Purpose of this Assignment
As a prospective school library media specialist, you need to know as much as possible about the job before you begin.  If you are already a media specialist, then you need to learn from what other media specialists are doing.  Through a small amount of field experience, you will observe life in a real media center and assist with common tasks.

Task
Find a media specialist who is willing to host you for this semester.  Visit in this media center for 5 clock hours - the time need not be contiguous.  During that time, you may simply observe or you may pitch in and help (according to the host media specialist's desires and your own desires).  Document your experience in a journal.  Collect some kind of visual evidence that you can share with the class - photographs, video, artifacts.  Reflect upon the topics in our class,  and how they relate to your field experience. Review the AASL Standards for SLMS Preparation - and relate the activities observed with competencies required. It's not likely that you will observe all the competencies in this visit.

Components

• Report your media specialist's name, school, and system along with the Demographic Survey (below).  Since this demographic information is no longer required by the College, submit a separate document with your site's host name, school, and system.  (The old demographic form works fine for this, is you like.)
  
• Journal: use pseudonyms throughout.  I expect this journal to be brief - simply report events.
• Reflection: I expect to see these: your impressions, insights, about this experience; mapping of  AASL competencies to activities observed; what you learned.  Optionally, you may also discuss your feelings about the experience, surprises, or anything else that fits. You do not need to evaluate the host SLMS.
• Diversity: report any observations or interactions with learners from traditionally under-represented groups. If you did not have this opportunity, simply report this. Optional: Fill out the COE Demographic Survey for this visit (this information can usually be found on the web and/or your media specialist will be able to give you approximate figures.) There is a special dropbox where you can download this same form and upload the result.
  
• Map AASL competencies to activities observed, in brief form (the connection should be clear)
  
• Visual evidence: one or more items that "prove" your visit(s)
• Sharing: from time to time, we may discuss these experiences in class.  We will likely have an informal "show-and-tell" on the assignment due date.
  

Submission Format
Submit two files into the same dropbox:

1. Document with just the site identification information on it.
2. Document with everything else.
   

Use the filenaming rules.
On the last day of class, bring at least one piece of visual evidence for an informal show-and-tell activity (no need to prepare a presentation).

Evaluation Checklist