Overview
The graduate program in school library media seeks to educate candidates who will strive to become outstanding teachers, instructional leaders and administrators of quality school library media centers. As enthusiastic readers and technology users, SLM candidates will model lifelong learning for their school communities. As leaders, they will embrace the first amendment rights of students by providing access to materials and resisting all efforts to censor what students read.
The program offers courses in literature for children and young adults, technology, multimedia production, selecting quality materials that meet the needs of diverse learners, administering a school library program, a significant practicum experience, and a digital portfolio course that demonstrates an understanding of our professional standards.
The SLM program endorses the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) Information Power: Building Partnership for Learning. Course objectives are aligned with the 2003 American Library Association/American Association of School Librarians Standards for Initial Programs for School Library Media Specialist Preparation.
Use of Information and Ideas: Candidates encourage reading and lifelong learning by stimulating interests and fostering competencies in the effective use of ideas and information. They apply a variety of strategies to ensure access to resources and information in a variety of formats to all members of the learning community.
Teaching and Learning: Candidates model and promote collaborative planning with classroom teachers. They develop and deliver an integrated information skills curriculum. They design and implement instruction that engages the student’s interests, passions, and needs.
Collaboration and Leadership: Candidates create outstanding library media programs that support student learning. They encourage professional growth within their school communities and professional organizations by sharing their knowledge of teaching, literature, and technology.
Program Administration: Candidates administer the library media program according to the principles of best practice in library science and program administration.
This comprehensive 36-credit graduate school library media program has been evaluated and approved by the Maryland State Department of Education and meets the MSDE certification requirements as a school library media specialist for grades K-12. Candidates seeking Pennsylvania certification will take the exit Praxis exam at the end of their programs and follow their local district guidelines.
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