1. Flexible Library Scheduling in the Elementary School It’s all about student learning.

2. What is Flexible Scheduling? "a scheduling arrangement that allows for variation in library use, rather than having each class scheduled into the library for a regular, fixed period“

3. Shannon (1996): “The library media specialist and the teacher plan together for instruction or use of resources based on student learning needs in each curriculum unit and schedule on that basis. The schedule is arranged on an ad hoc basis and varies constantly.” Everything that the teacher librarian is qualified to teach, and is interested in having the students learn, is inextricably tied to the classroom curriculum. What is Flexible Scheduling?

4. Flexible Scheduling Allows teachers to bring their classes to the library at the time of greatest need for instructional purposes. Flexible Access Allows students to visit the library at their point of need. What is Flexible Scheduling?

6. inquiry-basedlearning is more meaningful

8. Teacher Librarians are trained as: Teachers Information specialists – skilled at sourcing and selecting resources; Skilled at search techniques, evaluating websites, using information. Why Flexible Scheduling?

9. Why Flexible Scheduling? "In1998 Haycock . . . discovered that more than three times as many curriculum units were carried out by teacher-librarians and more than twice as much collaborative planning occurred in schools with mixed or flexibly scheduled libraries than in schools with fixed schedules."

10. Why Flexible Scheduling? Information Power Standards: “The library media program fosters individual and collaborative inquiry”

11. Why Flexible Scheduling? "Schools must adopt the educational philosophy that the library media program is fully integrated into the educational program. This integration strengthens the teaching/learning process so that students can develop the vital skills necessary to locate, analyze, evaluate, interpret, and communicate information and ideas."

12. Why Flexible Scheduling? "The integrated library media program philosophy requires that an open schedule must be maintained. Classes cannot be scheduled in the library media center to provide teacher release or preparation time. Students and teachers must be able to come to the center throughout the day to use information sources, to read for pleasure, and to meet and work with other students and teachers.”

13. “If you’re going to teach anything in the Information Age shouldn’t it be how to find, evaluate, and use online information critically?” Alan November

14. 21st Century learning/PYP: 1. Creativity and Innovation (risk-takers) 2. Communication and Collaboration (communicators, open-minded, balanced) 3. Research and Information Fluency (inquirers, knowledgeable) 4.. Critical Thinking, Problem-solving, and Decision-making (reflective, caring, thinkers) 5. Digital Citizenship (principled) 6. Technology Operations and Concepts

16. Flexible access to the library media center throughout the day

17. Team planning

18. Principal expectations for collaboration

19. A commitment to resource-based learningWhat does it take to implement?

21. Wrote a comprehensive Information and Technology Literacy curriculum.

22. Got administrative supportWhat does it take to implement?

24. Losing “library time”

25. Control of Schedule: from online to paper

26. Equitable accessGive it time! Two years after implementation, it was a very successful program. What does it take to implement?

28. Students are in the habit of coming to the library as soon as they need new reading materials. Many come more than once a week.

30. Students learn inquiry skills systematically.

32. Grade-level teams meet at least once per thematic unit with tech teachers and the librarian.

33. Classes are scheduled in the library and tech lab as needed. What does a successful flex program look like for teachers?

35. Classroom teachers, librarians, and tech teachers are all responsible for the Information and Technology Literacy curriculum.

36. Classroom teachers often team teach with the tech teachers and librarian.What does a successful flex program look like for teachers?

38. requiring and attending planning meetings

40. Busy and varied days

41. Time with students focused on learning, not on management

42. Accommodating several classes at once

43. Length of time with students varies

45. Flexible Library schedule: Classes sign up for a 20 minute book exchange per week/ could be a reading period. Teacher accompanies students. Teacher librarian works with grade level teachers, team teaching, supporting units of inquiry, reinforcing information literacy skills.

46. Planning: Teachers, PYP coordinator, TIFs and TL look at learning experiences, engagements for the following unit, and discuss where information skills will come into play. TL and TIFs will attend max 2 planning sessions per UOI. Plan times through the unit where TL will join classroom teacher to teach information literacy skills.

47. Essential Skills: Questioning Brainstorming Recognizing an information need Finding key words Evaluating information Note-making Searching different media Using the WWW Ethical use of information Citations Sharing information - collaboration

48. Research: There is significant research proving that a well-resourced school library, with a qualified TL, makes a difference to students learning. In our situation, I believe that with our resources, and the fact that we do have qualified library staff, it does not make sense to not utilize fully either the resources or the skills of the library staff. Our library does not need to be purely a repository for books and other resources – it can be the heart of all learning in our school – and will be so when the new learning hub comes into being, but only if the philosophy is in place.