Instructional+Collaboration

I am available to collaborate with you on three levels. Soon, I will have online forms you can fill out to request collaboration. For now, you can email me at hirshk@gcs.k12.nc.us with your name, your school, the level of collaboration you'd like, and your lesson/unit topic.


 * Level One: Coordination**
 * The teacher requests time for students to use the library, requests that the librarian gather materials to support content-area instruction, delivers content-area instruction, escorts students to the library, and evaluates the final student product.
 * The librarian ensures that there is time in the library schedule for the class to visit and provides materials to support content-area instruction.

Most language arts teachers currently collaborate with me on this level weekly or bi-weekly. This level of collaboration is available to ALL teachers - at BSMS use the Zimbra calendar or Hawley use the Media Center wiki page to schedule your time. If you are having trouble using either of those methods, email Ms. Hawley, our library assistant, at hawleyjd@gcs.k12.nc.us or me at hirshk@gcs.k12.nc.us. We will let you know if there is a problem with the schedule. If you would like us to pull materials for you or build an online pathfinder to help students find print and digital resources (see examples here and here), please email us with information about your unit/assignment.


 * Level Two: Cooperation**
 * The teacher plans the unit, delivers content-area instruction, asks the librarian to perform some bibliographic instruction, and evaluates the final student product.
 * The librarian plans and delivers bibliographic instruction and evaluates the library skills elements of student work.

Bibliographic instruction might include teaching students how to use the library catalog, how to locate library materials, how to use online databases, how to find and evaluate information on the internet, how to conduct research methodically, how to cite sources, or how to construct a bibliography. This area of instruction is wide in scope. I will work with you to determine what level of instruction your students need.


 * Level Three: Integrated Instruction**
 * The teacher meets with the librarian to discuss goals for the unit, collaborates with the librarian to determine the best ways to incorporate library instruction into unit, and delivers content-area instruction.
 * The librarian assists the teacher in clarifying unit goals, collaborates with the teacher to determine the best ways to incorporate library instruction into unit, delivers library instruction, and collaborates with the teacher to evaluate the final student product.

This is the ideal level of collaboration. It will require multiple in-person meetings to plan. This kind of instruction is my passion.