Making Sense of the AASL & ISTE Standards in the School Library

Making Sense of the AASL & ISTE Standards 

The school librarian is no longer just a keeper of books.  The lines have been blurred between that of a reference librarian, facilitator of knowledge creation, and leader in understanding and using technology advances.

Like the classroom, school libraries have standards they must follow.  However, library standards are not set to specific pacing or prescribed curriculum.  It is up the librarian to decide how these standards are to be incorporated and added to each individual program. In order to ensure that libraries meet the needs of their community it is important to understand the standards and how to best implement them.

School librarians need to keep up with the advances in technology and find ways to help both teachers and students learn how to use them to increase their knowledge.

What are the Standards? 

American Association of School Libraries Standards:  The AASL standards follow 6 Core Foundations. Within each foundation are standards to demonstrate how students should think, create, share, and grow.  Below is a breakdown of the key ideas within each foundation.

Explore: Creating a Growth Mindset through:

• extending learners
• building new knowledge
• working with others
• self-assessing
• accepting feedback

Include: When students include they are showing empathy and equity through

• appreciating diversity
• deepening understanding of others
• communicating and listening to points of view
• seeking out opportunities to learn about others.

Inquire: In this foundation the learners are asking questions through

• creating new knowledge
• sharing their ideas and findings
• reflecting on their learning.

Curate: Use and create information sources through

• finding, evaluating and selecting appropriate resources
• organizing and annotating resources
• developing and sharing resource collections
• reflecting and revising their information.

Engage: Here students show integrity in their use of ideas and information through

• exploring, citing, and using resources. 
• communicating ideas and respecting intellectual property rights
• participating in local and global communities
• reflecting on their learning
• seeking to inspire others

Collaborate: Participate fully in a learning community by

• solving problems effectively when working together
• articulating their thoughts
• negotiating meaning 
• integrating new ideas 
• seeking diverse perspectives
• responding to feedback
• contributing to discussions 
• making meaning with others

If you want to grab a copy of these AASL handouts that breakdown each of these click HERE.

ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) Standards. 
The ISTE standards are technology standards set for students, educators, and coaches.  At each level there are different goals and behaviors.  It is important for school librarians to have a grasp of all three sets of standards.  The Student Standards revolve around 7 goals.  These student standards include creating:

• Empowered Learners
• Digital Citizens
• Knowledge Constructors
• Innovative Designers
• Computational Thinkers
• Creative Communicators
• Global Connectors

As a teacher librarian plans, they will need to focus on the student standards, as well as the educator standards.  The Educator Standards include

• Computations Thinking
• Equity Leader
• Collaborating Around Computing
• Creativity and Design
• Integrating Computation Thinking

School librarians will use the ISTE Coach standards to guide their instruction for all members of their community including administration and teachers.  The Coach Standards include:

• Visionary Leadership 
• Teaching, Learning, and Assessments
• Digital Age Learning
• Professional Development and Program Evaluation 
• Digital Citizenship 
• Content Knowledge and Professional Growth

You can learn more about the breakdown of the ISTE standards HERE .

So, Now What Do I Do with the Standards?  

There are many overlaps in these standards.  As a school librarian it is important to combine and connect these standards to ensure that the training for teachers and student lessons best fit the needs of the community.

So how do you piece it all together?  Check out this video for a guide to get started in planning and using the AASL and ISTE standards.

If you are new to teaching with technology and unsure of where to start, here are a few places to begin to explore:
Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything
SAMR Model Pedagogy Wheel

Get more ideas from this School Library Ideas Board on Pinterest.

References:
Dotson, K.B. (2015). Factors of Engagement: Professional Standards and the Library Science Internship.  Techtrends. 59(3). 54-63.
American Association of School Libraries
International Society of Technology in Education