John McDonald is the latest SLMS from Indiana to receive the prestigious "Frances Henne Award" from the American Library Association (ALA, 2005) as the outstanding new school library media specialist of the year. He is also currently serving as President-Elect of the Association for Indiana Media Educators (AIME, 2006).Learn more about John McDonald at http://eduscapes.com/sms/mcdonald.html
John is another returning blogger for the class. You will find that he is energetic and innovative, willing to try new ideas and ways in his middle school position. Something seems to be working, and John is willing to share his candid insights. If you're looking for conversation/question starters, then John encourages you to read parts of the annual report at his Media Center website. Most of the major initiatives are outlined in that document.
John:
ReplyDeleteI read where you were able to create a school wide iniative for information literacy skills. I think a program like that is great! I'm interested to hear what convinced the naysayers in your building and what your largest hurdles were.
As a high school media specialist can you give me advice on how to begin such an undertaking. It seems at the high school level we're so locked in to credits, lack of time, and AYP - NCLB goals there's barely any energy or time left for something else.
Thanks
John,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you do a lot with technology. I have three questions related to technology:
1) Do you promote the use of technology in the classroom as part of your library program, and if so, how?
2) Do you have many teachers who are reluctant to use technology (this is still the case in my school)?
3) How do you respond/react to the teachers who are "technology resistant?"
Thanks,
Heidi Lauger
I am also curious as to how you can get those computer reluctant teachers excited about all the things the Internet has to offer. This is the fourth year I have been in this position and there is one colleague in particular that I struggle with all the time. It's a building effort to try to get her to work with the computers, but to no avail. She's truly set in her ways. I recently found out that she has been having her assistant print out her e-mails so that she doesn't have to get on there herself. It's very frustrating.
ReplyDeleteWhat kinds of things would suggest I could try with this teacher?
Thanks, Emily Schubel
Hi! I'm interested in your collection development policies as a middle school LMS. How do you dealk with the special challenges that come with building a collection both for the youngest of your patrons whose parents might strogly object to more mature material, and your older patrons who crave that material?
ReplyDelete