University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Information Studies

Please Note: This is a sample syllabus from a previous semester. This is NOT the Spring 2013 syllabus. There will be changes.

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Information Studies

L&I SCI 642

SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA PROGRAMS AND RESOURCES

SYLLABUS

Spring 2012(On-Line)

Bonnie Withers, M.A., M.L.I.S.Phone: 414-229-2792

e-mail: Fax: 414-229-4848

NWQ 3495

Please read this syllabus carefully and do not hesitate to contact me if you have questions or need clarification. Each student in this class should be aware of all the course requirements, assignments and procedures. I will update the syllabus if needed, in response to the interests you express in class discussions and other communication with me.

Office Hours: Please make an appointment by email for a phone conference or a video chat using Skype or gMail Video.

COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course focuses on the school library media center within today’s information environment. We examine the library media center program, services, and users; the management, organization and development of material as well as human resources. We look at the roles of the library media specialist as the director of the library media center program in collaboration withadministrators, including a district library media director, and teachers.

OBJECTIVES: Being a successful school library media specialist requires knowledge of the management of library and information services in a school setting, knowledge of information sources, knowledge of collaborative delivery of information literacy instruction, and knowledge of procedures and practices in developing and organizing the collection for full utilization. At the conclusion of the course, the student should have the ability to:

1. Identify, program and assess the services that are the responsibility of a library media center as an integral part of the school system. (6.7)
2. Demonstrate skills for collaborative planning of curriculum and lessons with teachers. (2.4, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3)
3. Serve as instructional consultant and partner, identify instructional objectives, and recommend appropriate media and other resources. (4.4, 7.2, 7.4, 7.5)
4. Apply principles of management to the development and administration of the policies and procedures in the school library media center. (3.8, 6.1)
5. Evaluate, plan and manage appropriate facilities and program resources necessary for the school library media center program. (6.3)
6. Describe the media center budgeting process. (6.4)
7. Individualize the standards, principles, and ethics of the library media profession to the school library media situation in which they are employed with particular attention to diversity in all of its manifestations. (2.2)
8. Identify school laws and regulations that affect school library media programs. (6.2)
9. Incorporate electronic technology into the school library media center, in the areas of program, service, and management. (5.3)
10. Communicate and advocate for the role of the library media program in the educational program. (1.2, 2.2, 7.10)

The numbers in parentheses refer to the Wisconsin DPI standards for the 902 Library Media Specialist Initial License. Students in other states will find it useful to identify relevant standards in their state documents.

Wisconsin certification students should note LMS or student standardsaddressed in each written assignment where relevant and should consider how assignments may address the 902 standards in their ePortfolios.

Texts: Two textbooks are required for the course.

Donham, Jean. Enhancing Teaching and Learning: A Leadership Guide for School Library Media Specialists, 2nd ed., revised.New York: Neil Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2008.(ISBN: 1-55570-647-9)

21st-Century Learning in School Libraries.Fontichiaro, Kristin, Ed. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC CLIO, 2009.(ISBN: 978-1-59158-895-5)

Go to the AASL website and download a copy of the 8 page summary of the “Standards for the 21st Century Learner”.

Sign up for free subscriptions (journal and online newsletter) to Tech & Learning and eSchool News.

Methods: The primary methods of instruction will beinformal lecture, readingsand class discussion. This means that active participation is required. Please read all assignments carefully so that your postings are thoughtful and well-supported.

Posts should be succinct and to the point, thoughtful and careful. I’ll be offering an intro and discussion starter for each forum. Please use these as a jumping off place for your discussion but don’t feel limited by them. Our text and other readings will, for the most part, offer a vision of the ideal. You will bring your practical experience to that ideal, plus offer the class additional resources, links and information on some of our topics. Whether you’re currently working in a school or have little experience in this setting, each of you will have unique perspectives to offer. As with all online classes, I expect that you will learn as much from your classmates’ posts as you do from me and from the course readings.

You will be expected to post at least three times in each session. Sometimes you will have one topic to which to respond; other times there may be more than one, especially when you are presenting journal discussions. As with most online courses, I look for at least 1 substantial post within the week in which you offer reflection on the required readings and references to outside sources. The other 2+ posts in the forum may be briefer, offering reaction or response to your classmates or additional information. Your responses should indicate that you have prepared the required assignment for the week.

0ur class week will begin on Tuesday. The week will end the following Sunday at 10PM. From that time until Tuesday at 6AM CST is theNO POST period for students. This policy helps to separate one week from the next and gives us all an enforced break from the compulsion to check the class site several times a day! If you feel you must post in the NO POST period, you need my permission.

Please review the following rubric carefully to understand how your posts will be assessed.

Rubric for Assessment of Discussion Posts

A level Participation / B level Participation / C level
Participation / D level Participation
Responds to discussion questions thoroughly and succinctly, adding insight and extended information.
Cites classmates,
engages classmates in dialogue that adds synthesis, clarification and significant dimension to discussion. Participates steadily throughout the discussion period. / Responds fully to all discussion questions.
Comments are mostly well supported and show above average thought.
Supports and engages classmates. Participates several times during the session. / Partially responds to discussion questions.
Comments show some thought.
Sometimes acknowledges classmates and engages in dialogue. Participates late in the session only / Rarely responds to discussion questions.
Comments show little thought.
Posts are isolated from class dialogue. Participates minimally, posting only very late in the session.

No participation = F

If you believe you will be unable to participate in discussion due to unforeseen circumstances (your trip to Aruba doesn’t count!), please email me beforehand to request an excused absence.

Live Chats: Classes vary greatly in how much they participate in live chats. I will experiment with a couple chats to determine if this class wants them. I will vary the time and day to accommodate your various schedules. Watch the Welcome Page for chat announcements.

Participation by Students with Disabilities:

If you need special accommodations in order to meet any of the requirements of this course, please contact me as soon as possible.

D2L and Student Privacy:

Certain SOIS courses utilize the instructional technology Desire to Learn (D2L) to facilitate online learning. D2L provides instructors the ability to view both individual data points and aggregate course statistics, including the dates and times individual students access the system, what pages a student has viewed, the duration of visits, and the IP address of the computer used to access the course website. This information is kept confidential in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), but may be used for

student evaluation.

Course Calendar:

Week / Topic / Assigned Reading/Viewing
Week 1 January 23 / Introductions
Learning Standards / Fontichiaro, Introduction and Chapter 1
YouTube: Dan Pink, “Education and the Changing World of Work”
Video: “Today’s Library” (Content)
Week 2 January 31 / 21st Century Learners / Fontichiaro, Chapter 2
Alan November, YouTube, “3 Skills Students Need to Succeed”

Week 3 February 7 / 21st Century School Library Media Specialist / Fontichiaro, Chapter 4
Website Walk-Through
DUE February 13 Case Study #1
Week 4 February 14 / The Principal and the District / Donham, Chapter 3 and 4
Video: “Your School’s Team Deserves a Star Player” (Content)
Johnson, “Budgeting For Lean, Mean Times”
Week 5 February 21 / Collaboration / Fontichiaro, Chapter 8
AASL Best Websites, first 13

Week 6 February 28 / Scheduling / Donham, Chapter 7
AASL Best Websites, 14-25

Week 7 March 6 / Collection and Policies / Donham, Chapter 8 and 225-231
DUE March 12 Interview with LMS
Week 8 March 13 / Reading / Fontichiaro, Chapter 5
MacKenzie, J. “Reading Across a Dozen Literacies”
Spring Break / Spring Break / Spring Break
Week 9 March 27 / Inquiry / Fontichiaro, Chapter 6
Due April 2 Blog Assignment
Week 10 April 3 / Instructional Strategies / Fontichiaro, Chapter 9
Week 11 April 10 / Lesson Plans / Fontichiaro, Chapter 10 and 11
Journal Projects
Due April 16 Case Study #2
Week 12 April 17 / Assessment / Donham, Chapter 12
PPT, Class Management
Journal Projects
Week 13 April 24 / Mission, Vision, Evaluation / Fontichiaro, Chapter 3
Donham, Chapter 13
S.M.A.R.T. goals (many websites explain them—choose one)
Journal Projects
Week 14 May 1 / Leadership / Donham, Chapter 14
Journal Projects
Week 15 May 8 (short week) / Project sharing / Due May 14 Final Project

1.School Library Visit and Interview

Arrange to visit a school library media center and meet with the media specialist. Avoid choosing someone you now work with or a place with which you are otherwise familiar. The media specialist should be experienced and certified (with a 902 or equivalent license in your state), not a paraprofessional. Develop a set of interview questions prior to the visit.

Examples of focus might be: how print and non-print instructional materials are selected; how physical facilities are arranged; how class scheduling works; responsibility of media specialist for equipment and/or production; opportunities for and barriers to collaboration with teachers; role in integrating technology with instruction; how new AASL Standards are being promoted and implemented; how media specialist keeps up professionally; how the position has changed over time; etc. Ask both descriptive questions and “why” questions (not just qualifications and employment history). You may find practice and attitudes quite at variance with what you find in our texts as the ideal. Be gentle and respectful.

Call to set up the appointment and explain that this is for a class in the administration of school library media centers. Try to limit your interview to one hour and use you time wisely so as not to be too interruptive of the media specialist. If your own work situation permits, use an additional hour to observe the library in action. (You will not be penalized if you can only conduct your interview after school when no classes are present.) If you cannot meet with a certified library media specialist in person, arrange for a phone or video conference (such as Skype). Email interview is NOT permitted because it demands too much of the LMS’ time and is not sufficiently interactive.

Prepare a written summary (3-4 pages) of the interview. Do not identify the site or the name of the interviewee.The summary, in essay form (not a transcript) should include: an introduction, a general description of the school (urban, suburban, rural); a description of the school media program and population, responses to your questions; and your own reaction/response to the interview and to the activities and physical set-up you observed.

Ask if you may contact the library media specialist with questions that may arise later in the course

Submit your summary essay at the student site. Also be prepared to summarize your visit and the interview in the Discussion forum.

DUE: March 12

2. Blogs

For this assignment, you will be exploring some of the blogs (short for weblog, an informal communication tool)available to keep practicing school library media specialists up-to-date and in touch with their colleagues around the world. Use the list in Fontichiaro, pg. 359-360.

Explore the list with an eye toward what’s useful and meaningful for your own professional reading. Choose two that you will follow for five weeks. Write a 3 to 4 page reflective essay in which you identify the blogs you chose and why, whether for information, innovation or even inspiration. Include comments on the value of recent posts, ease of navigation and design, relative activity of the blog with respect to reader comments (where applicable), and any other information you wish to provide.

DUE: April 2

NOTE: This blog assignment is relatively new. We used to require that students in 642 subscribe to and monitor the LM_NET listserv. You may see reference to this list in your reading. LM_NET is a very busy email discussion group with up to 100 messages each day. You are welcome to include this listserv as one of your choices OR a listserv sponsored by your state, such as WEMTA here in Wisconsin (requires WEMTA membership).

3. Case Studies

We will work with case studies as a way to apply professional standards to practical situations. You will be expected to formally discuss two assigned case studies in written form over the course of the semester. For your analysis, use the questions offered in the case study as a guideline (if provided), but be sure to also discuss other elements that you feel are important in considering the issue. Response papers should be ingood essay form (see writing guidelines at end of syllabus) about 3-4 pages in length, double-spaced. You are expected to support your opinions with resources; your texts are fair game here.

Please use MLA formatto cite resources both within your essay and in a bibliography.

Due:February 13 and April 16

4. Professional Reading/Journal Reports

I expect all students to become familiar with the relevant professional journals in the field. Fontichiaro provides a fine annotated list of recommended journals on pages 360-361.

I have set up a Doodle with a list of topics and dates. (use Table View). Up to two students may sign up for any one topic. Where a topic has more than one selector, those who have chosen it may work together or separately.You will be expected to find two journal articles on the topic,summarize them briefly, add your own reflection and a question for discussion and create your report using Camtasia Relay.Whenever possible, try to find differing points of view on your topic for a more interesting analysis.

You will be making a presentation to the class on your topic and what you learned in your reading using Camtasia Relay. Posting of your presentation is expected on the first day (Tuesday) of your assigned week. Your grade will be based on the shared presentation. There is no separate assignment that needs to be posted to the dropbox.

Topics:

• Time Management for teacher-librarians
• School library design
• Public/School library cooperation
• Student aides in school libraries
• Using student workers in the school library
• Advocacy for the school library
• Privacy issues in school libraries
• Electronic Gaming applications in school libraries
• Signage and labeling
• Cyber-bullying
• eBooks and readers
• Dewey-pro and con
• Budget planning

5. Final Project: Choose ONE of the following three options.

Staff Development Plan

Choose one of the new technologies listed in the AASL Best Websites for Teaching and Learning list. Develop a detailed scripted plan for a two-session workshop which helps classroom teachers integrate this technology into their instruction. You may focus on any level, lower elementary, upper elementary, middle school, or high school. You may choose a specific subject area (ex. Wisconsin or state studies for 4th graders) or a more general plan for a wider range of teachers. If you have already created such a workshop, I urge you to challenge yourself with a different grade level or subject. In other words, please do something fresh.Refer to issues raised in the Donham text, especially p. 221-222.

Include:

a flyer announcing the workshop,

your goals for the session,introduction,

all websites visited and discussed,

a script of your commentary that moves participants through your plan.

pre and post workshop instruments that participants would use to assess the success and benefit of the workshop for them

your own evaluation.

21st century standards you are addressing in your workshop plan.

You may submit this project in paper form (8-10 pages) or in electronic form as a web page.