School library media
candidates encourage reading and lifelong learning
by stimulating interests and fostering competencies in the effective
use of ideas and information. They apply a variety of strategies to
ensure access to resources and information in a variety of formats to
all members of the learning community. Candidates promote efficient and
ethical information seeking behavior as part of the school library
media program and its services.
Teaching this research method to students will also empower me, as a media specialist, to identify and address student interests and motivations. My I-search project revolutionized the idea of research for me. As I noted in my I-search reflection, "research" meant long hours mired in dull books with little print, trying to take notes; struggling to organize the notes into a paper, and trying to put somebody else’s facts into my own words. The I-search changed that for me and taught me the value of being personally invested in my research; a value that I am anxious to share with teachers and students.
Joyce, Marilyn
Z., and Julie I. Tallman. Making the Writing
and Research Connection with the I-Search Process.
"School
Library Media Education Programs." American
Library Association. 2006.
http://www.ala.org/aasl/aasl-ncate/ncate.html
(Accessed 09 Jun, 2006)
Summary:
This assignment required
that we compile a list of resources for purchase that supported a
particular planning objective. Key themes in this assignment
included access to information, curriculum support, literacy, and
leisure reading promotion.
Justification:
In
completing this assignment, I learned and practiced some of the
strategies to
ensure access to resources and
information in a variety of formats to
all members of the learning community. This project was a
group
collaboration; my group consisted of Donna Ahlrich, James Brown, Roxy
Warren and myself. We elected to make this project as real world
as possible, and by consulting with a practicing middle school media
specialist in Gwinnett County, we learned that the State of Georgia
Department of Education had modified its required
curriculum known as QCC (Quality Core Curriculum). The new 6th
and 7th grade Social Studies General Performance Standards varied
considerably in content from the
previously used curriculum. This media specialist indicated that
her present collection did not adquately address the new Standards, so
we used this scenario to develop our materials order. The
rationales that guided our selection included curriculum support,
literature link and leisure reading, and intellectual access. Our
order included a variety of materials, which are listed in the linked
powerpoint presentation.
Summary:
This assignment
required the development of a plan based on a specific media program
and its needs. The PDEP
included the creation of goals and objectives to improve the
media program, a clear statement of the media center's philosophy and
mission statement, an explanation of how budgets, committees, and
personnel will be managed, and a plan for evaluating the media program.
Justification:
A
stimulating learning environment doesn't just happen by luck. The
PDEP provides the media specialist a blueprint for accomplishing the
mission of the media center, with long- and short-range goals to
support the school's mission and goals. This project was a
group collaboration; I worked with Donna Ahlrich, Aaron Lines,
and Julie Payne. Julie is a media specialist, so we were
privileged to collaborate on a PDEP for a real school. The
long range goals we developed for this school had rationales based on
some of the learning and teaching principles, and the information and
access delivery principles of Information
Power. In developing these goals, we also developed
our knowledge of effective management policies, procedure, and
principles. Our PDEP illustrated our commitment to establishing a
positive educational climate in the library media center, and supports flexible and open access for the library
media center and its services.