Teacher Reference Resource Assistance

 

                                                                    Introduction

 

     The two teachers who will be examined in this assignment will be referred to as Teacher A

 and Teacher B. First, their profiles will display their experience, positions, and current usage of

 reference resources. Next, their concerns and uses in regard to reference resources will be

 examined. This document will conclude on assistance plans adapted for each teacher.

 

 

Index

1)     Teacher Profiles

2)      Stage of Concerns

3)      Level of Use

4)      Level of Technology Use

5)      Assistance Plan

6)      Conclusion

 

       Teacher Profiles

 

     Teacher A:

 Teacher A instructs a grade 4 and 5 class. They are an experienced teacher who have taught at the

 school for some time. They share the classroom with a teacher partner, who is also a teacher-

 librarian. Teacher A feels supported by their colleagues. They are teaching a social studies unit

 on Canada’s fur trade. They want to start an inquiry project for this unit.

 

 

Teacher B:

     Teacher B has a grade 1 class. They have some experience as a young educator. Teacher B is

 still building relationships with their colleagues. They are teaching a science unit on animal

 features.Teacher B would like their students to develop information-gathering skills for a science

 project. Teacher B wants to implement technology into their instruction, but they are spending

 too much time organizing resources and materials.

                                                                 Stage of Concern

 

Teacher A:

 Teacher A expresses their level of concern toward reference resources as 4. In the article, “The

Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM): A Model for Change in Individuals,” stage 4 on the

CBAM model reflects an individual’s concern for consequence (2). The individual may be

asking questions such as “How is my use affecting learners? How can I refine it to have more

impact?” (2). Teacher A is concerned about the effectiveness of their reference resources. They

are seeking new ways to use their resources to improve student learning. Teacher A is also

wondering if there are better reference resources. Their stage of concern is considered one of the

upper stages in the model, which “focuses on the results and impacts of the activity, a clue of

which might be the use of pronouns which refer to [students] who receive the benefits of the the

activity” (6). Teacher A is concerned with the results of their reference resources.

 

 

Teacher B:   

Teacher B expresses their level of concern as 3. In the CBAM article, stage 3 on the model

reflects an individual’s concern with the management of resources (2). This teacher may be

thinking, “I seem to be spending all my time getting materials ready” (2). Teacher B is having

difficulty managing  resources for the class. Thus, the teacher is unable to use reference

resources effectively. Their stage of concern is considered one of the middle stages in the CBAM

model, which means this teacher is “focused on mastery of tasks to the point they become

routines and are easier to do, a clue of which might be the use of ‘it’ or a reference to the activity,

not the self” (6). Teacher B is concerned with the management of their reference resources.

 

 

                                   Level of Use

      

Teacher A:

     This teacher’s level of use with reference resources is 4B. In the CBAM model article, this

level is regarded as Refinement, reflecting an individual’s desire to improve the use of their

resources (3). This teacher wants to either replace or learn about the current reference resources

they have. They believe their resources are not producing the desired learning outcomes. Teacher

A’s goal is to refine their reference resources.

 

 

Teacher B: 

     This teacher’s level of use is 2. This level is defined as Preparation, which means an

individual has definite plans to begin using their reference resources (3). However, since this

teacher is having difficulty organizing their classroom’s resources, they cannot use their

reference resources. Teacher B wishes to begin using reference resources, but must sort other

materials first. 

 

 

Level of Technology Use

 

Teacher A:

     Teacher A is integrating technology in the classroom at level A (Augmentation) on the SAMR

model. They are using digital portfolios and the Kahoot app with their students. In the article “A

Powerful Model for Understanding Good Tech Integration,” Youki Terada claims that level

Augmentation “involves incorporating interactive digital enhancements and elements like

comments, hyperlinks, or multimedia. The content remains unchanged, but students can now

take advantage of digital features to enhance the lesson.” Teacher A is using Kahoot for social

studies quizzes instead of paper materials. They are also having students create digital portfolios

to store and display their learning. The teacher-librarian will help Teacher A integrate more

technology into their classroom to reach level M (Modification).

 

 

Teacher B:

     Teacher B is at level S (Substitution) in regard to classroom technology. They are using

mostly paper materials; however, they are starting to scan documents into pdf files and posting

them onto Google drive. According to Terada, “‘Substitution’ means replacing traditional

activities and materials-like in-class lectures or paper worksheets-with digital versions. There is

no substantial change to the content, just the way that it is delivered.” Teacher B is using some

technology seen at this level, but they haven’t yet completed this level. The teacher-librarian will  

help this teacher transition from traditional materials to convenient digital formats. 

 

 

                                                   Assistance Plans

Teacher A:

     Teacher A needs to collaborate with their teacher-librarian and colleagues to improve their

use of reference resources. In Leading Learning, the teacher-librarian should use actions from the

Instructional Design framework when helping Teacher A, particularly the themes of

“Instructional Partnerships” and “Engaging with Inquiry Approaches” at emerging levels. These

themes focus on collaboration and inquiry instruction, which Teacher A needs assistance with.

According to the CBAM article, the goal of an individual at Consequence level is to progress to

Collaboration level ( 9).  Therefore, a teacher-librarian needs to provide Teacher A with more

information on their reference resources. If the teacher-librarian realizes that the current

resources are not sufficient, they will need to find new materials. The teacher-librarian should

use actions from Consultation and Reinforcement of the CBAM model to encourage Teacher A

to make changes (15-16).

 

 

Teacher B:

     Teacher B requires mentoring from their teacher-librarian and colleagues to learn more

about resource management. In Leading Learning, the teacher-librarian should use actions from

the Fostering Literacies framework to help Teacher B, specifically the themes of “Information

Literacy” and “Engaging Readers” at emerging levels. These themes emphasize on teaching

various literacies with the appropriate resources. This is Teacher B’s goal with their students, but

they need support with managing resources before progressing to the Consequence level.

According to the CBAM article, “[I]solated employees in traditional, non-collaborative

organizations are not likely to reach higher levels of professional practice and increased results

because they are denied the day-to-day time needed to interact with and learn from their peers”

(7). Therefore, the teacher-librarian should find professional development programs for Teacher

B so they can grow in experience. Teacher B would learn to manage their materials and finally

utilize reference resources. The teacher-librarian should also use actions from Training on the

CBAM model to help Teacher B (15).

 

 

   Conclusion

     Both teachers need different types of assistance from the teacher-librarian with their reference

resources. The teacher-librarian will develop plans that will address their levels of concern and

use. Their main goal is help these educators change how they  use reference resources in the

classroom. Teacher A will need collaboration opportunities to learn more about their reference

resources. Teacher B will need mentoring programs to improve their resource management. The

teacher-librarian will also show new technologies to these teachers so they can modernize

student learning. Teacher A and B will become more confident and knowledgeable in their

teaching.

 

 

Word Count: 983

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

        

 

 

 

 

                                                         Works Cited

Canadian School Libraries. “Cultivating Effective Instructional Design to Co-Plan, Teach and

Assess Learning.” Leading Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning

Commons in Canada, llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/instructional-design/. Accessed 3

Mar. 2024. 

Canadian School Libraries. “Fostering Literacies to Empower Life-Long Learners.” Leading

Learning: Standards of Practice for School Library Learning Commons in Canada,

llsop.canadianschoollibraries.ca/fostering-literacies/. Accessed 3 Mar. 2024. 

Loucks-Horsley, Susan. “Professional Development for Science Education: A Critical and

Immediate Challenge.” National Standards & the Science Curriculum , Kendall/Hunt

Publishing Co, Dubuque, Iowa , 1996. 

Terada, Youki. “A Powerful Model for Understanding Good Tech Integration.” Edutopia,

George Lucas Educational Foundation, 4 May 2020, www.edutopia.org/article/powerful-model-understanding-good-tech-integration/.