Welcome to Designing Instruction for School Library Media Specialists

FINAL UNITS PAGE - 2011

February 19th VIT Session

Click here for Bubblr assignments and a place to post...

   March 12th VIT Session 

 March 26th VIT Session

 April 9th VIT Session 

April 30th VIT Session  

May 7, 2011 -- On Campus 

Hello Everyone,

I am really sorry that I am not with you today.  Pat offered a helicopter, but I am afraid it would have to be a sea plane to really be of help.  J.   It would have been great to see all of your presentations.  Good Luck with them.

Pat asked me to write a bit about what I was going to present today – so here it is. 

My unit focused on the research process itself and my lessons focused on the skills that students need to do a research project.  I began by creating a skills list to help me determine what to teach when.  I “fancied” it up and had copies for each of you.  I was hoping that it would be helpful for those of you working in Elementary schools.  I tried to break the skills down into steps and slowly build up to what I would expect a 6^th grader to be capable of.  It is, like all such lists, a work in progress.  Something I can see myself updating periodically.  I will be using it with teachers both to get their input and to keep them informed about what I am teaching.

The topics we, the 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th, grade teacher and I, have chosen vary by grade.  The fourth graders have chosen a Vermonter; the fifth graders have chosen an explorer.  The 6^th graders will research their capstone (more about this later) topic.  I have taught my first two weeks of the project and once again am in awe of the differences in students skills. I was going to bring in samples of their work and am sorry you can’t see them.  They have begun their note taking and the note pads I designed are working well. It has cut down on plagiarizing and is helping them sort through what they want to know. 

The capstone project is something the 6^th graders are doing in preparation for their graduation ceremony.  Each student has chosen their topic and must do the report as well as a presentation.  They are being asked to connect their topic to each subject area with a presentation of some sort.  This was our principal’s idea and I at first was wondering about how it would go.  There have already been, however, some great out comes.  The students could choose any staff member for their mentor.  The mentors have needed to and been talking– some great conversations about abilities and expectations.  I have been asked by staff member to give them quick lessons on power point and other programs to help with the presentations.  I am delighted that we are stepping outside our “territories” and working together. 

I was then going to end my presentation by going back to my bubblr and looking at the last slide.  This feeling of success is what we need – both for ourselves and for our students.  Real learning – Real success, Isn’t that what we are all aiming for????

Thanks for all your help through this course.  I have really enjoyed working with you and seeing the work you have done. 

Sincerely,

Sally

Resources:

• Spring 2009 Final Units
• Resource Binder - LiveBinders and Delicious Instructions
• Information Literacy Lessons 
• Common Core Resources
• AASL Best Practices for Teaching and Learning