New Canaan High School Library Philosophy
The New Canaan High School library media program aspires to help each student excel and achieve maximum potential by providing a 21st Century learning environment, fostering a love of reading, and promoting the effective use of information and communications technology (ICT). This objective reflects the school and district goals of increasing student achievement. To minimize repetition, this narrative will henceforth identify all references to NCHS library program alignment with school and district goals through the use of footnotes (1).
By embedding 21st Century skills into curricular instruction across disciplines, the media program adds a dimension of rigor (2) to the NCHS curriculum and encourages students to become better learners1. Through collaborative lesson planning, media specialists embed higher order thinking tasks into project-based learning problems. By making the process more rigorous, learning improves, and so does student achievement (3) .
The library program endeavors to foster a love of reading. Librarians help students make social connections through reading, broadening their knowledge base and interests, and expanding reading for information opportunities.
The program aims to nurture student integrity, and respect (4). As ICT experts, media specialists are involved in developing policy and curricula for ethical and responsible resource use (5). The media program systematizes protocols for safeguarding district resources. As a result, users understand the responsibility that accompanies electronic access (6).
Librarians partner with colleagues, students (7), parents, and administrators (8) to disseminate the library curriculum, and empower students in becoming life-long learners, responsible citizens, and industrious problem solvers. As the purveyors of a vast pool of academic and instructional resources, media specialists provide New Canaan educators with models for instructional and research strategies (9). The media center serves as a hub for curricular and co-curricular activity within the educational community - not only as a physical space, but the program spawns intellectual punch at NCHS.
Library media specialists are leaders within the district-level instructional community. Thanks to their flexible schedule and their cross-disciplinary reach, they are poised to help teachers with instructional modification for students with diverse learning styles (10). The library program also makes teaching materials and student work electronically accessible to the larger NCHS community (11) through its course in the district's online course management system.
Collaboration and communication skills and qualities like self-direction, adaptability, curiosity, and imagination are in high demand in the 21st century workplace. Thanks to their ICT training, their flexible schedule, their professional development expertise, and their access to resources, NCHS librarians are uniquely positioned to support the district as it adapts its curricula and pedagogy to meet contemporary educational demands. Media specialists aim to facilitate navigation as the district evolves into a premier 21st century academic institution.
[1] NCHS mission: All
students excel
[2] NCHS mission: [Students]
are guided by rigorous academic standards
[3] NCPS district goal: To
increase individual and group student achievement as measured by multiple and
varied assessments.
[4] NCHS mission: School
nurtures growth, personal integrity, and mutual respect
[5] NCPS district goal: To
promote an environment that fosters respect, ethical behavior and responsible
citizenship.
[6] NCPS district goal: To
maintain the effective stewardship of district resources and physical assets in
a manner that supports safe and healthy environments and optimizes student
learning.
[7] NCHS mission: Students play
an active role in their education
[8] NCHS mission: Students,
educators, and parents are full participants in the educational process
[9] NCPS district goal: To
promote exemplary research-based practices among all faculty and staff in the
service of student learning.
[10] NCHS mission: Students
receive supportive learning
[11] NCPS district goal: To
improve achievement, service, and relationships through communication that is
responsive, clear, timely and inclusive.
