My program
goals:
My goal upon entering the UGA Master's program was to learn all of the
necessary skills needed to develop and manage a successful library
media program. I also wanted to learn how to establish an
information-rich learning environment where students could become
effective and critical users and communicators of ideas and
information.
How I've met
my goals:
While studying for the Praxis
and preparing this Portfolio, and specifically studying how different
assignments met each competency, I was struck by how much more in depth
I comprehended each project and its relation to the overall picture of
becoming a media specialist. When I first completed each assignment, I
did what was
asked and thought I understood what each one's purpose and function
was.
But as I went back and reviewed each one, I began to more
fully recognized its importance, impact, and relationship to the job I
am about to
undertake. This newfound awareness causes me to believe that I have
acquired the knowledge and skills that I wanted to acquire in order to
become a
successful school library media specialist.
How I feel the program has prepared me for my future:
The School Library Media
Specialist program at UGA
has prepared me by instilling in me the knowledge of what the job
entails, the resources to carry out the
various aspects, and the skills to fulfill the four roles of the
school library media specialist as described in Information Power.
While in the program:
- I learned about
information
literacy skills and the means to teach them.
- I found out about
numerous
and diverse materials that
I could suggest for a variety of purposes.
- I learned how to teach
students
ways to access information and derive meaning
from many resources.
- Even though I am a former teacher and
had
some basic knowledge of child development and some of the teaching
techniques used, several
courses clarified
my understanding of the
learning process and provided new ways to analyze needs to achieve and
improve student learning.
- I was taught many skills;
both technical and analytical, and my knowledge of
technology and its related skills is now far beyond what it was when I
started.
- I was exposed to a
variety
of techniques and applications that I can use to access information,
teach students, and collaborate with teachers and the community.
- I came to understand
the growing importance of various aspects of the job, especially in the
area of technology.
- I learned of ways to
analyze the curriculum in order to
integrate instructional technologies into it. I
feel that I have
acquired the skills to become an instructional leader and am excited
about
approaching
teachers and sharing what I have learned in order to assist them in
their job.
- I discovered the importance of
making the media center be the hub of information
and educational activity in a school and be seen as a unifying resource
and
clearinghouse for information.
- I learned about a wide
variety
of information resources and
services and can evaluate their effectiveness.
- I became confident that I
can now choose appropriate materials for my
collection and have the ability to access a variety of electronic
databases and collections outside of the school.
- My awareness of equal
access to
information has been greatly expanded, and I feel that I can apply this
knowledge effectively to create a program that is open and available to
all.
- I gained a working
knowledge of the administrative role of a school library media
specialist and feel comfortable relating to and dealing with the
members of the learning community in order to guide and develop a
successful library media program.
I
believe that I have acquired a great deal of knowledge and learned many
skills in the course of this program,
even some things I did not know I would need! After
completing all of my
coursework, my internship, and my review for the Praxis, I feel
confident that this graduate program has prepared me to become an
effective school library media specialist and has given me the
confidence needed to perform the job
well.
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