University of Kentucky 
School of Library and Information Science
LIS 676 School Media Practicum

Ms. Jackie White
335 Little Library
Ph. 859-257-4439 (office)
E-mail: jrwhite@uky.edu

Students in the school media certification program will complete two, two-week practicums (elementary and secondary). Each practicum will carry one (1) semester hour of credit. One (1) additional semester hour is given for the completion of the portfolio.

Each student will be supervised by a cooperating librarian, who must have been a certified school library media specialist for three years and must have two years of experience in his/her present position. I will serve as the university supervisor and will make one visit to the school library media site during each practicum. During that visit I will want to see you teaching a lesson or working with the students in some fashion. I will also want to meet briefly with you and with the cooperating librarian. The cooperating library media specialist will complete an evaluation of the practicum student.

For each practicum, you will need to complete a packet of information for the Office of Field Service in the University of Kentucky College of Education. Please see me to pick up the packet and directions for its completion. Your cooperating librarians will receive official notification of their assignment from the Office of Field Service. In addition, I will contact each cooperating LMS by email.

ATTENDANCE

If you miss any days of your practicum because of illness or some other emergency, you must make-up these days at the end of your scheduled practicum.

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

The following are written assignments which should be completed during your practicum. You should review the suggested activities for your practicum. I will email a copy to your cooperating LMS. Your cooperating LMS and you should use those suggested activities to plan a variety of experiences that will meet your particular needs.

Resource Notebook

During your practicum experience compile a resource notebook of documents that will be useful to you during your work as a school media librarian. Materials which might be included are copies of: program goals and objectives; policies and procedures; information brochures for students, teachers or parents; materials used in teaching units that integrate library and information skills; newsletters sent to students, teachers or parents; job descriptions of school media librarian, clerical workers, community volunteers or student assistants; budget requests; grant proposals; end-of-the-year reports submitted to school library committee, principal, school district personnel or state department of education personnel; materials used in in-service sessions conducted for teachers; materials used for library orientation for students, teachers or student teachers; minutes from meetings of school library advisory committee; lesson plans; and examples of student work.

Daily Log and Reflective Journal

Keep a brief log of your daily activities listing what you do each day during your practicum.

At the end of the week (or daily) reflect upon your experiences in a journal. For example, consider the following questions: How do you feel about your experiences? What went well? What would you do differently next time? What have you discovered about children in this school community? What did you learn about the role of the school media librarian? What problems did you observe or experience? How do you think your experiences will affect your approach to your first job as a school media librarian?

Since this is a personal journal in which you may be commenting on interactions with students, teachers, and your cooperating librarian, you should keep your journals at home. After I have read your journal all but the first page will be destroyed. [The first page will be filed with your other 676 paperwork.]

Formative Self-Evaluation of the Practicum

You will evaluate your first practicum placement using the formative self-evaluation form. You should submit the completed form to me by email or postal mail to the SLIS Office.

Lesson Plan

You will submit a written lesson plan to me at the time I observe you teaching a lesson to elementary students in the library media center.

Personal Professional Development Plan

At the end of your practicum experience, write a personal professional development plan. Evaluate your present strengths and weaknesses. What continuing education experiences do you feel you need? How will you go about gaining the professional development experiences you need? Be very specific, noting titles of journals, names and approximate dates of conferences, etc. You should include this plan in your portfolio.

Portfolio

Refer to the online directions for assembling your portfolio. You may also pick up copies of the New Teacher or Experienced Teacher Standards and the American Association of School Librarians Standards if you do not already have them. Your portfolio should be submitted in a hard copy notebook form and in digital format. Please label the disk or CD with your name, the date, and the word processing program you have used. The hard copy will be returned to you. The digital format copy will be kept on file in the School of Library and Information Science and will be open to review by certification and accrediting agencies.

Make arrangements to meet with me when your practicum is complete. Before that meeting I will need your journal and portfolio so I can review these materials prior to our meeting. You will not receive a grade for the practicum until these items are received and the interview is completed.