The Philosophy of the N.W.M.S. Library Media Center
The Philosophy of the N.W.M.S. Library Media Center Schools are changing. We expect all students to learn more than they have in the past.
Because students learn in different ways and at different rates, they have unique educational needs. These require customized instructional materials and methods.
Recall, understanding, and application are enhanced when students construct their own meaning. This occurs best when students are actively engaged in inquiry-based activities.
The basic learning activity is the retrieval, selection, and use of information from multiple sources to solve problems and make decisions. Memorizing textbook information to pass tests is a skill of limited use.
Classroom instruction must focus on the application of learning to solve non-routine problems and make decisions. Solving real-life problems requires the integration of subject areas and collaboration among students and teachers.
Library media programs are at the core of school restructuring and will be at the core of schools of the future because they:
Permit individualization based on interest and difficulty;
Encourage integration by removing barriers between disciplines;
Foster cooperation to solve problems;
Facilitate access to diverse information resources; and
Provide resources and teach skills to solve problems in and out of school.