Librarianship Program Field Experience

Guidelines for Library Field Experience

Prerequisites:

• To register for Field Experience a candidate must have a 3.0 GPA for all coursework in the Librarianship program.
• All requirements for Admission to the credential program must be met prior to registering for Field Experience in school libraries, and the candidate must hold at least a valid preliminary California teaching credential (emergency teaching credential is not acceptable).
• At least 21 units of work for the credential must have been completed prior to registering for Field Experience.

School Library Site:

• The Field Experience school must have a credentialed Teacher Librarian, at least half-time.
• The Field Experience school will be selected by the Coordinator in consultation with the candidate and with the District Librarian as needed.
• The Principal and Teacher Librarian must give approval for the Field Experience.

Experience:

• Credential Field Experience must be completed at both elementary and secondary schools with a minimum of 60 hours at each level. A schedule is to be developed by the credential candidate and the supervising Teacher Librarian, then approved by the Coordinator. One placement may be waived, depending on the candidate's prior experience (see below).
• Note: Candidates are placed in sites as near to their home (or present school) as possible, but placement is determined by the availability of the appropriate mentor Teacher Librarian.

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 Field Experience. Deadline for summer and fall experience is March 1; deadline for spring experience is October 1.
• Complete the application form (found below), and email it to the Program Coordinator (lfarmer@csulb.edu).

LI 580: Field Experience Requirements for Credential Candidates

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 by a credentialed Teacher Librarian.  You must visit each school in person and meet with the Library Media Teacher on site before your activities are approved; typically, the Field Experience Coordinator outlines the process in person at that time.

The supervising Teacher Librarian will expect you to show interest, efficiency and initiative.  You must demonstrate through your capability, motivation, intelligence and personal qualities that you will be able to administer a library program without direction or supervision.  This experience is the most important part of your coursework.

Each Teacher Librarian will plan a schedule of activities with you.  Be sure the plan includes a list of dates 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 work competed during the week and to plan the next week.  If you are going to be absent, be sure to call your supervising Teacher Librarian.

Lessons, booktalks and other activities are to be prepared outside scheduled Field Experience time.  You should not consider Field Experience as an amount of time to be put in, but as a job to be competed in a professional manner.  If it sometimes takes longer for you to do a good job than the hours scheduled, it will be to your advantage to spend the time required.
   

You and the Teacher Librarian 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 Program Administration. At least one project should incorporate technology. All activities should align with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Library Media Teacher Competency Standards: pages 12-22 (Category IV) and the NCATE Standards for Library Media Specialists MA programs.

School Site Assignments:

The coordinator recommends and approves the Field Experience 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.  Include both pre- and post-activity assessment to measure your impact on student learning. 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 submit it.
• 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., cross-curriculum technology, class-size reduction, reform efforts, 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 of your entire Field Experience. In addition, 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, arrange your evidence to align with the standards of LMT competencies.

Click here for Portfolio Rubric

Daily Log

At the top of each daily log sheet, include your name, the Field Experience school, the date and hours worked that day, activities lis, a paragraph of reflection, and the cumulative totals hours worked at the site as of the end of that day.  Key each activity for the day to the Standards for LMT competence (i.e., 13, 16, etc.). 

Example:

Hall MS        Oct. 2        3 hrs.   Std. 14, 21    

* Helped groups of 4th grade students find information about authors by using the library catalog.

* I found out that the children automatically typed in their authors' name into the catalog, and were often disappointed. I showed them specialized reference books that included information on their author. It would be a good idea to create URL bookmarks for this kind of assignment.

These notes can be brief, but by the end of the 60 hours at each site they should indicate that you have had experiences under each Standard. Send the daily log (mail, fax, 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 you discussed the assessment with the Library Media Teacher (summarize comments in 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 Teacher Librarian 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 Teacher Librarian 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, at the beginning and then to observe one or more lessons being taught.  This will give you an opportunity to discuss problems, plan or do anything else pertinent to your Field Experience.  The Coordinator also is available for phone conferences and to meet with you individually as requested.  The Program Coordinator is Dr. Lesley Farmer, CSULB, Dept. Of ASEC, 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 Teacher Librarian Services credential AND have completed at least one semester of successful work in a credentialed library media teacher position at either the elementary or secondary level, the follow materials may be submitted in lieu 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 dates of duty 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 four units of field experience, and complete 60 hours 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 ELIB 580 

Name:             

Home Phone/ Work Phone:

Email Address:

Address:

Current Employment/Address:

Semester/Year Field Experience is requested:

Placement #1:

Site/District:

Address:

TL:

School phone/email:

Placement #2:

Site/District:

Address:

TL:

School phone/email:

Last update: 3/11/09