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7/30/2019 Design Instr Sch Lbr Media Ctr - EDLI 274 DL1 - Course Syllabus
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Course Syllabus
Title: Designing Instruction for School Library Media Centers EDLI 274Credits: 3
Instructor: Patricia Megivern
Meeting dates and times: On campus, 1/19 & 5/4 (11am 3pm)VIT (VT Interactive Television), 2/2, 2/16, 3/9, 3/30, and 4/13Blackboard (online), 1/26, 2/9, 2/23, 3/16, 3/23, 4/6, 4/20
Locations: see above
Course Description:
Effective school librarians must be effective teachers, with skill in designing lessons thatenable students to meet standards. Whether we meet regularly with classes of youngchildren for story-times and/ or library- and technology-skills lessons, or whether weoccasionally host a teacher-led visit of a class of older students, or simply supportindividual student library-users, we need to know how to assess and meet studentslearning needs. In this course we will look at the Common Core and other standards,explore ways to present content and skills, and assess student learning. Mostimportantly, we will look at ways a school library media specialist can be (or become) avalued instructional collaborator for classroom/ content-area teachers.
Goals:
Within this course students will explore topics that include designing learning activities,lessons, and units, based upon learner needs and standards-based requirements;research skills and processes and instructional strategies; inquiry learning; informationliteracy standards; collaboration between the SLMS and classroom/ subject-areateachers; and classroom management in the Library Media Center.
Learning Outcomes:
This course will enable students to meet these Knowledge and Performance Standardsrelating to the SLMSs role as teacher and instructional collaborator, of the VermontLicensing Regulations for the School Library Media endorsement:
Students will: Demonstrate knowledge of research and information literacy processes as
defined in Vermonts Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities andcurrent national standards.
Demonstrate knowledge of the principles and processes of written, visual, andspoken literacy, including the development of reading, writing, listening,expression, and other forms of communication skills for all learners.
Design, implement, and collaborate with other staff to develop standards-basedcurriculum that supports student attainment of Vermonts CommunicationStandards.
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Evaluate, select, use, and teach students and other staff to use current andemerging school library media information technology resources, includingcatalog, circulation, reference, production, and other services and systems.
Explore concepts around a public relations/information program geared to boththe school and its surrounding community which develops awareness of, interest
in, participation in, and commitment to library-media services and programs.
Note: Listed outcomes are taken directly from the Licensing Regulations; more recentstandards (i.e., the Common Core State Standards) will also be examined.
General Course Information
Course Policies:
Students are expected to fully participate in this course, in both the online and livesessions. If a student is having difficulty meeting course requirements, it is expectedthat he or she will contact the instructor to create a plan to address missing (orinadequate) work.
Attendance Expectations:
Students are expected to attend both on-campus sessions and all of the VIT sessions.If an absence is unavoidable, the student is expected to contact the instructor in a timelymanner. Students are expected to log-on to Blackboard regularly, spendingapproximately three or four hours participating in each online class session.
Contributions in Class:
Students are expected to participate in class discussion and small groupactivities during the live sessions.
Students are expected to post responses to online discussion topics, asassigned.
Students are expected to read and respond to others postings.
Academic Honesty & Professionalism:
All students are required to be familiar with and adhere to the Academic Honesty PolicyProcedures delineated in the most recent edition of The Cats Tale.
(http://www.uvm.edu~dosa/handbook/ ).
Required and/or recommended readings:
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Zmuda, Allison, and Violet H. Harada. Librarians as Learning Specialists: Meeting theLearning Imperative for the 21stCentury. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited,2008.
Sprenger, Marilee. Brain-based Teaching in the Digital Age. Alexandria, Virginia:
ASCD, 2010.
Thomas, Nancy Pickering, Sherry R. Crow, and Lori L. Franklin. Information Literacyand Information Skills Instruction: Applying Research to Practice in the 21stCenturySchool Library, 3rd ed. Santa Barbara, California: Libraries Unlimited, 2011.
Calkins, Lucy, Mary Ehrenworth, and Christopher Lehman. Pathways to the CommonCore: Accelerating Achievement. Portsmouth, New Hampshire: Heinemann, 2012.
Ritchhart, Ron, Mark Church, and Karin Morrison. Making Thinking Visible: How toPromote Engagement, Understanding, and Independence for All Learners. SanFrancisco, California: Jossey-Bass, 2011.
***Medina, John J. Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work,Home, and School. Seattle, Washington: Pear Press, 2008.
Common Core State Standards
Vermont Framework of Standards and Learning Opportunities
AASL. Standards for the 21stCentury Learner. Chicago, Illinois: American Associationof School Librarians, 2007.
***Sykes, Judith Anne. Brain Friendly School Libraries. Westport, Connecticut:Libraries Unlimited, 2006.
***Kuhlthau, Carol C., Leslie K. Maniotes, and Ann K. Caspari. Guided Inquiry:Learning in the 21stCentury. Westport, Connecticut: Libraries Unlimited, 2007.
Husid, Whitney, and Virginia Wallace. Learning to the Second Power: Inquiry-BasedCollaboration and Learning Commons. Teacher Librarian, February 2012, p. 25.
Donham, Jean. Enduring Understandings Where Are They in the LibrarysCurriculum? Teacher Librarian, October 2010, p. 15.
Ray, Mark. Save the Children by Fighting Truthiness. Seattle Times, October, 21,2011. http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2016574447_guest23ray.html
Gewertz, Catherine. History Lessons Blend Content Knowledge, Literacy Education Week, 8 August, 2012
http://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2016574447_guest23ray.htmlhttp://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2016574447_guest23ray.htmlhttp://seattletimes.com/html/opinion/2016574447_guest23ray.html7/30/2019 Design Instr Sch Lbr Media Ctr - EDLI 274 DL1 - Course Syllabus
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Hubert, Elfrieda H. The Common Core State Standards and Text Complexity Teacher Librarian, June, 2012.
Hill, Rebecca. Common Core Curriculum and Complex Texts Teacher Librarian,February, 2011.
CoreStand. Becoming a Core Ninja: Mastering the Common Core Standards.www.corestand.com
Additional journal articles and website resources, to be determined and listed with eachlearning module.
Note: *** = supplemental texts
Electronic Submissions/Internet Use:
Assignments will be submitted through the UVM email system and the Blackboardonline interface.Student Evaluation/Assessment
Grading:
Grades will be based upon participation in class and in online discussion,thoughtfulness of responses, and quality of projects.
97-100 pts. = A+, 94-96 pts. = A, 90-93 pts. = A-, 87-89 pts. = B+, 84-87 pts. = B,80-83 pts. = B-.
Format for Expected Work:
Students will be expected to write brief responses to discussion topics based onrequired readings, complete individual exercises for class presentation, and producefinal projects. These will include:
Threaded discussion postings and responses I-Search exploration and reflection Small group presentations In service presentation Resource collection Final collaborative unit
Specific format requirements will be provided with each assignment.
Scoring Rubrics:
Evaluation throughout the course will include both formative and summativeassessments, with rubrics and/or criteria checklists provided for each assignment.
http://www.corestand.com/http://www.corestand.com/http://www.corestand.com/7/30/2019 Design Instr Sch Lbr Media Ctr - EDLI 274 DL1 - Course Syllabus
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Percentage Contribution of Each Assignment:
Class participation (on-campus and VIT) 10% Threaded discussion postings and responses 35%
I-Search exploration and reflection 10% In service presentation 10% Resource collection 10% Collaborative unit 25%
EDLI 274: Designing Instruction for School Library Media Centers
Projects and Assessments
Threaded Discussion
Each week, there will be questions, writing prompts, or other written assignments to be posted on thediscussion board of Blackboard. This is your chance to interact with the content, explore ideas and
formulate opinions, and discuss the concepts with your classmates. The format of the assignment may
vary, but the expectations within the rubric will be valid for each assignment.
In addition, you will be expected to provide a meaningful response to at least one posting by a classmate
each week.
CATEGORY 10 points 8 points 6 points 4 points
Depth ofThought
I discussed anissue or conceptin detail. I usedspecificexamples,quotes, andreferences toillustrate mypoint.
My post is fairlygeneral; I use oneor two specificdetails.
I use onlygeneralcomments tomake mypoints.
I do not discussany issues orconcepts indetail; rather, Irely on vaguecomments.
Originality I posted aboutmy own ideas; Idid not re-word
those of another
I discussed somenew ideas butalso summarized
others' as well
I mainlysummarizedand added to
the ideas ofothers
I did not havemany ideas todiscuss or I only
used those ofothers.
Engagement I refer to myfellowclassmates byname or makedirect referenceto a point they
I mention an ideapreviouslydiscussed but invague terms(without names,etc.)
I rarelyacknowledge orrefer to thework of others.
I do notacknowledge orrefer to the workof others.
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discussed
Relevance My commentsare alwaysrelevant to thetopic at hand
I stay on topic inmy posts, but attimes wander intoideas that seem
disconnectedfrom the mainpoint
I tend todeviate fromthe topic athand several
times in mypost.
My discussionpoints are not ontopic
Conventions All conventionsof StandardEnglish areobserved in myposts
Most conventionsof StandardEnglish areobserved in myposts
Someconventions ofStandardEnglish areobserved in myposts
Conventionproblemsobscure themeaning of myposts
I-Search
The I-Search project is about exploring the research process. Compare a "typical" process, one that
students might use to do informal research to the more structured process you might teach as an SLMS.
Select a topic (typical kid topics: Martha Washington, Delaware, bald eagles, black holes) of interest
to you. Do some research as though you were preparing a two-page report or a five-minute
presentation. Your focus should be on the process, not the information you would gather.
I-Search Rubric
CATEGORY Exemplary Adequate
Needs
Improvement No Credit
Questioning and
Task Definition
I formulated an
essential question
for my research. I
discussed types of
questions andused them to
guide research.
I formulated a
research question
for myself. I
explored
questions andtheir role in the
research process.
I explored task
definition and
questions only in
general ways.
I did not consider
questioning
behavior in my
exploration of the
research process.
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Choice of Model I considered my
audience/ purpose
in choosing a
"best" model. I
gave a detailed
analysis of the
pros and cons for
my choice.
I chose a "best"
research process
model. I offered
one or two specific
reasons for my
choice.
I indicated a
general
preference. I cited
some general,
rather than
specific, reasons
for my choice.
I did not make any
real choice from
among the models
presented.
Implications for
Teaching and
Collaborating
I offered specific
examples and
ideas for using the
research process
or parts with
students and
teachers.
I offered at least
two general ideas
for using a
research process
or parts of it in
working with
students and/or
teachers.
A presented a few
non-specific ideas
on using research
process ideas.
I did not make any
connections
between research
process models
and teaching.
Depth of Thought I discussed the
issue in detail. I
used specific
examples, quotes,
and references to
illustrate my
points.
I used one or two
specific details,
but most of my
comments are
fairly general.
I used only general
comments to make
my points.
I did not discuss
any ideas or issues
in great detail.
Conventions of
Standard Written
English
All conventions of
SWE are observed
in my I-Search
essay.
Most conventions
of SWE are
observed in my I-
Search essay.
Some conventions
of SWE are
observed in my I-
Search essay.
No conventions of
SWE are observed
in my I-Search
essay.
Resource Collection
This is a collaboration with peers to collect and share resources (i.e. lesson plans, instructional supports,
technology tools, etc.) that support your practice. Throughout the course, there will be opportunities to
explore potential resources, and to post annotations of your favorites.
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InService Presentation
According to Joie Taylor [author of textbooks on teaching research skills], the library media specialist
plays a critical role in implementing information literacy skills integration by introducing teachers to the
skills through formal in-service programs, informal planning sessions, and casual conversations (40).
Create a Meaningful ten minutes Present information during a faculty meeting that is relevant to ourrole of creating information literate students. The information must be clearly related to teaching
practice. Educators should leave the meeting with some kind of practical application in mind.
One VIT session will be devoted to inservice presentations, an opportunity for you to teach us
something valuable.
Rubric : Direct Instruction Inservice
CATEGORY 4 3 2 1
Content:
relevant to SLMSs
role in info. lit
instruction and/or
research skills.
Shows a full
understanding of
the topic. Is able
to fully answer
audience
questions.
Shows a good
understanding of
the topic. Is able
to answer some
audience
questions
Shows a good
understanding of
parts of the topic.
Is able to answer a
few audience
questions
Does not seem to
understand the
topic very well.
Cannot answer
audience
questions.
Research:
Supports the need
to address this
topic in the school.
Displays an in
depth knowledge
of the research
and uses it to
create a need.
Displays a good
understanding of
the research and
uses it to create a
need.
Displays some
understanding of
the research, but
doesnt make it
clear to the
audience how this
info. impacts them.
Displays minimal
understanding of
the research.
Presentation
Format:
Uses a wide
variety of
strategies that
show considerable
work/creativity
and were chosen
to most effectively
convey the info.
Uses some variety
of strategies that
show considerable
work/creativity
and which
effectively convey
the info.
Uses one strategy,
which makes the
presentation
better.
Lacks variety of
strategies OR the
strategies chosen
detract from the
presentation.
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Articulation: Speaks clearly and
distinctly all (100-
95%) the time, and
mispronounces no
words.
Speaks clearly and
distinctly all (100-
95%) the time, but
mispronounces
one word.
Speaks clearly and
distinctly most (
94-85%) of the
time.
Mispronounces no
more than one
word.
Often mumbles or
cannot be
understood OR
mispronounces
more than one
word.
Audience
connection:
Appearance is
relaxed and
confident.
Establishes eye
contact with
everyone in the
room during the
presentation.
Appearance is
relaxed and
establishes eye
contact with
everyone in the
room during the
presentation.
Appearance is
sometimes relaxed
and establishes
eye contact.
Appearance is not
relaxed and does
not look at people
during the
presentation.
Classroom
implementation:
The material
presented will be
very useful to me
in my role as an
educator, and to
my classroom
colleagues, and
may facilitate
collaboration.
The material
presented will be
useful to me in my
role as an
educator, and to
my classroom
colleagues.
The material
presented will be
useful to me in my
role as an educator
occasionally.
The material
presented has no
relevance to my
role as an
educator, or to
any classroom
teachers.
Assessment of
inservice:
Determine need
for further
instruction or
support.
Presentation built
in a means to
assess the
effectiveness of
the presentation.
May be interested
in more training
about classroom
implementation.
Have little interest
in more training
about classroom
implementation.
No assessment of
further need was
considered.
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Final Unit
Throughout the semester, you will be developing a unit; topic and grade level of your choice. Your unit
must address appropriate standards, and include collaborative roles for both classroom teacher and
SLMS.
The unit will include two complete lesson plans, outlines of other lessons and activities, and a
Pathfinder. The lessons and Pathfinder will be created throughout the semester.
In addition to turning in the individual lessons, you will write a Unit Overview,Culminating Assessment
Description, and Reflection.
Unit Overview: to include setting the context of the unit in terms of audience,
grade level, and collaboration situation. Also include a Goals Elaboration Statement
based on the Instructional Design Model: needs assessment, learner analysis,
instructional objectives.
Culminating Assessment: how you plan to assess all students' grasp of the"enduring understanding" and why you chose the type of culminating
paper/project.
Reflection: formally reflect on your pedagogy.
Unit Reflection Instructions (from 2011 session):
Final UnitProject Expectations
As a culminating project, we believe this Final Unit you create is the perfectvehicle to show what you know and to be an authentic assessment; we want you to actually use it in your library instruction. If you are uncertain about the collaborative component, feel free to improvise. If you are not currently in a library, pick an information literacy standard and a content standard you anticipate will require direct instruction in your role as a SLMS.
Your reflection will be due April 16th. The actual unit will be due April 30 th.Consider the following questions while planning this unit. We will assess yourunit by asking the same questions as we read through the unit so be sure to directly address each in your creation or through your final reflection.
Questions to Ask Yourself as You Plan the Final Unit The Written PlanIs the written plan clear, comprehensive, and submitted on time? (Student Name, Date,
School, Grade Level, Lesson Overview, Standardsat least one Information Literacy standardand one content standard)
Instructional GoalsWhat do you want students to know or be able to do?
How will students know what is expected of them? Did tten goals clear and stated clearly to
students?
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How will you review your goals at the closure of the lesson?
Lesson DeliveryHow will you pull students into the lesson?
Are the roles clear in terms of what you will do and what the content teacher will do?
How will you deliver the lesson?
How will you use teaching aids (blackboard, overhead, manipulatives) and resources located
in the LMC?
How will you provide for interaction between you and students and among students?
Are the strategies and activities chosen to meet a variety of learner needs and show a
consideration of learning styles, intelligences, brain-based best practices?
Informal/Formal AssessmentsHow will the tasks for students show their understanding of the concepts and meet
instructional objectives?
How are your tasks linked to the real world (authentic assessment)?
Have you considered differentiating process or product to meet a variety of needs?
Would a benchmark or exemplar help students?
Management of Class
How will you keep students on task throughout the lesson?Do you anticipate any challenges during lesson?
Self Assessment/ReflectionDid the students learn what I intended? How and when will I know?
Did I change the procedures as I taught the lesson?
How could I explain the concepts to students who didnt understand this first time?
If I had the opportunity to teach this lesson again, what would I do differently?Lesson Creation Questions adapted from Alison Fiskes Observation Checklist, Champlain College Template
Please use the Lesson Plan Template available on Blackboard under Course Content Lesson Six when creating the individual lessons that make up theunit. If you need to adapt the template in any way, please feel free. (Note: we will present the preferred format prior to the due date.)
In addition to turning in the individual lessons, you will write a UnitOverview,Culminating Assessment Description, and Reflection.Unit Overview: to include setting the context of the unit in terms ofaudience, grade level, and collaboration situation. Please include a GoalsElaboration Statementin this Overview (think of the Instructional DesignModel: needs assessment, learner analysis, instructional objectives).Culminating Assessment: how you plan to assess all students' grasp ofthe "enduring understanding" and why you chose the type of culminating paper/project.Reflection: formally reflect on your pedagogy. Please respond in writing
to:The Ten Pedagogical Dimensions of Interactive Learning by Thomas and PatriciaReeves
What is "The Art of Changing the Brain?"by James E. Zull
The format of the reflection does not need to be a formal essay. You may bullet the categories from the Reeves model and then paragraph the reactions to the Zull article. This is your vehicle to help us assess whether you met the instructional objectives created for this course.
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Students will be able to:Demonstrate an understanding of a process approach to information literacy by assessingand designing lessons that integrate the retrieval, evaluation, and use of information.
Demonstrate understanding of an inquiry approach to learning by responding to readingsand drafting a unit that embraces a thematic or problem-centered or product-centeredapproach.
Develop competencies in using various instructional strategies that involve cooperativelearning techniques, integration of technology, higher order thinking skills, and an
awareness of divergent learning styles.
Demonstrate the ability to select and evaluate appropriate learning resources by creating apathfinder of print, electronic/multimedia and community resources to accompany a unit ofstudy.
Demonstrate knowledge of related research and literature by interpreting andcommunicating their implications in discussions and presentations.
Display understanding of collaborative role library media specialists and teachers assume in instruction by discussing the topic and modeling cooperative planning for class assignments
reflecting all three levels of involvement.
Ten Pedagogical Dimensions of Interactive Learning by
Thomas and Patricia ReevesPedagogical PhilosophyInstructivist to Constructivist
The instructivist approach assigns the learner to the role of passive recipient of
instruction. At the other end, the constructivist approach focuses on the learner who
constructs knowledge based on previous knowledge and experience.
Goal OrientationSharply Focused to General.
The goals for any given educational experience can vary from a highly focusedone
such as learning a specific medical procedure to broader, higher ordered ones such as
motivation of employees. Different goals call for different tactics.
Task OrientationAcademic to Authentic.
Traditionally, instruction occurred via academic exercises that did not necessarily offer
any context or relevance for learners. A basic tenet of adult learning theory is that
context is highly important to them. An example of an academic exercise would be to
diagram sentences to learn proper sentence structure. In an authentic learning experience,
students would learn by doing more practical activities such as writing a resume.
Source of Motivation Extrinsic to Intrinsic.Motivation plays a role in all learning theories. Extrinsic motivation draws from
external sources to motivatesuch as working to receive a passing grade. It is easier to
offer extrinsic than intrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation depends heavily on
individual learners and what they value about taking from the educational experience.
Presenting a way for the learner to determine his or her own outcomes from the
instruction is one way to try to intrinsically motivate the learner.
Teacher Role - Didactic to Facilitative.The traditional didactic teacher role is that ofsage on the stage where the instructor is
the possessor of the knowledge to be imparted to the student. The facilitative role is one
of being the guide on the side. This approach puts the responsibility for learning with the
student; the teacher functions more as a mentor.
Metacognitive Support Unsupported to Integrated.
Metacognition refers to the learners awareness of objectives, ability to plan andevaluate learning strategies, and capacity to monitor progress and adjust his/her behaviors
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according to need. An integrated system would provide a means for students to reflect on
their progress, assess their needs, and adjust their learning processes.
Collaborative Learning StrategiesUnsupported to Integral.Instruction can be constructed to disregard or promote collaborative learning
opportunities. Using synchronous or asynchronous technologies in online courses to
allow students to work collaboratively in small groups is one example of integrating thisdimension into a learning experience.Adapted from Smith, Susan Sharpless. Web-based instruction: a Guide for Libraries. Chicago: American LibraryAssociation, 2006
What is The Art of Changing the Brain?by James E. ZullI had an interesting time picking a title for my book. A lot of clever things were possible,
like Using our heads, or Making a smart brain, but none of them seemed satisfying.
Actually, in the end it was my publisher, John VonKnorring, who suggested The Art ofChanging the Brain.
But even though John chose the title, I like it a lot. One reason is that it is just slightly
provocative. This translates into potentially interesting, and what could be better for a new author? True, it has gotten me into hot water once in a while, with people worrying
that I had written about mind-control, or brainwashing. But the positives outweigh the
negatives. What the title says is that learning is a physical change in the brain. This is one
thing neuroscience has shown us, and if it is true, then it must be that successful teachers
produce change in the learners brain. But generating that change is not a science; it is an
art. In other words, science may tell us what learning is, and what influences it, but to
apply this knowledge effectively is nothing if not an art!
What, then is this art?
The first part I would mention is the art of challenging the whole brain. Although the
human brain is immensely complicated, we have known for some time that it carries out
four basic functions: getting information (sensory cortex,) making meaning of information(back integrative cortex,) creating new ideas from these meanings,(front integrative
cortex,) and acting on those ideas (motor cortex.) From this I propose that there are four
pillars of human learning: gathering, analyzing, creating, and acting. This isnt new, butits match with the structure of the brain seems not to have been noticed in the past. So I
suggest that if we ask our students to do these four things, they will have a chance to use
their whole brain.
The next part of the art has to do with the foundation on which these pillars stand.
Biologically, it appears that our thinking brain evolved by building on parts that are now
know to be involved in emotion and feelings. This brings our body into the story, since
we feel with out bodies, and our brain is always influenced by how our body is feeling.
Are we feeling optimistic, frustrated, bored, satisfied, eager, or afraid? The fascinating
thing is that these feelings come from the brain itself and its perceptions as to what is
happening to us and how we like those things. The feelings then are both created and
perceived by the brain. They directly influence our behaviors and attitudes. For students
they determine whether or not they are motivated to learn.The biological basis for all this
is that the emotion centers of the brain are strongly connected to the thinking areas.
Emotion and thought are physically entangledimmensely so!This part of the art then, is that the teacher must find ways that the learning itself is
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intrinsically rewarding. That seems to mean two things: first, the learning itself must
evoke emotion, and second, it must be about things which naturally engage the learner.
For the process of learning, extrinsic motivators, such as grades or gold stars, are only
needed when these intrinsic conditions are not met. If the learner is given assignments
that connect with things which naturally interest her, and if she finds the learning itself
rewarding, if she makes progress, extrinsic rewards are not needed.The biological basis for these claims are described in the book. I will leave you to read
them for yourselves.
Another key part, perhaps the key part, of the Art is the art of helping students find
connections with their past beliefs and experiences. Knowledge grows as our neurons
make new connections, and as they increase or decrease the strength of existing networks
in the brain. Most teachers have learned about constructivism somewhere in their
training, but this physical view of constructing knowledge puts it in very concrete terms.
Information enters the brain through existing networks of neurons; there seems to be no
other way. So it is these existing networks, this prior knowledge, that is the substrate for
constructing new understanding. We learn by attaching the new to the old. This modifies
the old, sometimes beyond recognition, but we are always building on what has gonebefore. Sometimes these old networks are so powerful that they become a barrier to new
knowledge. Thus, we often carry childhood beliefs with us for a lifetime, even when we
know that they are technically incorrect.
The Art of working with these connections can be thought of as having two
components. The first component is the art of discovery of existing networks. This means
understanding the student. The better we understand how she thinks and the nature of her
prior experiences, the better insight we can have into how she can build on her existing
neuronal connections. These connections include all the factors I discussed above,
including the four pillars, and the networks that are responsible for emotions and feelings.
The second component is the skill of building on existing connections, even when they
seem wrong. The pedagogical idea here is one of building on what exists, rather than
trying to eliminate things that bother us. No dismissive comment by a teacher, or mark of
a red pen can suffice to eliminate existing neuronal networks in a student brain. The art is
the skill of finding the parts of existing networks that are right and helping the studentattach new things to them which generate more complete understanding. This approach
suggests that much of what we consider wrong is just incomplete. We can add to it if
we have the Art.But we dont have to trust to black magic in these challenges. Neuroscience has shown us
two key things that lead to change in networks of neurons. The first one of these is simply
practice. Neurons that fire a lot tend to form more connections and strengthen new
connections. This is nothing new, of course, but it is more subtle than just drill, drill, drill.
For example, neurons have the ability to just stop firing when the stimulus turns out to be
unimportant. This phenomenon is known as habituation, and it is the same thing that
happens when we stop hearing the cars that go by our window on a busy street. In fact, if
you live on such a street, you eventually may come to believe that it isnt very busy at all,
because you never hear the cars. So repeating isnt necessarily enough.
The other thing that helps neuron networks get stronger and become larger and more
complex is emotion. There are recent experiments which show that such changes in
networks can be generated simply by triggering neurons to dump emotion chemicals on
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the firing networks. These chemicals are things like adrenaline, serotonin, and dopamine,
and they are delivered to specific parts of the brain by specific neuron pathways. Thus,
the concomitant frequent firing and exposure to the chemicals of emotion lead to great
change in neuronal networks.
So the art of changing the brain comes down to some things that we have always
known. Practice and meaning are the most important parts of this art, but of course thestudent will not practice in a meaningful way unless she cares. Ultimately it is the learner
that is in control. The teacher can arrange the conditions and the challenges in ways that
engage the learner, but still we must have faith in learning itself.
But never fear. When our students find the right connections, they will learn. They wont be able to help themselves. It is just what the brain does. And having that faith in learning
is part of the Art.
http://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/zull.htm
http://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/zull.htmhttp://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/zull.htmhttp://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/zull.htm7/30/2019 Design Instr Sch Lbr Media Ctr - EDLI 274 DL1 - Course Syllabus
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Instructional Sequence
DESIGNING INSTRUCTION FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA CENTERS
CALENDAR OF ASSIGNMENTS
DATE/
MODULE
TOPICS READINGS ASSIGNMENTS
# 1 1/19/13
On campus, 11
am - 3 pm
Librarian as Teacher: Roles
and Perceptions
Introductions
Course overview
How we define
ourselves as teacher-
librarians Collaboration and
why it matters
Zmuda, pp. 1-43
librarians role
Thomas, pp. 1-32
historical overview
of librarians role
Learning to the
Second Power
Introduce
yourself
RAFT (role,
audience,
format, topic)
on librarians
role Response to
one classmates
RAFT
# 2 1/26/13
Blackboard
Learner Differences
Learning styles
Multiple
intelligences
Gender differences
Intro. to brain-based
teaching / learning
Thomas, pp. 77-90
context for
teaching and
learning
Medina, ch. 2, 3, 11
brain
development,
gender differences
Website: 100
Helpful Blogs for
School Librarians
(and Teachers)
Posting on
learner
differences
Response to
one classmates
posting
Begin resource
collection: brief
annotation on 3
favorite blogs
# 3 2/2/13
VIT, 9 am 12
noon
Brain-Based Teaching, Brain-
Friendly Practices
Research and
writings by Langer,
Sylwester, Wolfe,
Medina, Sprenger,
others
Implications forschool libraries
Medina website
(Brain Rules)
Sprenger, pp. 1-40
brain overview
test notes
summary of key
brain research
applicable to
your practice
Respond to
others postings
# 4 2/9/13
Blackboard
Looking at the Standards:
Common Core, AASL
Standards for the
21st
Century Learner,
crosswalk
Focus on reading and
Calkins, pp. 1-31
Common Core
overview
AASL Standards
History Lessons
Blend Content
Crosswalk/
connections
between
selected
sections of
standards
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writing
Supporting content
teachers in their
work with students
Knowledge, Literacy
Becoming a Core
Ninja
documents
I-Search paper,
part 1
# 5 2/16/13VIT, 9 am 12
noon
Standards = Objectives andTargets
The Research Process
Translating
standards into
measurable what
they must know
and what they must
be able to do
statements
Models for teaching
students how to do
research
Thomas, pp. 33-76 research models
Thomas, pp. 127-
182 research
instruction
Enduring
Understandings
Where Are They in
the Librarys
Curriculum?
Write objectives/ learning
targets for final
unit
Respond to
classmates
objectives
I-search paper,
part 2
# 6 2/23/13
Blackboard
Assessment
How will you know if
the students have
met the objectives?
Formative and
summative
assessments in a
variety of formats
Creating rubrics,
checklists, etc.
Using assessments toguide teaching
Zmuda, pp. 73-102
assessment
Thomas, pp. 91-126
diagnosing needs
Develop
assessment
plan, including
rubrics if
needed, for
final unit
Respond to one
classmates
assessment
plan
# 7 3/9/13
VIT, 9 am 12
noon
Lesson Planning: Activities
that Promote Thinking
Formulating good
questions
truthiness
Levels of thinking
(Blooms taxonomy,
for example)
Exploring and
evaluating lessonplans found online
Ritchhart, pp. 1-40
thinking theory
Truthiness article,
Seattle Times Oct.
2011
Explore lesson plan
websites
Write guiding
questions for
final unit
Evaluate a
chosen lesson
for its thinking
content
Respond to
others postings
on lessonevaluation
Resource
collection: add
& annotate a
treasure trove
of lessons
website
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Begin
Pathfinder for
final unit
# 8 3/16/13
Blackboard
Lesson Planning:
Differentiating to Meet
Diverse Learner Needs How do we ensure
that all students
have the opportunity
to meet the
standards?
Assessing students
needs
Ways to differentiate
through materials,
tasks, providing
choices
Sprenger, pp. 41-
126 meeting
learner needs Zmuda, pp. 47-72
meeting learner
needs
Finish
Pathfinder
Posting: howwill you
differentiate
within your final
unit?
Respond to
classmates
posting
# 9 3/23/13
Blackboard
Lesson Planning:
Constructivism, Inquiry,
Information Competency
and, ideally, doing these
things in collaborative units
Thomas, pp. 77-90
constructivism,
etc.
Thomas, pp. 127-
182 information
competency,
inquiry tasks
Outline one
lesson for your
final unit; lesson
should address
some aspect of
constructivism,
inquiry, or
information
competency
Respond to a
classmates
lesson plan# 10 3/30/13
VIT, 9 am 12
noon
Technology: Tools to
Promote Learning
Things that work
well
Finding the balance
between high-tech
and low-tech: when
does IT foster
learning, and when
does it distract?
Introduce inservice
presentation assignment
Sprenger, pp. 127-
150 finding the
balance
Find and
evaluate a
lesson plan that
incorporates
technology:
used well or
poorly?
Respond to a
classmates
posting
Add a techfavorite to the
resources
collection, with
brief
description of
how it
could/should be
7/30/2019 Design Instr Sch Lbr Media Ctr - EDLI 274 DL1 - Course Syllabus
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used to
promote
learning
# 11 4/6/13
Blackboard
Reading, Writing, and the
Common Core
Text complexity Informational texts
Factual writing
Implications for
collaboration (a
librarian with a great
collection should be
a classroom
teachers best
friend!)
Calkins, pp. 75-101
reading
informational texts Calkins, pp. 142-161
writing
information
The Common Core
State Standards and
Text Complexity
Common Core
Curriculum and
Complex Texts
Posting
addressing the
implications forcollaboration
Response to a
classmates
postings
# 12 4/13/13
VIT, 9 am 12
noon
Inservice Presentations
Students will make short
presentations on topics of
interest within the librarian-
as-teacher role
Posting great
ideas from the
presentations
Response to
classmates
postings
# 13 4/20/13
Blackboard
Classroom Management
Share the Wealth
Strategies that work
when we teach or
when we host a class
Promoting your
library and your
services
Ritchhart, pp. 217-
246 valuing
thinking
Complete final
unit
Reflection on
final unit
# 14 5/4/13
On campus, 11
am 3 pm
Celebrating Success
Sharing our final
collaborative units
What wed teach,
how, and why (show
and tell)