Assignments for LIS 690


Lesson Plan #1 10%
Lesson Plan #2 10%
Cooperating LMS assessment of practicum work 20%
Participation 20%
Literacy/Special Needs Paper 20%
Course project 20%

Two Lesson Plans


Students must teach at least two lessons during the semester. Each must be an original lesson taught to a class of students in the school library media center. For each lesson, you will create an original lesson plan, according to the template provided. Feedback will be provided for these two lessons in the following format:

1. Feedback provided by cooperating teacher: Your first lesson will be taught under the supervision of your cooperating teacher. Following the lesson, you will de-brief with your cooperating teacher, and will receive feedback according to a feedback form provided to both of you.
2. Feedback provided by course instructor: Your second lesson will be observed by the course instructor. Feedback will be provided after the lesson. During this visit, you will also lead the instructor on a tour of the LMC and describe its role in the school. (submit site overview form during this visit)

Lesson Plan Template:


Reflection: After each lesson, you are responsible for submitting your lesson plan and a written reflection of 500 words to the course instructor. Please send it as an attachment in Word to the instructor.

Possible points to cover in a reflection:

  • Your impression of the lesson; how did it go?
  • Did your lesson meet the goals you set forth in the lesson plan?
  • How did the students respond?
  • What was your cooperating LMS’s feedback?
  • Will you use this lesson again? What might you change?

Submit this reflection to course instruction via email as an attachment in Word within 1 week of your lesson.


Assessment of Practicum work by Cooperating School Library Media Specialist

The evaluation criteria are articulated in the packet distributed at the beginning of the semester. This packet contains:

  • Course description
  • Student teaching agreement for cooperating institutions (please sign with your LMS and return a copy to the LMS coordinator)
  • Guidelines for students
  • Cooperating institution’s evaluation of student form, which your cooperating LMS will fill out and sign at the end of term
·
Each student will need to create a sheet to record your student teaching hours. The sheet must include the dates and hours you work, and be signed by your cooperating LMS or site supervisor. You will turn in the original at the end of term; it is strongly recommended that you keep a copy for your own records.

Your cooperating LMS will evaluate you using the appropriate form in this packet. This evaluation, and your timesheet must be handed in signed by our last class meeting! You may bring it to class or the LMS may mail it in.

You will also have the opportunity to evaluate your cooperating LMS at the end of term.



Participation: More than showing up

LIS 690 Student Teaching I in Elementary School Library Media Centers consists of

1. Seminar will meet on the dates listed below in the course schedule.
If you must miss a seminar, please inform the instructor in advance of your absence, and touch base with a classmate for notes after the session.

2. Practicum schedules are between the student and site supervisor. Each student is required to complete a minimum of 20 full days of work (120 hours) within their school.

3. Online participation, consisting of the following two elements:

a) Course Wiki
The course wiki is home to our syllabus, all course assignments and our discussion board. We will use the discussion function of the wiki throughout the term in order to share ideas.

The wiki also has a resource page, to which you may add links to web sites or information useful and relevant to the profession.


b) Course Journal
Each student must keep a practicum journal which will serve as your documentation of each day worked and your reflective practice within your school environment. All journals will be written in Google Docs. If you are not familiar with Google Docs, we will explore this technology at the beginning of our fist class. Please share your Google Doc journal with me, and I will periodically check in with you, make comments, offer suggestions or ideas if you wish, etc.

Use your journal as a space to record your questions, ideas, concerns and critiques of your student teaching experience. You should at the very least record a reflection after each visit to your student teaching venue of at least 500 words (about 2 paragraphs). This may include observations, thoughts, ideas and questions that you have about your school library. Ultimately these writings may lead you to the subject of your lesson plans or the question you address in your papers and projects.

I will follow your progress through the student teaching experience using your research journals. I will comment on entries, pose questions and keep up with your progress through this means during the weeks that we do not meet in seminar. Please feel free to pose questions to me in the journal format. Note that email may be a quicker way to get a response, but keep in mind that an interactive journal is still a very valid place for questions.

c) RSS Feed

Each student will keep track of current events in the field of education using an RSS feed. The purpose of this assignment is to familiarize yourself with ways to keep up with current events and professional organizations as a busy working LMS yourself. By staying up to date with your professional community as well as knowledgeable of current events as they are relevant to education, you can better understand the context in which you are working. One way to do this is to use technological tools, such as an RSS feed.

On the course wiki resources page, you will find a list of suggested sites to use to follow current events in education policy, as it effects school libraries, in particular. You may choose to follow these sources, or find your own. Throughout the term, we will use the discussion tab of the wiki to discuss your findings.


PAPER: Your LMC and Students with Special Needs

Assignment details:


Goal of Assignment: to draw on your experiences in student teaching (and fieldwork, if applicable), and use them as a starting point for further research on a topic related to students’ special needs

Objectives:
  • Write a 6-8 page paper with a clearly articulated thesis, or main idea that you will focus on throughout the paper, on students with special needs in the LMC.
  • Synthesize your LMC experience and observation with your findings in the literature.
  • Read at least 4 articles, essays or book chapters on the subject at hand
  • Fulfill requirements you must meet according to New York State for LMS certification track.

Submit via email by 4:30 pm October 29, 2009.

FINAL PROJECT: Leaving your legacy

Assignment details:


Your final presentation of your work for this course will come in three parts:
1. Your project, which you will hand in to your co-operating LMS and the course instructor
2. The oral presentation of your project to the class
3. A brief (8-10 page) paper documenting your project’s process, which you will hand in on our last class meeting

Project Proposal: Due Friday November 6, 2009 via email by 5 pm
Project Write-Up: Due Date: December 17, 2008
Project Presentations: December 10 & 17, 2008