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Research indicates that information literacy skills are learned best when teachers and library media specialists partner on the planning and implementation of lessons that are integrated with the curriculum. Principles for implementing information literacy standards specify the importance of (1) integrating information literacy with the content and objectives of the school's overall curriculum and (2) teacher-library media specialist collaborative instructional planning and curriculum development to guarantee the effective teaching of information skills (AASL/AECT, 1998). (For tips on fostering collaborative relationships, visit the Tips and Training Series.)
Research also reveals that students have a greater opportunity for successful learning if the teacher and library media specialist collaborate and plan together when integrating information literacy skills and subject matter (Pitts, 1995; Todd, 1995). "Collaborating with teachers is the only way to ensure that information literacy skills will be learned within a meaningful context" (Gross & Kientz, 1999, p. 24). Lowe (1993) found that elementary teachers and library media specialists (and consequently their students) benefited from this type of cooperation. In a 2001 speech to the National Forum on Information Literacy, Ken Haycock stated, "The role of the teacher-librarian has been clarified to focus on collaboration and the integration of information literacy with classroom instruction . . . course integrated instruction is the more effective means of affecting student achievement . . . If we are serious about implementing information literacy programs, we need to start with the construction of assignments and the instruction provided for their effective completion." Often, however, educators have no experience with this type of collaboration for curriculum integration and lack clear models and examples of ways to accomplish this. The S.O.S. project will help to provide examples of authentic, relevant curriculum integration projects and librarian-teacher collaborative planning and team teaching activities in its content. The project will continue to add videos of actual teaching episodes and other resources that incorporate collaborative planning/teaching and curriculum integration techniques.
