Professional Learning Plan for Babb Middle School’s Media Center

Babb Middle School’s Media Center

The media center, situated within the main building of the school, serves a total of eight

hundred and ninety-seven middle school students. It features three entrances, including one

emergency exit adjacent to the school entrance and two additional entrances leading to

grade-level hallways. The ceiling of the media center is decorated with flags from various

nations, while the walls are adorned with visuals promoting reading. At the front of the media

center is the circulation desk, where students can check out and return books. Behind the

circulation desk, there are three additional rooms: one for storing student Chromebooks, one

serving as the media specialist’s workroom, and the third designated as the video production

room for filming the school’s morning show. Adjacent to the video production room is a printer

accessible to teachers and staff. The media center also provides five desktop computers for

student use, along with 16 tables, each equipped with four chairs. Additionally, three lounge

areas are situated in the corners of the media center, providing students with space to relax while

reading. The books in the library are divided into three sections: fiction, nonfiction, and

biographies. The fiction section and the biographies are categorized by the first three letters of

the author’s last name, and the nonfiction section is categorized by subject, using the Dewey

Decimal System. Teachers can send up to four students simultaneously for book check-out and

computer use. Each student is allowed to check out up to 2 books at a time for two weeks. The

media specialist is Drim McCall, and she can be reached at dirim.mccall@clayton.k12.ga.us.

Professional Learning Plan Objectives

After conducting a needs assessment of the media center at Babb Middle School, it was

discovered that there were no appropriate resources to accommodate 8th-grade students with

higher Lexile scores; resources were needed to promote literacy growth. Also, there is a need for

resources to support historical education. Based on these identified needs, the following

Professional Learning Plan (PLP) objectives were formulated.

Professional Learning Plan

Objective 1: Integrate the Accelerated Reader (AR) program to promote literacy growth
and engagement among students at Babb Middle School by November 1st, 2024

Stakeholders: Timeline:
Media Specialist August 1, 2024 through
Instructional Technology Specialist October 31, 2024
ELA Teachers
Students

Action Steps Evaluation

1. Conduct a thorough review of the Accelerated Formative Evaluation
Reader (AR) program to understand its features, Method:
benefits, and requirements. Survey For Teachers
2. Consult with teachers, administrators, and literacy Survey For Students
specialists to gather feedback and insights on the
potential implementation of the AR program.
3. Determine the appropriate subscription or licensing
options for the AR program based on the school's
budget and needs.
4. Coordinate with the school's IT department to ensure
that the necessary hardware and software
requirements for the AR program are met.
5. Develop a timeline and action plan for the
implementation of the AR program, setting specific
milestones and deadlines.
6. Provide training sessions for teachers and staff on
how to effectively use the AR program, including
setting up accounts, assigning quizzes, and tracking
student progress.
7. Create promotional materials and announcements to
inform students and parents about the introduction of
the AR program and its benefits.
8. Monitor the implementation progress closely,
addressing any challenges or issues that arise
promptly.
9. Collect feedback from teachers, students, and parents
on their experiences with the AR program and make
adjustments as needed.
 Objective 2:

Enhance the literature curriculum for 8th-grade students by adapting 9th-grade literature
materials to their level. Additionally, prioritize the acquisition of resources specifically
designed to meet the needs of students with higher Lexile scores in the media center at Babb
Middle School by August 1st, 2024.

Stakeholders: Timeline:
Media Specialist May 1, 2024 through July
ELA Teachers 31st
Academic Coach

Action Steps Evaluation

1. Review and select 9th-grade literature materials Summative Evaluation

suitable for 8th-grade adaptation. Curriculum Alignment…
2. Align curriculum standards and objectives for ELA.
3. Adapt chosen materials for the 8th-grade level,
considering complexity and comprehension.
4. Develop supplementary materials like study guides.
5. Conduct professional development workshops on
material adaptation and diversity.
6. Provide training for differentiation strategies.
7. Assess current media center resources and identify
gaps.
8. Research and evaluate potential resources for higher
Lexile students.
9. Allocate budget resources and seek additional
funding if necessary.
10. Collaborate with stakeholders to select and order
resources.
 11. Organize resources in the media center for
accessibility.
12. Develop guidelines for resource integration.

Objective 3: Enhance historical education resources at Babb Middle School's media center
by acquiring primary source documents, multimedia presentations, and VR/AR
technologies. Also, display replicas of historical artifacts for hands-on learning by January
6, 2025

Stakeholders: Timeline:
Media Specialists August 1, 2024 through
Social Studies Teachers December 31, 2024
Academic Coach

Action Steps Evaluation

Summative Evaluation
1. Evaluate current historical education resources to
Resource Utilization A…
identify gaps and areas for improvement.
2. Research and select primary source documents,
multimedia presentations, and VR/AR technologies
aligned with curriculum objectives.
3. Determine the acquisition budget, including
purchasing, licensing, and subscription fees.
4. Allocate budgetary resources from the school's
budget or seek additional funding.
5. Purchase or acquire selected resources from
reputable vendors.
6. Obtain necessary licenses and permissions for digital
resources and technologies.
 7. Provide training sessions for staff and teachers on
resource utilization, including VR/AR technologies.
Offer professional development on integrating
resources into curriculum planning and instruction.
8. Set up VR/AR technologies and ensure proper
functionality.
9. Integrate resources into the media center catalog and
online databases for accessibility.

Reflection
To conduct the needs assessment, I examined the resources available in the media center
at my school, within my district, and across Georgia. I prioritized gathering input from key
stakeholders, including the media specialists, ELA teacher, and Social Studies teacher, as they
are frequent users of the library. Through interviews with them, it became evident that certain
resources were lacking in the media center. These included a literacy promotion program for
secondary students, literature tailored to students with high Lexile scores, and materials for
historical education. Using this feedback, I developed a professional learning plan to address
these needs.
I created my professional learning plan from the needs assessment data. After surveying
and interviewing the media specialists and two teachers, I was able to come up with my 3
objectives for the professional learning plan. With those objectives, I came up with action steps
that could be taken to carry out the objectives and make them a reality. I needed a check system
to make sure that the action steps were taken with fidelity, so an evaluation of the objectives was
created.

Needs assessments are crucial for developing cohesive professional learning plans. They

identify areas for improvement, guide resource allocation decisions, and promote data-informed

teaching practices. By conducting thorough needs assessments, schools can tailor learning

programs to meet the specific needs of teachers and students, thereby enhancing teaching and
learning experiences. Additionally, needs assessments empower educators to address challenges,

improve instructional practices, and ultimately enhance student learning outcomes.