survey based recommendations

S u r v e y - B a s e d R e c o m m e n d a t i o n s

Survey-Based

Recommendations For Hillcrest School Media Center

Taghreed Alhaddab - Spring 2012 - EDST6308 Organizing and Administering School

Library Media and Technology Programs


Survey Background:

Before writing the survey questions, I had few thoughts and ideas about

what an ideal school media center should look like. Based on my ideas, I

articulated a vision, and then constructed survey questions based on my

vision. I actually created two different surveys, one for teachers and one

for the media specialist. While creating my survey, I also created a

consent letter that allows me to officially start this survey. The consent

letter was approved and signed by the district superintendent based on

the school principal request. After that, the survey questions were

distributed to teachers in different grade-levels, and different survey

questions were given to the media specialist. The reason why I gave two

different surveys, is because I wanted to see different prospectives from

both teachers and the media specialist. This will give me the chance to

make fair and accurate recommendations.

About Hillcrest School

Hillcrest School, is a public elementary school located in

Somerset, New Jersey, and serves grades PK-4 in the Franklin

Township School District. The school has more than 500 students

and only one media center.


Survey Participants:

Eight teachers from different grade-levels

(K-4) participated in the first survey by giving

their opinions about the media center and the

media specialist work.

The second survey participant was the media

specialist. The media specialist is the core and the

major factor of any successful media center, and all

the questions in this second survey were formed

based on this fact.

The main focus

of this survey is

to see if

teachers receive

full cooperation

from the media

specialist and if

they have any

opinion in

selecting

materials that

meet their

curriculum

needs.


Surv

ey Q

ues

tion

s For Teachers

-Has the media-specialist been helpful when you

asked for assistance?

-Do you collaborate together?

The Media-Specialist:

- Demonstrates interest and enthusiasm for the

requests of students and teachers?

- Informs staff members of new acquisitions?

-Assists teachers in selecting the appropriate media

for units of study?

-Involves faculty in the selection of media and

equipment to meet the curriculum needs?

- Ensures that students are instructed in library

skills?

- Cooperates by giving and accepting new ideas?

- Implements procedures for the organization of

media and equipment?


For the Media-Specialist -Can the library accommodate a full class of students at one time? If NO, Why? - Do you attend and participate in library media conferences and workshops offered through professional organizations? If yes, identify. - Do you prepare and submit an annual school library budget request to your school administration? -Is there a regular communication between your library and the local public library? If NO, why Not? -Is there a regular communication between your library and other school libraries in the district? If NO, why not? - Do you have a library advisory committee that includes teachers, parents, administrators and/or community members? If NO, why not? - Do you provide regular communication about your library media programs and services to teachers, administrators, parents? How? - Do you participate in curriculum development team? If NO, why not? - Does the principal demonstrate support for the library media programs? How?


Important Findings:

57% of teachers said, there is no collaboration between them and

the media specialist.

100% of teachers said, the media specialist does not inform them

about new acquisitions.

71% of teachers said, the media specialist does not involve them in

the selection of media and equipment.

Survey Results

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

70.00%

80.00%

90.00%

100.00%

1st Question

2nd Question

3rd Question

4th Question

5th Question

6th Question

7th Question

8th Question

9th Question

Teachers' survey results

yes no I do not know


Important Results

In the Media Specialist Survey...

ased on the media specialist's answers,

several things were revealed. The

media specialist has a fixed schedule

and teaches several classes a day. She used to

attend library media conferences (NJASL), but

she is not attending this conference anymore due to budget issues.

Even though the media specialist prepares an annual budget for the

library acquisitions, she never included a request for financial support

for such workshops and conferences.

Furthermore, the media specialist, based on her answers,

does not communicate with the local public library because she does

not see a benefit of such communication, but on the other hand,

there is regular communication between her and other media

specialists in the district.

Surprisingly, the media specialist in Hillcrest school does not

have such an advisory committee and thinks it is actually not

necessary to have an advisory committee on the elementary school

level.

B


Recommendations For the Media-Specialist

Collaboration and Communication with teachers

- Conduct a Survey at least once a year.

- Have a regular communication with teachers.

- Create a semi-annual brochure that mentions in details new acquisitions

to the media center.

Involve teachers in the selection of materials

Teachers must have an opinion when it comes to selecting material that

meet their curriculum needs. The media specialist is really encouraged to have

regular meetings with teachers to see what kind of acquisitions are needed to

fulfill curriculum needs.

Plan an annual Budget

- An annual budget that is based on solid findings (surveys) is essential

for any media specialist.

- Include a request for financial support to attend library conferences.

- Starts a researcher committee to research for grants and funds for the

media center.

- Conduct fundraising events.


Start an Advisory Committee

- Be politically savvy and involves others in decision making.

- Advisory Committee composed of an active teachers,

administrators, parents, technology or curriculum coordinators,

and even students.

- Benefits of the Advisory Committee.

Communicate with the local Public Library

- It is very important to have a cooperation between school

media centers and public libraries in categories such as: networks

and resource sharing, building collections, information services

and instruction, and reading and literacy.

- Promote public library programs.

- Enrich students' knowledge about the local public library

by encouraging participating in summer reading programs

offered in the local public library, or simply by providing

information on how to obtain a public library card.

Create a Website

- Updated weekly, clear, easy to navigate, organized, contain

the media center policies, events, and announcements.

- Promote the media center, its programs, and provide

information and instructions in general.


Fixed Schedule

- Since the media specialist has a fixed schedule, it is recommended to

create a year-long curriculum. The curriculum is to train students and

add more difficult concepts overtime.

- It is also recommended that teachers accompany their classes to

reinforce the important points in the lesson with students later on, and

to prevent discipline problems from arising.

- It is strongly recommended to change from fixed schedule to flexible

schedule.

Flexible Schedule

- Is in the same track with educational best practices since flexible

scheduling allows:

- resource-based learning and encourages critical thinking.

- It also allows teachers to bring their classes to the media center at any

time during the school day specially if they need to come for instructional

purposes.

- It also allows students to visit the media center when they need which

will create a habit of coming to the media center as soon as they need

new materials.

A last recommendation...


For a successful school media

center, follow the 4P's of

Marketing.

please click here

http://www.smore.com/the-4-p-s

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