[ Assess the Situation ] [ Develop Objectives ] [ Create Activities ] 

Teachers plan in a variety of ways.  In practice, teachers don't follow the nicely prescribed instructional design model often seen in textbooks.  In the "real-world", it is often a mentally process.  Plans need to be flexible and are modified based on student needs, contexts, and any number of other factors.  This makes planning collaboratively with teachers as much an art as a science.

Instructional units that are better suited for integration include:  

Library media specialist should work with the teacher, starting with the subject objectives of their units and determining what information literacy skills are needed by students. At the same time, the LMS must keep track of information and technology literacy skills covered by each class to make sure all the required competencies are mastered by all students.  The Wisconsin Model Academic Standards for Information and Technology Literacy can provide the beginning of a district's curriculum guidelines for the library media program. 

Assess the Situation

In consultation with the classroom teacher, determine:

Determine the answer to these questions

1. What information seeking skills do students need?
2. How to identify the prior knowledge level of students in regards to information seeking?

Develop Objectives

Properly used, objectives focus lessons on the LEARNER rather than on the TEACHER. Uses of objectives include:

Identify the following three components for each objective:

Create Activities

Think about conditions in the classroom and library outside of the objectives:

Then think about how students learn. The information processing model is one way to look at this process. In this model, the body's receptors (eyes, ears, touch) receive input in the form of patterns of neural impulses. These are output to the sensory register where they are selectively perceived (i.e., not everything received is actually perceived by the senses). Without this selective perception we would be overwhelmed by all going on around us. These impulses are then temporarily stored in short-term memory. To move into long-term memory, the impulses go through semantic encoding and are incorporated into this long-term storage through assimilation or accommodation into existing memory structures.

When information must be retrieved, the process is simply reversed: long-term memory is searched, information is temporarily stored in short-term memory and then sent to response generator. The response is performed in the form of a muscle movement, spoken word, or other reaction.

Gagne's Nine Events of Instruction

Robert Gagne has examined this internal processing in learning and translated it to external instructional events that are manipulate to support the internal processes. His work began in a very behavioristic mode, but many of his ideas can be applied to developing learning situations where students can gain skills as they create their own view of the world.

Applying this framework of analysis, many possible teaching / learning activities for acquiring information seeking skills are possible, such as:

In collaboration with the classroom teacher; based on the objectives, grouping, ability level of students, and the other variables discussed above.  Keep in mind that the goal is to create an active learner that is doing the work, not the librarian.

Of course, lesson and activities cannot be properly designed without also establishing appropriate assessments.  Please refer to that section of this Web for more on that topic (or it is on the navigation bar to the right), along with the roles that the library media specialist can play in implementing assessments or evaluations.

[ Assess the Situation ] [ Develop Objectives ] [ Create Activities ]