3.2 Access to information
Candidates demonstrate their ability to develop solutions for addressing physical, social and intellectual barriers to equitable access to resources and services.
2010 ALA/AASL Standards for Initial Preparation of School Librarians
Throughout my school library media courses, I have promoted and explained many new tools – both in print and technology – that can be used to access information. The school library media specialist, as the school community’s guide to information, must facilitate access to these tools. Classroom teachers do not always have the time to research and evaluate these new resources. In the Information Services, Retrieval, Dissemination and Utilization course, SLM 505, we were tasked to account for diverse learning styles to support access to information. I promoted the use of the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL), a site dedicated to grammar and mechanics that includes examples and lessons that are easily understood. The flyer would hang in the copyroom for staff to read as they were waiting on their copies. I promoted new professional books in the media center by creating a Glog that I would embed in a staff email and place on the media webpage. I also created a Screencast on the use of a subscription database. Later in SLM 509, I created an Inquiry chart that aligned Web2.0 tools to an inquiry process developed by Anne Lamb called the 8W’s. All of these resources are newer tools of which the classroom teachers were not yet aware. Presenting these resources in various formats increased the likelihood that staff will realize the value of these tools in increasing student achievement.
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Everything I created I shared with staff at my current school. Not all staff used all tools, but the guides generated positive reactions and thanks. Most staff members immediately found uses for tools I introduced. I learned the value of marketing tools in a variety of ways – through print, electronic, and audio-visual formats to the widest audience. Months later, staff came back and asked for the name of a tool I had advertised, as well as help on getting started. I learned the value of having documentation on file so I could match the right tool to the right assignment at the perfect time. One important way that the school library media specialist increases student achievement is by getting the right tools into the teacher’s hands at just the right time, leading to more effective lessons.
This project will be ongoing in my media center. I will begin with my favorite reference sites like Purdue OWL and our multiple our subscription databases and presentation tools like WeVideo and Photostory. I’ll add the tools needed for specific lessons. I will add as new technologies emerge. I’ll remain careful to market and present guides in a variety of formats. It is the school library media specialist’s role to help students and staff members overcome unfamiliarity with newer technologies. In order to overcome physical, social and intellectual barriers to equitable access that students may face, it is important for the school library media specialist to locate and share multiple formats, literacies, and modalities in a variety of tools and resources. We pave the way towards efficient and ethical use of information. I want to equip students with the ability to access and present information efficiently, in order to be lifelong independent learners. This standard is the reason why I chose to move from the English language arts classroom to the media center: guiding others to open and critical access to information.
This project will be ongoing in my media center. I will begin with my favorite reference sites like Purdue OWL and our multiple our subscription databases and presentation tools like WeVideo and Photostory. I’ll add the tools needed for specific lessons. I will add as new technologies emerge. I’ll remain careful to market and present guides in a variety of formats. It is the school library media specialist’s role to help students and staff members overcome unfamiliarity with newer technologies. In order to overcome physical, social and intellectual barriers to equitable access that students may face, it is important for the school library media specialist to locate and share multiple formats, literacies, and modalities in a variety of tools and resources. We pave the way towards efficient and ethical use of information. I want to equip students with the ability to access and present information efficiently, in order to be lifelong independent learners. This standard is the reason why I chose to move from the English language arts classroom to the media center: guiding others to open and critical access to information.
This portfolio and the artifacts contained herein by Amy Soldavini are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License |
Revised July 2013