Foliotek Reflections for School Library Media M

Whitney Fletcher

Foliotek Reflection Form for School Library Media M.Ed. and Certification Programs

Reflection for MEDT 6461 Administration of School Library Media Centers

Semester Taken / Spring 2009
Instructor / Dr. Snipes

Students will write brief reflections describing how completing the assignments for this course, helped them gain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions indicated in the standards below that correlate with this course. Any assignments and projects completed during this course may be used as examples to support your understanding of the specific standards indicated for this course. One specific assignment students should use as an example is the Policies and Procedures Handbook project.

ALA/AASL Standards

1. School Library Media Candidates Encourage Reading and Lifelong Learning

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.

1.4 Stimulating learning environment

Candidates demonstrate ways to establish and maintain a positive educational climate in the library media center. Candidates identify relationships among facilities, programs, and environment that impact student learning. Candidates plan and organize library media centers according to their use by the learning community.

4. Program Administration

School library media candidates administer the library media program in order to support the mission of the school, and according to the principles of best practice in library science and program administration.

4.2 Managing program resources: Human, financial, and physical

Candidates develop and evaluate policies and procedures that support the mission of the school and address specific needs of the library media program, such as collection development and maintenance, challenged materials, and acceptable use policies. Candidates apply accepted management principles and practices that relate to personnel, financial, and operational issues. Candidates plan adequate space for individuals, small groups, and whole classes.

In the box below, write a brief reflection based on the ALA/AASL standards indicated above.

During the semester the assignments and projects assigned in this class meet several standards. The floor plan assignment helped me understand the importance of making a media center inviting, comfortable and user friendly. The floor plan also helped to ensure that specific spaces were set aside in the library to incorporate several different size groups and learning styles to enhance the students learning. While the importance of the media center being inviting helps bring in the students and staff; it is the program that goes on inside the media center that has the most impact on the student’s learning. It is here where the administration of the media program is important. The scheduling of students and the collaboration of the media specialist with the teachers is also an important in ensuring that the Information Literacy Standards are taught and meet. The Media policies and procedures handbook assignment helped me understand the importance of setting the expectations of the media program. When expectations are clearly established it makes all parties involved responsible for their role in creating a media program that runs smoothly and focuses on student goals and achievements. It is important that the teachers and staff understand all policies and procedures to help support and enhance the media program for all students.

College of Education Conceptual Framework Descriptors

Proactive: We believe that candidates should be able to advocate for the removal of barriers that impede life long learning and hinder transformational systemic change.

In the box below, write a brief reflection based on the CoE Descriptor indicated above.

I believe that the number one goal of all educational programs should be to reach, teach and inspire students to achieve and meet all standards. Not only should they achieve and meet the standards, but go further and become lifelong learns and readers. When reading several articles posted on listserves, I noticed that a lot of posts were about the barriers that their daily schedules had or the lack of support they had in trying to strive and meet their goals. Making clear expectations and having an open line of communication between school administration and staff can help eliminate these barriers so that goals can be meet and students can reach their highest potential.

Reflection for MEDT 6463 Cataloging

Semester Taken / Fall 2009
Instructor / Dr. P. Snipes

ALA/AASL Standards

1. School library media candidates encourage reading and lifelong learning

1.3 Access to information

Candidates support flexible and open access for the library media center and its services. Candidates identify barriers to equitable access to resources and services. Candidates facilitate access to information in print, nonprint, and electronic formats. Candidates comply with and communicate the legal and ethical codes for the profession.

In the box below, write a brief reflection based on the ALA/AASL standards indicated above.

The assignments incorporated in this course reflect many of the ALA/AASL standards. The Dewey Decimal PowerPoint assignment was one assignment that allowed me to understand the Dewey Decimal System and how to present information to my patrons. Presenting the information to the teachers was beneficial in that it gave me a chance to see the needs of the teachers and how to best assist them in helping their students.

College of Education Conceptual Framework Descriptors

Culturally Sensitive: We believe that candidates should be able to develop awareness and understanding of individual and group differences when diagnosing and prescribing transformational systemic change.

In the box below, write a brief reflection based on the CoE Descriptor indicated above.

The Sears and Dewey Decimal System cataloging assignments meet the culturally sensitive CoE Descriptor in that media center materials can be cataloged in several different ways. It is important to be culturally aware of the type of patrons you are serving when cataloging materials in your media center. It is how you catalog your materials, that serves as the direction in which your patrons will search for materials.

Reflection for MEDT 6464 Reference Sources and Services

Semester Taken / Summer 2010
Instructor / Dr. Cooper

Students will write brief reflections describing how completing the assignments for this course, helped you gain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions indicated in the standards below that correlate with this course. Any assignments and projects completed during this course may be used as examples to support your understanding of the specific standards indicated for this course. One specific assignment students should use as an example is the Pathfinder project.

List potential projects that might later be included in the program electronic portfolio.
Reference Logs

ALA/AASL Standards

1. School Library Media Candidates Encourage Reading and Lifelong Learning

1.1 Efficient and ethical information seeking behavior.

Candidates model strategies to locate, evaluate, and use information for specific purposes. Candidates identify and address student interests and motivations. Candidates interact with the learning community to access, communicate, and interpret intellectual content. Candidates adhere to and communicate legal and ethical policies.

In the box below, write a brief reflection based on the ALA/AASL standards indicated above.

The Pathfinder project defiantly incorporates the ALA/AASL standards listed. The pathfinder projects allowed me to see the importance of encouraging and teaching students to use quality research materials. When creating the pathfinders we were asked to find different types of resources that students and teachers could use when researching about a specific topic found in their Georgia Performance Standards. While completing this assignment it opened my eyes to the different types of quality resources that can be found within the Web. With this knowledge of databases found on the web, I feel that I am adequately equipped to assist students and teachers through collaboration to complete the necessary research for their assignments.

College of Education Conceptual Framework Descriptors

Life Long Learners: We believe that candidates should seek continually to improve their knowledge, dispositions, and skills to influence transformational systemic change.

In the table box below, write a brief reflection based on the CoE Descriptor indicated above.

After completing the pathfinder project, I feel that this is a great assignment to help media specialist keep up-to-date on technology and how to best reach their patron. The required readings and reflections were also helpful. The readings kept me up-to-date on the problems and solutions that media specialist are facing when trying to keep up with the times of technology and best ways to reach their patrons.

Reflection for MEDT 6465 Selection and Materials

Semester Taken / Summer 2009
Instructor / Dr. J. Buddy

ALA/AASL Standards

1. School Library Media Candidates Encourage Reading and Lifelong Learning

1.2 Literacy and reading

Candidates are aware of major trends in reading material for children and youth. Candidates select materials in multiple formats to address the needs and interests of diverse young readers and learners. Candidates use a variety of strategies to promote leisure reading. They model their personal enjoyment of reading in order to promote habits of creative expression and lifelong reading.

In the box below, write a brief reflection based on the ALA/AASL standards indicated above.

The Read, Listen and View Log assignment reflects the 1.2 Literacy and reading ALA/AASL standard in that I selected up to 50 different types of materials for students in grades Kindergarten to grade five. This standard is also met during the collection analysis assignment. Understanding the collection as a whole allows one to find the weak areas in the collection and build a balanced collection.

College of Education Conceptual Framework Descriptors

Decision Makers: We believe that candidates should be able to demonstrate knowledge and skills when making decisions that will influence effective transformational systemic change.

In the box below, write a brief reflection based on the CoE Descriptor indicated above.

This standard is met during the development of a reconsideration policy assignment. The reconsideration policy is used when a patron wants to challenge the content of materials. The procedures found within this policy allows for consistency and professionalism when patrons challenge materials. This standard is also met when selecting and ordering materials for the media center. Understanding the collection and building up the weak parts of the collection is important when creating a balanced collection for your patrons.

Reflection for MEDT 6466 Media Programs

Semester Taken / Spring 2010
Instructor / Dr. Goldberg

ALA/AASL Standards

3. Collaboration and Leadership

School library media candidates provide leadership and establish connections with the greater library and education community to create school library media programs that focus on students learning and achievement; encourage the personal and professional growth of teachers and other educators, and model the efficient and effective use of information and ideas.

3.2 Instructional Partner

Candidates model, share, and promote ethical and legal principles of education and librarianship. Candidates acknowledge the importance of participating on school and district committees and in faculty staff development opportunities.

4. Program Administration

4.3 Comprehensive and Collaborative Strategic Planning and Assessment

Candidates collaborate with teachers and administrators to develop a library media program plan that aligns resources, services, and information literacy standards with the school's goals and objectives. Candidates use data for decision-making.