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Website: K-12 Blue Print (https://www.k12blueprint.com/news/ten-tips-school-library-media-specialists)

Title of blog: Ten Tips for School Library Media Specialists

            In this Blog post, I will be sharing the article, “Ten Tips for School Library Media Specialists” by Frances Bryant Bradburn. The website I found this article from is for educational leaders that are implementing technology programs. The article I choose to share gives ten tips for media specialists that will help change their library technology program. I found the article very helpful as a future media specialist. It gives an awareness of what my role will be in the media center as an educational leader. Some of the tips I found particularly helpful were as follows:

            Tip # 1 Focus on Instruction and Resources, Not Things- A study performed by the Department of Library and Information Sciences from the University of North Texas concluded that school librarians were able to create positive changes within their schools by taking primary roles in assisting students and staff to acquire information skills.” The role of a school media specialist will be to help guide teachers and students to resources within the school they made need. He/she will also assist with technology support when teaching skills that will require the use of technology making you a Technology Leader in the school.

             Tip # 5 Turn part of the media center into a Maker Space- This tip gave the great idea to allow students to try different ways of learning, including multiple facets and technology within the school library. One of the suggestions was a 3D printer and combining the library with your Technology Hub. The technology plan should have a section that allots technology use in media center. A Maker Spaces can be allowing a station where students can create things using cloth, buttons, even sewing machines. The thought of using Maker Space in the elementary media center has be excited to start figuring ways to make it work. Time was the number one barrier in a study performed by Melissa P. Johnston, Assistant Professor at the School of Library and Information Studies, College of Communication & Information Sciences, University of Alabama. She also states that, “Respondents commented on not having enough time to work with teachers, to plan, to learn about technologies, and to devote to any one activity because of the various tasks for which school librarians are responsible, and multiple respondents noted ‘too much to do,’ and ‘not enough time to devote to any one role to be fully involved in accomplishing it.’” Time will have to be managed well and as I work through a new role as the school media center, I will have to prioritize my time wisely.

             Tip # 6 Keep the books but consider why and which ones- This tip brings into question some of the traditional ways libraries run. For example, using encyclopedias and dictionaries for research or sorting the library by genre as opposed to the Dewey system. Turning to the internet more for research really makes you consider internet safety and “Fake News” that is facing our students. As well as the responsibility on librarians and teachers to teach students how to be safe on the internet.

            Tip # 10 Ask teachers what they want. It is important to ask teachers and the principal what they want from you the media specialists. As the media specialist, you serve the school and it is important to know what your expectations are and what your faculty needs of you. When you are creating a technology plan, it is vital to involve teachers at every turn. In the article, A Technology Plan that Works the authors talk about five lessons that help make a successful technology plan and almost all of the lessons involve the teachers in some way. “Keeping the focus squarely on people—as opposed to technology—will help schools smoothly introduce a technology initiative and maintain enthusiasm for the project in the long term.”

The article overall was easy to read and gave great advice about how to conduct yourself as a school media specialist. 

Resources:

Daniella Smith, (2010),"Making the case for the leadership role of school librarians in technology integration", Library Hi Tech, Vol. 28 Iss 4 pp. 617 - 631

Johnson, M. P. (2012).  School librarians as technology integration leaders: Enablers and barriers to leadership enactment. School Library Research, 15. 

Overbay, A, Mollette, M. and Vasu E (2011) “A Technology plan that works.” Educational Leadership, February. www.ASCD.ORG