Alex Lawhon

Reflection for Standard 1.1 Knowledge of learners and learning

Candidates are knowledgeable of learning styles, stages of human growth and development, and cultural
influences on learning. Candidates assess learner needs and design instruction that reflects educational best
practice. Candidates support the learning of all students and other members of the learning community,
including those with diverse learning styles, physical and intellectual abilities and needs. Candidates base
twenty-first century skills instruction on student interests.
Artifact Description
ISTC 601, School Overview and Analysis:
In this assignment for ISTC 601, I was able to gain a better understanding of the school community and
the library’s patrons and role at Fountain Green Elementary School. This assignment gave me insights as to the
demographics in the community and where the library is already meeting or better able to meet the research and
learning needs of those using the library. The analysis of the school’s improvement plan also provides reflective
thoughts on where the library is strongly connected to the school community and ways that it could improve its
roles to support and inform patrons.
EDUC 717, Multicultural Text Set on Immigration:
In this artifact, created for EDUC 717, a number of books were chosen and reviewed to create a text set
on the topic of immigration. Texts were chosen for a variety of age ranges and ability levels. The text set was
created for teachers of fifth grade in Harford County Public Schools who are required to teach a reading unit on
immigration. Completing this task allowed me to create a resource for students, teachers, and parents that was
accessible in multiple formats and to various levels of learners. Creating this resource also allowed me the
opportunity to become more knowledgeable about our school community and its needs.
ISTC 651, Unit Plan:
For this culminating assignment for the course, a unit plan was created in which students were expected
to complete inquiry-based research and to produce a presentation on an individual who has made a positive
impact in society. Creating this plan gave me the chance to include resources that incorporated the Universal
Design for Learning (UDL) to make resources more accessible to all, and it also gave me the opportunity to
create a unit with resources about and for diverse populations, helping to promote cultural competency within
the school community. The unit plan includes alignment of AASL and Common Core State Standards (CCSS),
instructional procedures, instructional and research resources, and evaluative tools.
Relevance
These three artifacts effectively support the AASL Standard 1:1: Knowledge of learners and learning.
Each assignment has afforded me the opportunity to gather data on the community and the library patrons and
use that data to drive the creation of lessons and resources that will be accessible and beneficial to all types of
learners, cultures, and abilities.
 The ISTC 601 assignment, School Overview and Analysis, directly aligns with Standard 1:1 because I
had the ability to learn about the school community’s demographics (income levels, native languages,
ethnicities, achievement scores, education levels) and then analyze how those factors affect the library and the
roles it serves at Fountain Green Elementary School. Having the knowledge of the learners and community
make-up has allowed me to analyze how the library can meet the needs of a school population with students
from different cultures and income levels, those with physical and/or learning disabilities, various ages,
differing types of learners, and English Language Learners (ELLs).
The multicultural text set created for EDUC717 addresses Standard 1:1 as well. In this assignment, a
knowledge of the school community and the curriculum gave me the chance to create a valuable resource that
can be accessed by different age levels and abilities, teachers, parents, and students. The topic of immigration is
one that is part of the curriculum in grade five in Harford County Public Schools, but also one that is very
present in the Fountain Green community. In the text set, I was able to include resources created by immigrants
that live in our community and make them accessible to others as a learning tool. The text set includes digital
and physical sources on immigration as well as a virtual field trip of Ellis Island that includes engaging audio
and video elements and is accessible at school and home.
The goal of the Unit Plan in ISTC 651 was to create a plan that incorporated procedures and resources
that enable students of varying physical and intellectual abilities to complete a research-based project. This
supports Standard 1:1 because to be able to create these resources, I needed to first know patrons’ backgrounds
in order to make resources engaging and accessible. The Unit Plan also includes resources that were
intentionally selected to promote culture competency at Fountain Green Elementary through the use of sources
that serve as “mirrors” to students and as “windows” to cultures they may be unfamiliar with. The lessons in
the plan include technology tools such as VoiceAloud which allows digital texts to be read to students, multiple
means of presenting materials and projects, and digital and physical sources for research.
Analysis
As a library media specialist candidate, it is important to recognize that Standard 1:1: Knowledge of
learners and learning is at the heart of all of the roles that the media specialist plays. A knowledge of the
library’s patrons (not just the students, but the teachers, parents, and other community members that use the
library) allows me to create a space and collection that is welcoming and conducive to engaging lessons for
everyone.
After completing the School Overview and Analysis, I understood that the learners affect not just the
collection that a library has, but also the roles the library takes on in the classroom and in the community to be
able to develop curious learners who want to take ownership of and are excited about their learning. By
recognizing the many aspects of Fountain Green’s population, I have been better able to create and facilitate the
use of information sources and lessons that deepen understanding and are accessible to all.
 The creation of the Multicultural Text Set on Immigration made it evident that even within a specific
topic, the librarian’s role is to curate resources that are accessible in multiple formats to all types of learners and
abilities. This assignment helped me to recognize that how all five of the librarian’s roles (i.e., teacher,
instructional partner, information specialist, program administrator, and leader) are played out in the library,
classroom, school, and community are affected by the learners within each of those settings. The resources that
are chosen to be used in any of those settings will vary depending on the needs of the patrons that have to be
met.
With the Unit Plan in ISTC 651, knowing the learners and the standards that need to be met in other
areas of the curriculum, I was able to make lessons that combine AASL and CCSS standards using resources
and tools that allow all students to interact with and gain knowledge in ways that work best for them. This is a
direct alignment with Standard 1:1 since to create lessons that are engaging and allow for students to take
ownership of them, I had to know ways to best meet the needs of students of varying abilities, learning styles,
and backgrounds. Including tools such as Capstone eBooks that will read texts aloud, offering multiple formats
for note-taking and assessment, and including multimedia resources and presentation tools are methods that
exemplify how I have been able to meet the needs of all types of learners and provide resources for teachers to
be able to implement the lessons in classrooms with a variety of abilities.