LI755:  Summer Institute for School Librarians

For one of my electives, I attended the Kansas Summer Institute for School Librarians in June 2014.  The Institute’s topic was “Dive into Literacy:  Developing Resource Sets,” and I was thrilled to discover that I could use the information I gleaned not only in my future career as a school librarian, but also in my current career as a high school English teacher.  Throughout the two days, particular emphasis was placed on Frey & Fisher’s (2013) five access points for comprehending complex texts, Dow’s (2013) effective use of Merrill’s (2007) first principles of instruction, the Kansas State Board of Education’s (KSDE) model for developing resource sets, and commitment to and excitement for selecting rigorous reading materials for students.

            Artifact:  Reflective Essay

After attending the two-day institute, I reflected back on my experiences and described what I learned and what I will plan to use as a result of the resources and discussion I gleaned from diving into literacy.  Because I am currently a high school English teacher, I also applied the knowledge gained to my own classroom, especially in how I develop resource sets and create units of study.  The institute reinforced my firm belief in the importance of school librarians and their role in collaborating with teachers to help them teacher their students more effectively.