Final Reflection
During these last four years of being in the Eastern Shore Towson Cohort, I was a little confused as to what these signature assignments actually were and how they would fit together into an e-portfolio. I recall my teachers saying to just hang onto them; you will need them for later.
Now, as I look back and write my reflections, I see how these assignments were advancing me towards my goal of being a certified media specialist. I recognize how far I have come and how much I have learned. I see how these assignments were all part of a large puzzle that now can be put together in a website. As I looked through the many projects, I began to realize that all of them could fall under an AASL standard, and some of them could fall under at least two or more. Each assignment was putting me a step closer to understanding and fulfilling these goals. This portfolio is a way for me to assemble everything together, organize it, and create a vivid presentation to share and display.
The four main roles of a media specialist are represented through my reflections and artifacts. The teacher role is the link between the library, students, and classroom. Connections are clearly made through collaboration with the teachers and curriculum, acquiring technology skills, accessing, evaluating, and using information in its different formats, creating new knowledge, and inspiring the love of literature and reading to both learn and enjoy.
The Instructional Partner collaborates with teachers, the community, and administration to ensure successful student learning outcomes. Ethical and legal principles must be modeled. The use of the arts is encouraged where their use would fit easily and naturally. Bringing a story alive can occur simply with the use of drama in unison, repetition of movement, singing, or illustrating a part of the plot.
An Information Specialist is knowledgeable and current in educational technology, is willing to learn and teach new software resources, able to access and evaluate information, and guide its use of with students.
The fourth role is that of Administrator. The media specialist must oversee all issues relating to the library, appropriate a budget wisely, know the needs of the library, and how to meet those needs. Advocating for the library at all times is especially important when many schools today are cutting their libraries. Finally, it is beneficial to be a fundraiser in order to increase and keep current your collection of books, technology, and electronic resources.
Within the context of lifelong learning, information literacy is the ever-increasing skill of seeking out information, evaluating it, and using it in an effective manor to meet a personal or educational need. As the digital environment becomes more complex, academic skills will be necessary to synthesize and find reliable information.
It is my goal as a media specialist to increase collaboration with our teachers more every year, obtain the best materials for the library that my budget can provide, improve information literacy lessons, and find a place within the School Improvement Team. I will always endeavor to provide students with the skills to develop into life-long learners while nurturing their love of reading. I hope that my students will find a love for the library and all things associated with it that will stay with them throughout life and will, in turn, pass on to their children. I know that is the way I go about my job every day.