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Syllabus
it.coe.uga.edu/~mfitzger/6340/syllabus.html
EDIT 6340: Information Services in School Media Programs
Spring Semester, 2010
UGA Gwinnett, Room 118

  2-5-2010

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Schedule
Selected Saturdays, 9am-3pm:
1/9, 1/30, 2/13, 2/27, 3/20, 3/27, 4/10

Instructor

Dr. Mary Ann Fitzgerald
Associate Professor
604C Aderhold Hall
maryannfitz at gmail.com
http://it.coe.uga.edu/~mfitzger
For more contact details, check the eLC homepage for this course: EPIT Advisement » 6340.

Liz May, Teaching Assistant
lizardmay at gmail.com

Office hours: call for an appointment during weekday hours.  I will usually be available before class and briefly afterwards. Please feel free to talk with me privately and at your convenience—this is part of my job. Phone conversations, emails, instant messages, Skype talks, and face-to-face visits are all welcome. Scheduled phone appointments and online conferences work well, too.   I strive to answer email within 48 hours with the exception of weekends, holidays, and when out of town.  If you need me urgently, a phone call or phone message is the best way.  I invite you to call me at home when the situation warrants; I'll provide the phone number in class, or check the contact details above.

Course Description
Students analyze criteria for planning, selecting, using, and evaluating a variety of electronic and print resources for information services in schools.

Objectives:

The learner will be able to:
  1. Describe the processes of research, information service, and selection in the context of the overall mission of the school’s instructional program.
  2. Assume a philosophical position on the role of the research process, information services, and the selection process in schools.
  3. Describe and implement strategies for building effective information services and selection processes in a school media center.

Texts and Supplies
Required:

American Association of School Librarians, & Association for Educational Communications and Technology. (1998). Information power: Building partnerships for learning. Chicago: American Library Association.  Or: American Association of School Librarians. (2009). Empowering learners: Guidelines for school library media programs.  Chicago, IL: American Library Association.

American Association of School Librarians (2003). Program standards: School library media specialist preparation. Available: http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aasleducation/schoollibrarymed/ala-aasl_slms2003.pdf. (This document contains the standards for our curriculum and will be useful throughout your graduate program.)

Bishop, K. (2007). The collection program in schools: Concepts, practices, and information sources (4th ed.). Westport, CN: Libaries Unlimited.  ISBN-13: 978-1591583608

Repman, J., & Dickinson, G.K., Eds. (2007). School library management (6th ed.). Columbus, OH: Linworth. ISBN: 1-58683-296-4.

You Are the Key: A Handbook for Georgia Library Media Specialists. Online:
http://www.clayton.k12.ga.us/departments/instruction/mediaservices/handbook/


Supplemental:

We depend heavily upon the Internet in this class for communication, resources, and information inquiry.  It is essential that you have access to a reliable computer and Internet connection.  
It's a good idea to carry a thumb drive to class. Laptops are welcome in class but not required (wireless access is usually available). For home use, a microphone headset is highly desirable.

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Topical Outline


The course syllabus is a general plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be necessary.  Topics are presented in a general sequence, but adjustments will be made to allow for natural unfolding of discussion.

I. Values
  1. Diversity
  2. Access
  3. Information ethics
  4. Selection principles and criteria (as ideals)
  5. Beyond the walls (value of looking beyond the local)
  6. Intellectual freedom (as an ideal)
  7. Stewardship (under Budgeting)

II. Landscape (givens)
  1. Formats and Genres; Resource characteristics
  2. Children's literature, all levels
  3. Curriculum
  4. InfoVerse
environmental scanning
associated technology

III. Processes
  1. Community Analysis
  2. Evaluation of Info Quality
  3. Selection (Consideration: searching for materials and selection tools; Budgeting:Fundraising, Stretching; Acquisition)
  4. Selection Policy
  5. Collection promotion
  6. Collection development (overview; Goals, objectives, targets)
  7. Challenges and reconsideration
  8. Collection Maintenance
  9. Collection Evaluation
  10. Weeding (as a possible result of Community analysis, Evaluation of info quality, Reconsideration, Collection evaluation)
  11. Reference interview (basic connection between collection adn user; connections to info-lit instruction
  12. Democratic process (committee work and leadership; negotiation; conflict resolution)
  13. Special circumstances (Opening, moving, closing a MC)

Alternate organizations of the same topics:
Framework | Standards Alignment | Sequential Outline

Other topics pertaining to collection development and information services are invited. If topics come up that need exploring, this course is flexible enough to accommodate them.

Instructional Strategies

Research
Case studies and scenarios
Assignments (see below)
Class discussions and small group discussions
Readings in texts and of current scholarly and practical articles
Individual presentations
Idea sharing
Field experiences
Setting up personal consideration files
Preparation of budgets and orders according to a selection plan
Interviews of practicing media specialists or librarians
Instructional materials exhibition
Book reviews
Guest speakers

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Assignments
I will provide detailed instructions for completing each of these, which will be available near the first day of class. Due dates will be confirmed on the first day.

 
Assignment
Points 
(of 100 total
Mode
(preferred)
                     
Due:

Selection Policy Draft (SP Draft)
10
Group
Feb 14
Selection Policy (SP)
25
Group
Mar 14
Instructional Materials Exhibition

15
Individual
Mar
28
Order Draft
10 Group Apr 11
Field experience: 5 clock hours
15
Individual
Apr 18
Final project: Order

25
Group
 May 2

Grading Policy

  1. Projects are constructed to be as authentic as possible.  They are often large and challenging, but they are also realistic.  Detailed rubrics are provided to guide students to a high standard of performance.
  2. A lot of thought goes into pacing assignments and arranging deadlines to be reasonable both for you to complete the assignments and for me to properly evaluate them.  As professionals, we mutually expect deadlines to be met. Please contact me if you have a problem with meeting a particular deadline. If an assignment is late, its score may be reduced. Also, please check with me if you feel that a deadline needs to be rescheduled, either for you personally or for the class as a whole.
  3. Communication and writing skills are essential for media specialists, Master’s candidates, and Specialist candidates. Therefore, all writing must comply with grammatical and spelling rules and should look professional in a visual sense. Please use a word processor and avail yourself of the spelling and grammar-checking tools provided by your software. Web sites and projected materials should receive the same level of proofreading and care that printed papers do.  If errors or appearance detract from the quality of an assignment, the score will reflect this problem. I reserve the right to return severely flawed assignments to you without a grade so that you may repair them prior to my reading.  Most assignments have a "mechanics" criterion. Items that are written for public consumption in real life -- such as web pages -- should be as close to perfect as possible, in keeping with the professionalism expected of you in the field.  Items that are more reflective or just for me to evaluate will not be held to such a high standard. 
  4. Format.  Most assignment descriptions specify the form in which each assignment should be turned in. Please pay careful attention to this detail. Most are submitted online in some form or other. You should also post your assignment on your assignment page - unless privacy will be compromised (as in the case of Field Experiences).  This provides a sharing opportunity for all class members and provides backup. 
  5. As scholars, it is essential for you to give credit to any other sources consulted in the course of completing any assignment. Use in-line citations as appropriate.  List these in a reference list near the end of the project, and please follow APA style (5th or 6th edition).
  6. Resubmit option. I believe in mastery learning, a learning model in which students have the opportunity to keep working at a skill until they have accomplished it. It is my philosophy that every student can achieve an A with sufficient effort; this class is not a competitive event, nor are student performances rated in relation to others.  If you receive less than a 90% score on any assignment, you may correct the problem(s) and resubmit up until the final due date.  If you choose to use this option, please include a summary of feedback points and actions taken. Super Eight Assessments (in this class, the Selection Policy and the Order) must achieve the 90% level upon completion of the Certification Portfolio.
  7. I follow the Graduate School's policy of using the Incomplete grade only in the case of documented illness or other unavoidable emergency.  If you feel you have the need and justification for an Incomplete, you must communicate with me as soon as possible and document your difficulty.
  8. Plus/minus grading: the Graduate School strongly encourages faculty to use plus-minus grading.  However, note that the A+ grade is not possible.  The plain "A" is the highest possible grade. A-, B+, B, B-, etc., are all possible. Scale: 94 and up = A. 90-93 = A-. 88-89 = B+. 83-87 = B. 80-82 = B-. 78-79 = C+. 73-77=C. 70-72=C-. Below that: retake class.We won't use the eLC gradebook, but keeping up with your progress is very simple: add. Of course, I will keep a gradebook spreadsheet; if at any time you need to see your row, let me know.
  9. Academic honesty. All academic work must meet the standards contained in "A Culture of Honesty." Students are responsible for informing themselves about those standards before performing any academic work. More information about academic honesty can be found at http://www.uga.edu/honesty/.
  10. Collaborative option.  I have specified the preferred mode for each assignment - individual or group. Collaboration has many benefits and is a professional competency SLMSs must have. However, it is possible to use another mode, especially for individuals to complete group assignments.  Please let me know if you want to exercise this option for any assignment.  All members of a group receive the same grade for their group's product.  If you have a problem in finding a group, please let me know; I will help match-make. Groups should be no larger than three people.
Attendance

In this class, participation is of the utmost importance. As in many graduate classes, a major benefit is interacting with your peers. To miss any class seriously compromises your learning, because it's the equivalent of two full weeks of meetings. I expect you to have a professional attitude of wanting to participate and to contribute fully in this class, and to give it a high priority in your plans. Over the years, the high level of professionalism among our Cohorts has lead to excellent attendance.
However, family and job responsibilities at times interfere, and I understand this fact of life. Also, we don't expect you to attend if you're sick. Please let me know ahead of time if you need to be absent, to help my planning process.  If an emergency arises (including illness), please let me know by calling or emailing as soon as you can.  I do not wish to be in the position of judging whether an absence should be excused or not - I will simply take attendance.

Here are the real consequences of excessive absence:

One of my pet peeves is to be asked: "Sorry I was absent - what did I miss?" You are responsible for material missed, and it's up to you to ask your teammates and classmates about what happened.  The agenda will usually help you to figure out what happened. 

Finally, in contrast, there have been remarkable instances in the past in which absences were overcome.  For example, I have had students who faced chemotherapy, critically ill family members, and total bedrest during pregnancy. While not ideal, these drastic sorts of circumstances can be worked around given lots of planning, independent work, and support from teammates. Let's discuss if such unusual circumstances arise.

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Management

Special Needs
If you need special assistance due to a physical or learning disability, please let me know. I will be happy to accommodate you in any way that I can.
 

Assignments and Homework
I carefully set due dates for assignments that I predict will be reasonable in terms of pacing and the preparation time required.  Through negotiation and ensuing discussion, we may adjust these deadlines as we go along. Please let me know if you see that major work logjams are ahead. Course content is grouped around assignments, so advance planning is best.   

The goal of readings and "homework" assignments is to prepare all of us for class interaction.  Secondarily, these readings and activities help fill in the gaps of your knowledge that we can't cover in class.  Expect to study topics on your own until you understand them, using the many resources listed.  I often priorize readings to help you manage your tasks. The assignments call upon you to apply everything you've learned.

The Planner will list all expectations, and will develop along with the course.  You may certainly work ahead if you like.

Ground Rules

Organization
I strive to be organized. The following procedures will help us all manage our resources and time.

Communication


Course Materials


Research

As a college professor interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning, I may collect, analyze, interpret, and report data as it concerns my courses, the cohort model, and the SLM Program. This allows continual improvement over time, and the opportunity to add to the body of knowledge regarding library education. My teaching journal, any electronic exchanges or online sessions, and especially samples of student work and reflections are all of interest for research purposes.  No extra work whatsoever is assigned for research purposes. No videotaping or audiotaping will be used for this purpose. Analysis will occur after semester grading is complete. If you prefer that your work in this class not be considered for purposes of research, please email your preference to me; I will cheerfully remove your material from analysis.  You may opt out at any point now or in the future.  We plan for this research to be an ongoing examination of teaching and learning within the SLM Program.  If we learn anything of value, we will publish our findings as time permits.  However, your name will never appear in any publication or presentation.   You will be asked to formally provide consent (or deny it) via a dropbox form.


Permissions

Two releases are associated with this class: permission for use of materials and the Research Permission form. The first permission  allows us to post your creative coursework-related projects online and share them with other students (as long as no other privacy or ethical concerns are violated). Of course, your authorship is clearly indicated on any such projects and normal copyright laws apply. The Research Permission applies to the ongoing research projects described above. Both are simple online forms. For both of these, you are free to grant full permission, partial (selective) permission, or decline permission.  To avoid grading bias, I will not inspect your answers to these forms during the semester, but simply collect them electronically. If you need some sort of document with the text of these permissions, let me know.

 


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Fitzgerald home

Update Log: 2/4: installed final assignment links. 1/19: added Liz's email. 1/11: Exhibition finished. 1-4-2010: updated for 2010. Changing all submission procedures.
 1-30-09: added SP Cover Sheet, removed due date negotiability; 1-7-09: nearly complete. 1-3-09: preliminary version complete; it will change more before 1-10-09.
11/11/08:updated text list for 2009.
7/22: standardized from other syllabi; 1/14: firmed up due dates after class discussion; inserted grade scale. 1/9/08: changed IME to 15 points and omitted Class Partic.
08 version launched 10-31-07, based on 07 with no major changes
Expires 12-31-09.

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Older versions: 2009 | 2008 | 2007
 http://it.coe.uga.edu/~mfitzger/6340/syllabus.html

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