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[CCBC-Net] OT--Reading environment
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From: LAURIE DRAUS <DRAUS>
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 14:00:25 -0500
Re: Penny's message on the preference for flexible scheduling.
Theoretically, this is true. I know it's the official word from the front office, the study findings of reseatch and development. But in the trenches, I have my doubts.
We have both fixed time and flex time, and I know if it were not on their schedule, there are some teachers and thus some classes I would rarely or never see, and some students who would have much less opportunity or inclination to read a book. If I were a student in such a class I would have been in misery waiting for some of my teachers to decide it was a great day to read, while the thought might almost never cross their minds, and as the shy child I was, I'd have probably resisted daring to come to the library alone before school or anything like that.
The teachers do come in with their students during their fixed time and help locate call numbers and advise good books as you suggest, and are also free to schedule other times when needed for projects or just because they'd like to come down and spend some extra time looking at books.
Flex schedule, when fully realized as imagined, is a lovely ideal, but if you have resistant staffs, kids can suffer from the "ideal" being held sacred in theory and unused in practice. When it comes to kids and books, quantity time can be as important as quality time.
I also think flex time brings with it the danger of a perception that libraries and library skills aren't as important as the other "real, scheduled" classes. Teachers do not just suddenly decide that they'd like to teach some math today, because it's a nice day for math, or make an appointment to go to the music room only when they'd like to prepare an authentic song to sing about the West to go with their history unit.
Things we take the time to install in our schedules, from school classes, to worship, to bowling league, to going to Grandma's for Sunday dinner, in school and in "real life" usually are things we consider important enough to demand time be set aside for, and I think that flex time, especially when it languishes unused, may send an unintended negative message.
Lauri Cahoon-Draus K-12 Library Media Specialist Suring School Libraries draus at suring.k12.wi.us
"It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts." Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.
>>> "Penny P Hayne" <PHayne at lex5.k12.sc.us> 10/11/05 1:00 PM >>>
As a library media specialist (school librarian), I caution you before you recommend a "fixed time to visit the library" as one of our profession's "top ten" factors for a reading environment. We school librarians have struggled for years to get out of this exact thing - a fixed time period which really is nothing more than a babysitting period for the teachers. We much prefer a flexible schedule -when kids can visit the library when they need to, not just at 1:15 on a Tuesday afternoon - when teachers can visit the library with their classes, staying to assist with readers advisory and research - when kids and teachers can visit the library just because it's a great day to read. A flexible schedule is considered "best practice" for us and while I appreciate your warm, nostalgic memories of those "fixed times to visit the library," please know that we have at least ten reasons why it's not the best path to learning and student achievement. Thanks for listening! Penny
Penny Hayne Library Media Specialist National Board Certified Teacher 2002 Lake Murray Elementary School School District Five of Lexington and
Richland Counties 1531 Three Dog Road Chapin, SC 29036
(803) 732-8151
(803) 732-8157 (fax)
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Tue 11 Oct 2005 02:00:25 PM CDT
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2005 14:00:25 -0500
Re: Penny's message on the preference for flexible scheduling.
Theoretically, this is true. I know it's the official word from the front office, the study findings of reseatch and development. But in the trenches, I have my doubts.
We have both fixed time and flex time, and I know if it were not on their schedule, there are some teachers and thus some classes I would rarely or never see, and some students who would have much less opportunity or inclination to read a book. If I were a student in such a class I would have been in misery waiting for some of my teachers to decide it was a great day to read, while the thought might almost never cross their minds, and as the shy child I was, I'd have probably resisted daring to come to the library alone before school or anything like that.
The teachers do come in with their students during their fixed time and help locate call numbers and advise good books as you suggest, and are also free to schedule other times when needed for projects or just because they'd like to come down and spend some extra time looking at books.
Flex schedule, when fully realized as imagined, is a lovely ideal, but if you have resistant staffs, kids can suffer from the "ideal" being held sacred in theory and unused in practice. When it comes to kids and books, quantity time can be as important as quality time.
I also think flex time brings with it the danger of a perception that libraries and library skills aren't as important as the other "real, scheduled" classes. Teachers do not just suddenly decide that they'd like to teach some math today, because it's a nice day for math, or make an appointment to go to the music room only when they'd like to prepare an authentic song to sing about the West to go with their history unit.
Things we take the time to install in our schedules, from school classes, to worship, to bowling league, to going to Grandma's for Sunday dinner, in school and in "real life" usually are things we consider important enough to demand time be set aside for, and I think that flex time, especially when it languishes unused, may send an unintended negative message.
Lauri Cahoon-Draus K-12 Library Media Specialist Suring School Libraries draus at suring.k12.wi.us
"It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts." Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.
>>> "Penny P Hayne" <PHayne at lex5.k12.sc.us> 10/11/05 1:00 PM >>>
As a library media specialist (school librarian), I caution you before you recommend a "fixed time to visit the library" as one of our profession's "top ten" factors for a reading environment. We school librarians have struggled for years to get out of this exact thing - a fixed time period which really is nothing more than a babysitting period for the teachers. We much prefer a flexible schedule -when kids can visit the library when they need to, not just at 1:15 on a Tuesday afternoon - when teachers can visit the library with their classes, staying to assist with readers advisory and research - when kids and teachers can visit the library just because it's a great day to read. A flexible schedule is considered "best practice" for us and while I appreciate your warm, nostalgic memories of those "fixed times to visit the library," please know that we have at least ten reasons why it's not the best path to learning and student achievement. Thanks for listening! Penny
Penny Hayne Library Media Specialist National Board Certified Teacher 2002 Lake Murray Elementary School School District Five of Lexington and
Richland Counties 1531 Three Dog Road Chapin, SC 29036
(803) 732-8151
(803) 732-8157 (fax)
_______________________________________________ CCBC-Net mailing list CCBC-Net at ccbc.education.wisc.edu Visit this link to read archives or to unsubscribe... http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/mailman/listinfo/ccbc-net
Received on Tue 11 Oct 2005 02:00:25 PM CDT
