Collaboration Between the Classroom and the Media Center

I just finished reading an article about collaboration between teachers and media specialists. The article was fantastic. Here is the APA citation for it.

Valenza, Joyce Kasman. (2006). Library Media Specialists and the Future: A Conversation with Ken Haycock. MultiMedia & Internet@Schools, 13(1), 11-15.

The article is an excerpt from the book, In Super Searchers Go To School by Joyce Kasman Valenza. It is an interview of Ken Haycock, his professional experience includes: being a school librarian; principal; school board president; senior education official in Vancouver, British Coloumbia; president of the American Association of School Librarians; author; editor of Teacher Librarian magazine; and currently, director of the school of library and information science at San Jose State University. Utilizing his extensive experience, he talks about what we as media specialists must do in the future to help our students become lifelong information users.
Haycock believes that most teachers do not understand internet search tools for children well enough to teach them or that they are completely unaware of them. In his opinion, many who have been teaching for many years are accustomed to teaching the same way and are not taking action to keep informed of new programs and technologies for students. He believes people get caught up in “a very foolish debate that still goes on between people who say they favor books over technology and those who favor technology over books, when they really should be focusing on the content, the information, and the ideas that the various resources carry.” The author believes that educators district level especially do not collaborate effectively regarding technology.
Being graduate students, we've begun to realize the need to synthesize information. Even now, I'll finish reading something and think "What did I just read?" As media specialists, it is our job to help students learn research skills and how to synthesize information. I also believe that it is our job to make it known to teachers that we are there and willing to help within the classroom. We must stress that we are more than just the person that stands behind the counter checking books in and out.