School Libraries and Student Learning: A Guide for School Leaders - Softcover

Morris, Rebecca J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1612508367 ISBN 13: 9781612508368

Publisher: Harvard Education Press, 2015

Synopsis

Innovative, well-designed school library programs can be critical resources for helping students meet high standards of college and career readiness. In School Libraries and Student Learning, Rebecca J. Morris shows how school leaders can make the most of their school libraries to support ambitious student learning. She offers practical strategies for collaboration between school leaders, teachers, and librarians to meet schoolwide objectives in literacy, assessment, student engagement, and inquiry-based learning.
Topics include:

• establishing “makerspaces” and “learning commons” to support student-centered learning;
• developing a schoolwide focus on literacy across multiple formats and devices;
• redesigning lesson plans that foster inquiry and critical thinking across classrooms and grade levels;
• supporting collaboration between teachers and librarians in instruction and assessment; and
• using the library to strengthen ties between school, family, and community.

This accessible guide will help librarians and school leaders work together to bring student learning to a new level.

About this title

About the Author

Rebecca J. Morris, PhD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Library and Information Studies of the School of Education, University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She earned her doctoral and master’s degrees at the University of Pittsburgh. Rebecca holds a Bachelor of Science degree from The Pennsylvania State University.

Rebecca has a professional background as an elementary classroom teacher and school librarian. She currently teaches graduate courses in school library curriculum, children’s materials and services, and digital media production. Her research interests include educational preparation of school librarians and digital storytelling.

She is an active member and committee leader within the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association. Rebecca and her husband, Brian, live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

From the Back Cover

Rebecca J. Morris shows how school leaders can make the most of their school libraries to support ambitious student learning. She offers practical strategies for collaboration between leaders, teachers, and librarians, and shows how innovative, well-designed library programs can support schoolwide objectives in literacy, student engagement, and inquiry-based learning. This accessible guide will help librarians and school leaders work together to bring student learning to a new level.

“Rebecca Morris’s book is perfect for school administrators who are looking to improve their school libraries. A particular strength is the way she maps the AASL standards and guidelines to ambitious goals for student learning and school leadership to show how all educators in a school—librarians, administrators, and teachers—can work together to support student learning.”
—Terri Grief, president 2014–2015, American Association of School Librarians

“This engaging and informative book provides an excellent overview of what successful school library programs look like, as well as the ways that school librarians contribute to student achievement. From authentic vignettes to strategies and checklists, the author offers school leaders practical and timely ideas for improving their schools through the development of quality school libraries and library programs.”
—Karen W. Gavigan, associate professor, School of Library and Information Science, University of South Carolina

“Rebecca Morris highlights the benefits of strong library programs in meeting the needs of twenty-first-century learners. She challenges school leaders to examine the school librarian’s role, and shows how common beliefs and themes provide the foundation for collaboration between administrators, teachers, and school librarians.”
—Amy M. Burch, superintendent, Brentwood Borough School District, Pennsylvania

“Finally, a text that speaks two languages—school administrator and school librarian—and brings the languages into one student success-driven vernacular. Rebecca Morris has created a rich, thought-provoking resource for keeping school libraries at the center of every vibrant learning community.”
—Steven Yates, instructor and distance education coordinator, School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alabama

Rebecca J. Morris is an assistant professor in the Department of Library and Information Studies at the School of Education at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She has a professional background as an elementary classroom teacher and school librarian.

Edition details

• Publisher: Harvard Education Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1612508367
• ISBN 13: 9781612508368
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 232