EDG 6947 INTERNSHIP - 6 credit hours School Media Internship Coordinator: Linda Alexander PREFACE

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1 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA SCHOOL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE 4202 East Fowler Avenue, CIS 1040 Tampa, FL (813) FAX (813) EDG 6947 INTERNSHIP - 6 credit hours School Media Internship Coordinator: Linda Alexander lalexand@cas.usf.edu PREFACE These guidelines have been developed for EDG 6947, Internship. They will assist students and site supervisors in understanding the purpose and requirements of the program and will allow students to make an informed decision about the role of field experience in their academic and career objectives. The information that follows delineates the duties, responsibilities and benefits for each of the involved parties. CONTENTS Introduction 2 The Role of internship in the Education of the Student 2 Catalog Description 2 The Collaborative Aspect of Internship 2 Goals and Purpose of the Internship 3 Structure of the Internship 3 The Role of the Student 4 The Role of the Site Supervisor 4 The Role of the Internship Coordinator 5 Steps to Initiate and Complete the Internship 5 Evaluation of the Internship 7 Appendix I - School Media Internship Form, Schedule, and Plan 8 Appendix II - School Media Internship Checklist 10

2 2 INTRODUCTION Internship for students preparing to become school library media specialists requires 120 hours on-site under the guidance of a recognized school media professional. It is a 6 credit hour graduate course. These "Guidelines" delineate procedures to be followed. Internships provide an opportunity for students to relate information from their courses to work situations. This opportunity to observe, to participate, and perform independently in a supportive environment is especially useful for students without previous experience in the field. It also benefits those who desire to make a change to a new area of specialization. This is a full-time experience for one semester. THE ROLE OF INTERNSHIP IN THE EDUCATION OF THE STUDENT Graduates of the School of Library and Information Science (SLIS) will begin their professional careers in many different types of libraries and information agencies. The diversity of their appointments cannot be addressed individually in the SLIS curriculum which stresses a broad and integrated approach to preparation for professional employment and leadership in a variety of libraries and information agencies. Internships provide school media students with an opportunity to pursue their interest in this specialized branch of library and information service within the provisions of the curriculum. Students learn how the education provided within the theoretical framework of graduate study can be applied to the specific situations found in school media centers. CATALOG DESCRIPTION Internship (6) PR: Consent of Instructor. A minimum of 120 hours of supervised experience in an approved cooperating library. This includes practice work, seminar sessions and individual conferences, and a summary report interpreting and evaluating the field experience. Normally students enroll in this course during their last semester of studies. Arrangements for taking this course should be made with the internship coordinator in the semester preceding the one in which the internship is to be completed. THE COLLABORATIVE ASPECT OF INTERNSHIP Internship involves the collaboration of three different individuals operating from three different points of view: the student, the internship coordinator and the site supervisor. The courses taken at the SLIS encourage the development of understanding through discussion and practice. Internship students can observe and share professional situations in which foundations and experience are brought together. The student will work closely with the site supervisor on agreed upon tasks discussing with both the supervisor and the internship coordinator just how principles and theory are integrated in a specific setting. The internship, taken near the end of the Master s degree program, gives students the opportunity to partake of the life of the professional while still in a situation where training, advice and support are available.

3 3 GOALS AND PURPOSE OF THE INTERNSHIP The purpose of the internship is to provide the student with experience under the supervision of an information professional in a media center environment. The experience will be configured to the needs and career objectives of the individual student and will permit opportunity for evaluation of both theory and practice. The primary purpose of the internship is to provide a learning experience for the student. The internship will enable students to develop confidence in their ability to perform well and to apply the theory learned in courses. Students will have a better understanding of professional procedures since they will have been in an internship role that encourages inquiry. STRUCTURE OF THE INTERNSHIP The structure will vary depending on the needs and background of students, and on the size and organization of the media center. Most students will spend about 75% of the time in the role of an intern working beside a media specialist on a s election of varied tasks, and spend the remaining 25% of their time concentrating in one specific area on a project or specialization. In other cases, particularly those where students have had some experience or if conditions warrant, this percentage may be adjusted with the student spending more time concentrating on a project or specialization. This will be worked out by the student, internship coordinator and site supervisor. Upon completion of internship, the student will be able to: 1. Describe the media center in which the student worked, providing details about the mission and goals. 2. Describe the administrative organization, resources, services and clientele of the media center. 3. Relate classroom instruction in the graduate program to applied professional practice. 4. Perform duties in a representative range of functional areas (information skills instruction, book talks and story telling, information services, automated systems, materials selection and acquisitions, technical services, etc.) or in one or more areas of concentration. 5. Show, through one or more evaluations by supervisors, that he/she had a successful experience and has worked harmoniously with staff in the media center in which the internship was done.

4 4 THE ROLE OF THE STUDENT The internship is a three-credit course and involves content that is equivalent to other three-credit courses in the School of Library and Information Science. Students should begin working on a plan for the internship the semester before enrolling as detailed in the section, "The Steps to Initiate and Complete the Internship" (page 6). It is the responsibility of the student to contact the internship coordinator and to work with the coordinator in identifying an appropriate setting. Students may suggest school settings in which they would like to do the internship, but should not contact a media specialist prior to approval from the internship coordinator. The internship coordinator works cooperatively with District Media Supervisors to identify acceptable media centers. Students should review the School Media internship Checklist at t he end of this document and consult with the Coordinator on areas of special interest or perceived needs for skill building (e.g., morning show video production, collaborative planning with teachers, automation system procedures, etc.) The internship coordinator will make every attempt to accommodate the needs of individual students. After the internship coordinator arranges the placement in a media center, the student should: prepare a resume; schedule an appointment to meet with the site supervisor to acquaint the site supervisor with career goals and specific objectives for the internship; discuss the plan and finalize it with the internship coordinator. Upon approval of the plan, all participants will receive a copy. THE ROLE OF THE SITE SUPERVISOR Site supervisors should hold state school media certification and should have served in their present capacity for at least a year. It is the responsibility of the internship coordinator to work with district media supervisors to identify appropriately qualified site supervisors. Site supervisors will be given a copy of this document. They will work with the student as the plan for the internship is developed and will help the student work out a plan that agrees with the defined purposes of the internship. It will be necessary for the site supervisor to be certain that the school principal is consulted and that permission for involvement in the internship is approved. Site supervisors should explain professional responsibilities and be willing to work with and guide the students as interns rather than employees. The site supervisor may choose to place the student under another school system professional s supervision during selected parts of the internship experience, depending on the duties assigned.

5 5 The site supervisor should confer with the internship coordinator and the student shortly after the internship has begun to discuss its operation and methods of evaluation. The site supervisor should discuss with the internship coordinator any difficulties that arise during the course of the semester. The site supervisor should introduce the student to the media center, including explanation of general functions, goals and rules. The students, teachers, administrators, and community served are important factors in media center operations and should be discussed with the student. In all media centers, students will be expected to learn about the role of media services in the larger organization of the school and the school district. At the conclusion of the internship experience, site supervisors will evaluate the student. (See "Evaluation of the Internship," page 7.) THE ROLE OF THE INTERNSHIP COORDINATOR The internship coordinator will discuss with the student the purpose, objectives, duties and responsibilities involved in the internship. The internship coordinator will recommend and introduce the student to the site supervisor. While the Internship Plan will be worked out jointly by the student and the site supervisor, the internship coordinator should assist when needed. The coordinator will approve the internship Schedule and Plan. The internship coordinator will keep in close touch with the student during the progress of the internship, and will be available for help and guidance and to discuss the progress of the internship. The internship coordinator will read students logs regularly and evaluate the written Internship Report. The internship coordinator will confer with the site supervisor and will decide on the format of the final report of the internship. The internship coordinator, in consultation with the site supervisor, will evaluate the student and assign a grade. STEPS TO INITIATE AND COMPLETE THE INTERNSHIP 1. Students should first consult the faculty internship coordinator. The student and internship coordinator will discuss purposes for the internship, media center locations of interest to the student, and possible projects that meet specific goals. All internship must be carried out under the direction of a site supervisor. Some students will never have worked in public schools or a media center; some will have worked part time as volunteers; others will have worked in clerical or paraprofessional staff capacities and their experiences in a media center will vary. For those with less work experience, emphasis should be on the administrative and

6 6 technical details of operating a school media center. For those students who have substantial work experience, emphasis might be placed on a specific work area. In most cases, however, there should be an operational component and a project or specialization, although the amount of time devoted to one or the other will, and should, vary. In cases where a project or specialization is to be the major component of the internship, both the internship coordinator and the site supervisor should be satisfied that the student has adequate operational experience. 2. The student will provide the internship coordinator with a current resume. 3. The internship coordinator will contact an appropriate site supervisor. 4. The student will contact the site supervisor, provide a current resume, and present a tentative Internship Plan. As a general rule, the Internship Plan for students in school media will follow the experiences outlined in the Internship Checklist in Appendix II. Each student may identify a project or specialization appropriate to their interests and needs, subject to review by the site supervisor and internship supervisor. All of the above is completed during the semester before the internship begins. 5. After developing an Internship Plan and schedule in consultation with the site supervisor, the student will obtain final approval from the internship coordinator. If a project or specialization is to be completed, this should also be described in the Internship Plan (See Appendix I.). Upon approval, the Internship Plan will be signed and copies will be distributed to all participants. The internship coordinator will then register the student in the internship course. 6. After registration for the internship, the internship coordinator will schedule meetings with the student to discuss the progress of the internship. 7. INTERNSHIP CHECKLIST WITH LOG OF WORK Students will complete the internship Checklist cooperatively with their supervising media specialist the semester prior to the completion of the experience. Students will also maintain an informal "Log of Work" as an ongoing record of activities on a daily or weekly basis. The log is a chronicle of events and impressions. It will aid the student in preparation of the Internship Checklist and Final Report, and will allow the student to evaluate the experience. It may be shown to the internship coordinator at regularly scheduled times through the semester, or transmitted via to keep the coordinator informed. The log is a record of growth and development. 8. FINAL REPORT During the scheduled final examination period, the internship coordinator will receive a Final Report from the student. A final grade will be assigned by the internship coordinator based on evaluation by the site supervisor, conferences with the fieldwork coordinator, and the student s Final Report. The format of the report is at the

7 7 discretion of the internship coordinator. The report will include a summary of the internship, based on the log, checklist, and Internship Plan, and should describe the student s experience in the school media center environment. It should include descriptions of the type of media center and details about its mission, goals, resources, services, and clientele. It should also include information about school district and school level administrative organization and support. EVALUATION OF THE INTERNSHIP Throughout the field experience all of those involved will evaluate the performance of the student. Site supervisors are selected because they are leaders in the profession, models of the professional skills that SLIS expects in its students, and keen observers of the learning process. The internship coordinator, along with the other participants, is involved in evaluating the student and the internship. This approach assures that practice reflects theory together with its sound application. The fieldwork program will meet the same rigor as other graduate courses and is subject to the same evaluative criteria. After students have completed the internship they should submit one copy of their final report to the site supervisor and two copies to the internship coordinator. The site supervisor will confer with the internship coordinator to evaluate the student s performance. Criteria to be considered include: initiative; ability to apply principles to practice; interaction with students, faculty, staff, and administration in the school; interaction with the media specialist and other media center staff; capacity to work independently, and flexibility. Site supervisors may render their evaluations in writing, via or in a face-to-face or telephone conference with the internship coordinator. The internship coordinator will assign a grade based on: site supervisor evaluation, Internship Checklist with Log of Work, and Final Report.

8 8 APPENDIX I SCHOOL MEDIA INTERNSHIP FORM, SCHEDULE, AND PLAN SCHOOL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA EDG CREDIT HOURS Registration for Semester PLEASE TYPE OR PRINT CLEARLY Part A: Internship Form Date: Personal Information Name: Address (street): Address (city, state, zip): SSN: - - Phone (Home): Phone (Work): Work Site Information Name of School: Address (street): Address (city, state, zip): Name of Site Supervisor: Telephone Number: Address: Address: Part B: Internship Schedule (full-time contact hours required): Part C: Internship Plan 1. School Media Internship Checklist Complete the Internship Checklist found in Appendix II as a preview of your internship experience. The Checklist should be completed cooperatively with the supervising media specialist. The Checklist is provided as a guideline. Pick and choose what you and your supervisor believe will be the most valuable experiences for you. It is understood that it will most likely not be possible to complete all of the items on the checklist due to time constraints, time of placement during the school year, and local school conditions. 2. Project or Specialization to be Included in the Internship

9 9 The purpose of the project or specialization is to provide an opportunity for students to focus on an aspect of school media services. The objective is to allow students to demonstrate their capacity for self-direction and creativity, and/or to build skills in areas of perceived deficiencies. The project should be defined, with goals and objectives. A brief project description should be included below as part of this Internship Form. An additional page describing the project or specialization should be attached if needed. Examples of Projects Creation of a web-page for the school. Writing an electronic resource collection development policy for the media center. Cataloging non-print materials or donated materials. Development of bilingual media center orientation materials for LEP students to increase their use of the center. Description of Project or Specialization: Student Signature / Date Internship coordinator Signature / Date Advisor Signature / Date SLIS Director Signature / Date

10 10 APPENDIX II SCHOOL MEDIA INTERNSHIP CHECKLIST SCHOOL OF LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA Student: School: Supervising Media Specialist: Date: Internship in a school media center should include observation, participation, or independent action in the following activities. It is recognized that certain leadership and management functions cannot be turned over to an internship student for independent action. Nevertheless, it is often possible to give students an opportunity to observe, and even to participate in activities such as curriculum development and budget planning. Two versions of this form should be completed cooperatively by the internship student and the supervising media specialist. The first version is a preview of the internship and it should be submitted with the Internship Form that is found in Appendix I of the EDG syllabus. The second version is an evaluation of the internship experience and it should be submitted with the Log of Work and the Internship Report at the end of the semester. If a requirement does not apply, please enter N/A in the Comments column. Number NCATE Guidelines NCATE Requirement Date Comments Prepare a personal plan of work for the term in cooperation with the supervising media specialist. The plan should provide a timetable for addressing the topics and activities listed below as well as those in the LIS-6946 syllabus (as applicable to your media center assignment). It should also indicate the areas that interns plan to emphasize for their own personal growth Identify the local media association and attend at least

11 11 Number NCATE Guidelines NCATE Requirement Date Comments one meeting of that association Participate in the instructional activities of the media center. This should include observation, participation and independent action Observe, and participate when possible, in the communications that flow between media center staff and principal(s), faculty, students, and community Observe, and participate when possible, in curriculum planning sessions that involve media center personnel Observe and participate in media specialist and faculty cooperative efforts to develop the collection Participate in local production of instructional materials Operate the circulation system and apply related policies for reserves, overdue, lost materials, etc Participate in inventory procedures Participate in preservation of resources and routine care of equipment and media Observe the management practices and the management style of the media specialist as he/she administers the center Attend, observe, and participate in media center staff meetings and Media Center Advisory Committee meetings Study budget documents and financial records. Observe the budget planning and preparation process to the extent that is possible during the time you are

12 12 Number NCATE Guidelines NCATE Requirement Date Comments in the school. Review purchasing procedures and forms Locate or make a floor plan of the media center and indicate the current arrangement and use of space. Ask questions and make suggestions if that seems politic Observe methods used to manage media center support staff. Record practices and ideas that you might be able to use later Offer to assist with any action research efforts that are under way or contemplated Use available computer and other technology in real or simulated situations Observe leadership activities of media specialist. Record practices and ideas for future use Assist in developing the reading, viewing, and listening skills of students Work with students to develop their information seeking skills along with their ability to evaluate, synthesize, and communicate their findings Observe and participate as appropriate in staff development activities sponsored by the media center Study district's selection policy and school's collection development procedures and follow these policies and procedures when they apply Study relevant district policies re copyright compliance and confidentiality of records & follow the building level

13 13 Number NCATE Guidelines NCATE Requirement Date Comments procedures for implementing those policies Observe how equal access to information and ideas is attempted or achieved. Record useful ideas for future use. 25. Plan and prepare media center promotional materials and/or activities, such as newsletters, posters, fliers, displays, contests, etc. 26. Plan and participate in activities that promote reading, such as book talks, storytelling, monthly themes, contests, etc. 27. Visit the district-level media services office and review policies, procedures, and variety of available resources and services. 28. Review the media center s manual, noting mission, goals, and objectives, as well as routine policies and procedures. 29. Review school-level planning documents that involve the media center, such as technology plans and school improvement plans. 30. Participate in scheduling media center space, services, equipment, and materials. 31. Other: (Specify) 32. Other: (Specify) 33. Other: (Specify)

14 14 Comments: These signatures confirm that this form was reviewed by the evaluator and the internship student. It does not necessarily indicate that the internship student agrees with the evaluator. Evaluator's Signature (Supervising Media Specialist) Internship Student's Signature Date Date