Literacy Action Plan
Note: This Literacy Action Plan is a working document. The information presented addresses my current and past experiences working in an elementary school library.
Note: This Literacy Action Plan is a working document. The information presented addresses my current and past experiences working in an elementary school library.
What is Literacy?
Literacy is more than reading and writing. It is the ability to have the necessary skills to understand and communicate ideas in a variety of ways, think critically and to develop an understanding of the subject matter. Thus, the essential role of a teacher-librarian is to provide engaging lessons for students to become critical-literate and information-literate learners. Critical literacy is the ability to read texts in an active, reflective manner in order to better understand power, inequality, and injustice in human relationships (Coffey). With the 21st century being called "the Information Age", teacher-librarians must demonstrate how to locate, retrieve and analyze accurate online information.
Following the Daily 5/Cafe program, it is imperative that students read and write everyday. This is why I feel reading for pleasure is one of the most important things to do. [Students] who cannot understand each other cannot exchange ideas, cannot communicate. The simplest way to make sure we raise literate children is to teach them to read, and to show them that reading is a pleasurable activity (Gaiman, 2013).
There is also a shift from print to digital literacy. Some educators are afraid with the ever-changing digital landscape. Therefore, the teacher-librarian must be at the forefront of delivering specific instructional goals and outcomes to teaching students which websites are suitable for learning.
How does the School Library Become the Centre for Literacy?
I firmly believe that the school library is the central hub of the learning community. Teachers, students and parents are welcome to take part in a variety of literacy-based activities. With the shift towards 21st century learning skills, problem-based learning and inquiry projects, a school library must be transformed into a Library Learning Commons (LLC). The pre-existing school library's space, both physical and virtual, must morph into an everlasting changing learning atmosphere. Students must be free to self explore, share and communicate (research) topics that interest them. A new area I would like to focus on is Makerspacers to endorse the different learning habits. I will use The Daring Librarian, Gwyneth Jones, as an example to implement a starter station for the library. Therefore, space and access are the key to success.
Equally important is the role of the teacher-librarian. He/she must be instrumental at promoting literacy throughout the entire school community. To accomplish this, the teacher-librarian must be knowledgeable in a variety of print and non-print resources. The teacher-librarian's role is to collaborate with their colleagues to integrate literacy and technology skills; thus make learning meaningful.
To accomplish a successful, year-round library program, it is essential that a teacher-librarian has the qualifications to promote such activities. A continuance with professional development (e.g. literacy-based, inquiry, technology) must be sought after.
Goals/Initiatives for Literacy and Literature Promotion
Personal Goals:
1) Teacher-librarian as a School Leader
As a early-career teacher, I was informed that a school must have three leaders - 1) Principal, 2) Learning/Resource Teacher, 3) Teacher-librarian. The teacher-librarian is seen as the expert in literacy and currently, technology. Promote literacy activities especially in digital citizenship.
2) Professional Development
Participate in a variety of library, technology and literacy-based professional development workshops. SD 73's coordinators offer a variety of such workshops. Share and communicate with staff the big ideas taught either during staff meetings or during impromptu conversations.
3) Emphasize "TEACHER"-librarian.
A focus must be emphasized for teaching - a teacher-librarian must actively promote the school library by offering enriching and collaborative activities for teachers and students. Plan and collaborate with teachers on curricular units. Inquiry projects and problem-based learning activities promote the heavy need of the school library. Work with at least 1 primary and 1 intermediate teacher during each term. Use the SD73's Library Information Literacy Continuum to help build units during the collaborative process.
4) Flexible Schedule
A flexible schedule allows for a teacher-librarian to work with the entire school throughout the year. Avoid having a fixed schedule with intermediate classrooms. However, I do feel it is important to have a fixed schedule with the early primary classes. This will allow me to build student confidence and the necessary skills needed to navigate successfully throughout the library.
5) Promote Reading - Every Day
Following the Daily 5 strategy of "Read to Self", students will partake in daily independent reading to build stamina and a love of reading. During this time, students will be encouraged to make their own book selection. During the initial library orientation in September, students will be taught the "I-pick" strategy. This will be reinforced by the classroom teacher. Also, to promote a love of reading, students need to see their teachers as well as the administrator reading during a specific time of day. As such, teachers will share what they are reading. Posters called, Teachers Love to Read, will be displayed throughout the school. See backline master here.
6) Initiate Lunchtime Programs
Apply to the district's innovative grants. Here, the goal is to provide suitable materials for 'makerspace' activities.
7) Curriculum Mapping (of library resources to determine age, relevance, current, etc.)
Weeding is a continuous process to ensure the library resources are kept up-to-date.
8) Advocate to school's Parent Advisory Council (PAC) for Support
To foster a positive learning atmosphere, staff must work together with their PAC for additional funding. With Reading and Writing part of the school's improvement plan, the library can be a focal point. I will showcase the importance of the school library and why resources (print, non-print and tech. equipment) must be current.
Library Initiatives:
1) Canadian School Library Month (October)
Celebrate and advocate for the importance of school libraries. Weekly lunch-hour activities to support the school library.
2) Scholastic Book Fair
A school library fundraiser to support/encourage reading.
3) Drop Everything and Read - October 26, 2015
Showcase the importance of reading. Enrol school in the province-wide challenge by reading for 20 minutes. Activities throughout the day regarding literacy-based themes are encouraged (creating bookmarks, book trailers, dress up as your favourite book character, etc.)
4) Celebrate Reading Week/Unplug and Play
Unplug and Play Literacy week coincides with National Family Literacy Day on January 27th of each year. The teacher-librarian will issue pamphlets for each student to reflect on the amount of time family members are "plugged in" to electronic devices. It is goal that families will "unplug" a bit more and use time to enjoy reading and playing together.
5) Freedom to Read Week
Celebrate the freedom to read. Distribute posters around school and encourage students to "sign-out" a mystery book. Banned books from the school library will be wrapped with only key terms on the outside to entice student curiosity.
6) Love Your School Library Day
Distribute posters throughout the school and/or community. State in school newsletter that February 14th is Love Your School Library Day. Challenge classrooms to donate a book to the school library or to the Bright Red Book Bus program.
7) Battle of the Books (for Grades 3-7)
The Battle of the Books is a reading motivation program. The goals of the program are to encourage and to recognize students who enjoy reading and to broaden reading interests.
8) Hour of Code
Lunch-hour program for students interested in learning how to code.
9) Young Author's Conference (for Grades 4-12)
Participating students are able to work with professional authors and writers.
10) Reading Around the World
Classes participates with other classrooms in literacy activities via video-conferencing.
11) TD Canadian Children Book Week
Celebrate children's books and the importance of reading. To coincide with Children Book Week, SD73 school libraries has the opportunity to participate with a Canadian author visit.
12) Red Cedar Book Award (for Grades 4-7)
Encourage teachers and students to participate in the 6-month long program by reading selected Canadian novels. Once complete, students are able to evaluate which book is best.
13) Mother Goose Program
The school library will advocate to participate in community services such as the Mother Goose Program. By partnering with Kamloops Early Language and Literacy Initiative (KELLI), the Mother Goose program is for parents/grandparents and their babies and young children to experience singing favourite rhymes or songs together.
14) Come Read with Me
A two-hour session for parents of Grade 1 students. A community literacy expert reinforces the home and school connection by providing parents with simple, positive strategies they can use to support their child with home-reading.
15) One-to-One Reading
By collaborating with the school's Learning and Resource Teacher (LART) and the District's Literacy coordinator, a call-out will be initiated for parents to volunteer and help struggling readers from Grades 1-6. The collaborative team will work together to train the volunteers in reading strategies.
Plans to Address Goals
Because school libraries are the central hub of learning, it only seems fitting that the teacher-librarian be apart of the school improvement plan. The teacher-librarian can ensure that the library goals align with the school's. Currently, my school's improvement plan revolves around reading and writing. Last year, I made a successful pitch to my administrator for an increase in funding and the school's PAC also followed. This year, PAC has agreed to participate in a three-year plan to provide the library with additional funds to help purchase newer resources which will support the new curriculum. My administrator also purchased 12 new Chromebooks to begin our fleet of mobile devices. My experience in the library is about advocacy. I also shared what the did with my administrator. I provided her with infographics of how my year went. I also provided areas of the library that needed improvement.
There are two obstacles that I have faced in the past: 1) a decrease in library time, and 2) budget cuts. I have taken upon myself to write community, district and provincial grants to help improve my school's library. Hopefully, administrators will see the importance of libraries, certified teacher-librarians and collaborations once the new curriculum becomes fully implemented.
Relevance to Essential Question
It is important for teacher-librarians to have a literacy action plan for a school year. In recognizing my goals, I feel that my literacy plan fosters the key points outlined in my essential questions. Though I feel I am on the right track, I know that a developed plan must be fluid - changes will be constant to suit the needs of the learning community. My personal goal is to continue to learn about new literacy strategies to support a variety of learning needs. Whether it be Daily 5 or Reading Power, I must be aware of strategies that engages both primary and intermediate students.
Literacy is more than reading and writing. It is the ability to have the necessary skills to understand and communicate ideas in a variety of ways, think critically and to develop an understanding of the subject matter. Thus, the essential role of a teacher-librarian is to provide engaging lessons for students to become critical-literate and information-literate learners. Critical literacy is the ability to read texts in an active, reflective manner in order to better understand power, inequality, and injustice in human relationships (Coffey). With the 21st century being called "the Information Age", teacher-librarians must demonstrate how to locate, retrieve and analyze accurate online information.
Following the Daily 5/Cafe program, it is imperative that students read and write everyday. This is why I feel reading for pleasure is one of the most important things to do. [Students] who cannot understand each other cannot exchange ideas, cannot communicate. The simplest way to make sure we raise literate children is to teach them to read, and to show them that reading is a pleasurable activity (Gaiman, 2013).
There is also a shift from print to digital literacy. Some educators are afraid with the ever-changing digital landscape. Therefore, the teacher-librarian must be at the forefront of delivering specific instructional goals and outcomes to teaching students which websites are suitable for learning.
How does the School Library Become the Centre for Literacy?
I firmly believe that the school library is the central hub of the learning community. Teachers, students and parents are welcome to take part in a variety of literacy-based activities. With the shift towards 21st century learning skills, problem-based learning and inquiry projects, a school library must be transformed into a Library Learning Commons (LLC). The pre-existing school library's space, both physical and virtual, must morph into an everlasting changing learning atmosphere. Students must be free to self explore, share and communicate (research) topics that interest them. A new area I would like to focus on is Makerspacers to endorse the different learning habits. I will use The Daring Librarian, Gwyneth Jones, as an example to implement a starter station for the library. Therefore, space and access are the key to success.
Equally important is the role of the teacher-librarian. He/she must be instrumental at promoting literacy throughout the entire school community. To accomplish this, the teacher-librarian must be knowledgeable in a variety of print and non-print resources. The teacher-librarian's role is to collaborate with their colleagues to integrate literacy and technology skills; thus make learning meaningful.
To accomplish a successful, year-round library program, it is essential that a teacher-librarian has the qualifications to promote such activities. A continuance with professional development (e.g. literacy-based, inquiry, technology) must be sought after.
Goals/Initiatives for Literacy and Literature Promotion
Personal Goals:
1) Teacher-librarian as a School Leader
As a early-career teacher, I was informed that a school must have three leaders - 1) Principal, 2) Learning/Resource Teacher, 3) Teacher-librarian. The teacher-librarian is seen as the expert in literacy and currently, technology. Promote literacy activities especially in digital citizenship.
2) Professional Development
Participate in a variety of library, technology and literacy-based professional development workshops. SD 73's coordinators offer a variety of such workshops. Share and communicate with staff the big ideas taught either during staff meetings or during impromptu conversations.
3) Emphasize "TEACHER"-librarian.
A focus must be emphasized for teaching - a teacher-librarian must actively promote the school library by offering enriching and collaborative activities for teachers and students. Plan and collaborate with teachers on curricular units. Inquiry projects and problem-based learning activities promote the heavy need of the school library. Work with at least 1 primary and 1 intermediate teacher during each term. Use the SD73's Library Information Literacy Continuum to help build units during the collaborative process.
4) Flexible Schedule
A flexible schedule allows for a teacher-librarian to work with the entire school throughout the year. Avoid having a fixed schedule with intermediate classrooms. However, I do feel it is important to have a fixed schedule with the early primary classes. This will allow me to build student confidence and the necessary skills needed to navigate successfully throughout the library.
5) Promote Reading - Every Day
Following the Daily 5 strategy of "Read to Self", students will partake in daily independent reading to build stamina and a love of reading. During this time, students will be encouraged to make their own book selection. During the initial library orientation in September, students will be taught the "I-pick" strategy. This will be reinforced by the classroom teacher. Also, to promote a love of reading, students need to see their teachers as well as the administrator reading during a specific time of day. As such, teachers will share what they are reading. Posters called, Teachers Love to Read, will be displayed throughout the school. See backline master here.
6) Initiate Lunchtime Programs
Apply to the district's innovative grants. Here, the goal is to provide suitable materials for 'makerspace' activities.
7) Curriculum Mapping (of library resources to determine age, relevance, current, etc.)
Weeding is a continuous process to ensure the library resources are kept up-to-date.
8) Advocate to school's Parent Advisory Council (PAC) for Support
To foster a positive learning atmosphere, staff must work together with their PAC for additional funding. With Reading and Writing part of the school's improvement plan, the library can be a focal point. I will showcase the importance of the school library and why resources (print, non-print and tech. equipment) must be current.
Library Initiatives:
1) Canadian School Library Month (October)
Celebrate and advocate for the importance of school libraries. Weekly lunch-hour activities to support the school library.
2) Scholastic Book Fair
A school library fundraiser to support/encourage reading.
3) Drop Everything and Read - October 26, 2015
Showcase the importance of reading. Enrol school in the province-wide challenge by reading for 20 minutes. Activities throughout the day regarding literacy-based themes are encouraged (creating bookmarks, book trailers, dress up as your favourite book character, etc.)
4) Celebrate Reading Week/Unplug and Play
Unplug and Play Literacy week coincides with National Family Literacy Day on January 27th of each year. The teacher-librarian will issue pamphlets for each student to reflect on the amount of time family members are "plugged in" to electronic devices. It is goal that families will "unplug" a bit more and use time to enjoy reading and playing together.
5) Freedom to Read Week
Celebrate the freedom to read. Distribute posters around school and encourage students to "sign-out" a mystery book. Banned books from the school library will be wrapped with only key terms on the outside to entice student curiosity.
6) Love Your School Library Day
Distribute posters throughout the school and/or community. State in school newsletter that February 14th is Love Your School Library Day. Challenge classrooms to donate a book to the school library or to the Bright Red Book Bus program.
7) Battle of the Books (for Grades 3-7)
The Battle of the Books is a reading motivation program. The goals of the program are to encourage and to recognize students who enjoy reading and to broaden reading interests.
8) Hour of Code
Lunch-hour program for students interested in learning how to code.
9) Young Author's Conference (for Grades 4-12)
Participating students are able to work with professional authors and writers.
10) Reading Around the World
Classes participates with other classrooms in literacy activities via video-conferencing.
11) TD Canadian Children Book Week
Celebrate children's books and the importance of reading. To coincide with Children Book Week, SD73 school libraries has the opportunity to participate with a Canadian author visit.
12) Red Cedar Book Award (for Grades 4-7)
Encourage teachers and students to participate in the 6-month long program by reading selected Canadian novels. Once complete, students are able to evaluate which book is best.
13) Mother Goose Program
The school library will advocate to participate in community services such as the Mother Goose Program. By partnering with Kamloops Early Language and Literacy Initiative (KELLI), the Mother Goose program is for parents/grandparents and their babies and young children to experience singing favourite rhymes or songs together.
14) Come Read with Me
A two-hour session for parents of Grade 1 students. A community literacy expert reinforces the home and school connection by providing parents with simple, positive strategies they can use to support their child with home-reading.
15) One-to-One Reading
By collaborating with the school's Learning and Resource Teacher (LART) and the District's Literacy coordinator, a call-out will be initiated for parents to volunteer and help struggling readers from Grades 1-6. The collaborative team will work together to train the volunteers in reading strategies.
Plans to Address Goals
Because school libraries are the central hub of learning, it only seems fitting that the teacher-librarian be apart of the school improvement plan. The teacher-librarian can ensure that the library goals align with the school's. Currently, my school's improvement plan revolves around reading and writing. Last year, I made a successful pitch to my administrator for an increase in funding and the school's PAC also followed. This year, PAC has agreed to participate in a three-year plan to provide the library with additional funds to help purchase newer resources which will support the new curriculum. My administrator also purchased 12 new Chromebooks to begin our fleet of mobile devices. My experience in the library is about advocacy. I also shared what the did with my administrator. I provided her with infographics of how my year went. I also provided areas of the library that needed improvement.
There are two obstacles that I have faced in the past: 1) a decrease in library time, and 2) budget cuts. I have taken upon myself to write community, district and provincial grants to help improve my school's library. Hopefully, administrators will see the importance of libraries, certified teacher-librarians and collaborations once the new curriculum becomes fully implemented.
Relevance to Essential Question
- The school library must be known as the central learning hub for the entire school community. What steps must a newly trained teacher-librarian accomplish to "reel in" his/her colleagues to actively participate in age-appropriate library activities for their students?
- Many colleagues I have spoken with are either discouraged or afraid of the "big changes" coming its way to B.C. education. With full implementation of the new B.C. ed curriculum beginning next year, how can a teacher-librarian support teachers (and students) transition from using the prescribed learning outcomes to thinking about core competencies and big ideas.
It is important for teacher-librarians to have a literacy action plan for a school year. In recognizing my goals, I feel that my literacy plan fosters the key points outlined in my essential questions. Though I feel I am on the right track, I know that a developed plan must be fluid - changes will be constant to suit the needs of the learning community. My personal goal is to continue to learn about new literacy strategies to support a variety of learning needs. Whether it be Daily 5 or Reading Power, I must be aware of strategies that engages both primary and intermediate students.
References
Coffey, H. (n.d.) Critical literacy. Retrieved from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4437
Ekdahl, M. and S. Zubke, eds. (2014). From School Library to Library Learning Commons: A Pro·Active Model of Educational Change (Reviewing document). Retrieved from http://bctf.ca/bctla/pub/documents/2014/SL2LLC_ReviewingCopy.pdf
Gaiman, N. (2013, October 15). Why our future depends on libraries, reading an daydreaming. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming?CMP=twt_gu
Coffey, H. (n.d.) Critical literacy. Retrieved from http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/4437
Ekdahl, M. and S. Zubke, eds. (2014). From School Library to Library Learning Commons: A Pro·Active Model of Educational Change (Reviewing document). Retrieved from http://bctf.ca/bctla/pub/documents/2014/SL2LLC_ReviewingCopy.pdf
Gaiman, N. (2013, October 15). Why our future depends on libraries, reading an daydreaming. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming?CMP=twt_gu