Program Administration
As a Media Specialist one of my roles is that of Program Administrator. Circulation, Cataloging, Data Collection and Reporting as well as Collection Development, Programming and Policy Making are all my responsibilities. One has to wear many hats in this job. New roles that falls to many Media Specialist's are that of Instructional Technologist and Professional Developer. I am very fortunate to have been steered by Kent State Faculty to a degree in Instructional Technology with a Media Endorsement--it has served me well in my new role.
Policy Manual
As a Media Specialist it is important to be able to develop policies for your library and it's staff. In the Cataloging for School Library Class I developed a basic manual for Nagel Middle School. This school, where I served as a Media Facilitator, had no written policy for cataloging or for circulation. So, I was able to develop this policy manual and then implement immediately as guidelines for my school. It is important when developing policies to make sure that they align with the mission and vision statements of the district. Working in this institution made district alignment a much easier task. This policy manual was adopted by our library and is a building block for other policies to follow.
Library Manager
As a library administrator I might be asked to make decisions like whether monies for new computers would best be used in a lab or spread out into several classrooms or perhaps be asked to head a Distric Technology Initiative. I think Kent State in various classes has prepared me to take on these types of administrative issues.
Practicum
My practicum experience was great. It was filled with many meaningful experiences. I did some of it in a middle school and the rest in a public library. Many of the projects that I did were collaborative in nature. I worked with all disciplines except math (it is always difficult to connect up in math). My practicum experiences allowed me to grow professionally and network with a great group of educational professionals.
Summer Reading Program
During the 2009 Summer Vacation I chose to plan and implement a summer reading program for incoming 7th graders. This allowed students to keep reading skills up-to-date, meet new students, and was a transition for some students who might need a bridge. We took the summer to connect to reading, technology and to the middle school.
