Instructional+Partner

Collaboration and Leadership [|grade collab sheet.doc] [|Collaborative Planning Document EMcC.doc] [|radio ad menu.doc]

Instructional Partner My job is split by my role as a teacher librarian, but also as a TAG teacher and a technology first-responder (my own term, thank you). As a TAG teacher I am asked to spend half a day each semester with each set of grade level teachers to assist them with differentiation in the classroom. I try to use that time to find a way to insert technology or inquiry into whatever unit we are working on. I especially focus on providing technology opportunities for all groups of they are grouping by readiness since the least skilled group is often forgotten in that area--technology should not just be a treat or as enrichment.

One of my best collaboration opportunities is with other specialists in the building; this relationship was established before I took the position. The art teacher and music teacher work to develop a theme/props/whole nine yards for the intermediate grades show in the spring. As part of this the show opens with iMovies playing that were created by our 6th graders. In art class they are taught how to do cell animation and photograph each cell. We take the cells into iMovie to create an animation by sequencing, timing, repeating cells, etc. They make each animation a Quicktime movie so that I can put them all together into one movie (I think one of my tech helpers will do this task this year). Even though our teaching schedules make it difficult to teach this together, it has opened up further collaboration. The art teacher and I are going to work on teaching 4th graders how to write and illustrate a book. We also take our scheduled time with students at the end of the year to make paper airplanes and race them--it gives us something to do together when the library is already closed for circulation and her projects are completed.

I look forward to pressing inquiry more with my 6th grade teachers. They are willing, and we will find the time. The other wiki connected to this one (feedthewolf.wikispaces.com) is a collaboration for a group of high readers in 6th grade. That will also get better as the year goes--we have only put 1 book to the test with it.