How to Design a Flexible Schedule for an Elementary School Library Media Center
The move toward more flexibly scheduled elementary school library media center times -- where access is based on need rather than because it is "library time" -- has resulted in greater opportunities for authentic learning. Flexible media center schedules, considered the best practice by the American Association of School Librarians, help students develop information literacy skills that can benefit them throughout their lives. As an example, a study by the Illinois School Library Media Association found a 10 percent increase in reading and 11 percent increase in writing-test performance among fifth-graders in schools with more flexibly scheduled media centers.
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Things You'll Need
- Familiarity with grade-level curriculum
- Calendar
- Support staff
- Student log
- Assessment tool(s)
Instructions
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Define what flexible scheduling means for your school based on school size, support staff, student needs and union specifications. Flexibility may mean that students can visit the library throughout the day or during specific blocks of time, independently or as an entire class. It may mean freer visits for older children but more structured visits for lower grades; this type of mixed schedule allows children to enjoy story times as well as having time to work independently on an "as needed" basis.
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Meet with the principal. Getting the support of the principal is key to a successful library program. Present educational standards for media literacy and research findings that support flexible scheduling. For helpful information, visit the Library Research Service website at lrs.org and type in "flexible library media center" in the search box in upper right corner of home page.
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Recruit a planning team and keep information flowing before, during and after implementation. If a core group of stakeholders is invested in the project, enthusiasm is more likely to spread throughout the school, and change will be met with less resistance. Let administrators, teachers, staff, parents and students know how a flexible schedule will work. Communicate the rationale, goals, schedule and time line for implementation. Tout the benefits of flexible scheduling to further specific educational goals.
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Set up regular grade-level meetings to reinforce collaboration. Media specialists, classroom teachers and technology teachers can work together to create quality lessons and projects that integrate information literacy goals with core curriculum for increased learning.
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Make a tentative schedule for the semester or year. Plan around available instructional assistants and volunteers. Do not forget lunch breaks.
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Arrange library space. Ensure adequate room for whole-class instruction, small-group instruction and independent use.
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Provide activities to accommodate whole-class instruction as well as individual, pair and group exploration. For example, buddy reading, book talks, scavenger hunts (print and online) and self-guided library tours help students develop information skills and enjoy library resources when not working on specific classroom assignments.
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Maintain a log of student visits. Keep track of skills practiced and activities in which students participated.
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Assess the success of the schedule at intervals via questionnaires about what worked and what could be improved. Be sure to share successes with teachers and principals. Monitor how students are doing, and follow up on the success of student assignments upon completion.
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Modify the schedule as needed. Realize that implementing a flexible library media schedule that works best for your school will most likely be a gradual process.
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Tips & Warnings
Make sure to spend adequate time planning authentic assignments. The better the planning, the more successful the collaborative program.
Union requirements may restrict your flexibility since traditional library media center schedules are often used to provide mandated teacher preparation time.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Portrait of a styled children. Theme: education.. image by Andrey Kiselev from Fotolia.com
