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Facilities Plan

Amy W. Walker

1496 Milan-Rhine Hwy

Rhine, Ga. 31077

Dr. Repman
FRIT 7132

October 26, 2009

Statesboro, Georgia

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Dodge County Middle School Setting

According to the Department of Education, Dodge County Middle School serves

a total of 803 students in grades 6-8. There is quiet a bit of diversity among the students.

Out of 803 students, over half of the students are white (469 students). The school

consists of approximately 291 African American students, 18 Hispanic students, and 18

Multi-Racial students. A large proportion of the students at DCMS are economically

disadvantaged (494 students). There are also a large number of students identified as

having a disability (104 students). As a teacher at DCMS, I found the numbers to be a bit

surprising. The school appears to consist of about the same amount of African-American

students as White students. However, it is more obvious that many students are identified

as economically disadvantaged.

Fifty-two faculty members are employed at DCMS and contribute to the school’s

success as a Title I School of Distinction. The library consists of one full time Media

Specialist and one full time Media Clerk.

DCMS Media Center Policies

The media center must instill many policies in order to efficiently run the school

library. Several of the policies are identified in the power point presentation. Other

polices are discussed below:

• Reserving the Media Center: In order to reserve the media center, faculty

members are asked to sign up one day in advance. If teaching assistance

of skills lessons are to be provided, the Media Specialists asks that

teachers sign up one week in advance. Teachers may send up to 3

students at a time to the library without prior notification, as long as

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students have a pass. Teachers are expected to be with the class if more

students are sent.

• Selection of New Materials: A request form for the selection of new

materials is in the teacher handbook. The form is to be used for requests

of materials needed to purchase that would assist the teacher in his or her

teaching. The requests are honored as soon as possible and kept in a

consideration file until funding is available.

• Procedures for Instructional Planning: Orientation for 6th grade students is

given during the first 2-3 weeks of school during the student’s reading

classes. Review orientation for 7th and 8th grade students is provided

during this same time period. The media specialist is available before

school, during the school day, or after school to assist teachers with

instructional planning.

Services Provided by the Media Center

• The library will be open from 7:45 A.M. until 3:45 P.M.,

during all class periods and lunch periods.

• The staff will reserve equipment and materials for teachers.

• The staff will come promptly to your room (if at all possible)

when a problem arises with equipment.

• The staff will plan cooperatively with teachers on methods and

materials to enhance curriculum objectives.

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• The staff will coordinate the accelerated reading program and

assist students in taking these tests on the computer.

• The staff will provide a place where needed school supplies

may be purchased.

• Seating capacity for 64 students is provided.

• An audiovisual room is also provided for storage of equipment.

There are several policies that are listed above that are not always followed in the

media center. For example, students are not allowed to take AR tests in the library. They

must test with their reading teacher, or with the reading teacher on the opposing team.

Also, if a problem arises with technology in the classroom, most teachers, including

myself, first notify the technology assistant at the school. This is because of the many

demands of the media specialist. Most of the time, she is not able to leave the media

center immediately in order to assist all teachers. The technology assistant normally

comes as soon as possible and works to reach a solution to the problem. Many times, he

also assists the media specialists with technical problems in the library.

The library does not supply school supplies for student purchase. Normally, the

teacher supplies pencils and paper for students that need to borrow or purchase materials.

It would help if the library stored materials for student purchase. Students could

purchase materials during homeroom and be better equipped for the day. However, this

did not pose concern among teachers that completed the survey (survey monkey), so it

was not included in the revisions of the 21st century library.

The library is only equipped to seat 64 students. Given the size of the library, I

believe it should be equipped to seat more students when needed. The audiovisual room

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that is provided for storage of equipment would be better for teachers and the librarian if

it were organized more effectively. Shelves lining the walls and the proper

organizational boxes would be most helpful.

I really enjoy the fact that the library is open all throughout the day. Students can

visit the library during any class period unless an event is occurring in the library at that

time. Without the media clerk, it would be very hard for the media center to operate at all

times throughout the day.

After assessing the results of the survey administered to teachers at DCMS,

several teachers expressed concern about the amount of time that students are not allowed

to check out books in the library throughout the year. Normally, students cannot go to

the library for a total of 2 or 3 weeks at the beginning of the school year. They are also

not allowed to check out books during the last 3 weeks of the school year. Any time the

library is used for other purposes, students are not allowed to enter to check out books.

For example, the annual book fair lasts 2 weeks. During this time period, no students are

allowed to enter the library to check out or renew books. This becomes a burden for

students and teachers, given the requirements for AR during each 9 week period. Given

more volunteer help in the media center, the media specialist and media clerk may be

better able to meet the needs of all students without closing the library for check-out of

materials.

Both teachers and students expressed concern about the selection of reading

materials found in the library. One of the media center’s policies is to honor the request

for new materials as soon as funding becomes available. This policy is upheld in the

media center; however, funding seems to pose the biggest problem. In order to honor the

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request and “weed” out the older books in the library, more funding should be allocated

for the selection of new materials in the media center.

Media Center Improvements

The floor plans for the new media center reflect a more modern library that is

better equipped for the 21st century learner. The circulation desks are placed in the center

of the media center, which provides a 180-degree angle of the library. Using the

modified circulation desks, two lines can form on opposing sides to ensure a more

organized and faster checkout for students.

The computer workstations were modified to provide more places for students to

work and research information. The computers would also be upgraded to more modern

laptops for students.

All fiction and nonfiction books are categorized in separate areas. The bean bags

in the current library were replaced with an ottoman and chair. Students can come to this

area to read books, read the periodicals, or work on school work in a more relaxed

environment.

Two storage rooms are provided to better organize the equipment housed in the

media center. A teacher workroom is now equipped with a refrigerator and microwave,

as well as other equipment provided for teachers. The nearby restroom will allow

teachers to use the facilities without leaving their students in the library. A nearby

emergency exit was also provided.

The 21st-century media center will better accommodate all learners and provide

more opportunities for teachers to utilize the facilities in the media center. Handicap

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students can easily navigate throughout the aisles of the library. The workstations are

also better equipped for handicap students.

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References

Georgia Department of Education. (n.d.). Retrieved October 8, 2009, from

http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/ReportingFW.aspx?PageReq=101&SchoolID=43453

Rogers, D. (2004). Dodge County Middle School Media Center Handbook.

Eastman: Dodge County Middle School.