Bhavika Patel

Media Specialist Interview

What are the job titles and duties of Media Center staff?

There are three staff members for the CMS media center, me (Sonya Malphus, as the Media

Specialist, and two media assistants (Mrs. Jackson and Mrs. Yogasundram.) Together we achieve

all the goals set forth for the media center:

Coordinate the building media and technology committee

Implement media policies and procedures in line with system policies

Participate in curriculum development and implementation by serving on textbook

committees, developing learning materials, recommending media and technology. Etc…

Manage and ensure accessibility to media resources

Maintain awareness of new developments in technology and provide relevant information

to teachers and staff

Seek professional development opportunities for self and school

Coordinate activities facilitated in the media center

Assist in selection of media center staff (media specialist only)

Adhere to federal copyright laws and make sure school follows system policy as well

What is the mission of the center?

There are many stakeholders in the Coffee County media center including parents, students,

teachers, staff, board members, and community members all of which contribute to the overall

success of the center.

What are the goals of the media center?

The goals for Instructional Media at Coffee Middle School

The Coffee County School System will provide media that enrich and support the

curriculum taking into consideration the varied students served.

Media will be provided which stimulates growth in factual knowledge, literacy

appreciation, aesthetic values and ethical standards. Also, media will relate to and support

the basic educational goals adopted by the school system.

Media will be provided that will give various sides of controversial issues so that young

people may develop, under guidance, the practice of critical reading, viewing, listening,

and thinking.

Media will be provided that are representative of the many religious, ethnic, and cultural

groups and their contributions to world heritage.

Who are the stakeholders?

The stakeholders are community members, parents, students, teachers, staff, and board members.

They all contribute to the overall achievement of the media center.

What activities are provided by the media center?

6th grade tours

Club/ organization meetings

Contents to promote reading

Buddy pictures fundraiser to purchase new books/ technology

What is the history of the media center?

Coffee Middle School opened in 2006 when East Coffee Middle School and West Coffee Middle

School merged into a massive 1800 student body campus. When the school opened the media

center was provided with a computer station of 30 computers (one class set). The library was

staffed with one media specialist and one assistant. As the school has progressed and needs of

students and staff were identified the media center has added more technology in the media

center, such as mobile laptop carts that can be used in the media center or checked out for

teacher use. The school also had Wi-Fi installed throughout the campus, which is being updated

as often as possible for efficiency by the technology department. As the media specialist I am

constantly working on emerging technology that exists and modifying/ fixing it to meet the needs

of teachers. I have also seen a huge shift from books to technology and the focus is mostly

technology. I am also responsible for the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade computer lab and 4 classroom

computer labs for technology classes. Each of these labs has almost 30 computers to

accommodate an entire class at one time.