1. What is the one most important issue facing the school technology =20
coordinator in our state? =20
2. What is the one most important issue facing the library media =
coordinator
in our state? =20
3. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of your =
library =20
media program? =20
4. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of the =
technology
program in your school?=20
Send your responses to my email. These can be as short as a sentence or =
two
or longer if you prefer. Your respones will be compiled and published =
in the
next online issue of AECT News. Your responses will be confidential =
and no
names or schools will be revealed.=20
************************************************************************=
****
******
************************************************************************=
****
******
What is the biggest problem you face consistently on the job?=20
Insufficient funds to keep the computers up and running.=20
What has contributed the most to the success of your media center or =20
your technology program?=20
The library being being seen as totally integrated with technology. We =
=20
are an information center - providing informaiton and information =20
instruction to students and staff via BOTH books and computers. I =20
attribute our school=92s postive attitude primarily to these things: =20
1.) the location of 15 computers in the library itself =20
2.) the location of an instructional computer lab, adjacent and =20
connected to our library. =20
3.) the library staff volunteering to be in charge of scheduling the =20
instructions computer lab, and the computer graphics lab as well as the =
=20
library computers and the library itself. This allows us to know what =
instruction is going on via the classroom teachers and offer our =20
assistance whenever needed.=20
I feel that item # 3 above is absolutelly key. There are many schools =
where the computer lab is located very far from the media center and =
the =20
scheduling is in the hands of someone else. Many teachers are quite =20
happy to go to the computer lab and bypass the library completely. =
When =20
the library is separated from the computer labs - the library staff =20
lose touch with classroom projects and miss out on opportunities to =20
integrate information literacy instruction with classroom research. =20
There really needs to be a firm vision of the library and technology =20
programs and how to work together to ensure that our students become =20
effective and efficient users of information.=20
Jacquie=20
=93The Librarian, whose job is to heal ignorance, to keep life safe for =
=20
poetry and to put knowledge smack dab in the middle of the American =20
way.=94=20
From The Philadelphia Inquirer, 9-20-03 =20
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ =20
Jacquie Henry, MLS =20
Ruben A. Cirillo High School (GHS) =20
Gananda Central School District =20
3195 Wiedrick Road =20
Walworth, NY 14568 =20
jhenry@gananda.org =20
http://www.gananda.org/library/mshslibrary/indexgcl.htm=20
************************************************************************=
****
******
It seems from both personal experience and comments on =20
this listserv, that tech people tend to take over and =20
make decisions independent from the media specialist =20
and teachers: filter selection, settings and override =20
policies and procedures being most common complaints.=20
We are all working toward the same goal - best =20
education for our students - and should be working =20
together. =20
Jill Brown, LMS =20
Nardin Academy =20
Buffalo, NY =20
buflib@yahoo.com=20
************************************************************************=
****
******
1. What is the one most important issue facing the school technology
coordinator in our state?=20
I would suspect that the most important issue facing the school =
technology
coordinator in our state is integrating current=20
technology in the school systems. This includes finding the =
allocations to
implement up-to-date, fully functional=20
technology systems.
2. What is the one most important issue facing the library media =
coordinator
in our state? =20
The one most important issue factin the library media corrdinator in =
our
state is finding funds to implement reading=20
resources that provides each student with the opportunity to gain =
access to
materials that helps that student read on level.
3. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of your =
library
media program? =20
The one thing that has or rather will contribute to the library media
program is the Reading First Program. This will entitle=20
our school to a hefty amount of money that will be allocated to helping
children achieve reading success.
4. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of the =
technology
program in your school? =20
The technology program is not successful at my schools. However, I =
have a
principal who works extremely hard to get the=20
items needed to make the technology program a success.
=20
In response to your questions: =20
The most important issue facing the school technology coordinator....of
course, I believe money is an important issue, BUT =20
our technology coordinators would be more effective if there was =
adequate
staff development AND follow-up to the staff=20
development. Most of my colleagues enjoy their Tech. classes, but they =
do
not use the information/ practice the techniques=20
and as a result, it was really a waste of what little monies we have =
devoted
to that area.
Library media coordinator...at our school, it has been purging the very =
old
materials and trying to update the books,=20
resources. We have been very fortunate to receive some donations from
businesses and citizens, but we are still not as=20
current as we should be. =20
We have been very fortunate to have hired (within the last two yrs.), =
two
very hardworking media specialists, one of which=20
(and this was a first) is a technology coordinator. They have made
tremendous strides in creating an inviting atmosphere=20
and a helpful one. Our tech. person will come to our rooms when we =
have
computer problems and if possible, she will fix=20
the problem. Before, we had to wait for someone from the central =
office
staff to be notified and schedule to come fix our=20
computer. The media center is so much more accessible. They are =
opening 30
minutes before the start of school and=20
working 45 min. after the close of school. It has been a very welcome
change for us at NNHS.
I would have to say that our Media/technology coordinator has been the =
key
to our success. Prior to her arrival, we didn=92t=20
really have a program at our school that we =
"controlled"...the
overworked, understaffed central office personnel=20
would get to us when they could. =20
Terri Brantley=20
North Carolina
************************************************************************=
****
******
1. What is the one most important issue facing the school technology
coordinator in our state? Adequate funding for=20
training. School boards look at statistics and see how many computers =
there
are per student, and are reasonably satisfied=20
with those numbers. What they don=92t measure is how effectively those
computers are being used and how current the pc=92s=20
are. Classroom teachers need =93on demand support=94 as well as =
ongoing
training with relatively current technology. Many=20
purchases go under utilized due to lack of support/training.
2. What is the one most important issue facing the library media =
coordinator
in our state? The media is changing=20
rapidly from book format to electronic format. The LMC HAS to adapt. =
The
line is very fuzzy between a traditional media=20
coordiantor and technology coordinator.
=20
3. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of your =
library
media program? The ability of our MC to=20
adapt and work with the changing media/technology.
=20
4. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of the =
technology
program in your school? The principal=20
hired a technology facilitator out of his discretionary funds. That =
person
(me) worked directly with staff doing training and=20
assisting (hand holding). The TF helped develop lessons that Infused
technology=97not just for the sake of using=20
technology. I also helped plow through traditional red tape and other
bureaucracyhassles. We went from the middle of the=20
pack to the leader in effectively using technology in our county. =
There is
still so much more to do, but we have come a=20
long way in the process.
David Scholl
North Carolina
************************************************************************=
****
*****
1. What is the one most important issue facing the school technology =20
coordinator in our state? Not enough personnel to keep technology up =
and
running. Too many interruptions in technology=20
services for teachers to depend on it for planned lessons.
2. What is the one most important issue facing the library media =
coordinator
in our state? Lack of understanding of how teachers can be helped by =
the
media coordinator. =20
3. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of your =
library =20
media program? Getting students involved as assistants in trouble =
shooting
technology for problems. =20
4. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of the =
technology
program in your school? Teacher serving as our technology coordinator =
in
the school helps teachers with a pleasant and=20
concerned attitude.
Gail Flemming
North Carolina
************************************************************************=
****
*****
1. Besides $$$- staying up to date.=20
2. $$$$$$$-inability to maintain an up to date collection.=20
3. I would like to think it was making the media center more inviting =
to
both students and teachers. It was difficult to=20
change the climate left by someone who really insisted on the old =
school
library setting.
4. A huge grant, but that was too many years ago. Our state of the art =
tech
lab is a bit outdated but still provides our=20
students w/ awesome possibiities.
Do we detect a pattern here?=20
************************************************************************=
****
*****
1. The school tech. coordinator faces such as lack of funding to keep =
up with pace of current technology. Also, getting all teachers on =
board =20
with using current technology, thus justifying money spent for updating =
=20
technology.=20
2. The school media coordinator faces many issues, with scheduling =20
being high on the list. With school populations becoming increasingly =20
larger than in the past, media people lack the man hours to get the =
full =20
job done. I believe most schools at the elementary level still have =20
fixed schedules which continues to make clerical work a nightmare.=20
3. My success has been enhanced by the support of the administration =
at =20
my school, both professionally and financially.=20
4. Again, the success of our technology program has been the =20
committment of our administration to embrace new technology for the =20
total school program (financially as well).=20
************************************************************************=
****
******
Most important issue facing school technology coordinator: In most =20
schools there is not one. There should be but due to lack of funding =20
technology is put into the school with no support. The Media Specialist =
=20
has this added to an already full load.=20
Most important issue facing Media Specialist: How to handle the Media =20
Center and keep the computers, the network and training for technology =
going. In my school I have a demanding circulation to keep up with, =20
classes to teach, and still anytime a teacher has any trouble with a =20
program/computer she expects me to drop everything and come fix her =20
problem immediately.=20
Thing that contributes most to the Media Center: A supportive principal =
=20
who encourages reading. My current principal does more for the Media =20
Center than any that I have ever worked for. He finds additional money =
for books, gives incentives to the children for reading, and supports =20
me.=20
Thing that contributes the most to the technology in the school: The =20
principal, the faculty and the parents. Our network and computer lab =20
were funded by Pay for Performance money. Without the principal and =20
faculty that would not have happened. Our county school district has =
not =20
funded computers for the schools, without Pay for Performance we would =
have only what the lottery and PTA has paid for.=20
Beth Beasley =20
Media Specialsit =20
Mathews Elem. =20
Midland,GA
************************************************************************=
****
******
I am the Library Media Coordinator for Carrollton City Schools in =
Georgia. =20
Also, I am an adjunct instructor for the State University of West =
Georgia. I
have worked in media centers for 30 years.=20
1. What is the one most important issue facing the school technology =20
coordinator in our state?=20
Funding! In order to accomplish all tech standards for our state, more =
money
is needed than what is presently available. Other issues exist, but =
this
seems =20
to me to be the most blantant.=20
2. What is the one most important issue facing the library media =
coordinator
in our state?=20
Also, funding. A second issue is that most media coordinators in =
Georgia
wear =20
more than one =93hat.=94 Many coordinators are not fully aware of the =20
instructional role of the LMS and therefore cannot give the kind of =
support
that is sorely needed for our media specialists.=20
3. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of your =
library =20
media program?=20
Support of our administration, from system level to building level. We =
have
received more than what was requested for the past 14 years. Also, due =
to
the =20
level of funding, we have been able to extend the hours of operation of =
our
media center until 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday. That support has =
made
a =20
tremendous difference in our media program systemwide.=20
4. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of the =
technology
program in your school?=20
Dedicated staff has been the major factor for our success. Tech staff =
is
easy =20
to work with and anxious to fill needs of the teachers. That =
staff-teacher =20
cooperation has had a direct impact on how well we have been able to =
serve
our =20
students.=20
Thanks, =20
Phyllis Snipes=20
Dr. Phyllis R. Snipes =20
National Board Certified Media Specialist =20
Adjunct Professor, State University of West Georgia =20
Media Coordinator, Carrollton City Schools=20
State University of West Georgia =20
Maple Street =20
Carrollton, GA 30118=20
Carrollton High School =20
202 Trojan Drive =20
Carrollton, Georgia 30117 =20
psnipes@westga.edu OR phyllis.snipes@carrolltoncityschools.net*=20
*******Jeremiah 29:11*******=20
************************************************************************=
****
******
1. What is the one, most important, issue facing the school technology =
coordinator in our state? The loss of some federal and state grants =
that =20
were used to maintain and improve our technology (hardware, software, =20
maintenance agreements, etc.) =20
2. What is the one, most important, issue facing the library media =20
coordinator in our state? Teaching teachers how to collaborate with =
the =20
LMS and letting them know how the LMS can help with teaching skills to =
fulfill the state standards =20
3. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of your =20
library =20
media program? Support from my administration to allow me to create and =
=20
build a new program that provides for collaboration with teachers to =20
teach skills in context =20
4. What one thing has contributed the most to the success of the =20
technology =20
program in your school? A grant that pays for a handful of teachers to =
become experts with our technology and can then teach their fellow =20
teachers what they want to learn about how to use the computers and =20
other resources with their students. We call this our TILT (Technology =
=20
Integration Lead Teacher) program. The TILTs and their =93students=94 =20
(fellow teachers) are allowed to work together during the school day =20
because substitutes paid for by the grant are covering their =
classrooms.=20
Miss CJ Pfau =20
Library Media Specialist =20
Salem Grade School =20
Salem, WI =20
pfaucj@salem.k12.wi.us=20
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