Library Media Specialist Praxis September 2011

Praxis Test series Licensure – assuring the public that the person holding the license has demonstrated level of competence in their profession Money grab

School Library Media Specialist Test Covers key concepts that school librarians need to know to do their job Comprehensive exam – covers all you have learned during the program (and beyond) Score above the state required minimum score to pass (140)

For SLMA Endorsement Submit your score to USU (Terri Gass) Submit your score to State Office of Education Put it on there now (doing this later may cost you $40)

Resources SLMA course notes ALA Website!! Teaching course notes, and …

Another resource: Praxis Wiki This Wiki was started by us last year Students have contributed If you end up using it please spend some time contributing links that you found Share the love!  http://schoollibrarianpraxis.wikispaces.com/

Content areas

Content areas Program Administration (18%) Collection Development (21%) Information Access and Delivery (21%) Learning and Teaching (28%) Professional Development, Leadership, and advocacy (12%)

Program Administration Organization, administration, and evaluation of the library media center Management Policies and procedures

Collection Development Selecting and maintaining resources Acquiring resources Organizing resources Circulating resources

Information Access and Delivery Knowledge of information resources and their uses

Learning and Teaching Knowledge of literature Curriculum development and integration Instructional design

Professional Development Professional organizations Leadership and advocacy

QUESTIONS

The questions 120 questions – 2 hours = 1 minute per question Multiple choice – 5 answer choices Question types

Type: Which of the following…

Type: NOT; LEAST; EXCEPT

Type: Complete the statement

Type: Roman numeral choices

Type: Unknown or new formats Read the question very carefully and make sure you understand its purpose

Answering Strategies Read the question very carefully Underline the important parts Do not panic Think logically Make best guess Skip harder questions to come back to later

Preparing for and SCHEDULING YOUR TEST

Educational Testing Service http://www.ets.org/praxis/prepare/materials/0311 Test at a Glance Reducing Test Anxiety General Information and Study Tips

EEJCEHS Contact Terri Gass

From those who went before you… I really appreciated the wiki links you had for study aids. I used the one that had the flashcards that someone had created. I printed them all out and took them wherever I went. I studied them at softball games, meetings and whenever I had the chance. In retrospect, that was the best thing to study.

It was a little frustrating because so many of the questions seemed to be more opinion based.  A good portion of them were like, "all of the answers are correct.  However, choose, the answer that is MOST correct."  I felt like even if I had the test and the internet handy, I wouldn't have even been able to look up the answer.

The actual test was worded more difficult than I had anticipated The actual test was worded more difficult than I had anticipated. I thought since they were all multiple choice, I would be able to pull apart the question and be able to somewhat come up with the answer using the deductive reasoning but I was wrong. I did however pass so I was glad I studied sufficiently.

There were things I was hoping wouldn't be on the test but were such as court cases, authors and a few scenarios about slm management.

I have taken two Praxis tests, the English and the SLM and both were very different.  Where the English one consisted of fact-based answers (e.g., they would have grammar questions, things about poetic meters and devices, a passage from a novel, then ask who the author was, etc.), the SLM test seemed based more on questions such as: Collaboration is a good thing.  Out of the answers below, choose the way a librarian can best connect with colleagues.  Kind of a vague example, but the whole point is that there were many things that were not cut and dry (all of the answers could technically be correct, one is just more correct than the others).  So, my recommendation is that you study and discuss with somebody else and just do a lot of talking.

Overall, the Praxis is not necessarily something to stress about, but it is definitely something that should be studied for. 

In short… Nothing to fear Do your homework, read class materials Take good notes Use resources to prepare for the test Study together And you should be all set! Good luck!