"What would be one of the first places we should look to cut from our staff?"
"The media specialist."
"Is there something wrong with the individual?"
"No, not at all!"
"So, a media specialist isn't critical for a school?"
"On the contrary, a media specialist is very critical!"
"The media specialist."
"Is there something wrong with the individual?"
"No, not at all!"
"So, a media specialist isn't critical for a school?"
"On the contrary, a media specialist is very critical!"
That dialogue doesn't seem to make any sense at first blush, but there is a lot of truth to that statement for many districts. The truth resides not in that somehow media specialists aren't important. It lies in the fact that the way schools are using media specialists is grossly inefficient.
Let's back up for a second. There has been quite a bit of debate around the blogosphere recently regarding the role of media specialists in 21st century schools. Most of the discussion is geared around how media specialists who are not adopting technology knowledge and specialty are becoming irrelevant to a school district.
Darren Draper sums it up by saying that "21st century library - technology = 15th century library (- all the monks)". The collection of a bunch of print books is not crucial to a school now, and Draper (as well as several commentors) argues that if your media specialist is not a specialist in technology, they serve no purpose. That statement is beginning to look like a harsh reality, as the more I talk to administrators who are hiring, technology expertise is now tops on their list.
But, even a harsher stand would be to say libraries themselves should be eliminated. Doug Johnson addresses the question of what purpose do libraries serve in our schools, as some critics see that information is often a click away on the internet. Wouldn't a couple of computer labs serve the school better than the shelves of occasionaly perused books?
I certainly have my own thoughts on these two debates, as I can't imagine a learning environment without a hub of information discovery like a library, but I equally could not justify having a media specialist that was not a building leader in technology. However, I feel there is a debate that is missing from all of this. One where, even if a media specialist is savvy with technology, they still might not be a crucial asset to a school.
The question that's missing is whether a district regards the media specialist as a "resource" or a "curriculum supervisor". If it is only as a resource (and sadly, I would say that's the way it is in a majority of Iowa's schools), that resource can be reproduced in many different ways that doesn't require the cost burden of a paid position.
But, it shouldn't be that way. Instead of "helping students find books" and "helping teachers find websites", the media specialist should be developing the comprehensive media literacy (and in many smaller districts, the infotech literacy) curriculum. They should be a curricular leader, looking at the big picture of student achievement in media literacy. They should be looking at "what gets taught where" within the scope and sequence, overseeing building-wide professional development around media literacy, and supervising the assessment of the curriculum to determine if what they are doing is working. They should be the driving force behind cross-curricular units that meld media with core content, team-teaching during key lessons.
I would also argue that the m
edia specialist should be a key figure on the schoolwide reading committee, doing those above tasks with reading literacy in addition to media literacy. If a media specialist is more concerned with what a student is reading than they are how well they are reading, then we're missing the boat.Now, none of this is to say it is the media specialist's fault if they aren't in a position of leadership. There are many factors that have played into the setup of media specialist as resource only, and many of those are beyond the specialist's control. But regardless, the curriculum supervising tasks are often then left to teachers, which ties down their time to do other things. When that happens, much like technology integration, media literacy results in an add-on program, not an integrated one.
That's not the way it should be. But if it is, I can see why schools cut specialist positions at the building and go through the charade of assigning one specialist for all the media centers in a district.
10 comments:
If you're seeking professional development in the area of media literacy, please consider Frank Baker, of the Media Literacy Clearinghouse. www.frankwbaker.com/my_bio
I don't know, dude, about the whole book thing, especially since my circulation doubled in a year just because I acquired more books. Yes, I'm a technology geek. Yes, I'm involved in curriculum planning for 21st century literacy skills, and I advocate for copyright, push Web 2.0, and provide lots of one-on-one and group training for faculty BUT for me part of the joy is when you get the 8th Demonata book, promised to the first student who asked when it's coming out, and before that student can make it into the library to check out the book, you have four other people place holds on it, one of whom decides that he could probably get it read during his period as an aide, and later you see him walking down the hall headed to lunch, reading as he walks; or knowing that a particular student *so* desperately wants to read the 5th Percy Jackson book that when you tell him it's arrived, he leaps over a railing in the lunch room and races you back to the library so he can check it out. I currently have four books checked out even though school has ended because those students just *had* to finish reading those books. Or it's turning a kid onto reading when he thought he hated to read. It's all important, and books aren't dead.
"If a media specialist is more concerned with what a student is reading than they are how well they are reading, then we're missing the boat."Well said.
I’d like to share a couple of paragraphs from the book, Librarians as Learning Specialists – Meeting the Learning Imperative for the 21st century by Allison Zmuda and Violet Harada, 2008. I think this book is very helpful in this discussion.
“..the Partnership for 21st Century Skills (2004) highlights the following as essential skills for workplace success: information and media literacy, critical thinking and collaborative problem solving, and information and communication technology. What better place than the library media center for students to learn and refine these fundamental skills?
“Despite this naturally powerful connection between 21st century learning and the library media center, many library media specialist positions are being eliminated from schools because decision makers deem it more cost-effective to replace certified personnel with paraprofessionals or to reduce the workforce needed to operate the facility. This cost-saving strategy is based on the misguided supposition that it is the space and not the specialist that is required for 21st century learning. The theory is that if centers are well stocked with resources and are accessible for teacher use, then the skills will be automatically interwoven into the students’ existing curricula experiences.” p. 10-11.
Teacher librarians’ role in schools is so much more than having great books or managing the technology or having that library room!
Their role is to be a part of the team – one of the many learning specialists who make a difference in the lives of our students. Their work is the schools’ work because that learning is at the heart of the schools’ mission and purpose.
Teacher librarians provide resources for diverse learners, assist students in creating innovative projects, and teach processes of inquiry to all students!
Check your professional library or order your own copy - Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Librarians-Learning-Specialists-Meeting-Imperative/dp/1591586798/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1243349319&sr=8-1
Ksteingr-
When you mention "their role is to be a part of the team", idealistically that's true. It would be great to have every curricular decision created by a team including a media specialist, a technology specialist, an assessment specialist, a reading specialist, and the teacher. No doubt you'd get some excellent teaching and learning.
But it isn't practical. From an administrative perspective, I see two big problems: 1) I don't have the budget to hire "teams" and 2) teachers don't have the time to work in teams. If I have someone on staff without direct teaching duties, they must oversee the programs they are working on, not just be a team member.
And that goes beyond media specialists; if our technology integration supervisor was only a resource and didn't oversee the curriculum, then it would be a drain on our budget and teachers' time. The flip side media specialists don't see is when the exasperated teacher comes into the administrator's office complaining about the litany of things they have to cover.
I'm fortunate. I have both a media specialist and a technology integrationist that do oversee the curriculum. But I know many principals that do not.
"What would be one of the first places we should look to cut from our staff?"
"The media specialist."
"Is there something wrong with the individual?"
"No, not at all!"
"So, a media specialist isn't critical for a school?"
"On the contrary, a media specialist is very critical!"
This conversation sounds all too familiar to me. As that is just how it sounded this year as my teacher librarian position was cut to half-time. The administration told me not to take it personally that it had nothing to do with my performance and everything to do with fiscal responsibility. My reply, obviously it does have something to do with my performance because if I meant that much to the district, I wouldn't be getting cut. Honestly, I thought I was doing a terrific job as that was what I was told in my evaluations. I guess it just wasn't terrific enough.
I hope my recent analysis of the Teacher Librarian shows some worth! I used a model that emphasizes nine job functions from a great book of 1976! It's Margaret Chisholm's Media Personnel in Education. Of course, I applied 21st Century attributes to the Teacher Librarian's Role of Today!
• Organizational Management
Standards and benchmarks, aligned to the American Association of School Libraries Standards
Develop a library mission statement, year’s focus, action plan or calendar of library events
Establish a Book Club that extends beyond library time and provides special events for fellowship amongst a group of students that wish to belong
Rival the leading national book stores to invite teens to want to read
• Personal Management
Allow for self professional growth and development
Oversee training and establishing expectations for student workers
Attend webinars, conferences, and local offerings on a regular basis to stay abreast of latest in educational offerings
• Design / Facility
Study space flow and plan for best use of space for a variety of library activities (some quiet, some were talking is encouraged)
Study learning styles per grade level, course, etc. and plan for use of space that best accommodates their needs
Watch and assess what the library users like and use in the facility
• Informational Retrieval
Develop a library home page and online catalog system
Select and promote databases for 24/7 access
• Logistics
Acquire materials and circulate these
Alerts to people when a book request arrives
Inviting showcases, promotional displays on student achievement or staff
Circulate new and old magazines – design a best use system for magazines
Maintain a clean and inviting collection
Acquire timely technological equipment to invite new ways of learning
Weed collection on a regular basis
• Production Management
Prepare an attractive brochure promoting the Library Program (for new students, staff, student teachers, visitors, etc.
Create booklets, bookmarks, signs and banners on good reads (Mystery Booklet)
Audio and video podcasting on the library, books, and school events
Work with school newspaper to promote national and school-wide reading and library events
• Instruction
Design rubrics, checklists, guide sheets for library related activities
Channel communications of interest and importance to students and staff
Create action plans for teaching activities (podcasting, wikis, blogging, orientation, evaluating websites, using databases)
Collaborate with teachers in lesson planning and working with students
Inservice and power hour trainings for staff and students
• Evaluation
Yearly evaluate database usage to determine if needed in curriculum
Create graphs and data reports to district administrators on library performance for the year
Collect data and report accordingly to the State Library.
On an instructional level, evaluate with teacher how the collaborative projects affected student learning.
Work with students and staff on self-assessment and reflective thinking in project development
• Research
Gather timely research on library functions and technology, analyze, assess and put to practice
Disseminate information about research to staff and students
• Utilization
Connect Library Program to achieving student exit outcomes
Focus on global connectivity and action
Find those avenues for students to connect with thinking about the future and focusing on global issues
Encourage wikis, online events and projects that allow students to interact with others globally, compare, discuss, create, invent, and solve problems.
I just want to say thank you for this post...it has helped me to line up some the thoughts pinging around my head.
I am a grad student in library school at the U of I and a recent 4th grade teacher who has moved into a MS, HS library position in a district that threatened to cut the position all together. Instead my new role will cover two buildings in my district and one in a neighboring district in a district sharing position.
It makes me sad to sit in classes and hear all the possibilities and walk into the halls and realize the limitations!
But, your post and the following comments give me language to present to my superintendent.
Thank you.
A Media Specialist should not be just a person who checks out books! A Media Specialist is an instructional partner who introduces and implements technology into the schools system.
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