Post-Reflection

It's over!

Before this project started, I was very apprehensive about how to effectively collaborate with a partner using the Wiki. As the process unfolded, the scope of the project became clearer. I am glad that we worked with a fellow students rather than a classroom teacher since I do not think a working classroom teacher would have been able to contribute to this process like a fellow colleague. It would be asking a lot of a teacher's time and effort to put into this project when they would not be earning a grade and may not be vested in the outcome.

I could not have asked for a better partner. Susan and I communicated effectively through e-mail and were both receptive to each other's suggestions. For my first collaborative project between a teacher and media specialist, it went pretty well. Since we never had, the opportunity to work on this face-to-face, e-mail worked well with our varied work schedules and family obligations. Susan and I agreed upon some deadlines throughout the project to ensure that work was being done in an efficient manner. I am glad that Susan came up with the idea of setting mini-deadlines. By breaking down the tasks, the whole project did not seem as overwhelming.

After participated in and completing this collaboration, I understand how the process can be beneficial to the teacher and students. Being able to understand how the library media specialist is not there to only support the teacher but to help with the curriculum and teaching process. Since we all have teaching degrees and education backgrounds, we have a unique advantage of knowing how both positions operate and relate to each other.

I was leery about completing the peer evaluations. Sometime students can be intimidated about grading others work. After finishing the reviews of the other students Wiki's, I could see how I could improve upon my own work in the future. Many of my fellow classmates had great ideas and we all approached this project with a different plan and background. The constructive criticism that we received on our project can help us improve in the future.

When I get a job as a library media specialist, I now have a good idea of how to start the dialog with other teachers. As we have learned in class, it may be a slow process at first and starting with only one teacher or one department might be best instead of trying this will the whole school during your first year. We have learned many great ways to use technology and to support our teachers to help better our student's education. By working with other teacher, data can be collected to show the principal and other stakeholders how we as librarians can make a difference in the educational outcome of the students.

I would like to thank Susan for being such a great partner and the classes for helping each other become a better library media specialist in the future.

Assessment

Assessment

Our project is entering the final stages. Over this past semester, Susan and I have been able to work as a collaborative team. We have both contributed to the project and have worked well together. Our communication through e-mail has been effective. During the next week, we will be putting the final touches on our unit plan. The only obstical that has occurred is finding the time to work on this project. We both have commitments outside of class that take up much of our time but thankfully we have been able to put forth the effort to complete this project successfully.

For some of the lessons, we will be able to evaluate the base knowledge of the students by conducting a pre-test. The assessment piece can be loaded in Exam View Player (EV Play) so the teacher can get instant feedback and can view the data on what questions the students missed most frequently and concentrate more on those topics. EV Play is a good tool for collecting data that can be used to evaluate if the instruction is successful and areas that the teacher could improve in the future.

At the end of the unit, the students will produce a PowerPoint presentation displaying what they have learned. Students will use various research tools, both on-line and print sources, to gather information on a career that interests them. By having the students choose a career path, this gives them more flexibility, and provides them with a topic, that is 'real-world' to them. If the students have a personal connection to the project, they are more likely to investigate and conduct research on their chosen career path and are more likely to be vested in the outcome.

The PowerPoint presentation will not only demonstrate the knowledge gained on their chosen career, but it will also incorporate information on financial literacy as well. The PowerPoint will be assessed on both the information as well as the technology skills that they must display. The students will be given a rubric on the expectations for this project. This project will be shown to the class and can be used to illustrate to the parents what has been accomplished during this unit. By providing the student with a rubric and having peer evaluations, the students are given a chance to self-reflect on their accomplishments and determine how they may improve on future projects.

The evidence of learning can be demonstrated to the stakeholders in various ways. First, as mentioned above, the students can show their parents the finished project during student led conferences. If a school does not hold student led conferences, a few projects could be shown at conferences or at an open house. Other stakeholders like administrators, can also be shown a select group of projects and since much of the school decisions are data driven, the data collected during post and pre-test can be evaluated. In addition, the teacher can demonstrate how financial literacy supports the core subjects like math and how various assignments supports language arts and writing across the curriculum. One other way that people can have a chance to view some of the presentations is by uploading the PowerPoint to the schools web site. This would have to be done with the students and parents permission.

Throughout this unit, the teacher and media specialist will conduct non-formal assessments through guided practice, group discussions, and individual conferences with students. As the lessons continue, the teacher and media specialist can alter the lessons as needed to help make all students successful. This type of assessment is ongoing throughout the unit. Informal feedback helps guide the teacher to move students in the right direction and directs the teacher as to what topics should be addressed again in possible a different manner.

Being vocal about the successful collaboration between the teacher and the media specialist will help other teachers recognize the important role a media specialist can play in the instructional process and learning environment. The media specialist can use one of the PowerPoint examples to market how they can help other disciplines like science or social studies create a project that fits into various curriculums.

In conclusion, by next Friday, our unit plan will be finished and ready to be implemented within a classroom. This joint effort has been a learning experience on how to work on a collaborative project and how to complete a workable unit. This group effort has demonstrated that by working together, a team can produce a quality project that on many levels is better than what an individual could produce alone. As it has been stated before, two heads are better than one.