AASL Standards for Framework - Interview 4

 Librarian Interview AASL Standard - Engage Competency

    For my fourth librarian interview regarding the AASL Standards Framework for Learners, I focused on the engage competency and interviewed a middle school librarian in the Fort Mill School District (FMSD). The middle school is one of 11 in the FMSD and has an enrollment of 961 students. The middle school focuses on students in the 6th—8th grades. The student demographics are 66% White, 13% Asian or Pacific Islander,  9% Hispanic, and 7% Black. 16% of the student population comes from low-income families (Great!Schools.org, 2025).  The middle school librarian works collaboratively with the ELA teachers, and the ELA classes visit the media center once a month.  The librarian co-teaches ELA and research lessons to each class, which was very interesting to observe. When asked the librarian pulls resources for other classes and tries to attend PLC meetings.

    I had the privilege of observing the librarian for a school day and watching how she actively incorporates the engage standard in her library programming.  The librarian offers students resources for finding a place to belong in the library, especially during "blacktop time," when students go outside for recess.  The librarian uses Google Classroom to help students learn about opportunities in the media center during their blacktop times.  These opportunities include: Sketchy People (students are encouraged to draw), Book Review Team (students check out and review new shipments of books), Poetry and Prose, Teacher Assistants, Library Ambassadors, SCASL Book Award Banners.  I appreciated using different activities and organizations in the media center to encourage student engagement and help students find alternative activities to "blacktop time."

    The librarian utilizes Google Classroom as a main resource for reaching student engagement in the media center.  In addition, the media center website is a primary resource for reaching students, teachers, and caregivers.  The school newsletter also includes media center advertisements for student engagement.  Next year, the librarian hopes to utilize Smart Paths more effectively to facilitate Google meet-ups and also pop-ups for student meetups in the media center. 

    Families are invited to engage with the media center and library programming through annual events such as the STEAM Literacy Night.  This year, the Steam Literacy Night incorporated student poems and a student quilt featuring the topic "I Am." The literacy night centered around the One School, One Book challenge that the entire school read and discussed.  In addition, caregivers are welcomed into the media center during the Fall Family Night, which features the choir's performances.  The Fall Family Night corresponds with a book fair, which engages students with reading and putting books in their hands. 

    The librarian stressed the component of time when trying to facilitate the engage competency.  The librarian meets with the ELA classes monthly, leaving little or no time to engage with other subject levels.  The librarian needs more time to assemble a resource guide to help grade-level teachers engage and pull resources from the library website.  The engagement piece is critical because it is the literacy component.  My conversations with the middle school librarian stressed the literacy piece and the crucial need to incorporate the standard into elementary library programming.  

    

    

Reference

Great!Schools.org. (2025). Pleasant Knoll Middle. https://www.greatschools.org/south-carolina/fort-mill/4246-Pleasant-Knoll-Middle/#Students

AASL Standards for Framework - Interview 3

Librarian Interview about the AASL Inquire Domain

    For my 3rd blog interview regarding the AASL Standards Framework, I interviewed a middle school librarian at a middle school in the Fort Mill School District (FMSD).  The middle school is one of six middle schools in the school district, with an enrollment of 535 students.  The middle school encompasses grades 6th - 8th and has the following demographics: 61% White, 17% Black, and 9% Hispanic.  36% of the student population are from low- income families (Great! Schools.org, 2025). Unlike the elementary schools in the FMSD, middle school librarians work with an instructional assistant specifically geared towards the library. I interviewed the librarian regarding the Inquire domain for the AASL Standards Framework.

    The librarian involves students in the inquiry process through program development, which piques student interest.  For example, the librarian creates a scavenger hunt for 6th-grade students at the beginning of each school year.  The scavenger hunt focuses on student learning and locating different resources of the library.  This is an activity that I could incorporate with the older elementary grades to facilitate and engage students in the library resources.  In addition, the librarian has 6th-grade students sort different books into different genres, which provides additional instruction in learning the different areas of the library.  The 7th-grade students work on a digital escape room project in which students solve problems using different parts of speech and research methods.  Students use resources such as Google Forms, Padlets, and fiction books, which expand upon the Inquire competency.

    The librarian collaborates with other grade-level teachers to incorporate the Inquire competency.  The ELA classes are invited and scheduled to visit the library once a month. During this time, the librarian works with teachers to prepare students for their media lessons.  Teachers and librarians collaborate and create escape rooms based on information they are learning in class and information they need to review for tests or other assignments. I am intrigued by the digital escape rooms and will be implementing this concept in the elementary school library next school year.

    As with my other interviews, the librarian mentioned that time constraints create challenges for implementing the Inquire competency in library programming.  Students are only in the library for 45 minutes one time a month.  When using inquire competencies, the librarian must complete the entire lesson in that period or risk students forgetting it before returning to the library.   

    The librarian added that there are multiple ways that she can include the inquire competency in the media center for lessons. However, getting students to go the extra mile in the media center is challenging when they are already burnt out from classwork. Due to student burnout, the librarian focuses on keeping the lessons fun and engaging with technology and hands-on activities.  This is another aspect that I strive to include in my library programming to fulfill the Inquire competency.

Reference

Great!Schools.org. (2025). Banks Trail Middle. https://www.greatschools.org/south-carolina/fort-mill/3565-Banks-Trail-Middle/?searchWhatType=autosuggest&searchLocationType=undefined&searchWhatKeywordValue=banks+trail+m

AASL Standards Framework for Learners - Interview 2

 

 Interview with Librarian on the AASL Collaborate Standard

I interviewed a librarian at an elementary school in the Fort Mill School District regarding how she incorporates the collaborative competency from the AASL Standards Framework.  The elementary school is one of eleven elementary schools in the district and has an enrollment of 782 students.  The student demographics are 68% white, 10% Hispanic, and 10% Pacific Islander or Asian.  15% of the student population is from low-income families (Great! Schools.org, 2025). The library operates on a fixed/flexible schedule, with the library rotating on and off with the guidance lessons. I was most interested in learning more about how the librarian incorporates the collaboration piece into her library programming.

The librarian attends planning meetings with the grade-level teachers.  She interjects with ideas and resources that she can help with lessons in the library.  I appreciate how she enters these meetings without an agenda, listens, and observes.  At the beginning of the school year, the librarian requests long-range plans from each grade level, which helps her analyze how she can support the teachers in the library.  She assists grade-level teachers by taking the research piece off of their classroom agendas and incorporating it into the library planning.  For example, the 4th grade was conducting a biography research project, and the librarian pulled non-fiction resources and allowed students to search topics on the computers.  Students became excited and engaged in selecting a biography topic to research and present. In addition, the librarian pushes into the classroom to co-teach lessons, like poetry. The collaboration with teachers helps the librarian build relationships throughout the school.

The librarian collaborates with the many resources that the library space has to offer.  In addition, she pulls bins of materials to deliver to classrooms.  The librarian presents professional development topics to teachers, such as features with SC Discus.  She surveys the needs of students at the middle school level and conducts presentations with the elementary teachers on ways to better prepare students for the middle school curriculum.  Through examining the long-range plans, the librarian arranges for presenters to come into the library space for presentations that match the curriculum, for example, the local mayor for a civic duty lesson.  She also attends the new employee orientation so that she can talk with new teachers about the vision for the library and how she can best help them.

Problems arise with collaboration because teachers are so exhausted and overwhelmed with their day-to-day stressors.  Often, collaboration is seen as an extra additive to the teacher’s responsibilities, even though it is not meant to be extra.  The librarian is also overwhelmed with the need to constantly explain and display all that a librarian does for the school.

The school that I will be a librarian in for the next school year operates on a fixed schedule.  Collaboration will be more difficult on a fixed schedule, but it is doable in small increments.  The librarian reassured me to take “baby steps” and focus on collaborating with one teacher or one grade level.  She advised me to not take too much on at once.  The key to collaboration is getting the school on board with the mission of the library, which is a process and will take time.

Reference

Great! Schools.org. (2025). Tega Cay Elementary School. https://www.greatschools.org/south-carolina/fort-mill/4149-Tega-Cay-Elementary-School/?searchWhatType=autosuggest&searchLocationType=undefined&searchWhatKeywordValue=tega+cay

AASL Standards Framework for Learners - Interview 1

 Interview with Librarian on the AASL Explore Standard

I interviewed my supervisor librarian on the ways that she incorporates the Explore standard of the AASL framework in her library programming.  The library is in a suburban school district in South Carolina; the school includes grades between PK and 5th grades.  The school population is 459 students, with 100% of the students being from low-income families.  The student demographics are 45% of the students are Black, 30% are White, and 15% are Hispanic (Great! Schools.org, 2025).  

I asked the librarian for examples of how she includes the Explore standard in her library programming.  The librarian regularly uses SC Discus to explore different lesson topics to expand upon the student’s interests and knowledge.  For example, I have watched the librarian cover biographical information, specifically regarding Langston Hughes and Faith Ringgold. During these lessons, the librarian utilized different platforms to acquire the most accessible information for the students.  In addition, the librarian gives students plenty of time to explore the topic in the various formats. All resources are highlighted that explore the topic, such as fiction and non-fiction books. 

The library does not currently include families for school activities.  However, outside the library, a local volunteer plants a school garden for the students to learn about and enjoy.  The volunteer works with the librarian to select a picture book that is displayed as a story walk through the garden.  Students learn about the life cycle of plants and the nutrients needed for the garden to survive. In addition, students explore the growth and development of the garden while also enjoying the picture book selected, which is prominently displayed.

In order to maintain the explore standard with students, the librarian regularly weeds and improvises the collection development.  Books are selected based on award winners, such as the South Carolina Book Award winners, book reviews, and the resources that are available. The library receives a small budget from the school district and also a donation from a private donor.  The allocated budget is a problem that the school librarian faces when trying to allocate resources toward library programming.  In addition, another challenge is encouraging the students to be receptive to exploring the topic and resources enough so that they also become familiar with the information.

Challenging students with the information and taking ownership of their information-seeking abilities is a critical component that the librarian referenced with the Explore standard.  She does not meet regularly with grade-level teachers but has the foresight to know the curriculum taught and can implement the curriculum standards into the library programming.  Teachers also communicate with the librarian via email for needs.  The librarian stresses that the students need to understand the worldview of topics and explore what they currently know and how it correlates to what they heard in the lesson.  The interview further expanded my views on how I will incorporate the Explore standards of the AASL Framework into my library programming. 

Reference

Great! Schools. org. (2025). Ebinport Elementary School. https://www.greatschools.org/south-carolina/rock-hill/1077-Ebinport-Elementary-School/?searchWhatType=autosuggest&searchLocationType=undefined&searchWhatKeywordValue=ebinport

ISCI 761 End of Semester Reflections

End of Semester Reflections

 

    I must admit that I was nervous and anxious about this class and coursework.  The technology aspect of the MLIS program is outside of my sphere of comfort.  The coursework and material helped ease my anxieties regarding technology and solidified for me how I can incorporate technology in an elementary school library.  One aspect that stood out to me was the need for a social media presence and consistent updating of a library website.  I felt that the material covered with both of these topics stressed the importance of incorporating a social media presence for the library.  Not only does this help caregivers with viewing what their students are doing in the library, but it is multifaceted with promoting advocacy for the library.  I bookmarked several of the resources to reference when I am a school librarian to help me with managing social media accounts.  Another area that struck me as purposeful in the library was the VR unit.  I had only viewed VR as a gaming system which my teenagers play at home.  Over Thanksgiving break, I attended the Space Explorers: The INFINITE experience in Charlotte, NC.  The experience utilizes high-quality VR systems and allows the viewer to experience life on the International Space Station. The astronauts recorded over 200 hours of footage for this exhibit, which is impossible to experience in one session.   I do not have words to describe how astounding this experience was for myself and my family.  However, because of this course and materials, I viewed the experience from an educational perspective and contemplated how we could reach students through this type of high-quality VR system.  I have recognized the ways in which books can transcend place and time for myself and students.  For some students who do not enjoy reading, VR or AR can help achieve this same transformative experiences.  

In conclusion, the delivery for the coursework helped me to surmise how I would incorporate the various technological tools and methods in an elementary school library.  I am motivated to create a social media presence for my future library which will help with community outreach and support.  I have learned the value that technology can add to library programming. 

 Reflections on my School Library Website Design

    The school library webpage that I developed was for a hypothetical school. While the school is hypothetical, I used subscriptions and local information from my current school in Fort Mill, SC.   I was hesitant and nervous about creating my own website.  The website evaluations proved beneficial from earlier in the semester, garnering the information and material I wanted to include on my library website.  I appreciated working on the website in increments, mulling over the decisions, and then going back to the website to add additional tweaks. It was a definite process for me to channel my creativity and incorporate aspects of library websites that I discovered helpful.  

     I geared the website towards an elementary school that operates on a fixed rotation schedule for related arts.  The school that I currently work in operates on this schedule and it is what I am most comfortable with.  I included this schedule on the website because I found it important for students, caregivers, and teachers to reference when they will be visiting the library, based on the specific color day.  Another aspect that I found helpful from other websites was the insight into the library functions and news.  I included this in a section with pictures from the library and student involvement.  For student resources, I included links and descriptions to the online catalog, so that they could research from school or at home the books available to them in the school library.  In addition, I included the SC Discus link, which is a school subscription, that could assist with research needs with a plethora of resources.  Teacher resources included my digital curation project on makerspaces, which could help teachers incorporate makerspaces into their classrooms.  Also, teacher resources included videos to use with students on citation basics, logging into our digital account of SORA for the first time, and a video on how to use the SC Discus subscription.  The parent section of the website caused me to ponder what information I would appreciate from my children’s school library.  I included an article for caregivers on helping their children appreciate and enjoy reading and a link to our local library webpage.  In addition, I think that parents must help their students with digital citizenship. I included resources for caregivers on digital citizenship and how they can help their children with their online presence. Finally, I included a link to a survey for caregivers who are interested in volunteer work in the library.  I would like to stress the importance of caregivers’ involvement in the library to increase exposure to the library and the events.  

    I feel that I did not include a few items on the website pertaining to the curriculum standards.  I did not include curriculum-based resources only because the school was hypothetical, and I am not currently working as a librarian with other grade-level teachers.  Collaboration with grade-level teachers is an aspect of elementary education that I am most interested in pursuing. I foresee myself including this information on the library website when I am employed as an elementary school librarian.  In addition, I did not include a social media account with the minimum posts.  This is another aspect that I am excited about creating with my future library.  As we have learned and discussed in class, social media has a vast potential for community outreach.  This is another element that I will be incorporating into my future website.

    In conclusion, the process of developing a library website was daunting at first. But as I broke it down into smaller increments and pondered the elements that I wanted to include, the process became more manageable.  The link for my website is:   https://myoviparousanimalresearch.my.canva.site/welcome-to#page-0

 

 VR/AR and AI

Before this week’s module readings and lecture, I had not considered the uses of VR or AR in the library.  My children play with a VR system at home and love it.  Librarians are central to the concept of instituting VR/AR systems and teaching fellow educators about AI tools.  Young (2020) highlights that librarians must assess the need for a VR or AR system in the school, evaluate its usefulness in different classrooms, and then educate the teachers on how to use the system.  Through this type of professional development, librarians are satisfying a critical need in the school (Young, 2020). 

Diffit

The Diffit application is an AI tool that can assist with reading proficiency. Diffit provides texts to students at different reading levels and can also offer alternative languages for texts.  Diffit is user friendly and it is free.  A user can search by topic, a specific article, or a text excerpt (Malespina, 2024). I used Diffit to search for a general topic on ‘volcanos’ and selected the reading proficiency at a 2nd-grade level.  The search provided me with text regarding volcanos, key terms, a summary, teacher activities and worksheets, and questions to ask students, all geared towards a 2nd-grade reader.  The search provided results in under 2 minutes.  It was astounding to me, the amount of resources that were provided in that limited time.   It is not a new concept that educators are busy and tired of trying to reinvent the wheel.  Diffit can help teachers make detailed lessons and teach text that is geared toward the students’ reading levels (Breisacher, 2024).  As a kindergarten assistant, I witness the varying levels of students’ reading capabilities.  I can see the effectiveness of Diffit in the classroom by creating lessons that are geared towards individual learners.  The following two blog posts highlight how to use Diffit in the classroom and also why you should be using the application.

https://elissamalespina.substack.com/p/diffit-for-teachers

https://www.studentcenteredworld.com/diffit/

References

Breisacher, J. (2024, January 16). Diffit for teachers: Differentiated with an AI tool. Student-centered world. https://www.studentcenteredworld.com/diffit/

Malespina, E. (2024, January 8). Diffit for teachers. The AI school librarians newsletter. https://elissamalespina.substack.com/p/diffit-for-teachers

Young, L.J. (2020, April 7). Get the most from AR/VR technology without breaking the budget. School Library Journal. https://www.slj.com/story/get-the-most-from-ar-vr-technology-without-breaking-budget-library