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I have said this for years
Any technolgy support for instruction in the schools
should work for the media specialist as part of the
media center staff.

Many media specialists have alienated themselves from
this position...

There are technology specialists, reading specialists,
literacy coaches, and more which make me angry. The
best person to facilitate all of those roles is the
media specialist.

Butu now we have the "Literacy Closets" -- which take
up an entire classroom and stock it with books for
teachers to checkout for their classrooms -- duh --

Then my other "favorite" topic -- Reading First -- put
books in the classrooms  and bypass the media center
and by golly -- don't catalog those materials -
because the media specialist will want to know what
happened to those books --


I have seen classroom libraries created because there
are media specialists who don't want kids in the
library unless they are doing "real" research or they
won't let kids check out books because they owe money
for them -- -- or the kid can only check out 1 book,
or let's see - how about sending home special
permission slips to check out library books

Meanwhile the school gives the kid a 35.00 textbook --
did they ask permission to do that? If the kid loses
it -- do they pay for it? 

And some media specialists flip out over a 10.00 -
15.00 book -- give me a break...

Now back to technology -- as I have asked many times
on this listserv

If your principal had to chose between the media
specialist and a technology specialist -- what are
they going to choose?

If it isn't the media specialist -- you had better
rethink what you are doing.....

As I have also said many times --

what kind of barriers is the media specialist creating
--since they have not been seen in many cases as a
technology leader --

So now we can get to filtering --
our reputation is that of "anything" goes -- we are
against censorship -- filtering is a bad thing -- CIPA
 is wrong -- I stand for intellectual freedom -- we
must teach kids -- not filter them --

yea right -- while I believe in the tenets of
intellectual freedom and censorship --

I go back to this -- would you put Playboy in a school
media center???? How many media specialists put away
the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue --

but mention filtering -- and oh my gosh -- the world
as we know it is coming to an end --- and we go
bonkers --

what happened to having a discussion on what is
appropriate materials for various age groups --
no our reputation blocks many media specialists from
giving input on the filtering....

I am blessed that I am the Director of Technology --
and I spend more hours than I should on Internet
access -- but I straddle both groups.

I listen to technology directors and try to get them
to listen to reason -- and most of the time -- I get
hit back with information about the nasty media
specialist who doesn't want any filtering,,,, etc,etc.

Then I can go to a library meeting -- and I try to
point out the issues involved with being in charge of
technology and what do I get -- the technology
director is inflexible - hard to get along with, etc.

I sometimes forget which group I am with because it
sounds like the same story from each side....

If the media specialist wants to have an active role
in technology -- don't wait to be invited --

do it your way --

have a training session during planning periods,before
school, after school, workdays, whenever -- and show
teachers something they can use right now and have a
product in 10 minutes....

You will win friends..

Now someone is going to say -- they won't come --
right they all won't but one or two will -- make sure
you show them something really awesome --

that they can go back and tell their friends about ---

word travels fast....

it will take awhile but you will start seeing friends.

Put together a short technolgy tip --
just one and send it to all teachers --
start a webpage -- and put the tips on it ...
teachers can go back and find them

And they don't have to be library tips --
at first use tips that they can use such as putting
graphics in Word --
then the next tip --- where can I find "free" graphics
for teachers...

next tip -- Changing the default font in Word ---
Next -- how to create a template --

start with easy things
then you can throw in tip
create a quick bibliography for use in your classroom

and on

it takes time ---

it will not happen in a day --

but you cannot give up and you can never say you have
too much to do...

Dont forget alot of people think -- "us library
people" sit around and read all day -- we don't know
anything about teaching ---

Make yourself indispensable to teachers and they will
fight for you -- and if you take the initiative --
make some gestures to the technology department --
don't start with filtering or other controversial
topics

offer this kind of help -- offer to keep extra
keyboards, mice, monitors and you can get them to
teachers --
offer to check if a teacher has a printer problem --

I do not want the media specialist to be the computer
technician -- but I do want them to be the go to
person --

Make some friends by offering small services to help
the technology department --
You can make it a win - win
You can make friends with the teachers and the tech
department -- but don't ever bash the tech department
to teachers -- 
trust me -- teachers will tell.....

carve yourself a niche and you can make the niche
grow.

Keep trying -- we have to win this --- and be the
technolgy - information - reading - person in the
school.

or we could vanish.....

Paula








--- "DiGregorio, David"
<ddigregorio@TENAFLY.K12.NJ.US> wrote:

> -----Original Message-----
> From: DiGregorio, David 
> Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 9:10 AM
> To: 'robincicchetti@COMCAST.NET';
> LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Subject: RE: Target: Library Technology Aides?
> YES!!!
> 
> OPINION: It is nice to see that some library media
> centers are trying to
> get back on board as the information / media /
> technology centers of the
> school.  Too many libraries have let the technology
> departments run away
> with all the budget money / have free reign on what
> is allowed / not
> allowed / accessed /not accessed when we are
> supposed to be the
> professionals.  It has been our own fault. State
> associations, like the
> one in New Jersey for example, have been too
> interested in aligning
> themselves with the AASL (CORRECTED not ALA) (and
> the lobby) instead of
> forging an all encompassing essential "media" role
> in the school - in my
> opinion a step backward (no political lobby needed
> when you are really
> effective).  School librarians (media specialists)
> have been too
> interested in cataloging minutia or book
> appropriateness etc. rather
> than managing the big relation the library should
> have with all "media"
> and the entire school / district.  So many library
> budgets and
> facilities have been withering on the vine and cut
> out as a result.  A
> "technology aid" or "Media Technician" is an
> essential position that
> every high school and middle school should have and
> I congratulate you
> (and any colleague) for exploring such a model.  In
> my opinion, this
> position MUST be part of any effective library media
> center.  
> 
> David Di Gregorio 
> ddigregorio@tenafly.k12.nj.us    
> Supervisor Library Media Services
> Tenafly High School
> www.librarymedia.net 
> 19 Columbus Drive
> Tenafly, NJ 07670
> CELL: 201-696-8062
> 201.816.6617
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: School Library Media & Network Communications
> [mailto:LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU] On Behalf Of Robin
> Cicchetti
> Sent: Tuesday, January 29, 2008 11:39 AM
> To: LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
> Subject: Target: Library Technology Aides?
> 
> Hello Everyone,
> 
> I am looking at alternate staffing models.  Does
> anyone currently have
> any staff member employed as a "library technology
> aide" or some
> variation?  This position would not require
> licensure/certification, but
> would be a non-professional tech support role;
> someone whose job
> description would require an elevated technology
> component along with
> typical library aide responsibilities.  
> 
> Please respond off-list.  I will post a HIT.
> 
> Many thanks for your time,
> 
> Robin
> 
> Robin Cicchetti, LMS
> Concord - Carlisle High School
> 500 Walden Street
> Concord, MA 01742
> rcicchetti@colonial.net
> 
> Robin is currently reading A Great and Terrible
> Beauty, by Libba Bray
> What are you reading?
> 
>
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Paula Yohe
Director Of Technology/Library Media Center
Dillon School District Two
405 West Washington Street
Dillon, SC 29536
Phone: 843-841-3604 Fax:843-774-1214
paula_yohe@yahoo.com


      
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