Standard+1.4++Stimulating+learning+environment

//**Standard 1.4: Stimulating Learning Environment **//

At our school I am not required to submit a yearly budget proposal, due to the fact that our county awards each school a book allowance based on student enrollment. This money can only be used for print resources, so if any other materials are needed for the media center it is my responsibility to find other funding for those items. By holding three book fairs a year enough money is usually raised to purchase technology equipment, prizes for reading incentive programs, awards for our annual poetry contest, and other necessary materials. In ISTC601 Administration of SLM Centers we completed a group project that involved creating a budget for a school media center. This project allowed me the opportunity to see how a media specialist gathers data from various resources to analyze student achievement as well as resource and equipment needs for the school media center. The proposal also included the goals/objectives for the year as well as an action plan on how the goals/objectives would be accomplished. By completing this project, I was able to able to apply what I have learned and have written several grant proposals and action plans that have allowed our media center to obtain technology equipment that in turn has created a stimulating learning environment for the students has assisted our staff in moving forward with learning in the 21st century.

Besides looking at data and collaborating with faculty to see what type of print resources we need, I also look to see what type of technology equipment we could purchase that would impact student learning. Another artifact that I have attached with this standard to demonstrate my ability to identify relationships among facilities, programs and to create a positive environment that has a direct impact on student learning is a MICCA Grant Proposal that resulted in funding for digital cameras for our school. For this initiative I collaborated with a fifth grade science teacher to complete this action research project. The main concept that revolved around the usage of the digital cameras was to document a scientific investigation about the three forms of erosion. By using the cameras to document the experiment, the students would be able to analyze and reflect upon the data that was collected. In addition, to following each step of the scientific method, the students also used the Big6 Process to guide them through the inquiry process. We found that by using the cameras throughout the process that the students were more engaged and productive in their research and analysis of the data. This resulted in deriving at more precise and conclusions as well as allowing the students to reflect upon the inquiry process.

In addition to applying for organizational grants I have also been involved in working on my Level III Technology Certification forSomersetCounty. To complete this certification, I have taken on the initiative of creating a production studio at our school to record morning announcements as well as create special productions for our school and county. This initiative ties in directly with the renovation project that we completed in ISTC 601. Since all of our classrooms, now have a promethean board, the initial goal of the production studio has been to provide morning announcements for the entire school. The artifact that is attached with this project is a two year action plan that shows how we have gone from producing announcements once a week to producing them on a daily basis for the school. At this point in time the announcements are pre-recorded and then placed on the network drive for viewing the very next morning. Even though bids have been obtained to wire the school for live productions, these plans have been put on hold due to budget restrictions. However, as the media specialist, I will continue to work to see if funding can be obtained to bring this project to fruition.

By developing and completing the projects that are mentioned above, our media center has grown from being just a location within our school to find print resources to a location within our school that provides many different aspects of media production. This past year we also had fifth grade students involved creating two school newspaper issues as well as a school yearbook. Next year I am looking forward to working with several after school groups that will continue to produce the school newspaper, yearbook and brochures to promote the programs within our school as well as our morning announcements.