Open AccessLibrarians and Teachers as Research Partners: Reshaping Practices Based on Assessment and Reflection
Author(s) -
Violet H. Harada
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
school libraries worldwide
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2816-3788
pISSN - 1023-9391
DOI - 10.29173/slw6963
Subject(s) - scholarship , transformative learning , sociology , faculty development , professional development , pedagogy , school library , empowerment , medical education , library science , political science , medicine , computer science , law
As critical partners in shaping quality learning experiences, school library media specialists have a major stake in examining their teaching practices through the lens of actual student behaviors. Empowerment results when they collaborate with fellow teachers in implementing strategics, reflecting on the results, and sharing them with the professional community. This article focuses on the transformative nature of practitioner research. It describes a multi-year project to identify key components of effective teaching in collaborative elementary school classroom-library settings, and to translate this knowledge into practitioner-facilitated professional development alternatives. A summary of this article was presented at the International Research Symposium sponsored by the Center for International Scholarship in School Libraries, Rutgers University, convened in New York, April 28-29, 2005. The Symposium was funded by a grant from the US Institute of Museum and Library Services.