(3 1/2 hours)
I participated more in the daily workings of the media center today. I started by checking the book return box and checking in the returned books. Once they were checked in, I took some time to shelve them and see how the media center is arranged. I really liked how well everything is labeled here. Since it is a middle school, the sections are very specific. I also was able to shelve some past issues of magazines that the media center subscribes to. This arrangement is very similar to how ECHS is arranged.
The OPAC is Infocentre for the entire county, which I had some experience using, so this was a great opportunity to be able to run some reports and view the book inventory. I took an inventory of one section of the media center. I compared a printed list with the books on the shelf, since the palm scanner will not hot-sync what is scanned with what is in the computer. This seems to be a common problem, as ECHS has had the same issues.
A good portion of the time today was spent checking out books to the various students who came by the media center. They all have a planner that has their identification information on it. This is scanned, then the book they wish to check out. They are only allowed to have out one book at a time the first nine weeks, so we had to question several students as to whether they had returned their book before selecting another. Check-out is a very simple procedure. Lastly, I spent time planning the implementation of the staff development lesson with the media specialist and discussing how the media center operates. This was a very productive visit.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
ECMS - County-wide Media Specialists Meeting
(3 hours)
I attended the county-wide media specialists meeting at the BOE. This was facilitated by the head information technologist for the county, who also oversees the media specialists. He covered many aspects of concern on the agenda, including the implementation of Media on Moodle (MOM), which houses resources and lessons available for use by anyone who has a system login. It was decided that we will not purchase another OPAC. Infocentre, our OPAC, will remain and will hopefully be made available online in the near future. Copyright concerns, SysAids (technology concerns of individuals submitted for help), disposal of surplus of resources, training and conferences including PLUs, blogging and podcasting were among the topics of discussion. This was a very beneficial meeting to be able to see the inner workings and concerns of media technology.
I attended the county-wide media specialists meeting at the BOE. This was facilitated by the head information technologist for the county, who also oversees the media specialists. He covered many aspects of concern on the agenda, including the implementation of Media on Moodle (MOM), which houses resources and lessons available for use by anyone who has a system login. It was decided that we will not purchase another OPAC. Infocentre, our OPAC, will remain and will hopefully be made available online in the near future. Copyright concerns, SysAids (technology concerns of individuals submitted for help), disposal of surplus of resources, training and conferences including PLUs, blogging and podcasting were among the topics of discussion. This was a very beneficial meeting to be able to see the inner workings and concerns of media technology.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
EES - Munis
(4 hours)
Munis is implemented each time the media center has to enter items it orders for use.I worked with the media specialist as she entered the budget items she had ordered for this school year. Munis is a tricky system if you don't use it very often and we had to call the BOE for a refresher on how a couple of things were supposed to be entered.
Munis is implemented each time the media center has to enter items it orders for use.I worked with the media specialist as she entered the budget items she had ordered for this school year. Munis is a tricky system if you don't use it very often and we had to call the BOE for a refresher on how a couple of things were supposed to be entered.
ECMS - Intro to the LMC
(2 hours)
I was introduced to the workings of the media center a the middle school. This involved visiting teachers who needed help with technology issues, viewing the collection, seeing where things are laminated and enlarged on the poster machine, seeing how class sets of books are checked out, and just about all the paper work that the media specialist goes through in a school year. This was a very informative session and the media specialist was extremely helpful to me and anyone else who came in.
I was introduced to the workings of the media center a the middle school. This involved visiting teachers who needed help with technology issues, viewing the collection, seeing where things are laminated and enlarged on the poster machine, seeing how class sets of books are checked out, and just about all the paper work that the media specialist goes through in a school year. This was a very informative session and the media specialist was extremely helpful to me and anyone else who came in.
EES - Videos
(6 hours)
The entire video/dvd collection was in shambles. I went through the entire collection item by item and re-shelved everything. Some items did not have labels, so they were set aside to be relabeled. Some items were not age-appropriate for elementary students, so they were weeded from the collection. Many items had just been stuck back on the shelves in random places by teachers. After doing this, I started checking each item off of a master list. I did not finish with this project in one day!
The entire video/dvd collection was in shambles. I went through the entire collection item by item and re-shelved everything. Some items did not have labels, so they were set aside to be relabeled. Some items were not age-appropriate for elementary students, so they were weeded from the collection. Many items had just been stuck back on the shelves in random places by teachers. After doing this, I started checking each item off of a master list. I did not finish with this project in one day!
EES - Cataloging
(6 hours)
Several items were donated to the media center, or the media specialist got them free from hosting a book fair and they had to be entered into the system. However, none of the information was in Infocentre. Therefore, I got to enter each item line by line. I used the Library of Congress database to help find some of the items. I entered over 30 videos/dvds, among other things. Books are definitely more complicated to enter! It took a while, but I finally got all of the items entered into the system.
Several items were donated to the media center, or the media specialist got them free from hosting a book fair and they had to be entered into the system. However, none of the information was in Infocentre. Therefore, I got to enter each item line by line. I used the Library of Congress database to help find some of the items. I entered over 30 videos/dvds, among other things. Books are definitely more complicated to enter! It took a while, but I finally got all of the items entered into the system.
EES - Accelerated Reader
(26 hours)
I added the AR information to the inside of over 1,000 books. This school got a new AR system this year and the entire collection had to be re-done. The media specialist printed the labels and I put them in the books, plus added a color-coded sticker to the outside of the book that tells the reading level. This was a very arduous task, but the results are well worth it!
I added the AR information to the inside of over 1,000 books. This school got a new AR system this year and the entire collection had to be re-done. The media specialist printed the labels and I put them in the books, plus added a color-coded sticker to the outside of the book that tells the reading level. This was a very arduous task, but the results are well worth it!
ECHS - Mobile Lab
(10 hours)
Our media center has a mobile lab of 28 laptops that teachers can check out for their classes to use. I have used this several times in my own classes, and assisted a couple of other teacher in using it as well. In my own class, we researched a famous mathematician, created a poster of the findings, and presented them to the rest of the class. The students really seemed to enjoy using this technology! In other classes, I helped the teachers set up the lab, familiarize the students with how to use the laptops and printer, and helped them trouble-shoot when something did not work as they had anticipated. One of the teachers emulated the project I had my students do. In addition, she used another project that I have done in the past and had her students create a career PowerPoint presentation to the rest of the class. It was fun to collaborate on these projects.
Our media center has a mobile lab of 28 laptops that teachers can check out for their classes to use. I have used this several times in my own classes, and assisted a couple of other teacher in using it as well. In my own class, we researched a famous mathematician, created a poster of the findings, and presented them to the rest of the class. The students really seemed to enjoy using this technology! In other classes, I helped the teachers set up the lab, familiarize the students with how to use the laptops and printer, and helped them trouble-shoot when something did not work as they had anticipated. One of the teachers emulated the project I had my students do. In addition, she used another project that I have done in the past and had her students create a career PowerPoint presentation to the rest of the class. It was fun to collaborate on these projects.
ECHS - Shelving Materials
(6 hours)
I wanted to make myself available to the media specialists so that I could log some hours. However, I did not anticipate that so much time could be spent shelving the materials that are returned to the media center. This job is mainly done by the media clerk, but the 2 media specialists help because they like to be familiar with the collection. I have shelved fiction, non-fiction, series, new additions, videos/dvds, periodicals, and resource materials. I can definitely say that I am much more familiar with what our media center houses now.
I wanted to make myself available to the media specialists so that I could log some hours. However, I did not anticipate that so much time could be spent shelving the materials that are returned to the media center. This job is mainly done by the media clerk, but the 2 media specialists help because they like to be familiar with the collection. I have shelved fiction, non-fiction, series, new additions, videos/dvds, periodicals, and resource materials. I can definitely say that I am much more familiar with what our media center houses now.
ECHS - Daily Procedures
(2 hours)
It is amazing what is expected of media specialists now-a-days. I spent some time "shadowing" the media specialists for several hours, observing the ins and outs of their jobs. They have to deal with students and other teachers constantly. Checking out resources, dealing with technology issues, shelving returned items, arranging for the use of the media center by entire classes of students, YOU NAME IT! The good thing is that they get to impact so many people at the school.
It is amazing what is expected of media specialists now-a-days. I spent some time "shadowing" the media specialists for several hours, observing the ins and outs of their jobs. They have to deal with students and other teachers constantly. Checking out resources, dealing with technology issues, shelving returned items, arranging for the use of the media center by entire classes of students, YOU NAME IT! The good thing is that they get to impact so many people at the school.
ECHS - OPAC
(3 hours)
The media center at ECHS uses InfoCentre as the OPAC. As a sort of crash course, I was introduced to the basic functions of this program, including how to catalog items, how items are checked out, how to run reports, how to search for items, etc. I know that it will take much more time to become "fluent" with this program. However, it is good to know what it is capable of. I actually got to run a few reports myself, namely ones that related to the usage of certain sections of the collection. It turns out that some of our mathematics resources haven't been checked out in years!
The media center at ECHS uses InfoCentre as the OPAC. As a sort of crash course, I was introduced to the basic functions of this program, including how to catalog items, how items are checked out, how to run reports, how to search for items, etc. I know that it will take much more time to become "fluent" with this program. However, it is good to know what it is capable of. I actually got to run a few reports myself, namely ones that related to the usage of certain sections of the collection. It turns out that some of our mathematics resources haven't been checked out in years!
ECHS - Periodicals
(1 hour)
I went through the periodicals (magazines) section of the collection today. All of these are located in their own separate room, in little caddies arranged by title. I shelved the ones that had been checked out and made sure that the ones that were there were in the correct caddy, arranged by date of publication.
I went through the periodicals (magazines) section of the collection today. All of these are located in their own separate room, in little caddies arranged by title. I shelved the ones that had been checked out and made sure that the ones that were there were in the correct caddy, arranged by date of publication.
ECHS - Collection
(11 1/2 hours)
Part of the job of the media specialists is the make sure that each section of the media center has the material it is supposed to have in it. As the year drags on, materials migrate out of their designated sections. I started in the fiction section and essentially checked, item by item, that everything was where it was supposed to be (i.e. correctly arranged by author, etc.). This was a tedious process that my pregnant belly inhibited the progress of, as it was not easy to check the bottom rows without sitting on the floor.
Part of the job of the media specialists is the make sure that each section of the media center has the material it is supposed to have in it. As the year drags on, materials migrate out of their designated sections. I started in the fiction section and essentially checked, item by item, that everything was where it was supposed to be (i.e. correctly arranged by author, etc.). This was a tedious process that my pregnant belly inhibited the progress of, as it was not easy to check the bottom rows without sitting on the floor.
ECHS - Assisted a class in the media center
(4 1/2 hours)
I assisted another teacher who had brought her class to the media center to do research for a project. The students needed help navigating to the different resources on the teacher's list of available resources, and some needed further help because they had chosen a difficult topic that they were unable to find many resources on.
I assisted another teacher who had brought her class to the media center to do research for a project. The students needed help navigating to the different resources on the teacher's list of available resources, and some needed further help because they had chosen a difficult topic that they were unable to find many resources on.
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