2010-2011 Annual ReportMedia Center: Sequoyah High School

Media Specialists: Jan Reed and Elease Franchini

Submitted: May 27, 2011

Program Highlights: Empowering Learners

The Sequoyah Media Center endeavors to empower learners through the following facets of our program. It is our mission to ensure that staff and students are effective users of information in a variety of formats and technologies.

Statistics and Summaries:

Student Circulation as of 5/17: We had 6, 223 student checkouts this year. That is a 13% increase from last year and 35% from the previous! We have worked very hard to increase student circulation.

Faculty Circulation: We had 2,748 faculty checkouts this year.

Number of classes in the media this year: 863

Number of students on pass: 21,653

The number of book holds this year: 58

The average number of students in the media center before school: 75

The average number of students in the media center after school: 3

The average number of students on media pass during lunch: 25

Roles and Responsibilities of the School Library Media Specialist

I. Leader: Lead the way in building 21st century skills throughout the school environment

We strive to lead the way in building 21st century skills in our building as well as outside of it. Like any learner, we listen to the needs of students and teachers and pay attention to opinions and ideas of our peers to help shape our program. As Joyce Valenza states in her Manifesto for 21 st Century School Librarians ,“[We want to] look ahead for what is coming down the road. [We

need to] continually scan the landscape. As the information and communication landscapes continue to shift, do [we] know where [we] are going? [We need to] plan for change. Not for [ourselves], not just for the library, but for the building, for [our] learners.”

Jan Reed serves as Media Department Head and gives input into school policies and activities at these department meetings.

Elease Franchini assists with the technology planning for the Teachers as Advisors Committee as well as the School Council.

Elease also was one of the coaches of the first Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Team for Sequoyah.

Senior Project is a big undertaking every year. Jan and Elease help with the technology issues on Student Board Night as well as give teacher support in implementation and new ideas. Elease met with the Senior Project Committee to discuss using flashdrives and a generic presentation login to speed up student presentation times. Jan and Elease also hosted two afternoon sessions for students to test their presentations on laptops that would be docked in their assigned rooms for Boards. Jan and Elease stayed for both sessions of the Senior Board as well as helped set up and take down the equipment.

Jan and Elease head the Media Committee who met several times this year to review and discuss policies, budget issues, new technology, etc. as well as create and Exemplary Media Center Narrative for this school year that was submitted to the GDOE this month.

Despite the limited funding for staff development, we learn daily with several Personal Learning Networks (PLNs)—Twitter (#tlchat and #istechat), RSS feeds from various blogs and sites, School Library Journal, LM_Net and TeacherLibrarianNing. We also learn from quarterly CHAMPS meetings with other county media specialists, as well as webinars—such as Edutopia, Gale, Facts on File and Follett.

II. Instructional Partner: Identifies curricular content, learning outcomes, and a wide variety of resources for instruction

We work with members of the school community to develop practices, curriculum, and policies to guide student learning. We meet with teachers and departments to plan instructional units and provide materials, online pathfinders, technology support, and reading support. Collaboration with individual faculty members takes place informally at the request of either the media specialists and the teacher. Teachers who are willing to plan collaboratively realize the importance of media services as an extension of their classrooms.

We provided staff development on media center policies (changes such as loss of staff), MediaCast, Discovery Streaming, Facts on File Video Streaming and online resources

such as GALILEO. Elease scheduled “Afternoon Snacks” to meet with individual departments this year to demonstrate new databases.

This year we piloted using the Google Documents part of Noodletools with Dr. Bragg’s Senior Project. We are still discussing the strengthes and weaknesses of as it relates to MLA format.

We promoted Glogster as a means of fulfilling the poster requirement for Senior Project and most Senior Project teachers not only used it but asked for assistance in setting up the account and/or instructing the students in its use.

One way we have assisted in meeting subject matter standards is by teaching the research paper process. Research papers for English classes consumed most of our media program during the months of October and November and then again in February through early May. We met with the teachers to discuss what role we need to play in the planning and instruction of the assignment. We set up pathfinders, make book lists, pull books, and make username/password sheets.

Here are the FOUR Performance Standards for writing and research that we assist students to achieve: ELA9W3, ELA10W3, ELA11W3, and ELA12W3.

We have had numerous collaboratively planned lessons plans this year. Note: many of the lesson plans were shared by multiple teachers.

English 17Social Studies 7Science 4Foreign Language 1

One way we collaborate is through the creation of pathfinders. Our pathfinders are PBWorks wiki pages that are linked to our Sharepoint page and created to aid students in finding selected resources in a variety of media on a topic they are researching. Some pathfinders are glogs (digital posters) and other are not. They are accessible at home or at a school. They provide a head start for students as they begin their research project. Teachers collaborate with us what they would like to see in the pathfinder—certain sites or resource requirements.

Another way we act as an instructional partner is to provide assistance and instruction to Teach21 teachers and their Captone Project. We read over project proposals, provided technical assistance, and assisted instruction in a variety of ways including Copyright, Creative Commons Sources, and Web 2.0 tools. For example, Elease assisted Dr. Bragg’s students with adding Web 2.0 elements such as Animoto videos, Vokis, and

Glogs into PBWorks. We assisted Debra Baker and her students with PhotoStory and Creative Commons images. Other ways we partner with these teachers is to provide materials such as color photos for their diplay boards or help created their Works Cited Page for their papers. Elease attended the Capstone Expo to lend support and to cheer!

III. Information Specialist: Provides leadership and expertise in acquiring and evaluating information resources in all formats and models information within and beyond the media center

As Information Specialists we assist teachers and students in the creation of technology learning tasks, provide 24/7 access to media center services, introduce and model emerging technologies, connect the school to the world beyond these four walls, and try to provide teachers and students a better understanding of fair use, copyright, and licensing.

We use technology to engage learners, foster critical thinking skills, and help incorporate inquiry-based activities into instruction. Students become adept at information retrieval from reliable Internet sources, critical evaluation of information, use of technology as a tool to construct knowledge out of the information they seek, graphically organizing information, manipulating graphics, and collaborating with others to produce constructive media-based projects.

Incorporated into collaborative digital storytelling projects is instruction on copyright and copyleft principles.

Whether using a Prezi presentation to start an Orientation Scavenger Hunt, Del.icio.us links and Glogs embedded in a pathfinder wiki, or Google documents and Noodletools for collaboration with teachers for Senior Project, we encourage students by example to use technology for content creation and sharing, not just content consumption.

Since internet safety is also imperative, the media center uses NetSupport to monitor student computer use and aid the push out of specific URLs.

Jan Reed collects and produces the announcements that run on the televisions through the MediaCast Kiosk.

We created an online password protected database/subscription login sheet for easier retrieval.

Web 2.0: New programs this year was Wallwisher (book recommendation) and a new book review blog called Page Turner.

New Equipment: We purchased 5 more Ladibug document cameras.

Video Production: Elease Franchini aided in the production, filming, editing, and desemination of videos used throughout the year for the Teachers as Advisors Committee. She assisted numerous teacher and students with video projects including the Mr. GQ video and the Senior Slideshow.

New Technology: QR Codes on Sharepoint for main media page and QR code for Book Trailer Page for 2010 and 2011 Peach Books

Media Center Book Trailers

Database and Subscription Website Usage for 2010-2011:

Database SHS Usage District AverageBrainPOP 390 Sessions 247 SessionsFacts on File 696 Searches 555 SearchesGALE: Discovering Collection and Opposing ViewPoints

7,909 Searches 8,630 Searches

Maps 101 0 Logins 492 Logins We just have not had anyone ask us for maps this year. We can remind teachers next year.

NetTrekker 15,217 Searches 5,672 SearchesSIRS Knowledge Source

273 Logins 403 Logins

Soundzabound 255 downloads 236 downloadsTurnitin 1301

Submissions/1386 Originality Reports

1935 Submissions/1995 Originality Reports

USA TestPrep 18,601 Logins 11,284 Logins

Discovery Streaming (Teachers Only)

560 Logins/1427 Videos and Segments Utilized

597 Logins/1651 Videos and Segments Utilized

Gales Global Issues In Context

159 Sessions201 Searches

Purchased by SHS (not CCSD)

ABC-Clio Social Studies Databases

1,788 Searches Purchased by SHS (not CCSD)

IV. Teacher: Collaborates with school staff analyzing learning and information needs, locating and using resources that fulfills those needs and understands and communicates the information the resources provide

We are advocates for reading in all formats as well as for reading for pleasure as well as for comprehension and research. We continually keep building our collection to reflect a variety of backgrounds, ethnicities, and interests. We encourage students to think critically, choose the best resources, and use information ethically.

Reading Initiatives

The media center actively supports the school’s reading goals by conducting reading incentive promotions. We and the teachers assist students in book selection by considering assigned subject, personal preferences, and sometimes Lexile. We encourage teachers to create resource lists of books they would like their students to read and use for their subject so they can be easily found.

We also ensure that all students have access to readings appropriate for their differentiated needs and offer books in a variety of formats—Spanish titles for popular books/Playaways for auditory learners.

Shelf displays are customized each month to coincide with content area learning—such as medieval fiction (Social Studies Castle displays), thematic arrangements (such as vampires), and National Promotions (Teen Read Week theme, etc).

The GA Peach Books are marked with a sticker and are displayed prominently for easy access. These displays encourage recreational and content area reading.

We market books using social networking tools like Shelfari, and LibraryThing. E-book previews are also embedded in our website to encourage reading.

A new endeavor is to place a QR code on our Book Trailers site as well as on the inside cover of the Peach Book Award Nominees that links to a wiki page of book trailers (many from booktrailers4all) for these books. A laptop webcam is used as a QR Reader. We are working with students to create more book trailers beyond the Peach Books to

add to booktrailers4 all through SHS Media 4shared.com. One published trailer can be found here.

Students can share a good book by adding a recommendation on our Wallwisher account or offer a larger review or recommendation on the brand new Page Turners blog.

To meet the needs of those students who just do not seem to find time to get to the media center, Jan wheels a book cart with the “latest” reads and popular titles over to the cafeteria with a laptop and scanner. Jan decorates the cart seasonally and make this service available to all lunch periods twice a month. The students can return books, clear fines, request books, and place holds during this time as well.

SHS participates in the GA Teen Peach Book Award program, the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl, and special weekly promotions such as Banned Books Week, Teen Read Week and School Library Week. Throughout these weeks, we have special activities and contests for prizes. These promotions serve to place the spotlight on the importance of reading across the curriculum and for a lifetime. We support teacher-initiated contests such as book cover contests.

SHS had its first Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl team this year (Elease as Co-Coach). Jan was a scorer at the meet.

The media center has seasonal trivia contests for student and sometimes staff prizes—Literary Couples Trivia for Valentines –and book trivia contests for movie tickets.

The media center hosted a guest readers for Tolkien Reading Day (Guest Speaker David Cofield). Every period was filled with 2-3 English classes.

An additional activity open to all students is the SHS Book Club sponsored by the English Department. The media center tries to provide copies of their chosen books.

New Manga was purchased to support the Anime Club. A faculty bookshelf is available in the copy room behind the media center so faculty can

share books.

Banned Books Week Get Caught Reading Pictures YALSA Top Ten Voting

Teen Read Week Prize Winner Tolkien Reading Day Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl

Peach Books Voting

Instruction of Students

Classroom work, student presentations, and project rubrics are utilized by the teachers and supported by us to provide assessment for all students.

Rubrics are designed collaboratively (when applicable or requested) to assess learning and gather student achievement data.

Differentiated instruction as well as assessment is planned collaboratively with the teachers and us when the teacher indicates the need to meet various learning styles or technology skills. For example, Glogster.com was chosen as the vehicle for Seniors to complete the poster requirement for the Senior Project. Based on discussion with a Special Education teacher and Elease, the teacher’s classes will be using the Glogster.EDU account for closer monitoring and assistance by the teacher.

We also coordinate use of assistive technology for those with designated Special Education needs.

All ninth graders were given an orientation at the beginning of the school year through their English classes. The students completed a Scavenger hunt of media resesources—physical and online—and then Jan or Elease discussed the results and other necessary info. The completed papers were placed in a drawing for prizes including Barnes and Noble cards, thumb drives, SHS shirts and other spirit items.

Orientation Prize Winners

For research papers the teachers rely on us to assist the students in navigating throught the online catalog, the shelves, specific databases, and MLA Citations. In some cases we have taught students to use Noodletools and in other citation makers such as Easybib. Older students write literary papers and need more instruction on using literary databases and the the criticism anthologies we have in the media center.

Instruction in the ethical use of information is included, enabling students to create accurate and credible assignments.

Some times we have the opportunity to work with teachers on research beyond pathfinders. These teachers want us to co-plan and co-teach a lesson wit them. They provide the content instruction and we assist in the resource traiing, research skills, digital citizenship, and resource location. For example, Mrs. Flynn (Special Education) wanted to try some new Web 2.0 tools so she and Elease collaborated on a project together using Glogster, VoiceThreads, and Dipity. Mrs. Flynn provided the content and Elease instructed the students in the technology. Both of them created theassessment rubric. We have done quite a lot of instruction on Glogster, Noodletools, PhotoStory, MovieMaker, FLIP cameras, and much more. Another example would be the creation of web quests. Elease colaborated with Mrs. Levine-Male to create a webquest and glog about modern Spain.

We aid in creating rubrics for teachers as well—Glogster Senior Project, Photostory, etc.

V. Program Administrator: Collaborative member of school learning community defining media program policies and activities, advocate for media program and leader for school’s vision of 21st century school environmental

We strive to ensure that all members of the SHS community have access to resources that meet a variety of need. With the help of our Media Committee and Administration, we work hard to manage the media plan, budget, policies, and physical and virtual space.

Management of Media Staff: We keep a daily list of what we need to accomplish in a day and check them off as we go. We just work together to get it done. We really do share the responsibilities. Without our clerk this year, we have had to be creative sometimes in our scheduling, we had to take more work home, we had to learn to prioritize, and we had to learn that we cannot do every thing we want to do. We did receive some assistance this year: we had help from students, parents and PTSA volunteers. Two students aided the media specialists for three class periods.

Policies:

The media center does offer extended hours for events at SHS--Open House, Senior Project Boards and Preparation, Meetings, Curriculum Night, Electives Fair, etc.

The media center aids in meeting the School Improvement Plan goals through collaborative instructional classes, reading incentives, purchase and instruction of USA Test Prep for EOCT/GHSGT prep (Math, Science, SS, and English) and review as well as assisting the School Council in their website.

Physical Space:

This year the County replaced the carpet with a light beige tile and new medium cherry tables and chairs.

We added 2 oversized chairs and a loveseat to form a new reading area! Thanks, Mr. Berman!

We added 4 secure laptop stations in the back of the media center for students on pass when all the desktops are full with class use.

The media center helps host the statewide Autumn Argument Debate and other events each year.

The Academic Lab which is scheduled and maintained by Jan and Elease is on another hall.

New Sofa and Chairs

New tables and chairs and tiled floor New secured laptops for student use

Publications:

Monthly Newsletter: We created a monthly newsletter that went out to all staff. It contained—posted on Media Sharepoint

Monthly Statistical Report for Administration—posted on Media Sharepoint Tribal Chant Newsletter Media Center pamphlet for new teachers (resources, ways to collaborate, policies,

procedures, rules) Preplanning Prezi Presentation to discuss policies and procedures due to loss of clerk

Hosting:

Work-based Learning Meetings Reflections Contest Information and Displays of Winners Booster Club Meetings: Football, Basketball, Soccer, Cheerleading, Debate Autumn Argument Debate National Honors Society meetings PTA Meetings AP Test Reviews and Practices VALIC Rep.

Testing Trainings GHSGT Testing Christmas Tea-- EOCT Testing Scheduling PPG Meetings Faculty Luncheons Beta Induction Relay for Life Fundraiser

Christmas Tea (Family and Consumer Science)

Reflections Contest Winners

Program Budget:

Books 27%Databases 39%Periodicals 3%Equipment 10%Licensing/Testing 5%AV 7%Supplies 8% (toner, etc)

Inventory:

Our inventory is complete. We have 18,124 titles and 22,580 copies.

We have had 14 Lost and Paid items this year as of May 27.

The list below reflects the inventory as of May 27. We will hopefully find some of the missing materials at the end of school—lockers and the like.

Name Accounted For Unaccounted ForFiction 5,512 1Story Collection 210 2Playways 7 0Easy 38 0ESOL Fiction 431 0ESOL Story Collection

69 0

ESOL Nonfiction 164 0Biography (921's) 1,130 1000's 84 0REF 000's 82 0100’s 338 0REF 100’s 82 0200’s 247 0REF 200’s 16 0300’s 2,032 0REF 300’s 227 0400’s 152 0REF 400’s 69 0500’s 772 0REF 500’s 54 0600’s 1,230 0REF 600’s 51 0700’s 880 0REF 700’s 89 0800’s 878 0REF 800’s 795 0900s (before Biographies)

295 0

REF 900s (before Biographies)

226 0

900s (after Biographies)

1,604 2

REF 900s (after Biographies)

99 0

Careers 315 0

Periodicals 242 0Pictures 20 0Student Elevator Keys

24 0

Vertical File 62 0Equipment 770 12Office 57 0Library Use Only 435 0Professional 2010-11

318 0

CDs - Nonfiction 47 0Classroom CDs 119 0AV DVD 616 0AV Fiction Cassettes

517 0

AV Fiction CDs 374 0AV Fiction DVDs 368 0AV NF Cassettes 30 0AV NF Kits 4 0AV VID NF 1,093 4AV Videos Fiction 254 0

Goals for 2011-2012

To improve our book security system.

To update look of circulation desk and computer tables.

To use Skype to empower a new form of learning.

To create more book trailers.

To purchase more FLIP cameras.

To purchase some café tables.

To get training on the Creation Station Adobe programs.

To have more participants in the Peach Book Award voting.

To complete elements of the Capstone Project.

To continue to build our eBook collection.

To provide the best quality service we can provide considering budget and media staff concerns.