Middletown Public Schools
School Library Media/Makerspace Specialist
SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA/MAKERSPACE SPECIALIST
The School Library Media/Makerspace Specialist-(SLMMS) will support students through the intersection of formal and informal learning in the School Library Media Makerspace (SLMM) The SLMMS will support and promote a variety of literacies. These literacies include but are not limited to reading, writing, research, digital, coding and invention.
The School Library Media/Makerspace Specialist-(SLMMS) will perform the five roles of a SLMMS. These roles are teacher, information specialist, instructional partner, leader and program administrator (see below for additional information). The SLMMS will provide literacy instruction, as well as additional STEAM-related scheduled classes/activities & instruction in a Library Makerspace setting.
The SLMMS is responsible to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information. Their mission is to empower students to be critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information. They should work to instill a love of learning in all students and ensure equitable access to information and to collaborate with classroom teachers and specialists to design and implement lessons and units of instruction, and assess student learning and instructional effectiveness. The SLMMS should provide the leadership and expertise necessary to ensure that the SLMM is aligned with the mission, goals, and objectives of the school and the school district, and is an integral component of the learning/instructional program.
The SLMMS position will:
· Require navigating between Library instruction (reading, information, digital literacy & online safety) and STEAM instruction (including use of green screen/iPads/Computers and other manipulatives to fully participate in science, technology, engineering, art & math, activities/experiments).
· Promote the ethical use of information and technology.
· Collaborate & assist teachers and their curriculum with research and technology resources.
· Manage resources (both for the Library--collection development/weeding & STEAM activities), continually communicating with the learning community the mission and vision of the School Library/STEAM Program.
· Empowering students as creators, encouraging and facilitating students to become increasingly self-directed as they create digital products of their learning that engage them in critical thinking, collaboration and authentic, real-world problem solving.
· Support the digital transformation efforts of the district.
· Support designing collaborative spaces, providing flexible spaces that promote inquiry, creativity, collaboration and community (Makerspaces and Project Lead The Way).
· Incorporate engineering, including the different types, and the engineering design process.
· Integrate Project Based Learning (using the PLTW Activity-Project-Problem (APB) approach).
*Additional information about the five roles of the SLMMS:
1. Teacher
The SLMMS empowers students to become critical thinkers, enthusiastic readers, skillful researchers, and ethical users of information. The SLMMS is an integral part of the instructional team. The SLMMS supports students’ success by:
• reading for understanding, for exposure to diversity of viewpoints and genres, and for pleasure;
• using information for defined and self-defined purposes;
• building on prior knowledge and constructing new knowledge;
• embracing the world of information and all its formats;
• working with peers in successful collaboration for learning;
• constructively assessing their own learning and the work of their peers;
• becoming their own best critics;
• empowering students as creators, encouraging and facilitating students to become increasingly self-directed as they create digital products of their learning that engage them in critical thinking, collaboration and authentic, real-world problem solving;
• supporting the digital transformation efforts of the district; and
• designing collaborative spaces, providing flexible spaces that promote inquiry, creativity, collaboration and community. (Makerspaces and Project Lead The Way).
2. Information Specialist
The SLMMS provides leadership and expertise in the selection, acquisition, evaluation, and organization of information resources and technologies in all formats, as well as expertise in the ethical use of information by:
• developing and maintaining a collection of resources appropriate to the curriculum, the learners, the teaching styles, and instructional strategies used within the school community, in accordance with district policy;
• cooperating and networking with other libraries, librarians, and agencies to provide access to resources outside the school;
• modeling effective strategies for developing multiple literacies;
• understanding copyright, fair use, and licensing of intellectual property, and assisting users with their understanding and observance of the same; and
• organizing the collection for maximum and effective use.
3. Instructional Partner
The SLMMS works with teachers and other educators to build and strengthen connections between student information and research needs, curricular content, learning outcomes, and information resources by:
• participating in the curriculum development process at both the building and district level to ensure that the curricula include the full range of literacy skills (information, media, visual, digital, and technological literacy) necessary to meet content standards and to develop lifelong learners;
• collaborating with teachers and students to design and teach engaging inquiry and learning experiences and assessments that incorporate multiple literacies and foster critical thinking;
• participating in the implementation of collaboratively planned learning experiences by providing group and individual instruction, assessing student progress, and evaluating activities;
• joining with teachers and others to plan and implement meaningful experiences that will promote a love of reading and lifelong learning; and
• providing and planning professional development opportunities within the school and district for and with all staff, including other SLMMSs.
4. & 5. Leader and Program Administrator
The SLMMS creates an environment where collaboration and creative problem solving thrive. The SLMMS continually retools their role to meet challenges and current trends by:
• serving on decision-making teams in the school;
• taking an active role in school improvement and accreditation activities;
• benchmarking the school library program to school, state, and national program standards;
• sharing expertise by presenting at faculty meetings, parent meetings, and school committee meetings;
• creating an environment that is conducive to active and participatory learning, resource-based instructional practices, and collaboration with teaching staff;
• sharing with the learning community collaboratively developed and up-to-date district policies concerning such issues as materials selection, circulation, reconsideration of materials, copyright, privacy, and acceptable use;
• encouraging the use of instructional technology to engage students and to improve learning, providing 24/7 access to digital information resources for the entire learning community;
• collecting and analyzing data to improve instruction and to demonstrate correlations between the school library program and student achievement;
• remaining current in professional practices and developments, information technologies, and educational research applicable to school library programs;
• advocating for school library programs and the guiding principles of the school library profession;
• maintaining frequent and timely communication to stakeholders through the school and library website, parent newsletter, e-mail, and other formats, such as local cable access television, video/audio streaming, and on-demand video/podcasts;
• writing articles and submitting regular reports providing evidence of what the library and SLMMS do to prepare learners to be successful in the twenty-first century
• maintaining an effective public relations program; and
• promoting the ethical use of information.
• •Performs all other tasks assigned by the Building Administrator and/or Superintendent.
Minimum Qualifications:
1. Appropriate Rhode Island Certification (Library Media Specialist).
2. Relevant credentials (Master’s Degree).
3. Relevant successful experience.
4. Support a vision that reflects an ALL STUDENTS classroom program.
5. Demonstrate knowledge of subject area.
6. Adhere to the R.I. Educator Code of Professional Responsibility.
7. Ability to work with colleagues, parents, students and administrators.
8. Be Project Lead the Way trained or willingness to be trained.
9. Integrate math, science and technology in a project based, hands-on environment to encourage students to be creative and innovative designers.
10. Ability to know and utilize technology in the teaching and learning process.
11. Knowledge of curriculum.
12. Promote and support the R.I. High School Diploma System and the Common Core Standards.
13. Promote and facilitate the Professional Learning Community goals.
14. Support co-teaching model.
15. Excellent oral and written communication skills.
16. Demonstrate strong interpersonal skills.
17. Positive attitude.
18. Successful interview.
19. Such alternatives to the above qualifications as the Screening Committee may find appropriate.
20. At least three years of relevant experience preferred.
21. Citizenship, residency or work VISA in United States required.
First Reading – August 17, 2017
Second Reading and Approval – September 21, 2017