I found that working with Ms. Smith was invaluable to me as a future school librarian. Not only was I able to really see how her day was spent, but being able to pick her brain about every day activities was fantastic. Also, as an enthusiastic teacher, she gave me a lot of wonderful ideas [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Middle School’
18 Nov
Reference Desk Observation – Part 5
In the 8th grade schedule this year, there is an extra period that most students may take an elective like art, music, or shop class. This year, the principal approached Ms. Smith and asked if she’d like to teach an elective on information literacy. Ms. Smith not only jumped at the chance but she decided [...]
15 Nov
Reference Desk Observation – Librarian Interview
In speaking with Ms. Smith, the media specialist at X Middle School, she gave me a lot of valuable insight into the life of the school librarian. For her, reference is not the same as it would be in a public library. Most students simply want information on authors or titles whereas teachers’ needs generally [...]
29 Oct
Reference Desk Observation – Part 4
It’s the day before the school’s Halloween and the school is definitely alive with energy. In the library, students keep running in to tell Ms. Smith what their costume will be because she’s offered a prize to the student with the most creative literature-inspired costume: a $10 gift certificate donated by the local Dunkin Donuts. [...]
23 Oct
Reference Desk Observation – Part 3
Today was a relatively quiet day in the media center. There was a class working on an ongoing project with a teacher on the Mac lab computers, about 15 students who came in during their lunch to read and work on their homework, 2 teachers using the teacher area, and a teacher providing some extra [...]
13 Oct
Reference Desk Observation – Part 2
The eighth grade music classes at X Middle School are in the midst of a research project wherein groups of 2 students create a webpage that fully explains the life of famous composers. In order to do this successfully, students must use encyclopedias, print materials, and Internet sources to answer questions their teacher has specified. [...]
24 Sep
Reference Desk Observation – Part 1
The X Public School System consists of 2 K-4 elementary schools, a 5th grade intermediate school, the middle school that houses grades 6-8 and the high school. Unfortunately, the 5th grade school does not have a media center or library to rely on so all incoming 6th graders have lost a year of library experience. [...]
21 Sep
Reference Desk Observation – The Layout
Please note that the following Reference Desk Observation blogs reference a real school and real LMS, but all names have been changed to respect the privacy of teachers and students involved. This purpose of these entries is to show observations and should not be taken as a critical assesment of the school, district, or library. [...]
