Brittany Mikell

FRIT 7739

Part A: Technology Program Administrator Assignment

Executive Summary
Langston Chapel Middle Schools media center works in collaboration with the schools
administration, teachers, and technology support liaison to make sure that students are getting the
ultimate, positive learning experience. Mrs. Nelson is a media specialist that goes above and
beyond her daily duties to make sure students love for books and technology has been
established and continues to grow. Students are allowed to visit the media center, any day of the
week from 7:50 A.M.-3:30 P.M; when they enter the media center, they become Mrs. Nelsons
responsibility. She encourages students to grow academically and socially. There are a lot of
activities that occur within the media center that supports students and school personnel. This
library is an organized center that effectively provides ample resources for students and school
personnel.
Organizational Chart

Methods
Several data collection methods were used to gather information about Langston Chapel Middle
Schools media center. Before ever coming into contact with the media specialist or visiting the
middle school, I visited Langston Chapel Middle Schools website; I also visited Langston
Chapel media centers department website. I conducted several observations during my required
practicum hours. I interviewed the media specialist, a few teachers, and some students. I also
partook in several informal conversations with the media specialist.
Center Context and Goals
History
Langston Chapel Middle School opened up in 1998; the media center opened the same year.
Over an eighteen year period, Langston Chapels media center has been led by two different
media specialists. Mrs. Nelson has been Langston Chapels media specialist for eight years now.
During one of our informal conversations, she talked about how much technology and education
has evolved during those years and how amazing it has been to experience that change first hand.
Mission and Goals
According to the Langston Chapel Middle Schools website, Langston Chapel Middle Schools
mission is to inspire, motivate, and encourage our youth to be successful by providing a safe
environment with positive role models and a rigorous curriculum. During one of our many
informal conversations, Mrs. Nelson explained how she upholds the schools mission statement
in the library as well as her own goal/mission statement; and, according to the media centers
website, the goal of the library is to promote the love of reading and to help students find and
use information effectively.
Stakeholders
The media specialist, students, student workers, parents, teachers, administration, support staff of
LCMS, and parent/student volunteers, are all stakeholders of Langston Chapels media center.
Centers Staff
The key personnel of the media center include the media specialist and student workers, which
are three 8th grade students. During the interview process, I found out that the media specialist
does not have an assistant media specialist or another adult to come in and help her out
throughout the day. I was really shocked to find out that she works by herself. The media centers
that I have visited in the past have had two adults, the media specialist and an assistant media
specialist, that ran the media center. However, even though it is just her by herself, Mrs. Nelson,
does an awesome job of running the library.
Current Status
Langston Chapels media center is currently open and operating. On a daily basis, about 2-3
classes come to the library to complete online work; and, about 90-100 students, independently,
visit the library to complete class work or to check out books to read.

Center Activities

Book Circulation- This action occurs in the media center; the media specialist uses the
Destiny program to check books in and out for students and school personnel. Students are
allowed to check out two books at a time unless they have outstanding fees for lost or
damaged books; if students have outstanding fees, then they are only allowed to check out
one book at a time. Teachers are allowed to check out as many books as they need.
Computer Lab- Students are allowed to come into the library and work on different
assignments; sometimes students are sent by their teachers when all Chromebook carts have
been taken. There are 26 desktop computers located in the media center; when students come
into the library to complete work on the computers, they become the responsibility of Mrs.
Nelson. She has to make sure that students are doing their work and not browsing the web. If
she finds out that students are not working, she sends them back to their classroom; if this
does happen to a student, that student will not be allowed back into the library for classwork
for the remainder of the week.
Chromebook Circulation- Langston Chapel Middle Schools three Chromebook carts are
stored within the media center. Teachers/grade levels are allowed to come into the media
center and sign out these Chromebook carts. Mrs. Nelson has a sign out sheet for teachers to
fill out when they take the cart and a sign in sheet for teachers to sign when they bring them
back. When Chromebook carts are returned, Mrs. Nelson has to inspect them before the
teacher leaves.
Accelerated Reader- The media specialist is in charge of the Accelerated Reader program at
Langston Chapel Middle School. She sets the 9-week goals for all students within the school;
at the beginning of each 9-weeks, she has to set these goals. At the end of the nine weeks, she
determines the award for A.R. (short for Accelerated Reader); she looks to see which students
reached or exceeded their goal and determines how they should be rewarded.
LCMS Book Club- Mrs. Nelson is in charge of the LCMSs Book Club. She provides a signup sheet at the beginning of each new reading; this sign-up sheet can be found in the media
center. Every other week, she and the students who decided to participate, meet up to discuss
what is going on in the book as well as express their thoughts, beliefs, and opinions about the
events/concepts/subjects that are presented in the readings. These book club meetings occur
in the media center after school.
Book Fair- Mrs. Nelson is in charge of setting up and running the Scholastic book fair at
Langston Chapel Middle School; the book fair is set up and ran in the media center.
Everything that she needs to set up the book fair is provided via Scholastic. The Book Fair
usually lasts for about a week; it occurs once during the fall semester and once during the
spring semester. During this time, students, parents, and teachers are able to come in and
shop for newly released publications and best sellers. During this week, Mrs. Nelson usually
has parent volunteers come in and assist her with running the book fair.
Professional Development Workshops for Teachers- Mrs. Nelson prepares and presents
professional development workshops for the teachers of Langston Chapel Middle school;
these workshops usually focus on instructional technology tools, such as new Web 2.0 tools
and Galileo. These workshops do not occur regularly; however, when a new technology

source is introduced to the principal of the school and she wants to pursue it, Mrs. Nelson is
the one that will host and present this workshop. These professional development workshops
take place in the media center during the teachers planning time or after school.
Digital Citizenship student workshops- Every year, it is Mrs. Nelsons responsibility to create
and present workshops to students about digital citizenship. The problematic areas that she
usually focuses on include the following: digital communication, digital etiquette, digital law,
digital rights and responsibilities, and digital safety; she informed me that these areas are the
areas that students in every grade level, 6th-8th, struggle with. Teachers have to sign their
students up, they bring them into the library on their chosen day and time, and Mrs. Nelson
does her lesson which usually lasts between 30-45 minutes.
Printing- There are several printers set up in the media center. Students are allowed to come
into the library and print assignments; students are charged 10 cents for printing black and
white and 25 cents for color. For the office personnel, their printed materials are
automatically sent to the printers in the media center; the student workers who work in the
office usually come in to pick up these printed papers.
Laminating- Mrs. Nelson does all the laminating for the teachers at the middle school. The
laminator is set up in a smaller room located in the library. She informed me that in the past,
teachers were allowed to laminate their own items; however, due to the fact that the machine
was always getting messed up, the principal assigned the laminating job to her. The principal
believed that with one person running the laminator, less problems would occur.

Evaluation
After reviewing all of my data, I feel that the library is definitely upholding the schools mission
as well as the librarys goal. Like I mentioned, Langston Chapel Middle Schools mission is to
inspire, motivate, and encourage our youth to be successful by providing a safe environment
with positive role models and a rigorous curriculum and the librarys goal is to promote the
love of reading and to help students find and use information effectively. I feel that Mrs. Nelson
has designed and established the media center so that it is seen as a safe, positive place for
everyone that enters the school. As for role model, Mrs. Nelson is a great role model; as the
leader of the book club, she shows students that they can find different types of readings and
enjoy them. With the book club, she also promotes the love for reading. When she teaches the
different digital citizenship workshops, she is a role model for the students; she is a role model
that models the effective and responsible ways to use digital technology. Without her, students
would be one less step closer to being responsible technology users and readers.
Recommendations
My first recommendation for this school would be to hire an assistant media specialist, whether
that be full or part-time, to assist Mrs. Nelson. She has a lot on her plate; and, having someone
else in the library to assist with time consuming tasks, such as replacing books on shelves or
checking books in and out, would definitely be beneficial for everyone within the school setting.
My second recommendation for this center would be for Mrs. Nelson to create an online calendar
for Chromebooks. Sometimes teachers may need the carts at the same time; I believe it would be

very helpful for teachers to see when these carts are available and when they are not. Doing this
would also help teachers when creating their lesson plans; if a teacher knows that the carts will
not be available on a given day, then he/she can create a lesson that would not require the
Chromebooks.
My third recommendation would be for Mrs. Nelson to promote the book club a little more. It
would be good to send out e-mails informing students of the book club opportunity or adding
information about her book club on the librarys website. Also, signing up with Google Form
could be an alternative way to sign up for book club sessions; this would be very helpful for
students who may be unaware of the sign-up sheet in the library or its location.
My last recommendation for this school would be to create an Accelerated Reader award
committee. Right now there is only one person in charge for setting up the award ceremony for
the students. Mrs. Nelson does not mind working by herself to provide rewards to the students
who meet or exceede their Accelerated Reader goals; however, I believe that it would be better if
Mrs. Nelson had some help with this.

Appendix
Media Center Observation Note Template
This was taken with me every day I visited the media center.
Langston Chapel Middle Schools Media Center
Comments/Concerns
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Things that I observed:
Date

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Media specialists actions

What students were doing while in the library
Student-Teacher-Media specialist relationships; Media specialist-administrator(s) relationship
Media center protocols and procedures
The types of technology available; usage of technology

Media Specialist Interview Questions

1. How long have you been a media specialist? Have you always been a media specialist? What
made you decide to become a media specialist?
2. Did you work at any other schools as the media specialist? If so, what are the main
differences that you see?
3. What are job duties as Langston Chapels media specialist?
4. What is the schools mission? What is the librarys mission or goal?
5. What technology is available in the media center?
6. What activities are carried out by you, the media specialist?
7. What resources are available for teachers and students?
8. Are there things about your current job you find frustrating? If so, what are they?
9. What do you like about your job so much?

Teacher Interview Questions

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How often do you visit the library?

How often do you send students to the library to complete work?
What does the media specialist do to support you? Your students?
What is one thing that you like about the library?
What is one thing that you would change about the library?

Student Interview Questions

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How often do you visit the library?

How often do you go to the library to complete work?
What is one thing that you like about the library?
What is one thing that you would change about the library?

Notes:
During my time at the middle school library, I interviewed four teachers and seven students. I
can definitely tell that the employees and students feel that Mrs. Nelson does a great job as their
media specialist.