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NCLB sets bar too low for our school libraries October 27, 2007

Posted by ayucht in : AASL2007 , add a comment

The Reno Gazette-Journal published an excellent article by Robbie Nickel and Sara Kelly Johns about WHY everyone needs to support the SKILLS Act, which “recognizes the important role of library media specialists in increased academic achievement and reauthorizes and strengthens the Improving Literacy through School Library Program of the No Child Left Behind Act.” Check it out at http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007710250309

Closing Ceremony

Posted by Debbie Stafford in : Conferences , add a comment

For those who could not be here, AASL will have an eAcademy on the AlA website with content from the conference check here later http://www.ala.org/aasl/eAcademy

Once again, check out the new 21st Century Skills, can be downloaded at http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/learningstandards/standards.cfm

Route 21 a forum for these new standards
launch date Nov 7, 2007 school librarians will be able to contribute to the site.

Guest speaker for this closing Omar Waslow, co-founder of BlackPlanet.com. He was seen on Oprah teaching Oprah about going online.

Highlights from his speech
How libraries can thrive in the age of “google, myspace et al”. Libraries are in turmoil but Omar said thatLibraries will have to change BUT will have to re commit to the core values of libraries which include;
*the teaching, facilitating of critical thinking, research skills
*the space of a library, a space where reflection, thinking can go on library space is a productive space

Changes
*from service to transformational - see change in the “product”

*access to information move to “mastering library skills” developing a MLIS style curriculum for k-12
*focus more on developing experience than materials management

I liked this closing speach better than any I have heard recently. He acknowledged our strengths as well as where we need to “change” (as opposed to improve)

Debbie Stafford

Information Fluency Meets Web 2.0

Posted by Debbie Stafford in : AASL2007 , 1 comment so far

Presenter Joyce Valenza

This session wasn’t due to begin until 1:30. I decided to get in the room early so arrived at 1:00 pm. Good thing I did, the room is filling up fast. It was actually a repeat session, yesterday’s session was so full people were turned away.

Joyce first mentioned that these tools and that we are in a “tipping point” situation. She said she was in 1.8 beta.
Joyce is always passionate. She fervently believed that school Library Media Specialists need to know about these tools and to put these tools in the “face” of students.

Widgets — Students also will be using these “widgets” (small tools, online, web 2.0)looking to see how they will be used “creativity”. Woven in are the “traditional” skills of collaboration,commnication et al. Mentioned was a quote “Any cold beer on a warm day is good enough” but Joyce feels that we should not settle for “good enough” information.

Blogs
*Literature Blogs

*Research Blogs
*Story Telling blogs and tools
*Podcasts

Tools shared If you were there either today or yesterday and see one I didn’t list please add. Also if you have the real URL for some of the sites please add in comments.
*IGoogle - for students to use for organization — would like to see widgets from “vendors” to pull into their igoogle such as a “facts on file” database.
*Wiki Pathfinders instead of “pathfinders”.
*OEDB.org Databases
*TeacherTube as alternative to YouTube

*Online survey tools — Pole Daddy? (it occurred to me that one of these could be used to create the “passport” idea from Deb Logan’s session I attended this morning.
*Wikipedia — situational information
Conservapedia — conservative wiki (a tool I know about Congresspedia
*Flickr - art gallery
*bibme — online citation maker (some others we use easybib and citation machine)
*Creative Commons licensing for open source software
*Online notecard tools such as Noodle bib

*Voice Thread (to tell stories)
*Twitter
*xtimeline (create and share timelines)
*Primary access — attached to national archives
*NING (social network tool to create specific social networks)
ICAN

Debbie Stafford

Students + Evidence = Impact!

Posted by Debbie Stafford in : AASL2007 , add a comment

Presenter Debra Logan

Deb started out with some background about working with students and finding out from them whether what the library did was useful. Leading to “When students speak … everyone listens!”

Outline of the presentation
Evidence Based Practice
*improve practice - came from Medicine
*based on research national but also needs local data
*Deb likes the word Mash-up putting the data together i.e. national report on college students research, correlated with where it was introducted etc locally

*Recommended article School LIbraries & Evidence: School Library Journal August Sept 2003
Deb likes Backwards Design from the book n”Understanding by Design”

Assessment
*What data
*How to collect the data
**pre, during, post assessments
**Tests, quick questions, passports — something I learned, how use, what worked, what made better? Use old catalog cards!

**Surveys, statistics, lesson plans
**Photos, Sample projects, Portfolios
*Managing Data
**Analysis and Storing

Motivaing students
Caveat, not sure I got everything here as I had to leave the room for a bit
*Use the data collected and share withstudents
**Quotations, Anecdotes, Annual Reports, Newspaper articles

*accept the negative comments

Building support-advocacy
*PR (not the only or most important)
*Marketing
*When someone speaks up for you
*back to When students speak… everyone listens

This is the second workshop by Deb that I have attended and both were very worthwhile. Deb has some books available, worth a look (Linworth).

Debbie Stafford