Do We Care Enough about What the Future Holds?

The truth is the world is rapidly changing and so

are the essential skills we need to keep up with it!

Technology

Information

Databases

Research

Critical thinkingGlobalawareness

communication

literacy collaboration

knowledge

Guided Inquiry

aesthetics

Sharing

References

connecting

Personal growth

internet

skills

What Do We Need to Know?• The essential skills for the 21st Century• The Standards for the 21st Century

Learner• How a dynamic media center help

students achieve those standards and gain those skills

• How teachers and librarians can work together to help students gain those skills

• What a media center that can accommodate the 21st century looks like

21st Century Skills

• 21st century content: – global awareness, financial, economic, business and

entrepreneurial literacy, civic literacy and health and wellness awareness

• Learning and thinking skills: – critical thinking and problem solving skills, communications

skills, creativity and innovation skills, collaboration skills, contextual learning skills and information and media literacy skills

• Information and communications technology literacy

» Partnership for 21st Century Skills

Standards for the 21st Century Learner

1. Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.

2. Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge.

3. Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society.

4. Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.• American Association of School Libraries

Plus…• The current NJ Core Curriculum

Content Standards are in the process of being revised to include 21st skills!

• So the future is just on the horizon!

What does the library have to do with all of this?

EVERYTHING!

A dynamic school library starts with a dynamic school media

specialist!• A Fully-Certified, Full-Time School Library

Media Specialist will:– Keep up to date on the latest standards,

research, and technology by being involved in professional organizations

– Provide professional development opportunities for the staff, like workshops or tutorials (see sample)

– Connect with the students, teachers, administrators, and parents through accessible technology, like a website or a blog, (view this sample blog)

A dynamic school library starts with a dynamic school media

specialist!• A Fully-Certified, Full-Time School

Library Media Specialist will:

– Ensure that the collection is up to date and fully supports the curriculum

– Keep in constant communication with the teachers to find out how he or she can help and collaborate

A dynamic school library starts with a dynamic school media

specialist!

• A Fully-Certified, Full-Time School Library Media Specialist will:

– Make sure that he or she keeps in constant contact with the administration

A dynamic school library has an excellent collection of

reading materials, multimedia and print resources

Making Use of it All!

• Guided Inquiry

• Project-Based Learning

• Resource-Based Learning

• Understanding by Design

Powerful Learning

• “Evidence shows that inquiry-based, collaborative approaches benefit students in learning important twenty-first-century skills, such as the ability to work in teams, solve complex problems, and apply knowledge from one lesson to others.” - Linda Darling-Hammond and Brigid Barron

Powerful Learning

• Inquiry-based instruction can help teachers deepen their repertoire for connecting with their peers and students in new and meaningful ways.- Linda Darling-Hammond and Brigid Barron

The Dynamic Media Center

Think About It…

• View the brief video made by Michigan Association for Media Education and The Library of Michigan

• Think about the various ideas I have presented and are summarized in the video

• Then fill out the worksheet

QuickTime™ and a decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

The Dynamic School Library As an administrator, you have the power to decide in what direction you would take the school library. The following questions may help you gain a better understanding of what type of programs you would like to see implemented in your school library, and how you would like to make your media center a purveyor of 21st Century Skills.

1. If you were to rate the following items in order of importance, how would you arrange them?

_____ student-centered learning environments _____ collaboration between teachers/librarians _____ reading advocacy (increased li teracy) _____ increased parent communication _____ higher standardized test-scores _____ technology integration _____ state standards

2. Think about what you rated as number 1 (most-important). Why did you choose that as your number one item of importance?

3. Now that you know what a dynamic media center looks li ke, what types of

decisions or ideas might you implement in your own school?

4. How would you express your ideas and develop a productive, professional

relationship with the media specialist?