Course Materials: Fall 2007 Syllabus
L671:
The School Library Media Specialist
Indiana University at Indianapolis
School of Library and Information Science
This course focuses on the role of the school library media specialist as an educational leader and center administrator. Emphasis is placed on the evolving role of the teacher librarian as a critical player in the learning community including manager, collaborator, collection and curriculum developer, facilities designer, fiscal agent, planner, advocate, promoter, and evaluator. In addition to building professional knowledge and skills in traditional areas, this course explores accountability, administration, and advocacy aspects of the media specialist's critical leadership role in the learning community.
This page was designed for a graduate course at IUPUI. If you've stumbled upon the course and want to learn more about it, email Dr. Larry Johnson for more information.
Read the syllabus below and review the Course Requirements. Then, proceed to the Course Guide. Have fun!
Instructor Contact Information
Name - Larry Johnson, Ph.D.
Mail Forwarding Address - 238 Rainbow Drive #13839 Livington TX 77399-2038
Dr. Johnson travels throughout the semester, so mail is forwarded from the Texas address. Email him for his latest address if you’d like to send something direct.
Email - ljohnson@mail.escapees.com or ljohnso@iupui.edu
Voice Mail or Fax through Vision to Action - 620 343 7989
Online Course Materials
Course Materials - http://eduscapes.com/sms
Syllabus - http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/syllabus.htm
Requirements - http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/require.htm
Checklist - http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/checklist.htm
Course Guide - http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/courseguide.htm
Archives - http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/archives.htm
Resources - http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/resources.htm
Oncourse Sharing Area - http://oncourse.iu.edu
Required: Print Course Materials
The following textbooks are required:
- Doll, Carol. Collaboration and the School Library Media Specialist. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press, 2005. ISBN 0-8108-5117-2 (paperback).
- Morris, Betty. Administering the School Library Media Center. 4th edition. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited, 2004. ISBN 0-313-32261 (hardcover) or ISBN 1-5915-8183-4.
- Information Power: Building Partnership for Learning (1998). Chicago: American Library Association. ISBN: 0-8389-3470-6 (paperback).
Many of you may already own this book from other SLIS courses. We will be concentrating on Part One - - focusing on Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning.
Order Information:
There are several ways to acquire the books:
1) Go to the IUPUI bookstore.
2) Purchase directly from the publisher:
Order the Doll book from Scarecrow Press online.
Order the Morris book from Libraries Unlimited online.
Order the Information Power from (a) ALA online at http://www.alastore.ala.org/ or by phone at 1-866-746-7252 or from (b) AECT online at http://aect.org.
3) Purchase online from booksellers such as Amazon http://www.amazon.com/ or Barnes and Noble http://barnesandnoble.com/.
Required: Web Course Materials
Required
- The Library Media Specialist - http://eduscapes.com/sms/
Course Assumptions
The following entry skills are required for this course:
- demonstrate basic computer skills related to keyboarding, operating system, and disk management
- identify, select, access, and evaluate information found on the Internet and in the library
- use technology as a personal and professional productivity tool for activities such a word processing (Microsoft Word) and desktop presentations (Microsoft PowerPoint)
- use a word processor, web development tool, or raw HTML for simple web page development
- download drivers and plugins such as Real Media, Windows Media Player, and/or QuickTime to play audio and video from the web - directions are provided in class
- use Oncourse for forums and information sharing
This course makes the assumption that you are able to work independently. There are no required face-to-face meetings. There are no required synchronous online meetings. However, feel free to email or arrange a chat with your instructor any time!
Course Description
This three-credit hour course focuses on the leadership and administrative roles of the school library media specialist. Emphasis is placed on the evolving role of the teacher librarian as a critical player in the learning community including manager, collaborator, collection and curriculum developer, facilities designer, fiscal agent, planner, advocate, promoter, and evaluator.
This is not simply a course in library management and collection development, instead emphasis is placed the collaborative role of the teacher librarian as an educational leader in a school learning community.
This course will expand your thinking about the integral role of the school library media specialist in today's information-rich school. This course will be taught entirely online including web-based readings and resources, threaded discussions, plus online presentations and assignments. Choices allow graduate students with varied backgrounds and interests to select activities that meet their professional needs.
Course Goals
Each student will have the opportunity to:
- Identify the roles of innovative school library media specialists at all levels.
- Apply theoretical foundations related to school media programs, leadership, and administration to practical problems encountered by teacher librarians.
- Connect professional literature, key professional organizations, significant professionals and their works, and other resources to the development of traditional and digital collections, K-12 curriculum, administrative and leadership strategies, and collaborative activities.
- Build a practical, professional toolkit containing information, resources, and examples that can be used in library media program administration and leadership (i.e., collection, curriculum, and program policies and procedures; human resources and professional development; budget and fiscal planning; facilities design; advocacy and promotion).
- Address key issues in school media librarianship through decision point discussions that bridge theory and practice through real-world dilemmas using professional literature to support opinions, proposals, plans, strategies, and recommendations.
- Address the needs of today's standards-based, school library media programs through evidence-based decision-making practices.
- Participate in class discussion and online communication for the purpose of sharing resources, ideas, and drawing conclusions on projects and issues.
- Relate teaching, learning, and program standards from those adopted by the State of Indiana, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and other professional standards to their projects.
The instructor will:
- Participate in class discussions and communications.
- Convey examples of theory, techniques, and models relevant to course materials.
- Judge student performance fairly in accordance with the SLIS grading policy and the expectations for the assignments outlined in this syllabus.
- In the long term, increase the impact of future practicing school media specialists by placing emphasis on their role as educational leader in the learning community.
Course Purposes
L553 is a three-credit graduate course that may be used to complete:
- the required course for establishing a license in Indiana as Teacher of Library Media
- an elective for the MLS, MIS or IST degree with program advisor approval
credit to renew a teaching license in school library media or other discipline area if approved by the certification advisor
- an elective for undergraduate teaching credentials
L553 also meets a portion of the new standards for Teachers of Library Media in Indiana as approved by the Professional Standards Board:
- Standard #3: The teacher of library media collaborates with teachers and pre-service teachers to create, plan, implement, and evaluate instruction based upon knowledge of information skills, curriculum goals and educational needs of students, teachers, pre-service teachers, and the greater local community.
- Standard #8: The teacher of library media understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social and physical development of the learner.
- Standard #9: The teacher of library media is a reflective practioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others, including students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community, and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
- Standard #10: The teacher of library media fosters relationships with schools, colleges, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support individual learning and well-being.
- Standard #11: The manager of library media understands the need for and provides leadership in the provision of efficient management of library media center facilities, supervision of staff, and extensive access to resources and technology. This standard includes management of:
- Staff, including volunteers
- Budgets, including special funds and grants
- Facilities
- Long-range plans
- Collection development
- Public relations
- In-service training
- Information literacy instruction
- Staff, including volunteers
Course Requirements
For a complete description of the requirements, go to the Course Requirements page.
For a nice checklist of the course activities, check out Course Checklist.
Course Grades
The points awarded for each activity are indicated on the Course Requirements ppage. High expectations have been set for this course. Please notice that outstanding achievement will require careful attention to course criteria and exceptional quality in course assignments.
Final grades are based on the following range within the total 100 points possible:
A 98-100
A- 94-97
B+ 91-93
B 88-90
B- 85-87
C 81-84
D 75-80
F below 74
The meaning of the letter grades follows the SLIS Grading Policy:
A: Outstanding achievement. Student performance demonstrates full command of the course materials and evinces a high level of originality and/or creativity that far surpasses course expectations. The grade of A+ is not granted in SLIS, except in very exceptional cases.
A-: Excellent achievement. Student performance demonstrates thorough knowledge of the course materials and exceeds course expectations by completing all requirements in a superior manner.
B+: Very good work. Student performance demonstrates above-average comprehension of the course materials and exceeds course expectations on all tasks defined in the course syllabus.
B: Good work. Student performance meets designated course expectations, demonstrates understanding of the course materials, and has performed at an acceptable level.
B-: Marginal work. Student performance demonstrates incomplete understanding of course materials.
C+, C, C-: Unsatisfactory work and inadequate understanding of course materials.
D+, D, D-: Unacceptable work; course work completed at this level will not count toward the MLS degree.
F: Failing. May result in an overall grade point average below 3.0 and possible removal from the program.
A final grade of "I" or "Incomplete" will NOT be given except in extreme situations. Please let me know if you're having difficulty completing the requirements of this course.
Accommodations
Students needing accommodations because of disability must register with Adaptive Educational Services and complete the appropriate form before accommodations will be given. The AES office is located in Cavanaugh Hall 001E, 425 University Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46202-5140 and may be reached by phone 317/274-3241 or 317/278-2050 TTD/TTY; by fax 317/274-2051; or by email aes@iupui.edu
For more information go to http://www.life.iupui.edu/Who/Adaptive/
Academic Misconduct
Students should be sure to read the Academic Handbook for the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct.
The Academic Handbook states that faculty members have the responsibility of fostering the “intellectual honesty as well as the intellectual development of students.... The faculty member should explain clearly the meaning of cheating and plagiarism as they apply to the course....Should the faculty member detect signs of plagiarism or cheating, it is his or her most serious obligation to investigate these thoroughly, to take appropriate action with respect to the grades of students, and in any event to report the matter to the Dean of Students. The necessity to report every case of cheating, whether or not further action is desirable, arises particularly because of the possibility that this is not the student’s first offense, or that other offenses may follow it. Equity also demands that a uniform reporting practice be enforced; otherwise, some students will be penalized while others guilty of the same actions will go free.” (p. 172).
For more information, go to http://www.life.iupui.edu/Who/Dean/Code