Adam's+Attempt

** Name of Applicant: ** PS 32 Samuel Mills Sprole Elementary School ** State: ** NY  ** Amount Requested : ** $5,000 ** Number of Students Served: ** 300 ** Number of Teachers: ** 50 PS 32 seeks a grant of $5,000 from the state department of education to promote student acquisition and utilization of information literacy skills through improved collaboration between teachers and the library media specialist (LMS) from “The Teacher Has Become the Student” project. The venture will provide for 300 students in grades K-5 to improve their understanding and usage of information literacy skills as part of their classroom curriculum. The impact on the 50 teachers will be such that they too improve their information literacy proficiency as a by-product of learning to collaborate with the LMS. P.S. 32 is an urban school in Brooklyn, New York. The average family poverty rate in the school is 78%. Of the schools student population, 40% receive special education services. “The Teacher Has Become the Student” will: · Provide information literacy and collaboration skills professional development to classroom teachers. · Educate teachers and administrators of the benefits and resources that an effective school library media program has on student achievement and teacher professional development. · Allow for collaboration between the LMS and teachers in planning content area curriculums to promote information literacy skills. · Encourage and sustain communication between the LMS and teachers.
 * Notes to Instructor: **

Statement of Need
Having just begun a school library media program in September of 2010, students were never exposed to information literacy skills. Only now are they beginning to develop a baseline of these essential information aptitudes via learning that takes place in the school library. A majority of the teachers do not include information literacy content in their classroom curriculums. Many teachers express a lack of confidence and knowledge when it comes to using 21st Century methods and technologies, based on a survey conducted by the administration. Alarmingly, teachers are unaware of the wealth of data detailing a school library’s role in higher student achievement. Academically, P.S. 32 students are far below grade level in reading. Just 34% of students grades 3-5 are reading at or above grade level as based on the 2009-2010 English Language Arts Test scores (New York City Department of Education Progress Report). Only 46% of fifth graders score at or above grade level on the social studies exam. (The New York State School Report Card Comprehensive Information Report). One reason our students are under-performing is that they are not exposed to dynamically planned out lessons that teach higher-level critical thinking skills along with the information literacy skills in the context of their classroom studies. The library media program is the place where positive change to student achievement and teacher development can be affected. Keith Curry Lance’s research shows that collaboration between the school librarian and teacher is directly linked with higher student reading levels (** The Importance of School Libraries ** Keith Curry Lance, Ph.D. Director, Library Research Service Colorado State Library). Having taught without a library for many years, the school’s teachers are unaware of the library’s resources and its ability to enhance their teaching and improve student learning. Teachers need to be shown that their school library media program is a resource to improve instruction, deepen students’ understanding of concepts taught, to instill a love of learning in students, and to aid in improving the skill set of teachers. Having a student population with 40% special needs calls for strong collaboration as Jami Jones points out in "School Librarians: The Forgotten Partners." She discusses the benefits to student achievement when the LMS collaborates with both the general education and special education teachers. //Lonsdale (2003) reviewed more than 75 studies of school library media programs conducted during the past 60 years...Lonsdale also found evidence that the school librarian's availability to collaborate with general educators was a key factor in increased student achievement. Special educators who want to build a collaborative partnership with the school librarian should facilitate the following action steps:// //• Create a foundation for mutual// //respect and understanding.// //• Create a focused purpose for// //collaboration.// //• Generate a written plan for// //collaboration.// //• Plan collaborative activities of// //mutual responsibility.// //• Record, document, and celebrate// //collaboration.// //Following these action steps can help create an atmosphere of true collaborative partnership and improve services for students with special needs.//

Research indicates that students achieve better results when school librarians and teachers are involved in collaborative activities such as: librarians cooperatively planning instruction with teachers, librarians providing training to teachers, librarians teaching students both independently and with classroom teachers, and librarian identifying materials and information for classroom teachers. (** The Importance of School Libraries ** Keith Curry Lance, Ph.D. Director, Library Research Service Colorado State Library). Teachers need to become students discovering the power of a quality school library media program. Teachers may at first view collaboration with the school library media program as “another thing to do,” but they need to understand that they have a responsibility in students’ acquisition of literacy information skills and for their own professional development and use of best practices. These skills are not just important for student achievement but they help children develop valuable 21st century aptitudes essential to their success in school and beyond. As resources and technologies evolve and change, information literacy skills become more important. Technology has made access to information easier, but in many ways more complicated. Students need multiple information literacies to find, evaluate and use information in a variety of formats. (AASL Standards). . Research suggests that early information literacy instruction … and collaborative, teacher–librarian curriculum planning, promotes critical thinking and increases the ability to problem-solve—two skills necessary for survival in today’s Information Age. (Heider, Kelly. "Information Literacy: The Missing Link in Early Childhood Education.") If their education is not providing instruction in information literacy, students will be missing out on crucial skills necessary to thrive in the 21st century. When teachers' professional education does not include insight into how to collaborate with the LMS and utilize the benefits of 21st information literacies, they will not be able to provide the highest quality pedagogy to their students.

=
Most elementary school librarians do not have...time to plan and execute collaborative lessons with classroom teachers. Furthermore, early childhood educators tend to under or overestimate the kind of research assignments their students can handle. ‘‘When research assignments match stages of children’s cognitive development, they are more satisfied with their learning, more confident in their ability to use the library, and more interested in using nonfiction and reference books in seeking information’’ (Kuhlthau 1987, p. 46). Research studies in Alaska (Lance et al. 1999 ), Colorado (Lance et al. 1993 ; Lance et al. 2000a ), and Pennsylvania (Lance et al. 2000b ) suggest that quality school library programs, run by professional library media specialists who work with classroom teachers to integrate information literacy standards throughout the curriculum, increase academic achievement. (Heider, Kelly. "Information Literacy: The Missing Link in Early Childhood Education.") ======

Needs works cited. If we don’t do direct quotes do we need any cites after a sentence. Or just a list of sources cited? This citation stuff is really confusing to me. 3) Goals and Objectives: a) Goal 1: Teachers will improve information literacy instruction to increase students’ information literacy and general literacy aptitudes. i) Objective 1a: 50% of the teachers on each grade level will participate in 4 in-service information literacy professional development workshops over the course of the 2011-2012 school year. (1) Teachers will read and familiarize themselves with the AASL’s Standards for the 21st Century Learner.  (2) Teachers will learn about Web 2.0 applications and how to use them in the classroom’s curriculums. Pam Berger’s book //Choosing Web 2.0 Tools for Learning and Teaching in a Digital World// will be studied.   ii) Objective 1b: Teachers will plan with the librarian to incorporate two information literacy skills into two content area units by January 2012. David Loertscher’s book //Beyond bird units! Thinking and Understanding in Information-Rich and Technology-Rich Environments// will be used as a model. (1) Activity: Teacher and librarian will review content area curriculum and lesson plans to see where information literacy skills can be addressed. (2) Activity: Teachers will assign students an end of unit project that require the use of the information literacy skills taught to evaluate student learning and the effectiveness of their instruction. b) Goal 2: Teachers, librarian and administration communicate and collaborate to provide students with well-developed instruction. i) Objective 2a: Over the course of the 2011-2012 school year, at least 50% of the teachers on each grade level will borrow materials related to their classes' units of study. (1) Librarian will provide professional development to teachers to showcase the library’s resources for classroom instruction. (2) Teachers will visit the school library to use multiple library resources to find materials for their units of study. ii) Objective 2b: Collaboration between teachers and librarian will increase by 25% by January 2012. (1) Librarian will join teachers during their grade level content area “June planning” days to plan instruction for the 2011-2012 school year together.  (2) Librarian will attend monthly content area grade level meetings.