Rhonda Smith - AASL Standards Interview
AASL Standards in the School Library
Part 3
The adventures of interviews continue! This interview was conducted with Rhonda Smith, a media specialist at Walhalla High School located in Walhalla, South Carolina. Mrs. Smith and I discussed the ways in which she supports the Inquire foundation in her high-school library.
It was obvious in our discussions that Mrs. Smith is passionate about inquiry and has a strong presence in her school that allows her to work closely with teachers.
Some of the projects she mentioned were an argumentative project, research projects with content teachers, and how to take research notes. The project I found most interesting was a Discus orientation that she shares that teaches students how to find any science-related articles of interest. She has created a virtual classroom shared through Clever so students have constant access to library materials, and she shares information with students using Canvas. Though these were just a few of the projects she mentioned implementing, it was apparent that supporting students as they become more independent in the inquiry process is a valued part of her library program.
Throughout our conversation, I was intentionally searching for nuggets of information that would apply to my position as a media specialist at an elementary library. One comment that resonated with me came when we were discussing challenges that come when trying to support inquiry. Mrs. Smith shared that finding time to collaborate with classroom teachers proves difficult because of their schedules. Additionally, she mentioned that collaborating on an unfamiliar topic can cause stress due to the ways in which ideas can be interpreted. She encouraged face-to-face collaboration when beginning a unit with teachers. I personally resonated with this part of our discussion. Elementary teachers have very full schedules, with only 45 minutes of their day without students. Being cognizant of this limited time frame and ensuring that the initial discussion divides duties and clearly communicates expectations will have to be intentional goals as I collaborate with teachers. If I want to encourage them to utilize my skill set and resources, I must make sure that I am more help than harm, and never become a burden to their plans.
I walked away from this interview with a new appreciation of the time and preparation that I must put forth leading into a collaborative unit. Inquiry is going to be a large part of my library program, and I appreciate Mrs. Smith sharing strategies that she uses to facilitate an inquiry-minded library program.
The adventures of interviews continue! This interview was conducted with Rhonda Smith, a media specialist at Walhalla High School located in Walhalla, South Carolina. Mrs. Smith and I discussed the ways in which she supports the Inquire foundation in her high-school library.
It was obvious in our discussions that Mrs. Smith is passionate about inquiry and has a strong presence in her school that allows her to work closely with teachers.
Some of the projects she mentioned were an argumentative project, research projects with content teachers, and how to take research notes. The project I found most interesting was a Discus orientation that she shares that teaches students how to find any science-related articles of interest. She has created a virtual classroom shared through Clever so students have constant access to library materials, and she shares information with students using Canvas. Though these were just a few of the projects she mentioned implementing, it was apparent that supporting students as they become more independent in the inquiry process is a valued part of her library program.
Throughout our conversation, I was intentionally searching for nuggets of information that would apply to my position as a media specialist at an elementary library. One comment that resonated with me came when we were discussing challenges that come when trying to support inquiry. Mrs. Smith shared that finding time to collaborate with classroom teachers proves difficult because of their schedules. Additionally, she mentioned that collaborating on an unfamiliar topic can cause stress due to the ways in which ideas can be interpreted. She encouraged face-to-face collaboration when beginning a unit with teachers. I personally resonated with this part of our discussion. Elementary teachers have very full schedules, with only 45 minutes of their day without students. Being cognizant of this limited time frame and ensuring that the initial discussion divides duties and clearly communicates expectations will have to be intentional goals as I collaborate with teachers. If I want to encourage them to utilize my skill set and resources, I must make sure that I am more help than harm, and never become a burden to their plans.
I walked away from this interview with a new appreciation of the time and preparation that I must put forth leading into a collaborative unit. Inquiry is going to be a large part of my library program, and I appreciate Mrs. Smith sharing strategies that she uses to facilitate an inquiry-minded library program.
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