Lawrence Public Schools (LPS) in Kansas has made significant strides in building students’ digital literacy skills and ensuring access to engaging materials. This forward-thinking district has implemented innovative strategies to curate and access content, highlighting the essential role of library media specialists in helping students develop 21st-century skills, including the use of open educational resources (OERs). 

The Challenge 

Situated between Topeka and Kansas City, Lawrence Public Schools serves nearly 12,000 students. The district faced the challenge of ensuring every child received a rich, diverse learning experience enhanced by technology. With a strong emphasis on relevancy and rigor, LPS aimed to increase student engagement and broaden access to resources. 

The Solution 

LPS decided to involve library media specialists in all aspects of learning, from curation to curriculum planning. This decision has been instrumental in helping students become future ready. Ellen Willets, Assistant Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, emphasized the importance of collaboration between media specialists and classroom teachers. “During the 2015-16 school year, we began our shift to greater collaboration between media specialists and classroom teachers,” Willets said. “These are highly skilled individuals who were not historically seen as instructional support, but rather as a person to locate resources for special units. That’s not the case here anymore.” 

The district recognized the depth of expertise among media specialists and leveraged it to benefit students. “As we developed our own future ready plan, we involved the media specialists because we believed their skills in research and technology further enhanced students’ learning experiences,” Willets added. 

Curating and Accessing Content 

A key component of LPS’s future ready plan was to provide access to relevant, timely materials. Textbooks alone were not sufficient, especially in rapidly changing subjects like social studies. The district explored online resources and decided to integrate OERs into the curriculum. 

Dr. Angelique Nedved, Former LPS Assistant Superintendent, explained, “Not long ago, LPS was invited to the White House to discuss the use of open educational resources. As one of the 10 districts in the nation committed to the OER movement, we involved library media specialists strategically from the beginning. Their expertise is relied upon for multiple curriculum decisions, starting with curation and through all aspects of teaching and learning.” 

Although the district has not fully integrated OERs yet, they are making significant progress. A committee, including a classroom teacher, a library media specialist, and a Teacher on Special Assignment (TOSA), focuses on troubleshooting, planning, and determining best practices for OERs in classrooms. 

Course Masters: A Comprehensive Resource 

The committee’s goal is to have materials ready for teachers, so they don’t have to search and curate information for their curriculum. Called Course Masters, this collection includes curriculum-aligned readings, articles, discussion topics, books, videos, assessments, and digital content. “Teachers pull from the Course Masters, which the librarians have helped create,” Willets said. 

The team is halfway through creating Course Masters using 100% OERs. “It’s a work in progress, because we’re always thinking about how our media specialists can support kids beyond the library,” Nedved said. 

Impact on Learning 

The inclusion of library media specialists in curriculum planning and resource curation has proven beneficial for LPS. “Our library media specialists impact learning on so many levels. They teach students how to build knowledge from information, as well as how to think and inquire,” Nedved emphasized. “Our kids need to know how to ask good questions, find high-quality information from different points of view, and draw their own conclusions from the evidence.” 

Willets added, “With OERs, we can offer diverse options and provide a broader, more holistic approach to any subject.” 

Conclusion 

Today, the library media specialists at Lawrence Public Schools continue to work closely with teachers to ensure dynamic, relevant curricula for students. The district’s commitment to using OERs and involving media specialists in the educational process underscores their dedication to creating a future-ready learning environment. 

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