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LEARNINGPrinciples and Standards

Librarians as Learning Specialists

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Learning Principles?

• What are principles anyway?

Sorry—that’s a PRINCIPAL!!!

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Define Principle, then?

• principle, n. 3. a. A fundamental truth or proposition on

which others depend; a general statement or tenet forming the (or a) basis of a system of belief, etc.; a primary assumption forming the basis of a chain of reasoning.

4. a. A general law or rule adopted or professed as a guide to action; a settled ground or basis of conduct or practice; a fundamental motive or reason for action, esp. one consciously recognized and followed.  Often partly coinciding with sense 3a.

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What does that mean in practice?

• We need to be aware of the principles that guide our teaching– Teachers’ assumptions regarding why and how

students learn and what makes effective instruction ultimately determine what takes place in classrooms. Therefore, it is critical for the faculty of a school to articulate together the educational principles that will guide their practice.•

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What are standards, though??

• standard, n.9. a. The authorized exemplar of a unit of measure or

weight; e.g. a measuring rod of unit length; a vessel of unit capacity, or a mass of metal of unit weight, preserved in the custody of public officers as a permanent evidence of the legally prescribed magnitude of the unit.  original standard: the standard of which the others are copies, and to which the ultimate appeal must be made.

10. a. (Originally fig. from 9.) An authoritative or recognized exemplar of correctness, perfection, or some definite degree of any quality.

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How about learning standards?

• What are Learning Standards?– Learning standards are written statements of

what students should know and be able to do as a result of their education at every grade level. They are also called “Content Standards.” Learning standards describe what teachers are supposed to teach and what students are supposed to learn.

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Link between learning principles and learning standards?

• Standards for the 21st-Century Learner (AASL, 2007)– Download the Standards. – What are the learning principles behind

these 4 Standards?– Are they the same as the nine

“Common Beliefs” outlined in the document?

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Librarians as Learning Specialists

• Are librarians learning specialists?

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What is a learning specialist?

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A non-librarian solution

• – The focus of this position is to help core subject teachers

utilize web 2.0 technologies in the classroom, to create a global and collaborative approach to learning. The design of authentic and engaging international projects which incorporate social networking, blogs, wikis, and podcasts, and whatever comes next, is paramount to the success of this position. The 21st Century Literacy Specialist works in collaboration with the Media Specialist and Technology and Learning Coordinator to ensure a seamless transition between traditional and digital literacy skills.

• 21st Century Literacy Specialist Job DescriptionInternational School Bangkok 21st Century Literacy wiki

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Meet the 21st century literacy specialist!

• Kim Cofino– I see this role as a bridge between

the library and technology, and therefore, a key aspect of this position, which makes it different than a traditional technology facilitation position, is the strength of collaboration between all three teams

• Defining the Role of a 21st Century Literacy Specialist• Ms. Cofino is now Technology and Learning Coach at

Yokohama International School. See her current blog

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Another term

• 21st Century Learning Specialist (21stCLS)– The  21stCLS models and helps (in planned and

unplanned moments) all stakeholders involved understand how learning is changing and the way technology is changing society. He/She is making her own learning transparent in order to teach. He/She creates, maintains and facilitates a learning environment for independent-self directed learners.

• Moving On... 21st Century Learning by Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano

• Read Tolisano’s blog at http://www.langwitches.org/blog

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Comment to 21stCLS

• Posted by: Jackie Pierson – find it rather interesting that someone feels the need to create

a new educational professional for the 21st century! All the specialists you refer to in your article ALREADY EXIST and serve students of the 21st century!

You state "Her/his primary goal is helping others become self directed learners." That is EXACTLY the role of the "traditional" school library media specialist! School librarians have ALWAYS been the first professionals in a school to utilize the newest technologies and to teach the process of finding and evaluating information. They promote collaboration between classroom teachers and the technology facilitator.

• Comment to Moving On... 21st Century Learning

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So, are librarians learning specialists?

• Certainly!– . . . library media specialists as learning specialists are

uniquely situated to collaborate in [helping individual students improve learning] through their development and dissemination of resources, curriculum leadership, and participation in professional learning communities. They also possess valuable skills in designing and analyzing instructional activities and assessments tasks, modeling of processes and “best practices,” and coaching of improved staff and student performance.• Reframing the Library Media Specialist as a Learning

Specialist by Allison Zmuda and Violet H. Harada. School Library Media Activities Monthly/Volume XXIV, Number 8/April 2008

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LEARNING