Summative Reflection
Four years ago, I accepted the position of a media specialist in an elementary school and began my journey with Towson University. While implementing this new and challenging role, I began taking courses in the School Library Media Program. Through collaborative projects, discussions, and signature assessments, I began to understand and apply the America Association of School Librarian standards.
My introduction course to the program was ISTC 653: Organization of Knowledge. This course gave me the opportunity to learn about the organization of the Dewey Decimal Classification System and the Library of Congress system. Our signature assignment was visiting the Library of Congress and designing a MARC record. This assignment allowed me to understand the importance of libraries and how to analyze and organize my collection. At the beginning this course, I was afforded the opportunity to meet a wide range of colleagues that were also beginning their media specialist careers. We were able to collaborate with different ideas for success.
In ISTC 615: Collection Development, the signature assignment was revising my counties selection policy. This experience was beneficial to me on many different levels. As a program administrator, it empowered me to understand how important it is to evaluate my collection based on a current and acceptable criterion. Using a working collection development policy, allowed me to see how it applied to the district, state, and national standards. As a result of this project, I am able to apply the skills learned to develop a quality school library media collection at my school. This project met all four standards of the American Association of School Librarian.
To gain a foundation of information literacy, I was given the opportunity to take ISTC 651: Information Literacy and Access. For this course, my signature assignment was creating and information literacy model and learning how to implement it in the school library media program. I used the Big 6 model because I found that this model allows elementary students to understand the research process and teaches them to evaluate resources.
One of my favorite signature assignments was developing an instructional design unit using the Pebbles in a Pond model. For ISTC 667: Instructional Design and Development, I was able to learn about several different models of instruction and how to effectively utilize them in the school library media setting. Completing this project helped me realize how important collaborating is to provide effective instruction and for the purpose of analyzing our learners before creating instruction goals for them.
For SCED 518: Young Adult Literature and EDUC 717: Children’s Literature, I was given the opportunity to take these courses through Dr. Bond at Salisbury University. For both of these courses, I completed the signature assignment of compiling all my resources and creating a Wikispace. These courses allowed me to read a variety of excellent picture books and novels for students in the elementary, middle, and high school setting. Through class discussion, we explored different ideas to introduce and teach different genres in the media center. Reading and researching these books and their authors enabled me to become familiar with books that needed to be added to my library collection.
ISTC 789: Practicum and Portfolio in School Library Media, I have reflected on all of the courses that I have taken over the last four years. I have realized the importance of evaluating how to apply the American Association of School Library Standard to each artifact. This reflection has provided me with the opportunity to understand in much greater depth all the skills that I have learned to become a successful school librarian.
My introduction course to the program was ISTC 653: Organization of Knowledge. This course gave me the opportunity to learn about the organization of the Dewey Decimal Classification System and the Library of Congress system. Our signature assignment was visiting the Library of Congress and designing a MARC record. This assignment allowed me to understand the importance of libraries and how to analyze and organize my collection. At the beginning this course, I was afforded the opportunity to meet a wide range of colleagues that were also beginning their media specialist careers. We were able to collaborate with different ideas for success.
In ISTC 615: Collection Development, the signature assignment was revising my counties selection policy. This experience was beneficial to me on many different levels. As a program administrator, it empowered me to understand how important it is to evaluate my collection based on a current and acceptable criterion. Using a working collection development policy, allowed me to see how it applied to the district, state, and national standards. As a result of this project, I am able to apply the skills learned to develop a quality school library media collection at my school. This project met all four standards of the American Association of School Librarian.
To gain a foundation of information literacy, I was given the opportunity to take ISTC 651: Information Literacy and Access. For this course, my signature assignment was creating and information literacy model and learning how to implement it in the school library media program. I used the Big 6 model because I found that this model allows elementary students to understand the research process and teaches them to evaluate resources.
One of my favorite signature assignments was developing an instructional design unit using the Pebbles in a Pond model. For ISTC 667: Instructional Design and Development, I was able to learn about several different models of instruction and how to effectively utilize them in the school library media setting. Completing this project helped me realize how important collaborating is to provide effective instruction and for the purpose of analyzing our learners before creating instruction goals for them.
For SCED 518: Young Adult Literature and EDUC 717: Children’s Literature, I was given the opportunity to take these courses through Dr. Bond at Salisbury University. For both of these courses, I completed the signature assignment of compiling all my resources and creating a Wikispace. These courses allowed me to read a variety of excellent picture books and novels for students in the elementary, middle, and high school setting. Through class discussion, we explored different ideas to introduce and teach different genres in the media center. Reading and researching these books and their authors enabled me to become familiar with books that needed to be added to my library collection.
ISTC 789: Practicum and Portfolio in School Library Media, I have reflected on all of the courses that I have taken over the last four years. I have realized the importance of evaluating how to apply the American Association of School Library Standard to each artifact. This reflection has provided me with the opportunity to understand in much greater depth all the skills that I have learned to become a successful school librarian.