Mini-Case+Study+Discussion+Page

**A.1.4 Case Study Discussion Page**
Colleen Ashley Rebecca

Mini Case Study Draft


 * From Rationale: **
 * Testimonials as well as quotes from Module I readings and resources. The summary shows thoughtful analysis gives examples of the benefits of classroom-library collaboration to all of these: students, teachers, school librarians, and administrators. **


 * The partners analyze the testimonials and relate them to their own ideas AND questions about the practice of classroom-library collaboration. They indicate the reflective aspects of their paper by highlighting them. **


 * Use your wiki to discuss and cite ideas and information from Module I readings. **
 * Use your wiki to collaboratively complete the benefits category matrix (including ideas **
 * and quotes from the testimonials and from the readings). **
 * Use your wiki to collaboratively complete the 2-page paper on benefits plus bibliography. **
 * Remember to cite your s ources. To cite keywords and phrases from the testimonials, put the **
 * speaker’s name in parentheses after her quote. (Fri) **

Ashley and Rebecca, we need to put our thoughts about the testimonials, readings, etc. here. Then we will use these thoughts and questions to guide our draft.

**Teacher tube thoughts/ques**
These teacher tube videos seemed like advertisements for how great collaboration is! All of the teachers and principals were so enthusiastic. I would love to have someone like that to work with! I agree. I think their little advertisement for collaboration was wonderful and extremely informative of how they utilize and how they use collaboration to the benefit of the students and teachers. I especially liked what the administrator had to say about the librarian and her crucial role on the campus!

Yes, I would love to meet a principal that valued TLs this much! I have yet to meet one that thinks this highly of the librarian role!

Well, it's nice to know that collaboration //works//. We know that it should work in theory, but in practice it is extremely difficult. It's hard to find the time, it's hard to get out of your comfort zone, it's hard to find someone who is receptive to it. Well, this is just the extra push that many need to go ahead and push through. These are videos with __real__ teachers/principals/librarians saying, "Yes, this is worth the effort!" It's so much more encouraging to watch someone say it than read about it.

=
Collaboration allows teachers get more done! Working together we can accomplish more than we can alone! The key is to come to planning with an idea in mind of what you want to work on. If the teacher librarian doesn't come prepared, collaboration will be more difficult than it needs to be. (thinking about what else I want to put) ===== ==== Administration likes TL to lead informal staff development. I wonder what types of staff development admin expects TL to do? Tech stuff. Collaboration seminars. Showcasing different databases or Student oriented websites. Not to mention anything they've learned recently from their library conferences. That's all i've got right now. ==== I think it is important to be prepared, but I think when collaborating it is also important to know and understand the individuals you are working with. So many times teams get together and have all of these great ideas and instead of communicating effectively and working with the groups strengths and weaknesses, they find themselves waisting time and not uses their resources. With collaboration, comes trust and building trust with others in the collaborative group. Strong collaborators usually listen more than they speak and they work smarter not harder. There has been a lot of discussion on the board about the importance of building relationships. Ashley, I think this is pertinent to what you were saying. Because we will make better use of our time if we actually know the people we're working with. So we won't be encouraging others to take tasks that they hate (and won't do), and we can encourage our colleagues to utilize their strengths to get the job done efficiently and quickly.

==== I was just looking over the Moreillon book again and noticed that she quotes Haycock as saying that "principals value both formal and informal staff development." She then says TLs should use the informal meetings as an "entree" to real curriculum collaborations. I like this idea of using a small introduction to resources as a way to open doors to working with teachers. One of my biggest concerns is working with people who may not think they need my help! ==== ==== Moreillon also has a great chart that reiterates the points made in the teacher tube videos. Co-teaching allows for "more individualized attention, better lessons," more resources and materials and a chance to go further with inquiry. ==== Morreillon definitely hit the nail on the head when addressing how much individualized attention increases with co-teaching. In reflecting on the collaboration I am doing with the staff I work with, I need to more effectively co-teach and guide teachers into the mind-set of "co-teaching" and not just signing-up for me to come to the classroom and watch me teach their class while they grade papers. I want to work with teachers and help them with lessons, but some teachers don't quite understand what I mean by co-teaching. Maybe I should do a mini inservice on what co-teaching should look like, and how it benefits not only the teachers but the learners as well. This is a really good application.

**Discussion board thoughts/ques**
**I've also noticed a general theme throughout the discussion board that if you start with one (albeit small) group and make great strides with them, they will talk you up to other teachers who may have been hesitant about working with you before. Excitement is contagious. Others are going to want in on the progress you're making as a team.** The discussion board provided some interesting ideas and views of collaboration and what it should like in the school setting. I think one of my favorite things that someone mentioned was have the library being a welcoming place. I have added a jar of chocolate to the library in hopes that it will increase traffic and strike-up conversations with some teachers I might not see as often. I am happy to report that it has worked and I have had valuable curriculum connections over chocolate! :) Maybe chocolate is what you needed to get the teachers in there, but once they know what they're in to they'll be back long after the chocolate is gone!
 * The discussion board made me think about different types of collaborators and how some people are much easier to work with than others. It is important to think about this when planning. A reading from last semester emphasized that to start working with people who NEED and WANT help at first. First year teachers and people who've changed curriculum units are usually more in need of someone to plan with. **


 * I think we just need to take these ideas and the matrix and we have enough to write our paper! :) **
 * I agree! I think we have plenty here to write the paper as well. I love that we have added valuable and pertinent information concerning collaboration. **