three sets of standards recently released and is designed with students in mind. (The other two sets of standards address the school librarian’s role and the function of the school library.) Within the Framework for Learners are four domains and six competencies. The domains are designed to be worked through as a progressive development scaffold by providing increasing challenges, somewhat akin to working through levels of Bloom’s taxonomy. The domains are: Think, Create, Share, and Grow with the six competencies being generally labeled as: Inquire, Include, Collaborate, Curate, Explore and Engage.  These domains and competencies are illustrated in a PDF summary of the framework to be found here. The AASL grants permission to distribute this PDF for educational purposes, so you may wish to disseminate it to your Subject Area Committee (SAC) groups in order for your groups to evaluate in what ways the library standards might be overlapped with, and enrich, content area standards.

Perhaps most importantly, it is always helpful to be reminded that libraries offer a valuable source of technology support and content enrichment, while offering rich opportunities for your students to grow in their research, synthesis, evaluation, and communication skills.  While the internet has greatly impacted the way in which information is accessed, it cannot replace the value of diverse and reliable content that is to be found in a school or public library. Unfortunately, the internet’s transitory nature and monetization often work against the open and free dissemination of accurate information that some of us had envisioned and idealized not so very long ago. For example, many schools and classrooms are sadly bidding their free Wikispaces farewell.  This once valuable harbor for information-gathering and sharing that began in 2005, states that it is not able to justify the cost to update its service to modern coding and infrastructure standards. Additionally, the loss of net neutrality is a concern for many librarians.

However, despite the grim outlook on the electronic frontier, the glut of advertisements filling our screens, and Wikipedia’s annual drive for donations, there is no chance that the Internet will cease to be a source for up-to-date information and communications. The latest media and library standards typically include the use of technology in the best ways possible, sorting, finding, and understanding information. Your state may in fact have its own library media and technology standards similar to those of Kansas.

Now is the time to look inward toward edifying our own use of technology, alternative resources, and information collections. While we look to protect and enhance our knowledge resources, beginning a conversation about the new library standards as a district could benefit the learning processes and outcomes of all students in all grade levels. If your district seeks the full and complete book of the new National School Library standards, the book may be purchased directly from their website.  Also available from the AASL site are free professional development webinars.

IMAGE CREDIT: Laëtitia Buscaylet

Curriculum: A Catalyst for Change (Part Three)

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This is the third segment of Curriculum: A Catalyst for Change co-written by Sara McGinnis and Kyla Slate.  Sara is the curriculum director at Sheridan County School District #1 (SCSD#1) in Wyoming. Kyla is a former consultant with the Curriculum Leadership Institute (CLI) who worked with SCSD#1 over a 4-year timeframe to implement the CLI Model, a comprehensive, systemic school improvement model.   Other contributors are noted within each part.  Part 1 focuses on intentional change at the district level.  Part 2 focuses on the role of principals as instructional leaders.

Teachers in Charge

Most teachers do not see themselves as curriculum developers, nor believe they have been adequately trained to write valid assessments. Serving on a curriculum committee may seem like a lot of unnecessary work to a teacher initially; however, once they go through the process, they realize that thoroughly studying, clarifying, and organizing standards into units of learning targets and then creating aligned assessments helps them to identify what students need to know and do and how learning will be measured.  Clearly defined learning targets direct teachers’ instruction and student learning. When developing the curriculum, teachers also contemplated key targets locally that were not included in state standards, but were still important for students.  They applied various proven educational methodologies such as Bloom’s Taxonomy (rev. Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001) and Danielson’s Framework for Teaching (Danielson, 1996, 2009) to build the curriculum—a foundational necessity for creating common assessments and aligned instruction.

Jill Fightmaster, department chair/teacher at Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School District  #307: 

“This process has brought about more collaboration among the teachers in the department than I have ever experienced.  There are conversations daily regarding best practices in teaching, assessment strategies, and ways to engage students in learning.  The process has made us truly “dig in” to our teaching and we have all become better for it in the end.”

As teachers collaborate with other grade level cohorts to create the final products, many are excited for change and the challenge of building a new culture in their district.  Some are early adopters who believe reform is positive and can only help students.  Others may be concerned about moving away from traditional roles or methods, don’t see the need for change, or see the work as overwhelming.

Tiffany, also from BBCHS#307 in Illinois gives some good advice for leading collaborative change initiatives and some reflections about possible reasons for resistance:

“Especially in the field of education, I think people are profoundly uncomfortable with change.  Changing habits is hard work.  Taking a look in the mirror and realizing that maybe what you have been doing might not be the best course of action is a hard realization for most. It hasn’t been until recently that this profession has supported and encouraged reflection and innovation as valued ways to spend time.  As educators we always feel like we need to be right.  To admit that we might need to change somehow admits that we are not good. Of course this is an illusion that we convince ourselves is reality. As our profession gets more collaborative and reflective this will change. Luckily, there are a few ‘innovators’ that thrive in the zone of change.  It is those people that you need to help lead the change in a district.  If you can get them on board along with some early adopters, it is much easier.”

In many cases, for the first time in their careers, teachers are afforded all the rights of a true professional. Once this happens, they realize their opinions as decision-makers are highly valued. They often need a little guidance in that role to become focused leaders and catalysts for change.

Kyla (CLI):  “In my work with various districts, I am in a unique position to have witnessed the transformation of teachers who went from resistance, to understanding, to commitment, to being a leader.  Sometimes the trans-formation is simply stunning and it can only take place because leaders within the district are not only asking questions and coaching teachers, but also providing support when needed (or getting out of the way when necessary!) and serving as living examples of the shift in culture.” 

When teachers are placed in a group of their peers and lack confidence in their roles, they may retreat into themselves, fearful of voicing new ideas or opinions that differ from others, or may delay work completion efforts. These are natural and common responses to change.  Michael Fullan (2001) states that we must listen to those resistant to the process. They often bring up ideas we may have missed and suggest alternatives that we hadn’t thought about. Don’t give up on teachers in this category… leaders can be built.

Sara (SCSD#1):  “When someone struggles with this process, I try to discern what may be missing.  In some cases, teachers don’t understand the vision.  Others may understand the vision, but feel they lack experience or skill.  Or, perhaps they don’t have resources in time, money, or support to be successful.”

Yes, we categorically believe that change IS possible.  However, it isn’t always inevitable for everyone.  We purposely focus on the positive aspects of change; but, it is important to realize that not all resistors convert into supporters.  There is a point where persistent resistance transforms into refusal.  The reality is that change is a choice—a choice that not everyone will make, no matter what supports are provided.

Tiffany (BBCHS#307):   “I think this process has strengthened us as a family in that we are learning and growing together.  However, with everything being new and different, we have had our growing pains. Changes in philosophy may mean losing staff; and that is okay.”