Monday, August 30

I returned again, with enthusiasm to BRE.  This was one of few days when there wasn't a class rotating in, so the ladies had a chance to get some much needed work accomplished.  While there, I discussed my pleasure reading unit with the media specialist, my information literacy unit working with third grades teachers, and my ideas about a display highlighting GA writer Carmen Agra Deedy.  We discussed my reading to some first grade students next week and the necessary connection to their standards.  I also began physically going through the reference section looking for ways to bring this section up-to-date with much needed Atlases and Almanacs.  This section is also about 20+ years old and the media specialist hopes to purchase some much needed items.  I enjoy working on assignments that I know serve a purpose for myself but for this media center as well.  The enthusiasm of the youngsters who come into the media center to check out books is uplifting!

Bound to Stay Bound Time

I spent a couple of hours today working on choosing books that directly correlate to grade level social studies standards.  After looking at the age of the nonfiction section, it was determined that the average was 26 years, a little old for books that students are using to write about presidents and states.  My task from the media center specialist was to go into Bound to Stay Bound, who has the GA standards aligned to specific books and pick out books that would buttress this section and help with the age of this section.  I was able to locate 41 books and tentatively spend $741.00--not bad for this number.  It was certainly different when I started looking at reference material, which are significantly more expensive, but that's for another day.

Wednesday, August 25

I logged two hours in the elementary school media center today.  During this time we discussed my information literacy plan, but the 5th grade teachers are not going to do their research until Janauary.  Mrs. Media suggested that I consider a writing unit for the 3rd grade.  She will check with the 3rd grade teachers for me.

Mrs. Media showed me how to do an analysis of her collection.  We noted that the age of the collection is 21 years.  She has weeded last year, but wants to add some more current books that will also support the curriculum.  Mrs. Media showed me how to look at Follett and Bound to Stay Bound for ordering.  Bound to Stay Bound even has a way to look at book titles that specifically address specific curriculum.  I am going to work at adding books to the collection that address Social Studies standards for the first grade.  Before I left, I help shelve the books that had been returned today.  They average about 100 books daily. 

Monday, August 23

I spent 3.5 hours in the elementary media center.  When I arrived the media specialist was just finishing up a read aloud with a first grade class and they were moving into their check out mode.  Once everyone had a book it was time to read together again.  This is a new rotation that the media center is a part of this school year.  Now each grade level rotates  through the media center, guidance, and computer lab.

After finishing up with this group, we looked at the Renaissance program, the video room, movie room, and other media related places and tasks.

I was overwhelmed to hear about all of the media specialists "new" tasks.  In additional to being a "teacher" "information specialist" a "researcher" and a "program administrator," she has picked up text books, is responsible for fixes assets and maintains the school web site.

We discussed plans for my literacy unit, my staff development unit, and my reading for pleasure unit.  We discussed the best of group of teaches to collaborate with and how to tie in the media map with the class standards.  I left with a schedule and a plan.

New Year - Fresh Perspective

During the first two weeks of school, I logged 9 hours in the high school media center and 2 hours at the elementary level.  I will begin my real hours on the 23rd of August in the elementary media center.  I am excited about the life that I had seen in the elementary middle school last winter.

I spent a couple of my hours re-shelving books; it amazing that students could check out books during open house, but destiny was up and running and waiting for students.

I spent 3 hours working in destiny; this is the first year that the media specialists in our county as responsible for keeping up with textbook check out.  Each book for every student had to be put into destiny so that a record was kept determining where all texts books were.

I spent 2 hours on freshman orientation.  The media specialists schedule all 9th grade classes in the second weeks of school and familiarize them with what the media center has to offer and conducts a scavenger hunt so that students can get used to looking for specific resources.

I also worked with the media clerk on looking up and placing orders for teacher resources.  Additionally, she showed me the financial aspects of the media center.  Unfortunately, money is the one area that the county will fire its employees.  It was interesting to hear about the additional responsibilities that the media staff takes on to assist both students and teachers.  The media staff sponsors the junior class and with the obligation, they are responsibility for the junior/senior, which includes taking up money for prom tickets.

The media center also sponsors a relay for life team and that also requires them to keep up with monies that different members collect throughout the year.  These additional duties provide a connection between the media staff and our students.

The  2 hours that I spent at the elementary school was meeting the media center specialist and watching many classes come in to check out textbooks for their classes.  Rather than keying in books numbers, the elementary school was scanning in the student books.  I talked to the media specialist about her responsibilities so that I could get a feel for how I use my hours to help her achieve necessary tasks.  I look forward to getting a better feel for the elementary level.

I also logged an hour by attending the beginning of the year county-wide media specialist meeting.  It was interesting to be privy to media dialogue.  There was a log of conversation about books and book money.  Several principals had paid out of their own accounts book loses, but some of the books had been paid for and the principals wanted to be reimbursed.  I did not realize that this was common practice.  There was also an interesting discussion about the role that the new superintendent of instruction wanted media specialists to play in instruction.  He showed the end-of-year tests results and the AYP expectations.  From this he challenged each media specialist to ensure that the 100% expectation could be met in 2014.

Finally Working in My Home School MS

I spent approximately 4 hours working in the high school media center.  Unfortunately, I was only able to assist in shelving books that were being returned at the end of the year before the inventory took place.  This media center has such an efficient media clerk, I had to compete with her (intended to be humorous) to get the time to work with the books.  Unlike the middle school, they already had their books in series identified.  I did, however, get a fresh look at how popular the graphic novels are in the high school media center.  I also got to see that some of the books had not been checked out in such a long time that dust had found a permanent home in their pages.

Working with Middle School Books

I returned to the middle school media center to assist the media specialist is shelving books and putting series numbers of the books so that students can clearly see which book to read first, second, third, etc.  I was surprised at the number of books that middle school students do read in a series.  I spend approximately 5 hours working with this books finishing up all labels.  The media had created color codes for the books by the same author who had multiple series to eliminate any confunsion.  I enjoyed this tedious task, however, because I got to touch the books, see what middle  school students are reading, and familiarize myself with the collection of this media center.