Guidelines for Library Media Teacher Field Experience

Guidelines for Library Media Teacher Field Experience

Prerequisites:

To register for Field Experience a candidate must have a 3.0 GPA for allcourse work in the Library Media Teacher Services Credential program
All requirements for Admission to the credential program must be met prior to registering for Field Experience and the candidate must hold at least a valid preliminary California teaching credential (emergency teachingcredential is not acceptable).
At least 24 units of work for the credential must have been completed priorto registering for Field Experience

School Site:

Field Experience may be completed outside the district in which the candidate is currently working as a Library Media Teacher.
The Field Experience school must have a credentialed Library MediaTeacher, at least half-time.
The Field Experience school will be selected by the Coordinator inconsultationwith the candidate and with the District Librarian where available.
The Principal, Library Media Teacher, and District Librarian (where available)must give written approval for the Field Experience.
Field Experience must be completed at both elementary and secondary schoolswith a minimum of 60 hours at each level. A schedule is to be developed by the credential candidate and the supervising library media teacher,then approved by the Coordinator. One placement may be wiaved, depending on the candidate's prior experience. (Click here for waiver requirements.)
Note: Candidates are placed in districts as near to their home (or present school) as possible, but placement is determined by the availability of the appropriate mentor Library Media Teacher

Grading:

To be recommended for a credential, the student must earn a grade of "A"or "B" in Field Experience.
The grade for Field Experience will be assigned by the credential coordinator after evaluation conferences with the candidate and both of the supervising Library Media Teachers.

.Application :

Notify the Program Coordinator (562-985-4509) and the Credential Processing Center (562-985-4109) ahead of time about your intention to begin Feild Experience. Deadline for summer and fall experience is March 1; deadline for spring experience is October 1.
Complete the application form (linked here), and email it to the Program Coordinator (lfarmer@csulb.edu).

LI 580: FIELD EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

   Credential candidates are required to complete a minimum of 120 hours working in library media centers for four units of credit. You are to spend a minimum of 60 hours each at an elementary/middle school and at a high school. Each library media center must be staffed bya credentialed Library Media Teacher. You must visit each school inperson and meet with the Library Media Teacher on site before your assignmentis approved.
   The supervising Library Media Teacher will expect you to show interest, efficiency and initiative. You must demonstrate through your capability, motivation, intelligence and personal qualities that your will be able to administer a library program without direction or supervision. This experience is the most important part of your coursework.
   Each Library Media Teacher will plan a schedule of activities with you. Be sure the plan includes a list of date that you will be working in the library media center and the hours you will work each day. Each weekly schedule should include a specific time to evaluate the workcompeted during the week and to plan the next week. If you are going to be absent, be sure to call your supervising Library Media Teacher.
   Lessons, booktalks and other activities are to be preparedoutside scheduled Field Experience time. You should not consider FieldExperience as an amount of time to be put in, but as a job to be competedin a professional manner. If it sometimes takes longer for you to doa good job than the hours scheduled, it will be to your advantage to spendthe time required.
You and the Library Media Teacher should work out a calendar and tentative plan of activities at your preliminary meeting, based on your self-diagnosis of competencies and goals for improvement. This should include three projects that you will complete at that school: one in Teaching and Learning, one in Information Access and Delivery, and one in ProgramAdministration. All activities should align with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Library Media Teacher Competency Standards: pages 12-22 (Category IV).

School Site Assignments
   Some students prefer to select a site for their Field Experience. In this case, the field Experience Coordinator (Dr. Farmer) will visit the site and meet with the Library Media Teacher before you begin. If you prefer, the coordinator will select a site. To help with the selection of a site, any geographic, calendar or other special circumstances should be noted on the Field Experience application; these will be considered to the extent possible.

Projects

Teaching and Learning: Work with a teacher at the site to develop and implement a collaborative lesson that will extend over two or more class periods (time includes the planning, presentation and follow-up). Include appropriate masters for student use, overheads, slides, etc. in your lesson plan. Schedule the lesson at a time the Field Experience Coordinator can observe you at the school. Include the lesson plan, materials and related information in your portfolio when you turn it in.
Information Access and Delivery: Choose an activity that supports one of the following Standards: 18, 21. The project should address issues of diversity. Typical projects include: selecting items for purchasing or weeding one section of the collection; developing instructional aids for using technology; modifying technology so that students with special needs are ensured physical and intellectual access to information and ideas; developing/implementing access strategies for LEP students.
Program Administration: Choose an activity that supports one of the following Standards: 12, 15, 16, 17. The project should extend beyond the library itself to identify the library's role within the school. Typical projects include: assisting in curriculum development; helping plan schoolwide plans that involve the library media program (e.g., Digital High School, class-size reduction, reform efforts, grades 4-8 technology, reading initiatives, etc.); assisting in a staff development effort; assessing an aspect of the library media program in light of community needs.

Portfolio
   Keep a portfolio (in binder, planbook, file box, Web page or other format) of your entire Field Experience. If you were accepted into the LMT program AFTER December 2002, you must develop an e-portfolio of evidence (preferably 2-3 examples per standard) demonstrating that you meet all the CCTC LMT standards; the field experience is one component of that e-portolio. (Click here for the template.) The portfolio will include your: self-diagnosis of LMT competencies, goals and plan of action, daily log,reports on your three projects, sample materials from the school and district,lesson plans for all classes you have taught, ideas for your own library, reflections, and other evidence for meeting your goals. If possible, include a videotape of your site in action. Whenever feasible, arrangeyour evidence to align with the standards of LMT competencies.

Daily Log
   At the top of each daily log sheet, include your name, theField Experience school, the date and hours worked that day, a paragraphof reflection, and the cumulative totals hours worked at the site as of theend of that day. Key each activity for the day to the Standards forLMT competence (i.e., 13, 16, etc.). Example:
Hall MS    Oct. 2    3 hrs. Std. 14, 21 Helped group of 4th grade students findtheir authors by using the library catalog.
These notes can be brief, but by the end of the 60 hours at each site they should indicate that you have had some experience with each activity listed under each Standard. Send the daily log (mail, lax, email) to the Coordinator at least once a week.
   The final page of the “assessment” part of your portfolio should include a re-diagnosis of competencies, with a list of those activities that you did not complete at the site – noting that youdiscussed the assessment with the Library Media Teacher (summarize commentsin a sentence or two). Identify next steps/goals.

Grading
   You must earn a grade of A or B to receive credit for Field Experience. If you experience problems, please discuss them with the supervising Library Media Teacher and the Field Experience Coordinator early in your assignment; it is possible for you to transfer to another site if necessary.
   Each supervising Library Media Teacher will complete an evaluation form in collaboration with you. You both will sign the form, and it will become part of your permanent file. The supervising Library Media Teacher has been asked to inform the Field Experience Coordinator immediately if your evaluation is likely to be below Very Good (B) or Excellent (A). In this case, you will transfer to another site.

Field Experience Coordinator
   The Field Experience Coordinator usually will visit you at least once or twice at each school site, and will observe one or more lessons being taught. This will give you an opportunity to discuss problems, plan or anything else pertinent to your Field Experience. The Coordinator also is available for phone conferences and to meet with you individually as requested. The Coordinator is Dr. Lesley Farmer, CSULB, Dept. Of EdPAC, ED1-#27, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach CA 90840-2201; (562) 985-4509 (4534 fax); or lfarmer@csulb.edu.

ACCEPTANCE OF CURRENT WORK EXPERIENCE FOR ONE LEVEL OF FIELD EXPERIENCE

For students who have an emergency Library Media Teacher Services credential AND have completed more than one year of successful work in a credentialed library media teacher position at either the elementary or secondary level, the follow materials may be submitted in lieur of 60 hours of Field Experience at that level:
1. A statement describing in some detail your job assignment for these years.
2. A letter from your principal verifying the number of years you have worked in a credentialed library media teacher position, and stating that field experience at your current level will not be necessary.
3. Copies of the principal's written evaluations of your work over the time period.
You will register for our units of field experience and complete 60hours of action field experience at the alternate level. Credit for the full four units will depend on the completion of the 60 hours of field experience and submission of the materials outlined above.

APPLICATION FOR LIBRARY MEDIA FIELD EXPERIENCE (LI 580)

Name: Student ID#: Date:

Home phone: Work phone: Email:

Mailing address:

Current Employment:

Address:

Semester Field Experience is Requested:

Other coursework or work responsibilities during that semester:

	Assignment #1 (60 hours)	Assignment #2 (60 hours)
Months/Year
Day/Time
School/grade levels
Credentialed LMT
Principal
School Address
School phone
School Web page
District
District Librarian

Include a current professional resume along with this application.

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