Office of Curriculum, Technology, & Assessment

Program Title: Literacy 2 Learn Best Practices for School Library Media Programs
Program Length: Self-Paced (10 Modules)
Delivery Method: Online Internet Based
Program Provider: USDLC-Literacy to Learn
Audience: Library Media Specialists
Additional Information: http://usdlc.org/pathways/moreDetail.jsp#1
Registration: Click here to register.

Description: When library media specialists play a collaborative, instructional role alongside the classroom teacher, the result can be a statistically significant impact on student performance.

The effective library media specialist plays a four-fold role: as a teacher of information literacy, skills and technology; as an instructional partner with classroom teachers; as an information specialist in acquiring and evaluating information from both print and electronic sources; and as a program administrator.

All of these roles make the library media specialist a key member of the larger learning community that centers on student learning.

This 10-part video series and 15 online modules (Online modules will be available soon) are directed towards the professional development of the library media professional, the classroom teacher, and their intertwined relationship in promoting student academic success.

This course is designed to enable you to:

• Learning what the research says
• Supporting teaching and learning
• Improving information access and delivery
• Facilitating program administration
• Communicating the program
• Assessing professional competence
• Teaching through student research
• Collaborating for middle and high school research
• Creating a culture of reading
• Dealing with thorny issues: copyright and intellectual freedom

10 modules to this online self-paced course

Each of the modules contains these components:

• Pre-Self-Assessment  

• Engagement  

• Viewing Guide and Resources

• Media

• Webfolio Report

Modules:

Module 1: What Research Says
The first program explores the roles of a school library media coordinator/specialist and resources to develop “best practices.

Frances Bradburn, Director of the Instructional Technologies Division at the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, Keith Curry Lance, Director, Colorado State Library and Adult Education Office, Marilyn Miller, Professor Emeritus from the Department of Library & Information Studies at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, and Rusty Taylor, Head Library Media Coordinator for Wake County Public Schools, discuss national research studies for media coordinators.

Visits are also made to school media centers. Discussion centers on the multiple roles of the School Library Media Coordinator and how their work can impact student achievement.

Module 2: Teaching and Learning
Several school media centers are visited during this program that explores four criteria for best examples of teaching and learning through the use of the media center. The four criteria are: (1) collaboration for instruction—e.g., involved in curriculum implementation; (2) information access—e.g., open, flexible, and equitable access; (3) staff development—e.g., planning and assessing high quality staff development; and (4) public relations—e.g., promoting the media program.

Module 3: nformation Access and Delivery
The third program explores the role of the library media program in obtaining and developing instructional resources and in making them available to students and teachers.

In addition to visiting several school media centers, four criteria are discussed for information access and delivery. The four areas discussed are (1) selecting resources based on diverse needs; (2) having reliable access to software/online resources and making those resources accessible; (3) that leadership, a planning committee with representation of all stakeholders, outside expertise, and good elements of design all contribute to the planning and designing of media facilities for learning; and (4) developing educational specifications by examining the current situation, identifying the needs, trends, objectives, educational philosophy/methodology, research, and vision.

Module 4: Program Administration
The fourth program explores the importance of policies, advisory committees, material selection tools, and standards in a library media program.

Elementary, middle, and high school libraries are visited which exemplify seven criteria for good program administration. Those seven topics are (1) planning the program; (2) being the change agent; (3) advisory committee membership and responsibilities; (4) staffing the program; (5) budgeting for the program; (6) creating and implementing policies and procedures, and (7) building support for vision and programs.

Module 5: Communicating the Program
Best practices in communicating the media program emphasize the importance of marketing your program and obtaining community support and involvement. Ideas discussed are to communicate program developments and success to a variety of community groups such as parents, the Board of Education, the Chamber of Commerce, and other groups; utilize community resources to support the curriculum, and promote community involvement with the media center and media services program.

Module 6: So How Am I Doing? Professional Assessment
We will participate in a workshop with administrators as they are trained in the use of the Media Coordinator Professional Assessment Instrument (MCPAI). Not only will we learn how to evaluate media coordinators, but we will see many examples of good practice.

Module 7: Thinking About Student Research
This episode focuses on the research process in an elementary school. Why do we begin to teach students how to find information and solve problems in elementary school, even as early as Kindergarten? What does research look like in elementary school? Is there a way to incorporate the research process—i.e. problem-solving—into a teacher’s daily practice? If there is, what is the role of the school library media coordinator in moving this process into the school curriculum? Can our roles as planners and collaborators really allow the library media program and its resources and services to become the true hub of the school?

In order answer these and other questions, we visit Hornets Nest Elementary School in Charlotte, North Carolina, and meet D.J. Midgett, the school library media coordinator, and her faculty. Together they have implemented a school-wide research model called Research and Write.

Module 8: Collaboration for Middle & High School Research
We all know how important it is to teach students how to do research, whether it is for a school project - and for a grade - or whether it is for their personal information. It is extremely important but it can also be very boring for students, teachers, and media coordinators alike.

Is there a way to help middle school and high school students develop the skills they need to fiind, evaluate, and present information - in other words complete a research project, while tapping their interests and keeping them motivated?

This episode addresses the challenge and provides some examples of engaging students in the process of finding and using information effectively.

Module 9: Creating a Culture of Reading
Reading is the primary skill that every child needs to be successful in our 21st century environment. If a child can read well, all the other literacies fall into place. If he or she cannot, that future is compromised.

What can we, as school library media coordinators, do to assist classroom teachers in this vitally important task?

In this episode, viewers will meet a variety of media coordinators and some classroom teachers who are working through this important question. Rusty Taylor, Lead School Library Media Coordinator for the Wake County School System talks with a group of high school library media coordinators about how media programs support life-long learning - or not.

Then three middle school library media coordinators talk about dealing with some of the hard questions Rusty presents.

Finally, a school library media coordinator at a primary school demonstrates how she is learning not only to promote reading, but to create attitudes that last a lifetime.

Two reflection opportunities will help viewers reflect on some hard questions and their own practices in creating a climate and culture of reading.

Module 10: Dealing with Thorny Issues: Copyright and Intellectual Freedom
Providing access to information and enabling students to select their own reading material constantly challenge school library media coordinators as they struggle with issues of society’s concerns for child safety, developmental appropriateness, cultural norms, and religious beliefs.

In this episode, Frances Bryant Bradburn, Director of Instructional Technology with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, talks with a class of pre-and in-service teachers about these issues.

Viewers also will hear a panel discussion by building-level school library media coordinators about their experiences dealing with challenges to resources and learn about policies for handling challenges from a system-level school library media director. Reflection opportunities are provided.

NSDC Standards for Staff Development

Context Standards

Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

• Organizes adults into learning communities whose goals are aligned with those of the school and district. (Learning Communities)
• Requires skillful school and district leaders who guide continuous instructional improvement. (Leadership)
• Requires resources to support adult learning and collaboration. (Resources)

Process Standards

Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

• Uses disaggregated student data to determine adult learning priorities, monitor progress, and help sustain continuous improvement. (Data-Driven)
• Uses multiple sources of information to guide improvement and demonstrate its impact. (Evaluation)
• Prepares educators to apply research to decision making. (Research-Based)
• Uses learning strategies appropriate to the intended goal. (Design)
• Applies knowledge about human learning and change. (Learning)
• Provides educators with the knowledge and skills to collaborate. (Collaboration)

Content Standards

Staff development that improves the learning of all students:

• Prepares educators to understand and appreciate all students, create safe, orderly and supportive learning environments, and hold high expectations for their academic achievement. (Equity)
• Deepens educators' content knowledge, provides them with research-based instructional strategies to assist students in meeting rigorous academic standards, and prepares them to use various types of classroom assessments appropriately. (Quality Teaching)
• Provides educators with knowledge and skills to involve families and other stakeholders appropriately. (Family Involvement)

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