From One-to-One to One-to-Many: A Study of the Practicum in the Transition from Teacher to School Library Media Specialist

Many pre-service school library media specialists are practicing classroom teachers. As they transition into school library media, they often view field experiences as a repetition of their pre-service student teaching experience. However, quality practicum experiences can be pivotal in building collegial networks, gaining valuable on-the-job experience, and exploring the organizational, collaborative roles. Using the Concerns-Based Adoption Model of teacher development and Information Power roles, the researcher analyzed the practicum progress of nine teachers pursuing school library media endorsements. Data collected through autoethnographic journals, specialized questionnaires, and participant observations suggest that participants experienced phases similar to CBAM. Additionally, practicum experiences in the role of program administrator and information specialist are key to establishing their identities as school library media specialists. Implications for research and practice to improve practicum effectiveness are provided. Teachers becoming school library media specialists must shift their professional thinking from that of one person leading a single classroom to that of one person leading many stakeholders including students, teachers, administrators, and parents. The majority of American Library Association (ALA)-endorsed school library media preparation programs employ mentor-led field experiences, often called practica, to help students achieve this transition.1 In a school library media preparation program in Michigan in 2005, a substantial majority of students were currently classroom teachers and were required to complete practicum experiences. Many of these teacher-students did not appreciate the need for a practicum and complained via email lists and in public forums. They resisted taking time from their classrooms to complete field experiences that they felt were unnecessary duplications of past student teaching experiences. Despite the Michigan Department of Education's practicum mandate and the prevalence of practica in programs nationally, many school media students remain unconvinced that the practicum can enhance their preparation. To help students understand the benefits of field experience, this study used a framework for teacher development to examine the ways in which students transitioned from teacher to media specialist. By capturing the voices of students and observing student performance of the roles and responsibilities of school library media specialists (SLMS), the researcher charted student development within the practicum, resulting in confirmation of the practicum's importance in their transition, and in suggestions for program design and further research. Through the course of the study, the researcher investigated two main research questions: 1. What are the dispositions of pre-service SLMS as they progress through their practica and to what extent do these attitudes reflect the phases of the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) of teacher development and the roles of Information Power!2 2. What do students identify as the critical incidents in the practicum experience that either entrench existing classroom-based thinking or promote school-wide, collaborative foci? Review of Literature To understand the interplay between pre-service school library media education, the practicum, and classroom teaching, it is important to understand the types of activities for which the students are being prepared, the current state of the practicum, and contemporary research on teacher development and acculturation. The Roles of the School Library Media Specialist Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning describes roles and responsibilities for school library media programs, from providing resources to students to creating a community of lifelong learners.3 Three interlinked role areas are identified for SLMS in Information Power. …