Alex Lawhon

Reflection for Standard 1.3 Instructional partner

Candidates model, share, and promote effective principles of teaching and learning as collaborative partners
with other educators. Candidates acknowledge the importance of participating in curriculum development, of
engaging in school improvement processes, and of offering professional development to other educators as it
relates to library and information use.
Artifact Description
ISTC 702, Professional Development Plan:
Upon assessing the instructional technology skills of teachers and staff at Fountain Green Elementary
School, a year-long plan to improve the use of digital-age resources to meet and exceed learning goals via
professional development in instructional technology was created. The professional development plan requires
collaboration with the administration and teachers to meet educators’ skill requirements effectively.
ISTC 601, Marketing Plan:
Fountain Green has demonstrated a need for improvement in understanding the importance of digital
citizenship. After formative assessment data and multiple incidents involving social media have indicated this
need, a plan was created for the library to become a space for a Social Media Night where collaboration
between the school families, the school counselor, and local law enforcement leads to a better understanding of
what it means to be a good digital citizen.
Relevance
AASL Standard 1.3: Instructional partner is supported by these artifacts. Both of these artifacts show
how the library media specialist plays a role in helping to create professional development and community
involvement as an instructional partner.
The creation of a professional development plan in collaboration with classroom teachers and other
stakeholders in the school community demonstrates an instructional partnership. After completing a needs
assessment with the educators, a plan is developed to enhance the use of digital-age tools with the ultimate goal
in mind of improving student achievement. Working with the administration to plan professional development
sessions during faculty meetings or job-embedded planning time provides the opportunity to promote frequent
and effective use of technology for learning among the teachers.
The marketing plan made for ISTC 601 shows collaboration as an instructional partner as well.
Working with the school guidance counselor, a plan was developed to encourage intermediate elementary
students to complete online modules on digital citizenship to further their understanding of safe and ethical
Internet use. I also established a plan to collaborate with the local law enforcement agency to offer a community
Social Media Night to give parents and families information on how to promote safe, ethical use of social media
at home.
Analysis
Completing these assignments helped me to gain insight about the importance of collaboration and
instructional partnership. I have been able to work together with other stakeholders in the school, and this
promotes the importance of the school library media center as a hub for furthering learning and achievement in
the twenty-first century.
The professional development plan calls for collaboration between the media specialist, administration,
and educators. This project demonstrates the significant role the library media program can play as a valuable
resource that can be a direct and positive influence on student achievement by promoting the use of digital-age
tools and experiences.
Another way that I was able to positively influence the perceived value of the library was via
collaboration with the school guidance counselor to stress the importance of digital citizenship. Collaboration
with her to develop a plan to promote the learning of digital citizenship skills allowed for extra time outside of
the classroom for the library to be involved in instruction. This plan also demonstrates collaboration with the
local community to inform them on a timely and important topic via the Social Media Night. By collaborating
with others as an instructional partner, I am able to raise the perceived value of the media center and to help
influence and improve the school community as a whole with a better understanding of information literacy
skills.