Gaining Insight from Those with Experience: LJubica Arceneaux, Rosewood Elementary

 







As a librarian, the set of standards that guide my decisions are the AASL's Standards Framework.  For my interview, I focused on the following domains:  Include, Collaborate, Curate, and Engage.  The details of how Ms. Arceneaux covers the four domains are highlighted below.  

Include

The two main areas that Ms. Arceneaux says she covers the Include domain is by diversifying the collection and through displays that she puts out throughout the year.  

Reflection:  I think diversifying your collection is the standard answer and practice to cover this.  What I want to get out of these interviews are ideas that I can then take away and use in my program.  With the use of displays throughout the year, I could work with that...however, I feel that this may mean the typical African American display in February, So, I believe the key would be to highlight various displays that include all throughout the year.  


Collaborate

Ms. Arceneaux gave two examples of how she covered the collaboration domain last year.  After reading "Superhero Instruction Manuel" by Kristy Dempsey, first grade created their own superhero.  The students would then take pictures and create a slide show of their superhero.  Next, she collaborated with the 2nd grade teachers to turn an Elephant and Piggy book into a short play.  She bought simple gray and pink t-shirts for the kids to wear and chose a book that could have many parts in it so that all of the kids could be involved.  Each class did a separate book.  

Reflection:  I loved both ideas.  I am currently using the superhero theme for a reading challenge that I am doing.  I may have those that participate create their superhero also. The idea of taking a story and making it into a very short play would be perfect for events to bring parents into the school and get them involved.  


Curate

Using the website for communication was a way that she covered curate.  Collecting resources and making kids aware of them in one area digitally.  

Reflection:  I do feel that the library's/school's website is very important.  First, it is what the public sees and knows about your school.  It is a tool for publicizing all of the things that you have going on.  It could also be a great tool for students (if you can get them aware of it and using it).  I think, like teaching, what you put into it determines the effect of it.  


Engage

Ms. Arceneaux does genre book tasting with her 4th and 5th graders and decorates each table for the event.  The students get to "taste" genres that they maybe normally would not gravitate toward.  With her 5th graders, she also uses the app iMovie for them to create book trailers.  

Reflection:  I love both of these ideas.  I am in the very beginning stages of genrifying my fiction.  I may break the book tasting down even further and focus on the different fiction genres when I roll it out.  I love the idea of book trailers, and after going to SCASL conference, I love the idea of book banners too...which would be another great project to tackle.  


Challenge: 

Ms. Arceneaux's stated that her biggest challenge when covering the AASL standards is getting the kids to the "Grow" part.  She feels that the time spend with the classes is just not sufficient to get to that level.

Reflection:  I think the way to get to the levels that are "higher" would be to spend longer periods of time covering an overall idea.  Maybe stretch an activity over a whole month so that you can see the students each week and work and build.  As my first interview, it went ok, the more I did, the longer they became, and the more clarifying questions I gave.  

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