Visiting with Authors, Virtually

By Susan VanDeWater, Librarian, Wieland Elementary, Pflugerville ISD

This school year has been full of new experiences, and buzzwords like "unprecedented” and “pivot.” Buzzwords I’m happy to never hear again. But it’s a year that has pushed me out of my comfort zone.

Hosting an author visit in a normal year can be daunting. But in a year full of restrictions and new rules? Yikes. Technology fails frighten me, and the thought of Zoom not working in the middle of a school-wide event makes my stomach turn.

But my desire to bring something fun and engaging to my students outweighed my fear. My principal often tells me that things don’t have to be perfect. Everything is a learning experience, including Zoom fails!

A local, independent book store, BookPeople, works with area schools to organize dynamic author visits. I was able to take part in two this year--one pre-recorded and one live. They were amazing. And easy!

First up was Kwame Mbalia, author of the recently-announced 2021-22 Bluebonnet, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky. I hosted a live visit with him via Zoom Webinar. (I was able to use the District’s Zoom Webinar account. Check with your district to see if that’s an option.) I hadn’t run a webinar before so I recruited a few of my fellow librarians to help me test it out. My campus IT Support guru joined in and we worked through various scenarios--promoting people to co-hosts or panelists, sharing my screen, spotlighting speakers. It helped me get a feel for the application and gave me greater confidence.

On campus students joined as a group from their classrooms; virtual students used the same link as classrooms to join from home. I chose the Webinar option because it allowed greater control of the crowd. No one was on camera unless I promoted them to panelist.

Students listened to Kwame and then had an opportunity to submit questions through the Q&A. I monitored the questions and fed them to Kwame. My principal and our library coordinator helped me monitor questions, too. That was helpful since it meant I could listen to Kwame while the kids continued to submit questions.

At the end of the visit, I promoted everyone to panelist and invited them to turn on their video. This gave students a chance to wave to Kwame and allowed him to see everyone at once. The students and teachers loved it!



The second visit I hosted was pre-recorded. There was definitely less stress associated with that event, but of course it wasn’t as interactive. This time I was able to bring Mac Barnett to campus. This was a dream come true for me. My students fell in love with him after I introduced them to Triangle.

His timeline for a live visit didn’t work with our schedule, so a pre-recorded visit was the best option. Students submitted questions, which I sent to Mac (via BookPeople). A month later, we received two videos -- a generic video where Mac discussed his newest book, talked about the writing process, and showed us his original Gameboy. The second video was Mac reading and answering our questions.

I showed the video in two groups. All of the questions came from students in 2nd-5th, so I set up a regular zoom meeting with those grades. We watched both videos together.

Kindergarten and 1st grade watched only the generic video, which was still fun and engaging, and perfect for their attention spans.



Both author visits were free through BookPeople; I merely had to sell a certain number of books. I’m at a Title 1 school, so I didn’t meet the sales minimum either time. I ended up buying several copies and donating them to classroom libraries. It was less expensive than bringing any author to visit, though.

The feedback I received from students and teachers was so positive. The kids were especially pumped about the live visit but also loved Mac’s hilarious videos.

Hosting a virtual visit was so much easier than I thought it would be. I just needed a little push and some support. I really can’t wait to do it again!

Examining the Impact of School Librarians

by Rebekah Friedman, Communications Manager, College of Information and Communications, The University of South Carolina, and Dr. Lucy Santos Green, Professor of Information Science, University of South Carolina

Ask Lucy Santos Green to explain Guided Inquiry Design and she’ll tell you about rollercoaster engineers and toy cars. Three years ago, Green — now a full professor in the School of Information Science at the University of South Carolina— co-taught a unit on force and motion to a class of teachers-in-training. Instead of assigning textbook chapters or drawing diagrams on the board, she brought in a rollercoaster engineer. The students made models with toy cars and tracks. And they even created videos to illustrate what they’d learned. “They were able to come out of that unit with a strong understanding of what force and motion are and how those concepts are used by an engineer when designing a rollercoaster,” Green says. GID units like these — inquiry-based collaborations between school librarians and classroom teachers — have gained momentum in K-12 education. But what type of time and support do teachers need? And how critical are librarians to their success? The Institute of Museum and Library Services awarded Green a $376,000 grant to explore these questions. Her findings could boost support for librarians to work side-by-side with classroom teachers and potentially prevent school librarian jobs from being cut.

 What is Guided Inquiry Design?

The GID model brings together librarians, teachers and even local professionals to design and implement educational units as a team. The inclusion of outside experts underscores how concepts like force and motion can translate into day-to-day life. “More than ever, our students need to understand that what they’re doing in the classroom has real-world application,” Green says. Students review a broad range of information sources on the topic to formulate research questions that pique their interest, a technique intended to promote a better understanding of the subject matter. That doesn’t mean they can skip over the hard parts. GID-trained educators provide enough structure throughout the unit to keep participants on track, and they set rigorous criteria for the final projects. Participants come away more engaged and better prepared to think critically beyond the classroom. “It’s not just about delivering content to your students and having them regurgitate it like a computer,” Green says. “It’s about helping them navigate the information landscape and come to strong conclusions.”

 Proving the Value of Librarians

From bolstering research skills to promoting digital literacy, the scope of what modern librarians do has seen a rapid expansion since the rise of the internet. Yet between 2009 and 2016, about 15 percent of the nation’s full-time school librarian positions were eliminated, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Previous studies have suggested that school librarians have a powerful impact on student success rates, but Green hopes hers — which will span up to 6,000 students over three years — will be exhaustive enough to prove it.

“The existing data isn’t always used by systems when evaluating their librarians and allocating resources,” she says. “We need to continue collecting hard data to advocate for our profession.”

Research team members are GID co-creator Leslie Maniotes, associate professor Melissa Johnston from the University of West Georgia and assistant professor Ismahan Arslan-Ari from South Carolina’s College of Education.

 Teachers from 60 schools comprising a diverse range of ages, geographical areas and socioeconomic classes will independently teach units in a traditional way for the study’s control data. Then, a GID-trained librarian and classroom teacher will lead the same unit to a different group within the same school. Both groups will be scored on their mastery of the content. Green will also observe instruction and gather feedback. Once completed, the study’s data will be made publicly accessible, fueling additional research for years to come.

 Kristin Fontichiaro, a clinical associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, says the school library community is buzzing with excitement about the questions the project may answer. “Dr. Green’s research is poised to fill a critical gap in our understanding of how our aspirations — for students to engage in deep and thoughtful research — play out in the real-world constraints of school libraries,” Fontichiaro says. “Her analysis will help reveal how skilled librarians navigate the inquiry learning process with students, where they struggle, and where there are opportunity gaps. These insights will help library educators better target instruction for aspiring librarians and open new avenues for future research and inquiry for the profession.”

 An Incredible Opportunity for Texas School Librarians

 The EQuIP (Educational Quality through Instructional Partnerships) Research Team is recruiting thirty outstanding school librarians from the States of New Jersey, South Carolina, Wisconsin, and Texas, who would like to be a part of this groundbreaking project. If you are a fulltime K-12 public school librarian and you are interested in helping measure the school librarian’s impact on student learning, then join the EQuIP project! School librarians who are chosen to participate will receive a scholarship to complete the fully online 2022 GID summer institute taught by none other than Dr. Leslie Maniotes, GID co-designer and teacher trainer. You will also receive a stipend, and financial support to attend TxLA at the end of the grant project, along with additional opportunities to present with the research team. The best part is that all participation activities are already part of your daily school library practice!

 To secure your place follow the steps below:

      Watch this brief, 4-minute introduction video explaining EQuIP’s research goals, expectations, and why it’s a great opportunity for you and your students.

2.     Email Dr. Green at lgreen2@mailbox.sc.edu to express your interest. You’ll receive instructions on how to obtain permission from your school system and school administrator to participate.

3.      Build your school team and submit signed letters of agreement.

The EQuIP Website includes detailed information to help you become familiar with the project, and advocate with your administration. You can also access the How to Participate page for quick videos that explain the study, how to select your school team, and answer other frequently asked questions. Join the EQuIP team today and help measure the impact of school library and classroom instructional partnerships on K-12 student learning. More than ever, it is vital that we not only make sweeping declarations about the school library being the heart of the school, but that we take time to investigate our own practice to see the specific decisions we’re making that most benefit our students and are most worthy of our time! Commitment applications must be finalized by April 26, 2021.

Suggestions for ISTE Certified Educator Success

 

In December 2019, I began the process of earning educator certification from International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).  I was looking for a way to improve my technology skills to enhance my classes. I pinpointed ISTE professional development and applied for a grant. I was excited when I went to the Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) headquarters for the two-day face to face training. I took the class with a variety of educators from all over the state of Texas. Then there were participants from Puerto Rico too. The interesting part of the training is that it is not just for classroom teachers. There were administrators, higher education instructors, technology teachers, and district personnel in the group.

The two-day training is not the only certification requirement. The training prepares educators for an interactive online class consisting of modules, materials, and assignments for each ISSTE Educator standard. A roadmap, a standard pamphlet, templates, and a handbook are provided. These materials prepare participants for the course and the documentation needed for certification. If participants work through the course and promptly complete assignments, they can get feedback on their work. Ultimately, some of these materials can become part of the portfolio.

After the online class is finished, candidates move to the next stage. This stage is the portfolio creation step. Although I thought I had researched the process, I underestimated the commitment that I would need to make progress. When I took the face-to-face training, I was confident that I would have more artifacts done by the end of the online class. I was not close to being done.

Therefore, I recommend that candidates take the time extension if they need it. Initially, I did not want to take an extension. The extension felt like a badge of shame. But I had an important deadline to meet. Candidates should not feel ashamed if they need the extension. I was not judged.  In fact, early on in the process, participants receive messages telling them how to apply for the extension.  I tried to avoid needing to extend, but in the end, I took it, and it relieved some of the pressure.

With this said, here are some tips for completing the portfolio. My first tip is to make friends with the people in your cohort. Exchange contact information during the two-day class. Then classmates can check each other’s work.

Next, use research skills to find tips from other people that have finished the certification process. Candidates can search for materials that have been submitted by previous ISTE certified educators. They often detail their experiences on blogs.  I was inspired by the blogs that I read. But, be careful. The requirements have changed, and documents are configured differently now.

Another tip is to think about some of the materials that already exist that can be adapted. Candidates may need to teach a lesson again and change it to incorporate the standards. Reenvision what has been done through a reflective scope to finish quicker.

After the training portion of the process, it is easy for one to believe that they know how to create each standard example. When the portfolio submission site is accessible, candidates will see examples of submissions for each standard. The models are based on the subject taught and the position of the candidate. It is best to review the examples so that one can conceptualize how to create artifacts.

Candidates need plenty of feedback. There will be meetings to enable interaction with other participants and ISTE facilitators. During the meetings, participants can share an artifact and ask a specific question about it. Also, sessions will cover each standard. In conjunction with posting portfolio samples to the discussion board, these meetings can be beneficial for receiving feedback.

Review the examples in the ISTE site early because they can be quite detailed. It took me a considerable amount of time to plan activities for each standard. Then the portfolio requires participants to put the examples in a format that is easy for the reviewers to read. There must be a short narrative based on the standards’ content to explain how materials fit the criteria. I also had to edit several videos or identify specific time frames in the videos to make my examples concise for reviewers.  

At the end of the process, participants will need to summarize what they have learned in a written narrative or a video. I found it easier to create the video. I recommend reviewing the summary requirements in advance and taking notes during the portfolio development.

In all, I feel like the ISTE Certified Educator process has helped me to be more mindful of my teaching and leadership practices for technology integration. Creating the portfolio forced me to spotlight my strengths and weaknesses in a way that demanded action and documentation of the steps that I took. While I passed, I will admit that I missed some standards. These are the areas that I have made it a priority to fix. If you want an honest critique of how you are utilizing technology to facilitate your school community's learning, I highly recommend that you complete the ISTE Certified Educator training.