This summer PeachStar held our third annual Educator In Residence (EIR) program, a series of intensive educator professional development trainings that offer Georgia teachers and media specialists the opportunity to expand their skills sets in a variety of areas, including video production, multiple media integration, and media specialist skills. Unlike those held in previous years, the 2003 EIR programs made use of webcasting technology, which allows us to broadcast live or taped trainings via the Internet to users in remote locations across the state.
The most competitive workshop this year was definitely the Institute for New Media Specialists (INMS), a rigorous training program designed for media specialists with less than five years experience. In its second year, the INMS has expanded greatly from its original four-day curriculum to include 20 training modules that cover key topics ranging from standards for media center operation to copyright to developing a public relations plan for a successful media program.
New media specialists participated in the program both at the Georgia Public Broadcasting headquarters in Atlanta and at satellite sites across Georgia via live webcasts. The initial phase of the Institute covered the first 10 training modules, with the remaining 10 scheduled via webcast throughout the school year. Each training module was led by top media specialists with years of experience in their area of expertise. Topics covered included:
* Standards, Rules, and Policies for Media Center Operation
* Evaluating the Overall Media Program
* Budget
* Media Program Operations (collection mapping, weeding, building, cataloging, circulation)
* Information Resources (PeachStar, GALILEO, Georgia Learning Connections)
* Information Literacy Skills
* Collaborating with Teachers on Planning Student Instruction
* Collaborating with Parents and Volunteers
* Developing a Plan for Your Media Program
* Copyright
* Working with Special Initiatives (book fairs, visiting authors, Georgia Media Festival)
* Storytelling
* National Board Certification for Media Specialists
* Video Production
* Grant Writing
* What Kind of Leader Are You?
* Collaborating with System and School Administrators
* Collaborating with School Staff to Plan Professional Development
* Collaborating with Public Libraries
* Developing a Public Relations Plan for Your Media Program
While participation in these modules, which are part of the Institute for New Media Specialists, is limited to those educators who signed up in Summer 2003, PeachStar has additional professional development opportunities available.
