Endorsement in K-12 Library Media

In this online course, candidates develop specialized knowledge and skills related to the methods of organization and access to physical and digital information resources in a library setting. An introduction to MARC records and cataloging, including how to use and extract reports from automated catalog and circulation systems, will be examined. Creating a collection development plan using recommending tools and standards for nonfiction, candidates assess a collection and select/curate resources to support the diverse needs of students and the curriculum. Other content includes budgeting, weeding, selection of ebooks and databases, and a discussion of access vs. ownership.

This online course prepares candidates with the advocacy, communication, and leadership skills and dispositions to position the school library program as an essential component of student learning. Candidates identify influential stakeholders, create targeted messaging such as talking points, an infographic, and an elevator speech, and apply library and education research to substantiate the value of school library programs and its staffing. Candidates practice grant writing, engage in legislative advocacy, and create a library webpage for parents. As a culminating assignment, candidates develop a multi-year advocacy plan with communication strategies to use with school administrators and other stakeholders.

Teacher librarians engage technology-enabled learning through the use of current technology tools by examining, evaluating, and implementing a variety of technology-enabled resources for use in the school library setting. The course emphasizes librarians’ leadership roles for connecting students and teachers to appropriate instructional models that blend curriculum with communication and media tools. Students will create websites, practice using curation and presentation web tools, and learn advanced online searching strategies, while learning to embed inquiry and digital citizenship skills in K-8 instruction. This lab-centered course assists librarians in creating an accessible, practical and successful media program in which technological instructional tools are a seamless, integral part of the school.

Focusing on the instructional role of teacher librarians, candidates develop units of instruction and individual lesson plans and delivery strategies for library programs, to deepen institutional collaboration between the classroom teacher and teacher-librarian and increase student learning. Using curriculum mapping tools, candidates develop standards-based instructional plans around school-wide and individual classroom curricular needs as well as single or small group student instructional needs. Candidates also develop the assessment and evaluation tools that demonstrate the library’s role in student achievement. The course includes strategies of leadership to maximize the library program’s role in increasing student achievement.

Candidates learn communication and management skills to plan and implement policies and procedures for an effective school library program, including writing mission and vision statements; scheduling virtual and physical library spaces, instruction, and activities; and providing equitable access to resources and technologies (including BYOD and 1:1 strategies). Using standards and best practices, candidates study library space planning and design; learn enhancement strategies to improve the library’s virtual presence including social media tools; and apply librarian self-assessment and program evaluation tools. This course incorporates classroom management and creating a welcoming environment for all students for making, creating, and learning.

Teacher librarians in secondary schools provide leadership in the use of technology by teaching both students and teachers to use advanced search and web tools for citation, curation, and organization. Candidates examine inquiry and information literacy models and curricula that include digital citizenship. They study secondary level databases, OERs, makerspace tools, and appropriate career and college resources. Candidates also study the educational and psychological impacts of social media and technologies. Creating a welcoming physical and virtual place to address the educational, social, and emotional needs of teens, including clubs and student advisory groups is discussed.

This course examines children’s and young adult literature appropriate for today’s K-12 school library using a cultural framework to develop critical standards for selecting library material. Online and print selection sources and criteria provide varied lenses for expanding participants’ literary worldviews, emphasizing a multicultural and global focus for collection consideration. Reading advocacy [tools] and promotional activities address author studies and visits, genrefication, literary genres and awards, and selection alignment with CCSS, NGSS, and SEL standards. Library candidates select recently-published, quality literature framed within Antioch’s mission lens of social justice in order to become reading advocates for all patrons.

Candidates will explore four legal issues that school librarians face, together with corresponding ethical dilemmas: 1) copyright and fair use; 2) minors’ privacy in the school library; 3) ) intellectual freedom including the First Amendment, filtering, self-censorship, and challenges to library and classroom resources; and 4) barriers to equitable access to library resources and services. Candidates will review relevant legal requirements; consider ethical implications in school library situations; seek guidance in the professions’ core principles and policy statements; query experts and practicing school librarians regarding ethical issues, including blogging, virtual meetings, and other social media tools; and determine best practices for today’s dynamic educational environment.