LIS 6730 Seminar: Leadership in the Library
2 Credit Hours – Spring 2011
Instructor: Floyd Pentlin
Office: Lovinger 4200B
Office Phone: (660) 543-4910 (do not leave messages on this phone)
Email: fpentlin@ucmo.edu
Skype: fcpen2008
The current version of the syllabus will always be the class wiki: http://6730leadership.wikispaces.com/
Class Meeting Times: This course is conducted online using the Blackboard course software. Course
access is at http://courses.ucmo.edu. For online discussions, the week begins on Tuesday and ends on
Monday. There are no on-campus meetings. There will be scheduled Skype sessions that will be
required. During these sessions we will discuss your readings as well as take the opportunity for guest
presentations.
Description of the Course: Leadership can be divided into two roles, management and vision.
Leadership styles that work best from the library can be affiliative, democratic, pacesetting, and/or
coaching. This course will connect these styles and roles; looking at school librarians as teacher-leaders,
curriculum leaders, research leaders, community leaders, technology leaders, and chief information
officers in a school.
Conceptual Framework
Belief Statement: The Central educator is a competent, caring, reflective practitioner committed to the
premise that all can learn.
Mission
As a cornerstone of the institution for over 130 years, the University of Central Missouri’s Teacher
Education Program develops teachers and other school professionals who are well grounded in theory,
display competence in content knowledge and instructional strategies, and possess the dispositions to
ensure success for all learners. The Teacher Education Program prepares individuals as professional
educators for an ever-changing, culturally diverse population. Faculty and candidates provide support
and service to schools in meeting their present and future challenges by developing communities that
learn through research and scholarly activities. Educator preparation is a campus-wide responsibility, a
commitment that reflects the honor and worth of serving a vital profession.
Purpose of the Course: The purpose of this course is to help school librarians understand, develop, and
promote their leadership roles.
Objectives of the Course: Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
· Assess the leadership value inherent in library activities.
· Make choices about prioritizing library activities based on how they contribute to the overall mission of
the school.
· List criteria and describe tools for evaluating practice in the library and in the classroom.
· Identify ways to gather and evaluate data collected through action research.
· Recognize and verify the value of evidence from research in matters related to school reform and
innovations.
· Develop plans and strategies to improve teacher leadership.
· Use positive reinforcements to energy the school community.
· Explain ways to use standards to improve student achievement.
· Generalize components of productive practices across the curriculum.
· Design roles for technology use to improve communication and teaching.
· Discover, develop, describe and promote the integration of learning objects in classroom instruction.
· Recognize and know how to organize the types of information available in the school.
· Develop information that can be used to improve student achievement.
· Develop and maintain a list of continuing professional development opportunities for the library and
for the classroom.
Structure of the course and student responsibilities:
Students are required to participate in the current, weekly discussions in the online classroom provided
in Blackboard as well as Skype discussions. Teaching strategies will include readings, lectures, student
participation, demonstrations, laboratory experiences, and assignments. Assignments must be in Word,
be spell-checked, and adhere to MLA guidelines.
Evaluation of the course: Grades will be based on the quality (e.g. accuracy, evidence of comprehension,
and writing mechanics) of all assignments, class presentations, and participation in class.
Course Grades: Grades will be figured using the standard scale. 100-90% = A; 89-80% = B; 79-70% = C;
69-60% = D; 59% and below = F. Work is marked down one letter grade for each week it is late.
Assignments must be submitted early if you know you will be absent on the due date. Without specific
instructor permission, no credit is given for late postings to online, weekly discussion. Assignments
cannot be resubmitted without instructor permission.
No work will be accepted after the due date of the last assignment.
Early Alert: As part of the CoE commitment to building a positive, student-centered learning community
that supports the success of every student, the faculty member instructing this course participates in the
UCM Early Alert Program.
Academic Honesty: Honesty in all endeavors is essential to the function of society. Honesty in the
classroom among students and between students and faculty is a matter that should concern everyone
in the university community. Please see the Central Student Handbook for the complete policy, student
responsibilities, and procedures for enforcement.
Accessibility Services
This course works in concert with the Office of Accessibility Services and the Office of Equity in meeting
ADA requirements. Students with documented disabilities who are seeking academic accommodations
should contact the Office of Accessibility Services, Union 220, (V) (TTY) 660/543-4421
begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 660/543-4421 end_of_the_skype_highlighting
(http://www.ucmo.edu/access)
ULifeLine
This is an anonymous, online mental health resource center. Check it out at http://www.ucmo.edu/cc
(click on ULifeLine in the Self Help Box or go to http://Ulifeline.org.
The Student Success Center
The Student Success Center is located on the 3rd floor in the JCKL Library. You can get help online at
http://www.ucmo.edu/successcenter/. The Student Success Center hours, including the Writing Center
and Learning Center, will be 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.
Library Services
You may access your library account, the online catalog, and electronic databases from James C.
Kirkpatrick Library’s Web site at http://library.ucmo.edu. For research assistance, you may contact the
Reference Desk:
Phone: 660.543.5154
E-mail: reference@library.ucmo.edu
AIM: JCKLReference
RefChat: http://library.ucmo.edu/chat
ListServs:
Subscription to the LIS Discussion Group is required of all enrolled students.
LIBSCI
Send e-mail to: mailto:imailsrv@libsrv.ucmo.edu (subject line blank)
(body)
Subscribe libsci firstname lastname
LM_NET
To subscribe to LM_NET
1. Send an e-mail message
to: LISTSERV@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU
2. In the first line of the message, type:
SUBSCRIBE LM_NET Firstname Lastname
Course Evaluation Procedures:
Students will complete an online anonymous survey to evaluate the course and instruction.
Textbooks for the course:
There is no textbook for this course. Readings available through JCKL electronic, subscription databases
will be used as well as the free Web.
ADDITIONAL MATERIAL CONSULTED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE
LM_NET archives. Retrieved 24 May 2007, from http://www.eduref.org/lm_net/archive/
MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. New York: Modern Language Association of
America, 2008. Print.
Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Library Media Centers News & Updates.
Standards for Missouri School Library Media Centers in “Standards.” 21 Apr. 2009. PDF. 17 May 2010.
<http://dese.mo.gov/divimprove/lmc/>.
Assignments and Grades
(Links to MoSTEP Standards)
Participation
Students will be expected to participate fully in the online discussions and group projects. Group
participation reflects on the disposition of candidates seeking a degree in school librarianship. Answer
all discussion questions and respond to at least two posts by other students each week. Asking
questions in the forums also counts toward the participation grade and students receive credit for
answering each other’s questions.
Assignment Course Reports on journal articles. (1.2, 2.1, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3)
Assignment Case Study (1.2, 2.1, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3)
Assignment Readings and Skype sessions. (1.2, 2.1, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3)
Assignment Leading from the Middle Project (1.2, 2.1, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3)
Assignment Librarian Interview (1.2, 2.1, 2.3, 3.2, 3.3)
CALENDAR
DATE
01.10-17
Introductions
01.18-24
Successful leaders?
01.25-31
Current State of the
Profession
02.01-07
Perceptions?
02.08-14
Case Study
preparation
02.15-21
Case Study
02.22-28
Leadership-What is
it?
03.01-07
Leadership – What is
it?
03.08-14
Leadership and the
administrator
03.15-20
Leading from the
middle
03.21-27
03.28-04.04
04.05-11
Leading in the
profession
04.12-18
04.19-25
Leadership in the
community
04.26-05.02
Leadership in the
community
ACTIVITY
Log into Blackboard
Set up RSS feeds
Set up LM_NET subscription
DUE THIS WEEK
Getting started activities
View videos
Blackboard: Reflections and
summaries
Read articles
Blackboard: Reflections and add two
articles
Read articles and take personality and
leadership exercises
Blackboard: Reflections on the articles
and the results of the two exercises
Reading and viewing for case study project Taking notes
Put together your thoughts for a summary Paper and Skype session: 21 Feb., 7:00
paper
p.m.
Reading week
Take notes on the readings
Finish up the readings and write up a
personal statement of leadership
philosophy
Blackboard: Post reflections on the
readings as well as your statement of
leadership
Read articles
Skype session: 14 March, 7:00 p.m.
Read articles on digital citizenship and
professional development
Blackboard: Reflection on the articles
and add two articles
SPRING BREAK
Work on project
Project
Reading
Skype session: 11 April, 7:00 p.m.
Read: Linchpin by Seth Godin and watch
videos where he discusses the leadership
concepts
Blackboard: Discuss Godin’s ideas and
how they might apply to education
Readings
Interview with a public librarian
Summary readings
Skype session: 2 May, 7:00 p.m.