Strategies to Promote Collaboration

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Strategies to Promote Collaboration
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Informative Fact Handout

• Create a handout that informs classroom teachers
  of the specific skills and roles a media
  specialist can offer during collaboration
• Includes a collaboration request form
• Place the handout in all of the teacher mailboxes
• Send as an attachment to school e-newsletter at
  the beginning of the year and once again in
  January
• Once teachers fill out initial form, send follow
  up form to retrieve more specifics

3
Display Board

• Create a display board in the teachers lounge or
  area where teachers convene often
• Define the role of a media specialist in
  teacher-librarian collaboration
• Post pictures that highlight previous
  collaborations
• Include lesson evidence such as student samples
  and assessment tools used
• Have a pocket that holds the media collaboration
  form with directions on how to complete it and
  where to turn it in

4
Morning/Afternoon Announcements

• Highlight recent media center collaboration with
  classrooms
• Have students come on announcements and discuss
  the activities completed during the collaboration

5
Pre-planning Presentation

• Create a captivating technological presentation
  for pre-planning to give to all classroom
  teachers
• Include statistics that highlight the benefits of
  media collaboration on student learning
• List examples of previous lessons and units
  completed through media center collaboration
• Outline the process that needs to be taken by
  teachers

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Bi-Weekly Email

• Every two weeks send out an email asking teachers
  what unit of instruction is coming up in their
  curriculum and if any resources are needed
• No formal document needed, just a running
  dialogue with teachers on what they may need in
  regards to instruction

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Library Blog

• Create a blog that highlights what is going on in
  the library exclusively
• Have a section titled collaboration
• Add descriptions and pictures of recent
  collaboration experiences explaining the
  instructional activities that are taking place
  during these times
• Link the collaboration form for teachers here too

8
Grade-Level Meetings

• Media Specialist attends the planning meetings of
  each grade-level in order to ask teachers what
  topics of instruction are coming up
• Offer to gather resources as well as pitch
  collaboration lesson/unit ideas
• Start with attending once a month, then gradually
  attend each weekly meeting
• Gradually collaborating with each team on
  instruction will become a normal routine

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Collaboration Celebrations

• Gathering held once a month in the library after
  school for teachers
• An informal forum where teachers can share their
  successes with media center collaboration
• Have collaboration teacher forms available
• Allow teachers to fill out feedback forms to help
  make this experience more effective

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Principal Meetings

• Meet with the principal every quarter to inform
  him/her about the collaboration that is taking
  place between the media center and classroom
  teachers
• Tell him/her the different strategies that you
  are implementing to promote collaboration and why
  it is an effective tool
• Present the overall goal of what you want
  collaboration to look like
• During the presentation attempt to gain their
  support in the attempt to make collaboration
  routine in the school