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

• Placement into: submit via this form.
  
• 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; 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. Overall, report the demographics observed, or the published demographics of the school.
  
• Map AASL competencies to activities observed, in brief form (the connection should be clear). Use your common sense - there's no point in mapping every tiny activity. Instead, choose one to three prominent events and map these.
  
• 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
1. Fill in the placement form as soon as you're sure where you're going. (If the placement changes, resubmit; I will assume the latest one is correct.)
2. Create a Googledoc.  Include your visual evidence here if possible. When ready to submit, share it with maryannfitz@gmail.com. 
3. 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