LM_NET: Library Media Networking
RE: Computer lab supervisors -- a continuation of responses:
Our computer lab is not connected to the library though in the same
vicinity. I have no responsibility over it. Actually the lab is
ancient Mac Classics which are used for word processing. The business
department has a more up to date lab for teaching keyboarding. Anyway I
talked to our lab supervisor today. She is paid bottom line educational
assistant wages which is not much. She is not sure just what her job
description is--outside of minding the lab. In actuality she does a
fair bit of
trouble shooting around the building--including installing Windows 95 on
my two PC's. (I am not a Windows person). I think the expectation is
that she will do whatever she can. The scanner is in the lab rather
than the
library so she has charge over that. Is expected eventually to do some
web page work. Etc. The lab is only open during class hours (ie not
after school or at lunch).
1. Is your lab supervisor non-certified or certified? I have
approximately 15-20 people who over see/ supervise in the three labs at
our high school ( 1-IBM, 2-MAC) These supervisors or monitors are aides
as well as teachers that have the lab as a duty assignment. Tallk about
continuity! The one Mac lab has one aide assigned to it 8 out of 9
periods of the day. The other Mac lab which is off the LMC has 12
different
supervisors that vary from day to day. So my people are both certified
teachers but not in computers and aides.
2. What salary does that individual receive or where does he/she fit in
the salary schedule?
This varies but our teacher aides make around $10 per hour I think.
3. Must the supervisor keep the lab open beyond the regular school day?
Our labs are ope from 7:30 am to 3:20pm every school day, for both
classes and independent use. The only time a lab closes is when I close
it for
maintainance or the network goes down.
4. What responsibilities are expected of the supervisor?
Supervisors are expected to assist students and teachers, maintain
discipline, monitor use particularly of internet use, and be sure
students are using the computers for educational use during the school
day.
Also may I add that the lab off the LMC must be entered and exited
through the LMC. This is because we don't want to lose any materials.
The
egress door for fire purposes is alarmed.
Our lab supervisor is basically learning on the job. He is going to
junior college now. He makes $17,000 salary and he keeps the lab open
from 8 til 4. He troubleshoots the computers all over the building.
He is underpaid.
We have two labs (one of 25 networked workstations and one of 10
multimedia computers) off of the library. I have one full time adult
aide
noncertified paid according to the classified salary schedule (same as
secretaries). I also have student library aides. I take care of all of
the instruction, but we all supervise the labs, although sometimes it's
just a matter of walking in and out to make sure everyone is working and
not just hanging out. I've had some minor problems, like chew on the
floor, a mouse ball taken,
excessive printing, etc., but we just do the best we can. We keep the
labs open for one hour after school.
I have had a similar situation in my library. For about 3 years I
had a computer lab in the library, which was a nightmare because of
noise and confusion and the problems that arose. It is gone this
year, but I have heard that it may be back next year, although the
new principal has assured me that it will be in a room, not in the
main reading room. Anyway, to get to your questions, our lab supervisor
is not certified and is paid as aides are. I am not sure how much this
is, but I estimate about $8 per hour. The lab is open only during
school
hours, but if students need more time, the supervisor will arrange to
stay later (without pay). She is very much interested in being
helpful to the students, but is wary of responsibility. She is
supposed to teach the students how to use the lab computers and the
work processing program. Some computers are connected to the
Internet, so she will probably be expected to teach some Internet
skills. She is not at all comfortable with that, but will try. Her
duties are really somewhat vague, which concerns her. She would like
things more definite, but resists (as she should) being given
responsibilities which belong to the professional staff. She is
supposed to keep the lab running--which means notifying our tech man
when something goes wrong--help the students and teachers, and schedule
the use of the lab. Teachers who have scheduled the lab are supposed
to be there with their classes to supervise student behavior, so she
does not deal with student discipline.
Our 16-station Mac lab is inside the library next to my office. I am
the print media specialist with no clerk and the AV media specialist in
a
separate building. Our school has 2,100 students and 120 teachers. My
official day begins at 6:30 and ends at 3:30 but my real day is more
like 6:30 to 5:00.
1. Is your lab supervisor non-certified or certified? Certified with a
master's degree
2. What salary does that individual receive or where does he/she fit in
the salary schedule? Top of the scale for teachers with 26 years of
experience
3. Must the supervisor keep the lab open beyond the regular school day?
An hour before and an hour after
4. What responsibilities are expected of the supervisor? All software
purchasing, installations, and troubleshooting for the entire school,
teaching word processing and using the Internet, monitoring students on
Internet in the lab and all of the duties of a print media specialist.
1. Is your lab supervisor non-certified or certified? Non-certified
2. What salary does that individual receive or where does he/she fit in
the salary schedule? Same as library assistants etc.
3. Must the supervisor keep the lab open beyond the regular school
day?We swing shift and keep lab and library open during extended hours
since we have two Computer Resource Specialists and two Library
Specialist and
Librarian and Instructional Media Person.
4. What responsibilities are expected of the supervisor?Computer persons
handle lab and all school computer problems and we are fully automated
in classrooms, offices etc. with attendance, grading, E-mail etc. all on
computer.
When our new high school was built, the computer lab and computer
classroom were placed next to the media center. Windows were included
looking both into the lab from the library and on both sides of my
office. I objected to a door being placed between the two rooms,
stating that it was not my job to supervise the computer lab. A tech
office is on the other side of the wall to mine, but the technology
coordinator is not always in there. It is his responsibility to monitor
the lab and so far there have not been too many problems. There are two
classes of keyboarding taught in the lab and in order for students to
use it, they must have a pass from a teacher, they can't use it as an
escape from study hall. Every once in a while I have to quiet some kids
down, but I try to ignorethem if possible. I also keep the door shut
and it's usually locked so that tends to keep them in line too.
I have three schools that i travel to as their librarian and i'll answer
your questions based on all three.
1. Two are aides on an aide salary of $450 a month. One is a certified
teacher but not certified in computer literacy.
2. One has a degree in business, the other one just has a high school
education. the other one, as I stated above is a teacher.
3. One has to keep the lab open an hour after school for tutoring.
4. One is also the aide in the library but spends most of the time
cleaning up in the computer room after a class has left.
We have about 630 students and a faculty/staff of about 62! Ours is a
networked 25-computer lab and the ONLY entrance is through the library.
1. Is your lab supervisor non-certified or certified?
She is non-certified. She has business college courses only. I think
the lab aide should not be an aide but a computer teacher who facilitate
the
technology projects as we library people facilitate information search,
retrieval, and use. My lab aide often winds up *teaching* whole classes
because the teacher does not know the programs. While the aide does a
good job of managing the computers, she does not have the training for
teaching classes. It shows in her class management skills, language
skills, and understanding of teachers' objectives for their students.
2. What salary does that individual receive or where does he/she fit in
the salary schedule?
She is paid as a teacher aide (paraprofessional), which in my district
isn't much! That kind of salary promotes the "I'm not paid to do that"
attitude when schedules get really tight and stressful.
3. Must the supervisor keep the lab open beyond the regular school day?
I do, but I'm paid a little extra -- $14.00 per hour. Until this year, I
kept the library/lab open 2 nights per week and Sat mornings. I told the
principal that I just couldn't do that any more, so a "regular" teacher
who wants the extra money does it now. That's not as good and I don't
like the library in someone else's hands, but I have no choice. At
least have a life now.
4. What responsibilities are expected of the supervisor?
I assume responsibility for the lab and supervising the aide. If there
are decisions to be made about the lab, I do it -- the aide comes to me
for approval for what she sees needs doing. I then go to the principal
about it. When I assumed responsibility for the lab, my salary was not
raised -- I was still on the librarian salary.
Hope this helps others.
Rita Legan, Library Media Specialist
Bolivar High School email: leganri@bolivar-r1.k12.mo.us
1401 N. Pomme de Terre Ave.
Bolivar, MO 65613
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