As one of the first students in the Howard County School System, I had the good fortune to develop a great love of media centers and reading. I would have never guessed at the time that this positive experience would later pave a road to my future. As a child I loved nothing more that going to the school media. There I found a safe and nurturing environment to develop my skills in reading and information skills. It was because of these skills that I developed a great self-confidence in my ability to attack any challenge because I could find the information I needed to complete my task. As my educational journey continued through adulthood and I completed my degree in education, I found myself drawn back to Howard County . I initially began my career as a police officer. After working as a patrol officer and as a detective in the child abuse/sex crimes unit, I became one of the first two officers in the High School Liaison program. There I continued to work with youth and school staff as both a law enforcement officer and educator. Through a lot of positive influence by Howard County school staff, I became a middle school science teacher at Murray Hill Middle School where I have been for almost seven years.
As a science teacher, I was naturally drawn to research and technology projects that involved and enriched the student's understanding of science concepts. This often kept me in contact with the media specialist. As my teaching skills developed, I began to examine the role of the media specialist. I found that a media specialist gets to incorporate all of the parts of education I really enjoy. It offered me a world where technology and reading were the main focus for teaching. As I progressed through my classes and gained experience in the media I became more and more dedicated to the philosophy of a media specialist. As a media specialist I am dedicated to a reading promotion program that encompasses a diverse learning population. It is my goal to instill the love for reading within all children in my community. But every child is not the same. Some will be drawn to reading and positive support will be all they need. Some will be more reluctant readers and will need to be drawn into reading. This is where my skills as a media specialist will come into play. To build lifelong readers, I will use a variety of sources to supply books to students. School Library Journal (SLJ) Horn, and Booklist will be my primary resource journals. The American Library Association (ALA) have wonderful resources on their web site that I will regularly use, such as YALSA and ALSC Notables Lists. I will also collaborate with staff, parents and students to develop a well-rounded media collection. It will be through diligent research, using data to analyze and improve media services, and focusing specifically on historical and current trends and sensitivity to multicultural issues that will lead to an attractive and positive educational climate that fosters a sense of enjoyment and lifelong reading habits.
It is as equally important to develop skills in students that create self-sufficient learners. Throughout my educational career I have always felt confident in my ability to succeed in any task placed before me. Part of this confidence stems from my ability to seek and find information to successfully complete my goals. Students must be given the tools to effectively use information resources in a variety of diverse formats. Students need the skills and analyze and apply the information they receive in meaningful and ethical products. As a media specialist, I will create an atmosphere that promotes the use of print and technology resources in an equitable, ethical, and unbiased manner. It will be through the creation of a technology-rich media that is flexible and open to student and staff that student will become empowered to overcome any of the challenges presented in an ever-changing world. |
Introduction