NEASC+Questions

The school provides a comprehensive program of intellectual, aesthetic, and physical activities that stems from the school's beliefs about teaching and learning, is appropriate to support its missions and core values, and is consistent with the needs of range of students admitted.
 * Standard 4**

__What are the department's beliefs about how students learn?__ The philosophy is that students learn most effectively on a need-to-know basis, not as a separate skills set taught in isolation from a research project that requires information literacy skills for success.
 * Discussion questions:**

Children learn best through inquiry. We have them consider what they already know, think about projects from previous years and then have them build on those skills. In the Lower School we are fortunate to have the time to teach research skills (information fluency) in the context of classroom projects, while in a safe environment where it's OK to make mistakes

Point of need is the most effective information literacy skills teaching approach. Middle School students have difficulty transferring these skills from one project to the next. Thinking broadly, drilling down for best information and formulating a search strategy, Middle School students also need to have opportunities to practice these skills and find a common understanding for terms such as databases, e-books, website, search engine, web evaluation and library database, information seeking strategy, consistently citing sources etc. The foundation for this is laid in the 6th grade with the introduction to skill sets through anchor projects such as Animal Research and direct class instruction with the specific goal of introducing good practices for information seeking strategies and crediting the sources of that information. These skills are reinforced subsequently at the 7th and 8th grade with curriculum related, inquiry based research projects, developed through collaboration with content area teachers. Various instructional approaches are used to introducing and practice the use of these skills while addressing the differentiated learning needs of the students. It cannot be a one size fits all approach so the instruction includes an oral component, visual reference through the visual searches and resource lists and individual reference support for students who might find the non linear approach to information and data gathering challenging.

__How do these beliefs impact how teachers teach and develop the academic program?__

In the Upper School, teaching of information skills takes place in a collaborative setting, with classroom teacher and librarian planning and presenting skills at the time when they will be most usefully learned, and reinforced as need arises. We've found the best approach is miminal or no instruction initially, with students trying for themselves and then being better prepared to learn a new, and more successful, approach.

The implementation of LibGuides has helped with both the collaboration process between teacher and librarian in research in the Upper School, and with the Librarian's ability to communicate instruction of the research process directly to students. Teachers can suggest content to these project-related guides and have them quickly posted to the LibGuide. Students can easily access LibGuides and see the teacher's and Librarian's suggested research strategies and resources.

Over the years, I feel like I have learned that we can't assume kids know and understand the research process. As a result, we break it down step-by-step and give them multiple opportunities to use the skills and think about and discuss the //process// of research.

Keeping in mind the significant developmental differences between 6th and 8th graders helping students through the research process is important. Developing an essential question or thesis statement to guide the research helps pull all of the information together for them in a meaningful way. Developing guiding questions helps them focus their research and evaluate where they are in need of more information. Pathfinders (LibGuides), visual searches and resource lists are compiled with input from the teachers and the librarian to help students get to the best possible information. Use of Noodletools has greatly improved the research process in Middle School and Upper School.

__How is the department curriculum adapted to meet the needs of students__ Start with lots of guidance move to a bit less and toward independence in the research process.

In the Lower School Library we help meet the needs of individual students by working with individuals who are struggling to find information about their topic. We help the classroom teachers review the students notes and guide students who need more information about a topic. We help the classroom teacher find more advanced topics for students who need an extra challenge. We also do a lot of group projects in the Lower School Library. For these projects we frequently try to mix children up so that sometimes we have children working with others who have different skills than they do and other times we put kids in groups with similar skills together to give them the experience of working with both.

When it comes to helping children choose books for independent reading we always choose a wide range of reading levels and interest levels to book talk to children. We also discuss individual students with classroom teachers to help guide students as they check books out.

As mentioned in the answer above, we try to differentiate among learning styles and address them during direct instructional periods as well as individualizing instruction as needed in each class. We encourage independent reading and make an effort to purchase books of high interest with a broad spectrum of reading levels.

__How is the department curriculum analyzed to assure continuity?__

The Department Head is the Middle School Librarian, and due to the fact that the Middle & Upper Schools share a Library, she sees the Upper School's projects in action and provides reference service to Upper School students throughout the school day. She works closely with the Lower School Librarian to provide Grade 5 to 6 transition continuity.

Scope and Sequence, monthly meetings, annual retreats.

__How do you assure a smooth transition from grade to grade for students in you subject area?__

Each Librarian is responsible for a set of grades' information literacy curriculum (Nursery-2; 3-5; 6-8; 9-12), so there is an in-depth knowledge of each age group's information literacy needs and experience within those grades. The Lower School Librarian assures that the curriculum progresses effectively throughout the Lower School years, and she works with the Middle School Librarian to create a smooth transition to Middle School. (see above, as well)

At the end of each year in the Lower School we talk about what library will be like in the upcoming year. This is especially important when children move from 2nd to 3rd grades (using a new space, spending more time learning how to use the library). Another major transition is between 3rd and 4th grades when children begin to primarily come to the library to work on classroom research projects. Last year one of the 5th grade classes visited the middle school space to see both where it is located and meet the librarians. I'd love to do that again this year with all 3 classes.

The middle school analysis of projects as they align with goals and skill sets is done annually and systematically in cooperation with Lower and Upper School programs. Repeat many of skill sets in 9th grade as are taught in the Wheeler 8th grade. Understand developmental needs of students at each level (see previous about differentiated learning)

Given the school's mission, there are adequate resources (space, equipment, materials, and community) to support the school's program.
 * Standard 6**

How are teachers involved in planning the use of technology in their own classrooms? How are library and related resources adequate and appropriate to support the program?
 * Discussion questions:**