Aimee Janusz: Master's Portfolio

My personal learning goals for the SLM program:

How to best serve my school through the roles and responsibilities of the media specialist: teacher, instructional partner, information specialist, and program administrator
How to collaborate with teachers to integrate information literacy, literature, and technology into the curriculum, supporting the school's goals
How to design and implement instruction using best practices in teaching
How to foster a love of reading in students
How to develop and manage a collection that serves the diverse needs of the learning community

How I have met my goals

The courses I have taken through the SLM program have provided me with the knowledge to meet my goals. In addition, I have gained valuable hands-on experience through my SLM internship and ESOL field experience, reinforcing the concepts I learned through my coursework. Most importantly, I have benefitted immensely from discussions and advice from my mentors, professors, and peers.

How the SLM program prepares me for the future

The SLM program has given me a strong foundation to build on, as I begin my career as a school library media specialist. The projects have provided me with practical experience that I can adapt to meet the needs of my school. However, there will be many challenges that I will face in practice, and I may not know how to handle every situation. I look forward to growing from each experience and continually learning from others and new innovations.

Future Professional Plans

My plan is to obtain a media specialist position in which I can inspire the learning community to become lifelong learners, teach information literacy skills integrated into the curriculum, and instill a love of reading through my dedication, enthusiasm, innovation, and unique blend of past experiences. After gaining some experience in the field, I would like to pursue a Specialist degree.

How I met the departmental diversity requirement

I have taken the Teaching ESOL Grades P-12 course which included study on how to teach students that have different languages, cultures, and multi-cultural issues. I have also taken the Exceptional Children course and learned about students with exceptionalities, teaching accommodations, and procedures. I feel that my ESOL field experience at Nancy Creek Elementary School and volunteering/interning at Parsons Elementary Media Center have given me hands-on experience with students of color and diverse socioeconomic status. I have also worked with students with exceptionalities in volunteer positions from junior high school up through college, playing and interacting with exceptional children in special education classrooms and in children’s hospitals. Given these experiences, I feel prepared to work with the wide range of diversity in students.