Comprehensive Exam

Media Specialist
Nathan Mielke

As technology becomes an increasingly more a part of our everyday lives, it is

necessary for leadership and training to be available to everyone in education. Teachers
and students need direction on how to efficiently and effectively use technology in
education. When money is allocated for hardware and software there needs to be
someone who knows what is needed and what purchases will be best for the school. You
have taken the position of media specialist at Sheboygan North High School. In the past,
this position has mainly served a tech support role in the school. It is your, and the
principal’s vision as the media specialist to be on the forefront of instruction and
management of technology in this school.

For the last 27 years the position of media specialist at Sheboygan North High School
has mainly served as a technical support for computer, networking and audiovisual
equipment at school. It is my goal to turn this position into a more instructional and
managerial role. Leadership is needed in order to successfully incorporate technology
into education. Students and teachers need training on how to use hardware and software.
In addition technology needs to be managed so educated decisions can be made on what
is needed and wanted for the classroom.

• What is the vision?

• What is needed to make the vision a reality?
• What services need to be provided?
• What problems arise in the use of technology in school?
• How to motivate?
• Timeline
• What expectations should be tied to the use of technology?
• Conclusions.

[Need to include Response Criteria here]

What is the vision?

In a school of roughly 1700 students, 120 licensed educators and 500 plus

computers it is a challenge to keep technology up and running. With insufficient technical

assistance the job of an instructional technologist can be blurred into technology support.

As technology has advanced at Sheboygan North High School the role of the media

specialist has morphed with the times. In the beginning it was an AV coordinator, and as

digital era came about it became a mainly tech support role to keep infrastructure up and

running. “In the animal kingdom, the rule is, eat or bet eaten; in the human kingdom,

define, or be defined” (McKenzie Beyond 4). The new definition of the media specialist

will focus on implementing instructional technology into the curriculum, “acting as a

technologist, not a technician” (American Library Association 54).

According to Barbara B. Seels and Rita C. Richey in Instructional Technology:

The Definition and Domains of the Field, Instructional technology is the “theory and

practice of design, development utilization, management, and evaluation of processes and

resources for learning” (American Library Association 54). This is the appropriate

implementation of technology into the curriculum, not low-level use. An example of

appropriate use of instructional technology is a student using PowerPoint as a

presentation aide or a class using research strategies to find what they are looking for. On

the flip side, using technology for technology’s sake might be a teacher using PowerPoint

to read off all their lecture notes, which are posted on the presentation or a class that is let

loose in the lab to “find stuff” for their project. In order to create critical thinkers and deft

users, students need technology to be used appropriately in the classroom, with structure

and goals that go outside of “learning PowerPoint.”

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 Technology/information literacy is the goal for the entire school. Like No Child

Left Behind, technologists want no student leaving K-12 education without the basic

skills to survive in a digital era. “The challenge to ‘everyday people’ to keep up with this

expansion can only be met through development of a frame work for Information and

Communications Technology Literacy” (Serim) Technology is moving faster than any

other movement in the history of mankind. There is no going back. We must embrace this

form of literacy or run the risk of becoming technologically extinct. “Information

‘thinking skills’ are the true essential skills for the 21st Century” (Serim).

“We have all this great stuff, now what do we do with it?” Such words are often

echoed throughout schools across the United States when technology is wired into the

building. Millions of dollars are spent on networking, servers, teacher workstations,

computer labs, video data projectors and other technological toys. Too often these new

gadgets are implemented into the school’s infrastructure with little or no training involved

for staff and students. “The cart is being put before the horse” so to speak (McKenzie

Planning 1). Many veteran teachers that grew up in a computer/internet less world can be

hesitant to learn, even scared. Younger staff members come in with a more solid

technological background, but with insufficient knowledge of how to implement

instructional technologies into the classroom.

Leadership is needed at the building level to implement instructional technology.

Central Office support is helpful, but is not immediate. A specialist is needed that is

available to teachers and students on a daily basis. The media specialist will work

collaboratively with teachers on lesson and units and work with students on projects and

software help.

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What is needed to make the vision a reality?

As a leader in instructional technology one needs to use several different aspects

of leadership. This role will meld the skills of an authoritative, coaching and democratic

leader to see the vision through (Goleman 78-90).

On a basic level, the media specialist needs to be authoritative, guiding North

High School with a new vision and a clear direction. In addition the media specialist

needs to get staff to buy into that vision and get them to come along with the potential

program. As a leader in instructional technology the media specialist need to be given the

authority to oversee all instructional technology decisions. This authority initially needs

to be handed down to you by administration. They need to tell staff that all technology

decisions need to come through you. One person must oversee technology in order to

keep continuity, planning and structure on the implementation of different technologies in

the building. Authoritative leadership is simply a means, not the end of process of

leading.

Second, one must act like a coach in this role, which develops a learner's skills

and helps them to become independent (Goleman 78-90). An effective leader in this

position listens to the concerns of the students and teachers and meets their needs. Lastly,

one needs to be a democratic leader. This type of leader is hands on, participating and

communicating with the students and teachers to help them with their technology

concerns. The end is working interactively and helping create effective knowledgeable

technology users.

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What services need to be provided?

Staff development is fundamental when it comes to services that need to be

provided. This needs to be offered to staff and students so they know how to use the

hardware and software, to which they have access. Training is often the most neglected

part of implementing technology. In order for good change to occur in technology there

needs to be sustained professional development of 30-60 hours per year. Staff needs time

to learn how to use the new technology and time to creatively infuse it into the

curriculum (McKenzie Planning 6).

A leader in this capacity needs to be proactive. The average teacher will not know

to come to you with their questions about how to use PowerPoint effectively or what

Inspiration is if they are used to coming to the media specialist with “fix-it” problems.

The media specialist must go to the teachers to offer their services by speaking with them

one on one, e-mailing or scheduling training sessions for teachers. In addition to

communication a media specialist must be flexible. One’s schedule must allow for you to

be available at any time point during the day, with planning ahead of time.

Creating a dialogue will be a start, but persistence is needed in the long run

without being annoying. You need to give teachers several opportunities to take

advantage of your talents. One realization a media specialist needs to come to grips with

is that your life is about interruptions. There are times when you won’t be able to “drop

everything” and you shouldn’t, but if you can respond in a reasonable amount of time,

teachers and students will have more of a sense that you care about them and want to help

them through their problems.

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What problems arise in the use of technology in school?

“Despite the investment of millions of dollars in computers and other technology,

Maryland public school students and teachers are not using these tools for higher-level

analytical or problem-solving activities, according to a recent study” (Ishizuka). This

research done in Maryland is proof positive that children in America have access to

technology, but do not have the skills they need to be getting.

Teachers need to use technology for truly instructional purposes. Often, times

computer or library research time is viewed as a “day off.” This is an inappropriate use of

resources. Teachers need to be using the Big 6 research skills or some other structured

game plan for students to follow as they are looking for information and synthesizing

their ideas. Media specialists need to provide opportunities for teachers to give them an

idea of what their students will be doing when they are using technological resources.

“Schools should look at the half dozen or so research models available to help

structure school research to emphasize higher level thinking, problem solving and

decision-making” (McKenzie Beyond 11). These research models will help students to

organize their information search and synthesize their response to the questions at hand.

An example of a quality research model is The Big6, by Mike Eisenberg and Bob

Berkowitz:

1. Task Definition

2. Information Seeking Strategies

3. Location and Access

4. Use of Information

5. Synthesis

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 6. Evaluation (Eisenberg ) [eliminate the “widow” line]

Many technology-based projects are nothing more than flashy looking

presentations with plenty of bells and whistles, but no educational value. Jamie

McKenzie calls it “technotainment,” or “technology for technology’s sake” (McKenzie

Planning 111). Instructional technology needs to help enhance learning and give students

another way to improve some skill that is relevant to their education. Technotainment

projects don’t help students develop an essential skill; they just showcase their ability to

use all the animation schemes in PowerPoint or some other type of software. Every

educator has sat in on a PowerPoint presentation that either gives themhim or her a

headache from all the animation, lack of contrast or lists all the information being read to

him or her. A more appropriate use of presentation software would be for students to use

it as a tool to aide a presentation, not to be the presentation. A media specialist can help

with this, and needs to be available to work with teachers to develop lessons with

technology as an aide not an end.

“Instructional technology has been oversold and under trained.” These are the

words of Random Lake Superintendent Joe Gassert (Gassert 2006). If training and

implementation is not done properly, technology is not being used effectively in the

schools. It does not reach its potential until used effectively in the classroom.

“You just gave me an $800 paper weight with a CD player.” Ron Klitzen made

this statement after being given a new iMac in Fall of 2002 that was locked down with

too many administrative blocks. This is the frustration that many teachers feel when new

technology is implemented and teachers are expected to use it right away with no

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training. Referring back to the “Services” section, there needs to be substantial, sustained

staff development to train staff to use technology effectively.

How to motivate?

Knowledge is power. The Herzberg Needs Theory states “self actualization and

self esteem motivates” (Fall 2005). A media specialist will be most effective by teaching

students and staff members how to use technology. By simply doing it for them, they are

not learning to be better users. They are learning that they can be dependent on you.

Teachers and students need to become independent, effective technology users. Staff

members will see others working on neat collaborative projects with you or other staff

members and want to follow that lead. This will motivate teachers to come to you and to

use instructional technology on a regular basis in the classroom.

Timeline

Change does not come easy, as was seen in The Change Game, and in everyday

life in school. It can take as much as two years. (Fall 2005) One wishes two years would

bring about the change wanted, but it might be a longer haul than that. It can take a

library program 3-5 years to be restructured. This is a good comparison because there are

several relations between information technology and library media programs.

Progress needs to be kept in perspective. Hordes of teachers will not be filling up

a computer lab the first time a training session is scheduled. Teachers will not come

calling as soon as you send out an electronic memo on the work you would like to do

with them. Whoever comes up to that training seminar or replies to your memo needs to

be treated with the utmost respect. This is the first chance you will have to make a

positive impression on someone who can pass along their positive experience (or not,

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depending on the job you do) to other staff members. The best way that a program grows

is through positive word of mouth. If you do a fine job for one teacher or student they

will pass their experience on to colleagues and friends who will hopefully take a vested

interest in what you are trying to accomplish.

From a realistic view one needs to plan on the process of turning around or simply

starting an instructional technology program at a school to take from 2-5 years. In reality

additional staffing is needed in a building that houses around 500 computers. There are

future plans of adding a technician to the staff to take away the need for the media

specialist to deal with “fix-it” issues.

What expectations should be tied to the use of technology?

Technology needs to be used for instructional purposes only. Referring back to the

“Problems” section, technology needs to be used as an aide for learning, not what the

student is learning. Teachers need to use technology not for “internet recess” but for

critical thinking and research based projects that use technology as a way of finding what

they need or as a way to communicate what they have found.

On the other side of the coin, a teacher’s expectation of the media specialist

should be to help them use technology effectively. The media specialist needs to stay

current on the main programs that are available in their building. In addition, they need to

know what is out there that might further help instruction. The media specialist needs to

be a resource for the school.

Conclusions

The job begins with the vision. In the past the media specialist acted in a

technology support role. That role is in the past. As the media specialist one needs to be a

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leader in instructional technology, helping students and staff become technology literate.

As we roll through the digital age it is more important for someone in this role to lead

with instruction in mind first. In this position one must be a school leader. To be effective

in this position one must use a number of different styles to effectively lead. On a basic

level the media specialist needs to be viewed as an authority in the eyes of the school, so

people feel that they can come to them and get help with their questions, concerns and

problems. As a teacher, one needs to be able to coach users to make them more

comfortable and need to be able to listen to the users needs as a democratic style leader.

Services need to be provided. The media specialist must be flexibly available to

staff and students in order to field questions, trouble shoot problems and set up training

sessions. The number one thing that is needed in schools to help implement technology

successfully is sufficient staff development. This needs to be provided in a number of

different ways, through one- on- one meetings and larger group meetings. Change does

not come easy and change such as this won’t come easy. In the next 2-5 years it is the

hope that the media specialist’s role will fully morph into a fully instructional and

administrative role. Additional staffing may also be needed to help take the “fix-it”

burden off the position.

The end in theory is to have an instructionally literate school. Along with literacy

comes an understanding of how to used technology in the classroom. The two go hand in

hand. True success will come when you can walk the halls of North High and see staff

members using presentation software appropriately, students creatively expressing

themselves through movie production software, classes using research methods to find

what they are looking for and to create a quality project to go along with it. The school

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will be using technology as a means, not an end in education. They will look to the future

and not fear what is next, but will be enthusiastic about what is to come.

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References:

American Association of School Librarians. Information Power. Chicago and London:

American Library Association, 1998.

Eisenberg, Mike. A Big6 Skills Overview. 19 Nov. 2001. The Big6. 15 Nov. 2005
<http://www.big6.com/showarticle.php?id=415>.

Gassert, Joseph. Personal interview. 27 Oct 2005.

Goleman, Dan. "Leadership that gets Results." Harvard Business Review March 2000:
78-90.

Ishizuka, Kathy. "Have Tools, Lake Skills." School Library Journal (2005): 24-25.

Johnson, Doug. "Evaluating the Impact of Technology: The Less Simple Answer." From
Now On May 1997. 15 Nov 2005 <http://www.doug-johnson.com/dougwri/eval.html>.

McKenzie, Jamie. Beyond Technology. Bellingham: FNO Press, 2000.

McKenzie, Jamie. Planning Good Change. Bellingham: FNO Press, 2001.

Rettig, Perry. Class Lecture. Fall 2005.

Serim, Ferdi. "The Importance of Contemporary Literacy in the Digital Age." 10 May.
2002. The Big6. 15 Nov. 2005 <http://www.big6.com/showarticle.php?id=157>.

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