Now that we are 6 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more important than ever for school media specialists to have information-rich webpages which their students can access 24/7. The following list provides the most important elements you need to place on your media center's site. Media specialists can also go HERE to find everything related to the many hats you wear in your teaching position.
1. Your media center's webpage needs to have a direct link on the home page for your school. It should not take several clicks to get to the page, i.e. District Home > Your School > Extra Resources >Your School's Media Center Home Page. Unfortunately, that's exactly the where my school put our link. 😞
2. Make the home page easy to navigate. Remember that you will have students of all ages and levels, whether you teach in an elementary, middle or high school. Ease of use will not frustrate your kids. Knollwood School Media Center(Elementary) has a clean main page, although I wish the resources page was alphabetically organized within categories, such as subscriptions, reading and research. I would not post user names and passwords for the world to see.
3. Make your website content rich and visually appealing.
In order to keep students interested and focused on learning, your site's interface should keep students coming back to explore more and more of resources you have posted. Convince them that your site can offer them more than a Google search. I created a page devoted just to pathfinders, covering 135 subjects, from African American Inventors and Scientists to Young Adult Authors. With an icon for each subject, the page is not just a list; it's a visual listing.
4. Utilize tutorials and infographics.
Putting tutorials on your site will allow anyone who needs assistance 24/7 help. Tutorials can be in the form of videos, (visual learners love this method) or infographics. Explain the rules of the media center, show how to search the card catalog etc. My media center had 20x30 enlargements of infographics I had created, and others I was able to download for classroom use. The first one by EasyBib should be on your website:
The next one covers the difference between paraphrasing and plagiarism. Note the Creative Commons license at the bottom of the infographic:
I created this next example with SnagIt for Education, and because it was done quite a few years ago, this might not look the same on the EasyBib site. I wanted to show how helpful SnagIt is when you are a teacher.
Here's a video example of a tutorial to embed on your media center website:
5. Put a direct link to your online card catalog.
Students and staff should be able to view your collection from anywhere. Books can be easily reserved if they are listed as checked out.
6. Resources should hand-picked by the media specialist and posted on your site.
Important to cover: study skills, research paper formatting, tips for taking tests, recommended reading lists by grade level, website evaluation and cyber safety.
7. Provide contact information so that students and teachers can communicate with you. Use either a contact form, email address, or school phone number, if you are in school.
8. Provide either a photo or emoji of the media center staff:
9. Provide your mission information for the media center, as well as policies and procedures.
My friend Sheila just posted some great news on Facebook: her daughter was offered a job teaching third grade in the fall. What an incredible feat in today's job market, with schools cutting jobs left and right. (I can't even think about my budget for September) Anyway, that news gave me my next posting: resources for new teachers. I have also given this topic its own page so I can be updating it regularly. Best of luck to you for taking on the hardest job that you'll really love!!
Teachers' Network- covers Back to School Night, opening activities and parent-teacher conferences.
Teachervision's New Teacher Resources- comprehensive list includes, Slideshows of Advice, Beginning of the School Year, The Classroom, Dealing with Homework, Teacher-Parent Relationships, Classroom Notes, Passes, Forms and much more.
