The Whole School Library Learning Commons: An Educator's Guide

by Judith Anne Sykes, David V. Loertscher (Foreword by)

Overview

Introduce your teachers, librarians, and administrators to the roles and responsibilities of educators in advocating a whole school library learning commons using this step-by-step guide for creating shared learning space in your school.

It is no surprise that technology has shifted the way we educate—bearing on how, what, and where we learn. This guide lays the framework for helping turban your school library into a whole school library learning commons (WSLLC)—a space where traditional academics merge with the latest technologies to engage learners in a way never before realized.

Author Judith Anne Sykes contends that since the WSLLC philosophy allows staff and students to co-create knowledge in a shared space, it is more effective than the traditional approach. Sykes addresses the differences between a school library and a WSLLC, provides reasons to champion its creation in your institution, and discusses how to use mentoring as a means to sustain its survival. The book explores the roles and responsibilities of educators in developing WSLLC goals and presents strategies for using typical assessment tools—including standardized tests, report cards, and anecdotal assessments—to help support its philosophy.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781440844201
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	08/29/2016
Series:	Non-Series
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.38(d)

About the Author

Judith Anne Sykes is an educational consultant as well as an advocate for the whole school library learning commons. She formerly served as a teacher librarian, district school library specialist, principal, and school library services manager for the Ministry of Education in Alberta, Canada.

Table of Contents

Foreword David V. Loertscher ix

Preface xi

Acknowledgments xv

Introduction xvii

Part I Mentoring the WSLLC

Chapter 1 Mentoring for Implementation and Sustainability 3

Chapter 2 Selected Mentoring Resources with Strategies 15

Chapter 3 Mentoring Case Studies 31

Part II Accountability for Learning and WSLLC

Chapter 4 Authentic Accountability, Standards, and Policies 45

Chapter 5 Selected Accountability Resources with Strategies 59

Part III Reading and Research on WSLLC

Chapter 6 School Library to Learning Commons Literature and Research 77

Chapter 7 Selected Learning Commons Literature and Research with Strategies 89

Part IV Community and WSLLC

Chapter 8 Engaging Community 109

Chapter 9 Selected Resources with Strategies for Community Engagement 121

Bibliography 135

Index 145

Editorial Reviews

Sykes' book offers a unique approach to the learning-commons concept.” —Booklist Online

“Sykes's book serves as a guide for school personnel to implement and sustain the WSLLC effectively. . . . This title will be useful for administrators, librarians, and teachers familiar with WSLLC, seeking to expand their knowledge for implementation.” —VOYA

From the Publisher

02/01/2017
This thorough guide offers strategies and resources for developing a vision and implementing a plan for a whole school library learning commons approach. Sykes, herself a former teacher, librarian, and school administrator, as well as a project coordinator for the Canadian Library Association, relies heavily on the work of researcher David Loertscher, who also wrote the foreword. Indeed, Loertscher acknowledges that the book is not for beginners. Rather, it demands familiarity with the concept of a learning commons and functions as more of a planning guide than an introduction to the topic. According to Sykes, creating a school library learning commons involves more than just modifying a physical space; it means adopting a pedagogical strategy across the entire school to build a collaborative, participatory culture of learning. The volume is framed by four concepts: mentoring, accountability, research, and community. The author explains the importance and applications of each idea in turn, then offers suggested resources and activities to reflect on current learning models and involve all members of the school community. Sykes outlines the role of all stakeholders, from teachers to administrators, and there is a clear emphasis on the critical position of the teacher librarian. VERDICT This resource will be most effective for readers who are already familiar with the concept of a school library learning commons and are interested in how to assess, adopt, or adapt the approach.—Lauren Strohecker, McKinley Elementary School, Elkins Park, PA

School Library Journal