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Fellow netters! Many apologies for being so tardy getting this targeted to you. I finally received some excellent replies to my original posting. For your update, I finished writing the Library Power proposal and submitted it and managed to include in the proposal a firm agreement from our local teacher college to work with us in requiring a period of time (they were careful not to call it an internship at this point) when student teachers would work in the media center during their training. Now I am waiting to see if Dewitt Wallace and ALA/AASL think that and the rest of the proposal are good enough to go with. Will this teacher training happen if the grant isn't funded? Probably not. There is no one to push it at the school level and it would require the efforts of a great many folks which won't happen without coordination. Sorry this is so long but I thought the replies were very thoughtful and should be read in their entirety. Original post: I have seen references on LM_NET to teacher training programs > that require an internship (or something resembling one) in a > school library as part of the educational program. I am > writing a proposal and would greatly appreciate any info I > could get on such a project. > > It makes much sense to me since we all know that until teachers > have an idea of what we do, they can't really support us! From: IS 391 <ml05611@llwnet.ll.pbs.org> Cathy, when there was a teacher-trainer in the mentor program for new teachers in my school he worked with me to pass new teachers throughat least one "cycle" in the library. The trainees spent time with me learning about resources and were able to take their classes to me for structured demonstration lessons. This served two purposes, namely to ease them into using the library effectively once they became "full-fledged" staff members and to give them what was often their only experience in watching another teacher teach. While it ws quite informal, it worked. Anne > -- From: Barb Winans <bwinans@bigcat.missouri.edu> Think it would be an excellent idea. We are talking to undergraduate classes in the College of Education at the University of Missouri, Columbia and we are explaining the services of a media center and I am still amazed how little undergraduate students know about media centers. They were surprised when we told them of the requirements for certification for school library media people in the state of Missouri. From:joyner.lib.ecu.edu OK, OK, I'll respond. I run a curriculum lab here at this university and as far as I'm concerned the assignments many of the professors make of these students are a type of internship in the school media center. We have worked long and hard to wean everyone (professors included--actually first) away from textbooks, and these students' assignments are designed to have them use myriad resources to complete their units--to find fiction and nonfiction, picture books and chapter books, computer software and AV and integrate them into their lessons. Now we all know that some people do a better job of their assignments than others; but when students complete their assignments well, they have learned how to use the media center. Of course, I am the first person who would say "yes" if this were an option here at ECU, but I'm not sure I believe it's realistic to add another internship/observation/course/whatever to these already overloaded students. Frankly, if your curriculum lab is functioning effectively and your professors are keeping up-to-date, the assignments should be taking care of the "internship." Frances Bryant Bradburn frabra@joyner.lib.ecu.edu From: Mary E Bryan <mebryan@tenet.edu> SOme of the comments I hear most are "I didn't know you would do that,"and "Thank you so much for doing that for me." To both of these comments I answer, "It's my job. These are the types of things I am suppose to do." So many teachers and administrators have no idea of the services we can supply. If the personnel is new to the area of teaching, they know not what to ask for or if they have not had great service before, they do not know what to ask for. Promoting this job could lead us all to an early grave for overworked people, but heck, we are all over worked anyway and this way at least we will be serving more and more. The only way we are going to survive in a site-based and budget cutting world is to provide the most and the best to all even if we have to go out and drag the needs and wishes from those people we serve. Good luck Cathy. Give those new teachers all you can. Mary Bryan, From: CAROLAN@ids.net I have long advocated your idea of teacher training in the media center with our local University (University of R.I.). But got no where. My conclusion was that many of the faculty were so far removed from actual practice that it was pitiful, absolutely pitiful. Maybe your idea of coming into the library for a spell will fly. Or how 'bout a required mutually planned library project in at least one class? But *mutually* planned not one of these half-baked projects the student teacher wants to do at the last minute and never consults the media specialist...all for the good it'll look on the resume. So, what a reading teacher and I now do is a library/reading skills orientation for all incoming student teachers which takes an hour and everyone MUST attend. I have been known to pull them right out from front of the class even though they and their critic teacher "forgot" that the library orientation was scheduled. We have a booklet we've written called LIBRARY PROJECT PLANNING which we hand out too. Well we keep trying!!:-) From: "Dr. Peter L. Henderson" <HENDER@maine.maine.edu> I think your idea about including the media center in the teacher training program is right on! In fact I recently spoke to the supervisor of the student interns at the local college & got myself invited to speak to the present group of interns. I plan to take with me one of the teachers with whom I work closely in planning and implementing units. I also try to be one of the first to welcome the interns who come to my school and to give them a guided tour and offer my servivces. I think "Making the Most of Your Media Center" should be a requirement for all prospective teachers! Jane Henderson Gateway Elementary School Van Buren, ME Hender@maine.maine.edu From: "Gail A. Richmond" <grichmo@eis.calstate.edu> Several years ago, we librarians in San Diego Count formed an informal network for called the Committee for Library Media Planning. At that time we discussed the need for teacher education programs and administrator training programs to include more library media info than how to use the VCR and check out books. We did approach our state school library media organization. I believe that letters were sent to the teacher education institutions encouraging them to include such training in the programs. Then Califormia was hit be three years of massive budget cuts to education and continued student body growth. Now there are even fewer credentialed librarians with jobs, and the interest seems to have waned in pursuing this issue. Maybe we should--it might help to be the salvation of our positions. Food for thought, certainly. ** Gail Richmond, Librarian ** From: MOHMIE@delphi.com I think it's a wonderful idea for teachers to be required to know how to access information in a library and to understand and be able to do some electronic information retrieval and manipulation of a data base. (Most of the teachers in my school can't even grasp the concept of why you would want to sort items in different ways or retrieve by certain specifications....Now if we can get schools of Education to require it or Washington to acknowledge it as a necessary part of teacher training--that would be ducky. Paula Neale From: Diane Kester <LSDDKEST%ECUVM1.BITNET@suvm.syr.edu> Your question cannot be answered with a simple comment or two. First, no one would disagree that student teachers should spend time in the media center as a part of their training. In fact, as teacher education programs follow the NCATE guidelines with multiple experiences in the schools during the years of teacher education, the opportunities for learning about the roles of the media specialist increase. So much depends upon the individual teacher education departments -early childhood, elementary, middleschool, and the individual subjects in secondary education. Each one at our institution have different experiences for teacher education students. As I get to know the people in these programs, I am trying to spread the word. From the school, the media specialist could be sure to seek out the student teachers and invite them to visit and give an overview of the media program of the school. It will take the conscious effort of all of us to provide the experiences for the teacher education students. From: Judith Lira <jlira@lobo.rmh.pr1.k12.co.us> We have just joined forces with Colorado State University in their intern program. The Professional Development School Students are spending 12 weeks at our school, working with teachers, two times per week. I discovered in the first week they were here that they did not realize how high-tech the Media Center is--the instructional tools that our teachers have to work with. So, I started working with the instructors of the Professional Development School (more commonly referred to as PDS) to give instruction to these students. The instructors are in total agreement aboaut the need to train these future student teachers. January will bring a new set of PDS students to our school, so the instructors and myself will be planning a 10 hour seminar that each of the PDS students will complete as part of the requirement of the college class. I can't say enought about the need--the PDS students will agree with me, I'm sure. To say they were overwhelmed is an understatement. Keep plugging away. I am in total agreement with you. I also think the employment of the future teachers demands they be technological aware, alert, and trained to be hired in the school system. From: Winona Middle School <0681wms@ties.k12.mn.us> How is your proposal for teacher training going? Students in the middle school licensure program at Winona State University are required to "who evidence of using media/technology" in their practicum work. The wonderful chair of that licensure program always brings her classes to our middle school's media center. It is so wonderful! This is an interesting topic--preservice teachers do need training in media/tech. Mary Alice Anderson, Winona (Minnesota) Middle School From: Ronnine Bohannan <family@noao.edu> Three years ago, 1990/91 school year, when I was working in Adams County School District 12 in Colorado, I had a student teacher who was doing her student teaching in our building spend two weeks of her time in the library. Her advisor at CU Denver had required this time in the library. It was a wonderful experience for both of us and if I had not been moving at the end of that school year I would have requested more student teachers spend a couple of weeks in the library. The student became familiar with many resources and participated in planning storytime and skills lessons that integrated with the curriculum of her supervising teacher. This was at the elementary level. I have the final report on a different computer than I an using now and could send you a copy if you'd like, I think it also contains the name of the Professor at CU that was her supervisor. It would be wonderful to get a program started that would require all student teachers to do part of their training in the library, it would certainly make working with teachers easier for school library staffs. My return e-mail address is family@kale.tuc.noao.edu You will have to use the complete address, my account is not set up to receive replies, so a reply will just bounce back. Ronnine Bohannan From: NAG81%ALBNYVMS.bitnet@uacsc2.albany.edu I am interested in your question about teacher internships in the library.I have my school library certification, but have been 20 years in childrn's services at the public library, with close cooperation to schools and curriculum For the past 2 years I have worked with SUNY at Albany (NY) overseeing the library school internship program in the MLS program. I am amazed at how many of the students have no education background, but are going into school media.Just as startling is the number who come with education backgrounds, but had no idea what a library can or should do. It seems amost as if the student teaching time is really too late to influence some of these future teachers. Why haven't their professors had assignments requiring them to use the library throughout their 4 yeardegree? Is it because the professors don't know how to use a library or what it has to offer? it realy is a vicious cycle of perpetuating library ignorance. At the public library, I try to influence as many student teachers as possible (with 3 area 4yr colleges and 2 2-yr early ed colleges I get a pretty good number of students). I figure if they start to look on libraries in a positive manner, at least their students should benefit. Maybe internships are the answer. I don't know, but I hope something can be done. Keep me posted on your work. If I can help in anyway, let me know. Nancy A. Gifford SCP_GIFFO@sals.edu or From: Richfield Public Schools <0280do@ties.k12.mn.us> I asked the same question on the net some time ago and received few replies too. You have recognized the problem. I work in a respected 9-12 school building. At the present time we have about 6 student teachers. None of them know how to use our media center. None of their supervising teachers use the center. Minnesota is developing new graduation standards that will include assessment by activity project to demonstrate learning. How can teachers improve teaching if their media skills are learned on a hit or miss basis? Frustrating to say the least! Stan Kantar -- Cathy Cheely, Media Specialist Brunswick Sr. High School Lawrenceville, Virginia 23868 e-mail ccheely@vdoe386.vak12ed.edu or ccheely@leo.vsla.edu Phone: (804)848-6287 fax. (804)848-2796