I, also, found that many of the reading strategies that I teach support the inquiry-based learning model quite well which means that teachers CAN incorporate inquiry-based learning into their curriculum because reading is a prominent area of instruction today. As educators, librarians must take the lead in helping teachers integrate inquiry-based learning back into the curriculum as a way to support student learning. The skills that students gain through inquiry-based learning are the very skills that can help them master state testing and become our critical thinkers of tomorrow.
So how can librarians help teachers incorporate inquiry-based learning into their lessons? For starters, librarians can offer to collaborate with teachers in designing lessons, provide professional development about inquiry-based learning for both teachers and administrators, and model inquiry-based learning in their own instruction. I believe that our society is at a critical period in education reform and that librarians are in an excellent position to lead the way in improving student learning outcomes and creating life-long learners and leaders that will pave the way of the future.
Source:
Stripling, B. K. & Hughes-Hassell, S. (2003). Curriculum connections through the library. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited.
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From my experience as a classroom teacher, I agree that teachers are pressured to "teach to the test" or to simply go through each lesson just to get through it in order to cram in all the required curriculum. Just as you say, librarians can really help here. The librarian's unique position allows them to see all that is being taught and how it is taught on a broader level. As a result, librarians can offer suggestions to teachers that will help them create a more inquiry-based project or lesson, and librarians can also help create more cross-curriculum instruction as a result of knowing school-wide curriculum.
ReplyDeleteAs much as you say that librarians can help with lesson-planning in order to help teachers, it is also vitally important not to take over a lesson created by the teacher. As librarians, we will need to understand just how much help a classroom teacher wants, and to help to the best of our abilities without running the show. A delicate balance must be struck in order to help improve lessons while making sure that collaboration is a positive experience for all teachers as well, so they continue to come back trusting that the librarian can indeed help to make lessons more effective.