Exploring with the AASL standards

The recent update of the AASL standards breaks the standards into 6 Shared Foundations. Each foundation is broken into key commitments that fit within the domains and competencies of “Think,” “Create,” “Share,” and “Grow.”

I recently met with Michele Gregg at Slater Marietta to discuss how she is putting the Explore standards to work.

This past year the population at Slater Marietta school dropped. As a result, the library lost the clerk position. Now, Mrs. Gregg runs the library alone. She is on a fixed schedule and sees classes every week. This has changed how she manages her 45-minute lessons.

She begins the lessons with a library skill or information literacy lesson. These lessons are determined based on her long-range plan, AASL standards, and collaboration with classroom teachers. Through conversations, grade-level meetings, and emails, Mrs. Gregg collaborates with classroom teachers to determine the needs of each class. Recent lessons have involved a research project with 5th grade and a 1st grade review of punctuation.

Mrs. Gregg plays on the student’s need to “satisfy personal curiosity by reading deeply and widely in multiple formats.” (AASL 2018, Learner V.A.1.) After the mini-lesson on library skills or information literacy, students have time to check out and read independently.




It is amazing to see the engagement in this activity. From K5 - 5th grade, the students are eager to check out their books, find a comfortable spot, and read. Each student is engrossed in the books they have checked out. Some students share what they are reading with others, but for the most part the students are focused on their own books.

In addition, Mrs. Gregg has taught all students how to add the Sora app on all student devices. In Greenville County students are one-to-one with Chromebooks. She has assisted the students in adding the app and teaching them how to borrow, read, listen to, and take notes within the app.

Through the weekly checkouts and the Sora app, the students have access to ample resources to read for both inquiry and personal growth. This allows the school library to “ensure that multiple learning activities can occur in both physical and virtual spaces. (AASL 2018, Library V.B.2.)

References:
American Association of School Librarians. (2018). National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. Chicago: ALA.