Let us take things as we find them: let us not attempt to distort them into what they are not. We cannot make facts. All our wishing cannot change them. We must use them.
-John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801 – 1890)
As a third grade teacher, I collected and analyzed data to drive my instruction. By reviewing the information l gathered through observations and formal assessments, I was able to determine which students had met the indicators targeted with each lesson. Armed with this information, I then knew which students could move on to the next objective and which ones needed additional support or re-teaching. This allowed me to work with individuals and small groups, focusing on their specific instructional needs. I employed this same methodology when I worked as a media specialist intern teaching information literacy skills to high school students. By examining the students’ exit cards, I was able to quickly identify which students needed additional instruction. This targeted approach allowed me to differentiate my instruction to meet each student’s needs.
Media Specialists also use data to evaluate their collection. Recently, I had the opportunity to use TitleWise, a collection analysis program, to evaluate the media center collection at Watkins Mill High School. A colleague had introduced this program to me last fall, and I was anxious to share it with my mentoring librarian. Working together with the media assistant, we uploaded the media center’s collection/holdings into TitleWise. This data analysis program helped us to identify which sections of the collection were in good shape and which ones needed our attention. Using the information provided by TitleWise, we decided to target the age sensitive sections of the collection first. The 003-007’s (Systems Data/Computer Programs) and the 380-389’s (Commerce, Communication, and Transportation) were our top priorities. Using one of the weeding models described in Less is More by Donna Baumbach, we removed more than half of the materials from these two sections. Initially, I was a little concerned about pulling all these books off the shelves. My fears were quickly allayed when I came across a 1985 book titled, African American Women in Television, and it made no mention of Oprah Winfrey!
If we had ignored the data, that book would still be on the shelf today. By using the data available, we were able to improve the media center collection and ensure that students will not have access to inaccurate or outdated information.
