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K-12 Practicum Guide

The Practicum (LIS 591 M) is a supervised field experience of professional-level duties in a school library media center. It is an integral part of students' preparation for work as K-12 school library media specialist. Practicum students work in a school environment under the supervision of an experienced Library Information Specialist with the guidance of the K-12 Program Coordinator.

LIS 591 M is required for students enrolled in the K-12 Library Information Specialist Certification Program and is usually completed one or two semesters prior to student teaching. It is also highly recommended for M.S./Endorsement students who already hold Illinois teaching certificates. M.S./Endorsement students are considered "non-cert" students by CTE and must follow the same procedures for practicum as certification students. Before registering for Practicum, students must have completed 14 hours of library and information science coursework. During the Practicum, students complete a minimum of 100 hours at an elementary, middle or high school library media center. Up to 25 of these hours can be devoted to the completion of a required special project.

This "Early Field Experience" is an opportunity to integrate educational theory and knowledge of course content with the application of best principles and practices for working with youth and young adults. Students will be able to experience real issues, obstacles, and solutions within the K-12 school setting.

The Practicum is intended to offer students opportunities to:

• Gain practical experience based on the understanding and application of theoretical knowledge.
• Observe the analysis of and solutions to problems arising in professional work settings.
• Interact with colleagues in a professional work environment.
• Participate in a representative range of professional activities in the work setting including teaching.
• Develop a professional self-awareness.
• Gain experience working with young people with diverse needs and backgrounds.

K-12 Practicum Requirements

The GSLIS Practicum Guide fully describes the requirements of the general GSLIS practicum and includes all the forms that must be completed for practica in school libraries. The discussion below supplements this Guide with coverage of the unique procedures required by the K-12 Practicum. The K-12 Practicum Checklist at the end of this page includes all the steps required of the K-12 student to complete a school Practicum.

K-12 students are required to participate in the general GSLIS Practicum Focus Discussions via the forums on the LIS 591 course Web site. Practicum Coordinator, Lynn Hanson, will organize the forums.

Criminal Background Check

Illinois school districts require all candidates in certification programs to clear a fingerprint-based criminal background check through the Council on Teacher Education (CTE) prior to participating in any field experiences in schools. Further information on this requirement, can be found on the CTE Web site

Bloodborne Pathogen Training

Every student must pass the online Bloodborne Pathogen Training, which is good for one year and available through the CTE Web site.

Formal Observation

Each student must schedule at least one formal observation by the K-12 Program Coordinator during the second half of the semester. If at all possible, this observation should be planned when the student is interacting directly with the school-age student population. Since Practicum may be the first opportunity a GSLIS student has to experience the role of teacher-librarian, every effort should be made to plan an activity such as a small- or large-group lesson, booktalk, technology lesson or read aloud for the formal observation. This will give the Program Coordinator an opportunity to provide valuable feedback on the student's teaching style in preparation for student teaching. Any interaction involving direct instruction of students must include a written lesson plan to be given to the K-12 Program Coordinator on the observation day.

Work Journal

As a reflective practitioner and future teacher-librarian, it is important that each student keeps track of teaching activities. The Work Journal is an informal account of what a student does on-site (activities, thoughts, reflections, etc). It is a record of formal and informal lessons learned during the hands-on Practicum experience. The journal gives a student practice in thinking reflectively about professional challenges and growth. Entries may be used as artifacts for the assessment portfolio.

The Work Journal may be hand-written or typed, but should be kept consistently and honestly. After each site visit, a student should set aside a block of 15-20 minutes to record a description of 1) what was done, and 2) more importantly, what was thought about what was done. The final entry of the Work Journal should be a summative evaluation of the Practicum project as a whole. In general, an entry is usually no more than a page long. For example:

• Here's what I did...And here's what I want to make sure to remember...
• Here's what I observed...And here's what I found most surprising...
• Here's how children responded..And here's what I would do differently next time...
• Here's what I planned...And here's why I think it worked/didn't work...
• Here's what I saw that I liked..And here's how I'd like to do this in my own future library...
• Here's what I was asked...And here's the best source I found for the answer...

At the end of the Practicum, the Work Journal will be submitted to the Program Coordinator who will review it and schedule a meeting with the student to discuss the contents and overall practicum experience and evaluation.

Timecard

The 591 M Practicum Timecard provides documentation of a student's time on-site and will be kept in the student's GSLIS file. It also contains information that may be needed in case of a program audit. The Timecard is divided into two categories: Time on Site (excluding the Practicum Project) and Time Toward Project.

• Time on Site records the hours spent at the site, excluding the Special Project. It should include observation, supervised participation, direct instruction, reader's advisory, one-on-one or group interaction, technical services or support, etc. A minimum total of 75 hours is required in this category.
• Time Toward Project is constructive time spent planning and presenting the Special Project. This time can include meetings with the site supervisor to discuss lesson or project objectives, as well as individual time spent preparing the project. These recorded hours might take place on-site or off-site (i.e., creating instructional material at school or at home). The time recorded for the Special Project may be a maximum of 25 hours of the total 100-hour Practicum requirement.

Practicum Evaluation

After the Practicum hours and Special Project are completed, the K-12 Program Coordinator will schedule a conference with the student to discuss the Practicum experience and practicum evaluation. For K-12 students, the required form is the "CTE Common Assessment for Early Field Experiences (EFE) and Recommendation for Continuing Status in the Certification Program" which is completed online through the CTE website by the Site Supervisor (Cooperating Teacher-Librarian). The evaluation form, which will be marked "Continue without reservation," "Continue with reservation," "Continue with remediation" or "Do not continue," will be electronically signed by the K-12 Program Coordinator.

Students who successfully pass the Practicum requirement will receive a grade of "S" (Satisfactory) and will be recommended for continuation if they are in the certification program.

Placement Procedures & Forms

In the following discussion:

• "Practicum Coordinator" refers to Lynn M. Hanson (E-mail -lmhanson, at illinois.edu-, Telephone 217-333-6202, Fax 217-244-3302).
• "Site Supervisor" and "Cooperating Teacher-Librarian" both refer to the person with whom the student is working at the K-12 site.
• "Practicum Faculty Advisor" and "K-12 Program Coordinator" both refer to Georgeann Burch (E-mail -gburch, at illinois.edu-, or Telephone 217-244-0197).

The placement process begins when the student meets with the K-12 Program Coordinator to consider potential Practicum sites. The Program Coordinator maintains a current file of Practicum Site Supervisors throughout the state of Illinois. A Practicum site may be suggested to the Program Coordinator by the student. Some things to consider:

• A placement site must be different than the student teaching site.
• If the student requests placement at a grade level different than the planned secondary student teaching placement, the student will have an opportunity to gain experience at all three school levels (elementary, middle and high school).
• The Site Supervisor must be certified or endorsed as a Library Information Specialist in Illinois and have a minimum of three years' experience in the field, including at least one year in their current position. An M.S. degree and membership in the American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians and/or Illinois School Library Media Association is preferred.
• The school district must have a contract for student teacher placements with the University of Illinois. The list of current placement contracts can be found on the CTE website under Clinical Experiences. If a student wishes to complete a Practicum in a district not on the list, see the K-12 Program Coordinator for assistance.

The K-12 Program Coordinator will contact one or two potential Site Supervisors and then ask the student to plan a site visit to each school library. After the visits and discussion with the Program Coordinator, the student will request placement at a site. The Program Coordinator will confirm that the Site Supervisor agrees to the placement and then contact the student to complete the practicum forms.

Practicum Resume

The student should bring a resume to the site visit for the prospective Site Supervisor. The Practicum Resume form or another format which provides similar information should be used.

Request for Placement Form

The student should complete the Request for Pre-Student Teaching Placement form, print it and give it to the Site Supervisor for the approval and signature of the District Administrator, which may be the School Principal. The signed Request for Placement form should then be sent to the K-12 Program Coordinator.

Practicum Contract

Each K-12 student must meet with their Site Supervisors (Cooperating Teacher-Librarians) to complete the Practicum Contract. The student cannot register for LIS 591 until the Practicum Contract is returned to the K-12 Program Coordinator.

Special Project Abstract

Each student will also need to complete the Special Project Abstract in consultation with their Site Supervisor. The Abstract form can be submitted along with the Practicum Contract, but must be submitted no later than the mid-point of the semester. This form must also be returned to the K-12 Program Coordinator.

For K-12 Special Projects, a student should consider ideas that would provide them with experience in an area of interest and benefit students and staff at the school site. When designing a project, the 25-hour time commitment to the project should be considered. Ideas include:

1. Planning and teaching collaborative library lessons or units
2. Promoting special "theme" programs, such as Teen Read Week or Banned Books Week
3. Assisting in collection development
4. Booktalking titles or storytelling
5. Teaching information literacy skills using a research model, such as The Big 6
6. Designing displays or bulletin boards
7. Planning reading incentive programs
8. Hosting special events, such as Children's Book Week or Family Reading Night
9. Creating annotated booklists and bookmarks
10. Updating or creating Web sites
11. Organizing book clubs

Registration

After the student has submitted the above forms, an e-mail will be sent authorizing enrollment in LIS 591 and providing the CRN for the correct course section. Registration for LEEP students will be completed by the Academic Outreach office.

• K-12 Library Information Specialist Certification program students enroll in LIS 591, Section M (on-campus) or Section MAO (LEEP).
• M.S./Endorsement students enroll in LIS 591, Section GLB (on-campus) or Section GB (LEEP).

K-12 Practicum Checklist

In the semester before the Practicum:

1. Read the GSLIS Practicum Guide and this K-12 Practicum Guide carefully.
2. Meet with the K-12 Program Coordinator to identify potential school sites and Site Supervisors. The Program Coordinator will contact the potential Practicum Site Supervisor(s) on your behalf.
3. Complete a fingerprint-based criminal background check at least 4 weeks before the start of practicum.
4. Pass the online Bloodborne Pathogen Training available through the CTE Web site.
5. Prepare your resume using the Practicum Resume form or a format of your own.
6. Meet with one or more potential Site Supervisors to introduce yourself and to share your resume. After the site visits, the K-12 Program Coordinator will confirm the placement with you and with the Site Supervisor.
7. Take or send the Request for Pre-Student Teaching Placement form to the Site Supervisor to obtain the signature of the Principal or the District Administrator.
8. Meet with your Site Supervisor to complete the Practicum Contract and to obtain your Site Supervisor's signature on the Contract.
9. Also take to this meeting a copy of the Selective Service Compliance Statement (page 2 of the Practicum Contract form) and obtain your Site Supervisor's signature on the form. This allows your Supervisor to qualify for the Tuition and Fee Waiver gratuity.
10. Submit all three signed forms (checklist #7, #8 and #9) to the K-12 Program Coordinator. You may submit the forms in person, by regular mail or by fax to 217-244-3302.
11. Within two weeks, on-campus students will receive an e-mail authorization and the correct CRN to register for the Practicum course.
12. Registration for LEEP students will be completed for you by the Academic Outreach office.

During the semester:

12. Participate in the GSLIS Practicum forum posts.
13. Define your Special Project with your Site Supervisor. Write a description of your Project on the Special Project Abstract form and obtain your Supervisor's signature on the form. Your Abstract can be completed at the same meeting in which you complete the Practicum Contract, or you may complete the Abstract after you have begun your field work. It must be submitted to the Practicum Faculty Advisor (Georgeann Burch) by no later than mid-point of the Practicum.
14. Keep your Work Journal and time card up-to-date.

Near the end of the Practicum:

15. Schedule a formal on-site observation with the K-2 Program Coordinator.
16. After the observation, remind your Site Supervisor to complete the CTE Early Field Experience evaluation via the Cooperating Teacher-Librarian portal on the CTE Web site.
17. Complete all your Practicum field work hours, special project, journal entries, posts to the Focus Discussions and timecard by the last day of classes for the semester.

At the end of the Practicum:

18. The K-12 Program Coordinator will schedule a conference with you to discuss the Practicum experience, complete the Early Field Experiences evaluation and review your work journal and timecard. All K-12 Certification students will also discuss the next step leading to student teaching.
19. Thank your Site Supervisor for your experience.

For More Information

For more information or assistance with school Practicum experiences, please contact Georgeann Burch, K-12 Program Coordinator (e-mail -gburch, at illinois.edu-, or Telephone 217-244-0197).

Last updated: July 8, 2008