This week in review

Today I visited the media center at Stewart Middle School. The media center was very well organized, but very different than what I am used to seeing. The rules of the media center were understood by the patrons that I observed, and unlike the media center at Alexander, the students were expected to be very quiet. The media center was full of students conducting research and reading for pleasure. There are 14 computers for students use, and I was told that every student has to have a signed permission slip to use the internet. Teachers are able to reserve the computers for a class in advance. There were a couple of displays set up showcasing books in the media center, but students had to ask permission before viewing the books. There was a seating area near the periodical. One thing that was different from both BUES and Alexander was Stewart's well organized and extensive collection of professional development resources for teachers. I am glad that I was able to visit the media center at Stewart Middle School. I believe that it is important to observe media center at all levels.