Kim Hayward - School Library Media Portfolio Reflection 4:2

4:2 Professional development

Candidates model a strong commitment to the profession by participating in professional growth
and leadership opportunities through membership in library associations, attendance at
professional conferences, reading professional publications, and exploring Internet resources.
Candidates plan for ongoing professional growth.
Artifacts
In ISTC 789, the Edline page for Deerfield Elementary School required me to learn about the
policies and procedures for creating a webpage. A variety of websites, videos, databases, and
photographs were explored and evaluated for inclusion in the page.
The reflection paper for EDUC 717, Childrens Literature, is an example of reading professional
publications. All of my graduate classes have required the reading of professional publications
as well as reading the ALA website; however, the Childrens Literature paper contains a
bibliography of scholarly works about multicultural literature and the importance of finding
materials that are authentic and multi-faceted.
Relevance
The artifacts in this reflection are just a few examples of the many professional publications and
Internet resources that I have read and explored for my professional development over the course
of the ISTC masters degree.
The Edline page in ISTC 789 aligns with standard 4.2, professional development, because of the
variety of technology, data bases, and Internet resources that needed to be explored to develop
the page. As I have never created an Edline page or used Symbaloo, which I am using to curate
resources, I asked Ms. Minton and Ms. Gorman to show me how to use the sites. In addition to
those sites, the curation of the resources necessitated that I must review each one and find
resources using fair use policies. Therefore, this project has contributed greatly to my
professional development. As new technologies become available, I will continue to pursue
training on them so that I stay current and may be a relevant resource for the students and
teachers at my school.
The Childrens Literature reflection paper for EDUC 717 was just one paper requiring the
reading of professional publications. The publications that I read informed my understanding of
the importance of multicultural literature and my understanding of what makes outstanding
multicultural literature. It is not just a matter of buying books that have different cultural settings
or characters, but they must authentically capture the values and beliefs of the culture that they
represent. They must ring true. As a librarian, I must serve all of the children in my school and
my understanding of how to do that was developed from the professional articles that I read in
this class. I will continue to read publications, such as School Library Journal, The Reading
Teacher, and Educational Leadership.

Analysis
Professional development is an ongoing process that must be maintained to stay current. I intend
to continue my development through taking courses, joining the ALA, becoming part of the
Harford County library email group, attending professional development sessions, working with
other librarians, and reading professional publications. I will also continue to add to my
knowledge of the new technology and resources available to students and staff.
The Edline page for ISTC 789 is a work in progress but is coming together. I have created a
Symbaloo page for general use for parents, students, and staff and am in the process of curating a
Symbaloo page for every grade level according to my mentor librarians suggestions. After the
Symbaloo pages have been completed, Ms. Gorman at Edgewood Middle School has offered to
help me put it together on the Edline page if I need guidance. Working with librarians who are
already in the field will be a great source of professional development.
The reflection paper for EDUC 717 is just one example of the many papers that I have written
over the course of the program with the necessary research using scholarly and professional
publications. I will continue to have access to professional publications through subscriptions
that I purchase and course work that I will continue to pursue. In addition, I intend to attend the
MASL conference next year.