Media center websites today often offer one stop shopping for students, teachers, and parents. The typical media center website will include access to the print catalog and databases. These can be free databases or those to which a particular school subscribes. Links to popular curriculum studies or specific teacher assignments are also popular on media center websites. Several websites also include media center operating information, policies and procedures, and contact information. Some also feature access to bibliographic aids, suggested reading lists, blogs, pathfinders, and lesson plans. These features are fairly common and put students and teachers in direct contact with information or resources needed. More and more websites feature information about favorite authors, contests, event calendars, award book information, book talks, or videos. There are also some that feature games, quotes by authors, student work or projects, and current events. Some of the more innovative media centers have websites that are actually blogs or wikis. This allows form more collaboration between the media specialist and stakeholders. Blogs and wikis make it possible for multiple parties to contribute to content shared by the media center. Ideally, media center websites are designed for one stop shopping when it comes to informational needs of students, teachers, and parents.
The question is are they doing their job too well? Is it possible that a website could replace an actual person? Furloughs, budget cuts, and reductions in force are all popular vocabulary words in schools today. Next week, my school district is going to vote on a proposal for budget cuts that includes reducing the number of high school media specialists from 2 to 1. These cuts also call for the elimination of media paraprofessional positions at the middle school level. I've talked to media specialists in other counties who fear similar or more drastic cuts. So how does this relate to media center websites? If media specialist positions are reduced or eliminated then the services once provided by an actual person may need to be more virtual in nature. A media center website could serve as a virtual media specialist. Let's say that positions were reduced and one media specialist was responsible for their entire school without an assistant. Or let's say that one media specialist was responsible for 3 schools. It is physically impossible for that one media specialist to meet all of the needs of those that he/she would serve. Therefore a media center website could be one way to help students get their needs met. Lesson once taught in the media center could be posted on the websites as a vlog or podcast. Media center orientations could be done via power points that are linked to the website. Collaboration between media specialists and teachers could take place online via wikis. Information about new resources or books of interest could be shared through blogs. These are all features that are becoming increasingly more popular on media center websites.
As an educator who is aspiring to become a media specialist I hope that media center websites are not, and will not take the place of media specialists. Hopefully, the powers that be won't read this blog and think "hey that's a great idea." I do think its important to consider that as media center websites become more sophisticated they allow for more one stop shopping and the future implications it could have on our role.
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Stephanie,
ReplyDeleteI had not considered your ideas of the media center website being the new media specialist until now. As scary an option as that could be, at the same time a good website can certainly help ease the burden on the media specialist as we do more and more with less resources. The idea that the website is here to assist in the job of the media specialist is a good one; we can all use a bit of assistance!
This was a good reminder to be creative in our use of resources and to remember to use what we have.
Enjoyed your post, Stephanie. You bring up some real (and really scary) points about our future. With budgets looking the way they do, we need data to prove our worth, and I think that's where a web page can come in.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of studies linking an active media center to student achievement, but we need to prove our worth daily. I know Kris Woods at Teasley Middle in Cherokee puts out a monthly report on her web page that shows collaboration and student visits, etc. It's really informative. Likewise, the goddess Buffy Hamilton has links to her collaborations, including video reflections by the teacher to recap and rework assignments.
Whereas it looks like you're worried that an active, vibrant web page might replace us, I think it REFLECTS an active, vibrant media center. We need to connect with our patrons 24/7, and this is just one more way.
Thanks for the food for thought!
Wendy
As these budget cuts have been on the horizon for the past few years, my media specialist and I have actually had this conversation. You are absolutely right that something such as a media webpage could be used to not necessary replace the media specialist, but could allow one media specialist to be responsible for multiple schools.
ReplyDeleteOn the flip side of this, I completely agree with Wendy when she stated that a good web page could show how productive a school media center and media specialist are and how important they are to student learning and student achievement. I am very disappointed when I look at other media web pages searching for best practices and find media centers with either no media web page at all (like at my school before last week) or with a page that does not provide much information at all as to what is going on in that school's media center. I believe we owe it to our stakeholders to promote our media centers as best we can and a media web page is a great place to start.
I have always thought the media center should be the center or hub of communication and information - it seems your post supports that too. You gave some great suggestions of what is needed on a site. I am frustrated at our school that a high school in Cobb County (great school too)does not have a media website but only a link to Cobb Virtual under "Academics" and no mention of even having a media center. What a missed opportunity!
ReplyDeleteIn the day of tighter budgets and reducing jobs even media jobs, it is not unthinkable that media centers will have one media specialist or even a media specialist for every 2 or 3 schools. A website would definately be an instrumental component to advertise programs and assist both teacher and students...good point.
Wow! That is truly thought provoking. Excellent points and scary realism too. It is obvious that the our school systems are going to put any idea to the test in order to save money. Many of our retired teachers are not being replaced and the other teachers in the grade level are making up the difference in those classes. It is such a shame that the school system still sees the media specialist as a position that can be given up for budget cuts.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be awesome to have a website like you described... however even a perfect site has to be created and maintained by a professional media specialist.