In my recent interview with Cate Mortensen, the librarian at Matilda Dunston Elementary School in North Charleston, SC—a vibrant elementary school serving a diverse student body in grades CD-5—we focused on her practical application of the EXPLORE competencies from the AASL standards. Cate emphasized how essential it is to encourage students to explore independently, promoting curiosity, creativity, and perseverance through library activities.
The following questions guided our discussion:
What are some examples of the ways in which you are implementing these competencies in your library program?
What are some of the resources in your library program that you are using to implement these competencies?
Do any of the competencies that you are implementing include collaboration with classroom teachers? If so, please provide examples.
What are some of the challenges that you face when trying to implement these competencies?
Are there any other comments that you would like to make regarding the Shared Foundation / Competencies and Domains that we have discussed today?
Cate explained her belief in allowing students freedom in their book selections, prioritizing interest and engagement over restrictive metrics like Lexile levels or Accelerated Reader (AR) points. Her goal is for students to discover books they genuinely enjoy, sparking a lifelong interest in reading. Cate mentioned that she aims to further integrate makerspace resources, such as creative modeling and animation projects, enabling students to actively explore and express their understanding of literature through hands-on activities.
She highlighted numerous resources supporting exploration, notably digital tools such as PebbleGo, engaging book displays, and interactive story extensions during carpet discussions. Cate also frequently brings in external resources like magicians and storytellers to enrich the students’ library experiences, helping them connect with literature through diverse and memorable interactions.
Collaboration with classroom teachers plays a significant role in Cate's library program. She described working closely with second-grade teachers on their unit wrap-ups, ensuring each session includes hands-on exploratory components. An impactful example involved students creating model insects from clay, complementing their written research and visual presentations on life cycles. Cate noted that these collaborative and creative activities particularly benefit multilingual learners, enhancing their comprehension and engagement through interactive, peer-supported learning.
Despite these successes, Cate shared that implementing exploration-focused activities presents specific challenges. She cited time constraints and limited access to materials as persistent obstacles. Although she receives strong support from her principal, enabling book purchases and resource acquisitions through DonorsChoose and wish lists, securing consistent funding and time for more extended project-based learning remains challenging. Additionally, she highlighted language barriers within her diverse student population, which require thoughtful, inclusive approaches to ensure effective engagement and comprehension.
Reflecting on our conversation, Cate’s insights underscored the importance of flexibility and creativity in library programming. Her commitment to providing varied, hands-on learning experiences reinforced my understanding of how critical it is to meet diverse student needs through intentional, exploratory library activities. From Cate, I've gained a deeper appreciation for strategically integrating creative and exploratory elements to foster an inclusive, engaging learning environment, lessons I plan to apply thoughtfully in my future professional practice.
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