Assessing Learning: Librarians and Teachers as Partners (Genreflecting Advisory Series)
Clearly defying the conventional myth that teaching librarians do not (and need not) assess the results of their instruction, these two experienced Hawaii librarians offer terrific ideas at all grade levels for assessing (formatively) and evaluating (summatively) both our work and that of our students. After reviewing the topic of assessment, the authors look at library media centers to determine where and how students should be assessed and then examine assessment tools and explain a wide array of effective graphic organizers. In a flashback to excellent outcome-based learning strategies (renamed backward planning), they detail units for elementary, middle, and high schools using varied assessments, most extensively student portfolios. Finally, they discuss ways of collecting, analyzing, synthesizing, and communicating the learning to various stakeholders. Close to 100 illustrations demonstrate the many forms of assessment described. Chapters are well constructed and the writing is clear, though sticklers for style may tire of the ubiquitous organizational convention of asking/answering questions. While newer teacher-librarians may learn some of these strategies in library school, veterans should be excited at possibilities that they may never have considered, thus providing much-needed injections of clear, accessible, exciting instruction into their lives as well as those of their students.–Mary R. Hofmann, Rivera Middle School, Merced, CACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.