Invitation to Comment on Second Draft of Standards for the 21st Century Learner in Action September 24, 2008
Posted by Kathy Lowe in : Check this out! , add a commentThe AASL Learning Standards Indicators and Assessment Task Force has completed the second draft of Standards for the 21st Century Learner in Action. You are invited to review and critique it at http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslproftools/standardsinaction/standardsinaction.cfm
After releasing Standards for the 21st Century Learner in October 2007, AASL charged the task force “to develop a document to expand and support the new learning standards” with “indicators, benchmarks, model examples, and assessments.” Standards for the 21st Century Learner in Action provides support for school library media specialists and other educators in teaching the essential learning skills defined in Standards for the 21st Century Learner.
After thoroughly reviewing and considering all the comments and suggestions on the first draft, task force members worked over the summer to refine the original document. We believe that this draft suitably reflects the many thoughtful suggestions we received.
The draft is posted in both PDF and Word format so that those who wish to may mark up the Word document and return it to the task force with their suggested changes or additions. Please email your comments to StandardsInAction@ala.org, with “Comments” in the subject line, before October 15, 2008.
We encourage you to forward this invitation to your school library colleagues and to distribute it widely via your state associations’ newsletters, listservs, nings and blogs. We look forward to reading your comments!
AASL Learning Standards Indicators & Assessment Task Force Members: Katherine Lowe, Massachusetts School Library Association, Chair Cassandra G. Barnett, Fayetteville High School Library, AR Colet Bartow, Montana Office of Public Instruction Fran Glick, Baltimore County Public Schools, MD Dr. Violet H. Harada, University of Hawaii Melissa P. Johnston, Doctoral Student, College of Information, Florida State University Barbara K. Stripling, New York City Department of Education Allison G. Kaplan, University of Wisconsin SLIS, AASL Board Liaison Jonathan West, ALA Staff LiaisonAASL News September 24, 2008
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : AASL News , add a commentSeptember 25 is the last day to save on housing for AASL’s Fall Forum
Special hotel rates of $105 single/double for AASL’s 2008 Fall Forum have been extended to Thursday, September 25. To make your reservation, call the Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort at 800-228-9290 and be certain to mention you are attending the Fall Forum. The Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort is located 25 minutes from downtown Chicago, with convenient transportation to and from O’Hare International Airport and Midway Airport.
All guest rooms have premium cable, videos, and On-Demand movies. For a set daily rate of $12.95 USD, in your guest room, you receive: high-speed Internet access, unlimited local phone calls, and unlimited long distance calls (within U.S.). On-site amenities include two restaurants, 35 meeting rooms, golf, tennis, and a fitness center. All sessions will take place at the Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort.
Early registration for AASL’s 2008 Fall Forum is encouraged due to 2006’s sold-out event!
Celebrate Banned Books Week in Second Life
The 2008 Banned Books Week is September 27-October 4. ALA has many great events happening in Second Life to help banned books lovers celebrate intellectual freedom. Events include a debate between Frank Zappa and Washington Post reporter John Lofton; an open debate of “And Tango Makes Three”; parties; and fireworks. Check out the Banned Books Week Web site for updates on events, or visit ALA Island in Second Life.
Watch a new video from American Libraries Focus on Banned Books Week
Banned Books Week: I’d Like to Find *BLEEP*
This video is available for your use. Feel free to link to it, share it with members or colleagues, or embed it in your own Web site or blog. More videos are available at http://www.alfocus.ala.org.
Nominate your valuable school library media specialist for the “I Love My Librarian” Award
For the first time, school library media specialists can be nominated for The New York Times/Carnegie Corporation of New York’s “I Love My Librarian” Award. The award encourages library users to recognize the accomplishments of exceptional public and academic librarians and school library media specialists. Up to ten winners will be honored and receive a $5,000 cash reward, a plaque, and a $500 travel stipend to attend the awards reception on December 9, 2008, in New York hosted by The New York Times.
Nominations for school library media specialists will be accepted until October 15. For more information on eligibility requirements or to nominate a school library media specialist, visit the ILoveLibraries Web site.
AASL – SIGMS Meetings in Second Life September 23, 2008
Posted by lperez in : AASL Committees, Check this out! , 1 comment so farCheck out the buzz about libraries in Second Life! Announcing a slate of monthly orientation and librarian learning community meetings organized by the AASL Web 2.0 Taskforce and ISTE’s Media Specialist Special Interest Group (SIGMS). All are welcome! For more information, contact Lisa Perez (leperez1@cps.edu) – Elaine Tulip (avatar).
NEXT MTG: October 21st Librarian Learning Community Meeting
Reinventing School Libraries and Computer Labs: The Time Has Come!
Guest Facilitator: David Loertscher
The advent of the Google Generation who usually ignore the school library and surpass easily what is being taught in computer labs, causes us all to re-examine the entire model of school libraries designed fifty years ago. It requires the re-examination of everything we learned in library and technology education. It means starting with the customer to build information and technology systems that get used and that push learners toward excellence. David Loertscher will take us on a tour of a completly re-thought learning commons where all the specialists, not just teacher librarians or teacher technologiests operate, but a place that is really the heart of teaching and learning in the school. You can read his ideas in advance in the new book: The New School Learning Commons Where Learners Win, available from http://lmcsource.com. In any event, come not just to listen, but get in the creative mood yourself to examine bold new strategies equal to the excellence in education this country must pursue.
Schedule of Upcoming Events (8pm ET/ 7pm CT/ 6pm MT/ 5pm PT for one hour)
Oct 7 – Orientation to Second Life
Oct 21 – Librarian Learning Community Mtg
Nov 4 – Orientation to Second Life
Nov 18 – Librarian Learning Community Mtg
Jan 13 – Orientation to Second Life
Jan 20 – Librarian Learning Community Mtg
TO JOIN THE MEETING
Log onto Second Life 15 minutes prior to the meeting time. Instant message Elaine Tulip for a teleport to the meeting location.
IF YOU ARE NEW TO SECOND LIFE
To set up an account to join Second LIfe, do the following:
1. Go to the Second Life website at http://www.secondlife.com several days in advance to set up your free basic account.
2. Verify that your computer and connectivity meets the systems requirements at http://secondlife.com/support/sysreqs.php.
3. Click on the orange “Get Started!” button. Go through the subsequent screens to create your avatar account.
4. Download and install the Second Life viewer software at http://secondlife.com/support/downloads.php.
5. Open the software and log into Second Life using your avatar first name, last name, and password. Watch your avatar “be born”. Complete the orientation activities to learn about how to communicate, move, search, and edit your appearance.
6. When finished, search “Places” for locations such as Chicago Public Schools, ISTE, or the American Library Association. Teleport to a favorite location, explore, and become acquainted with Second Life. (When searching, make sure the “search mature places” square is checked.)
7. Fifteen minutes prior to scheduled meetings, log on and IM Elaine Tulip for a teleport to the meeting location.
Also see:
Chicago Public Schools Second Life blog: http://blogs.cuip.net/dlis
ISTE SIGMS wiki: http://sigms.iste.wikispaces.net/AASL+-+SIGMS+Second+Life+calendar
Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/elainetulip/sets/72157607220630432
AASL News September 17, 2008
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : AASL News , add a commentRecognize your school librarian with the “I Love My Librarian” Award
The “I Love My Librarian” Award recognizes the accomplishments of exceptional public, academic, and school librarians. Up to ten winners will be honored and awarded with $5,000, a plaque, and a $500 travel stipend to attend an awards reception in New York on December 9, 2008. Nominations will be accepted until Wednesday, October 15. Visit the I Love Libraries Web site for tools to promote the award and for more information.
P21 releases 21st Century Skills, Education, & Competitiveness Report
The latest Partnership for 21st Century Skills report, 21st Century Skills, Education & Competitiveness, which investigates the links between strong, viable economies and 21st-century education systems, is available for public viewing. As a member of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, AASL believes in its mission to “position 21st-century skills at the center of K-12 education by building collaborative partnerships among education, business, community, and government leaders.” This report was sponsored by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, the Ford Motor Company Fund, KnowledgeWorks Foundation, and the National Education Association.
See the inspiring video from Dallas Independent School District’s Back to School Convocation
Eight-year-old Dalton Sherman inspired a group of 20,000 teachers in the Dallas Independent School District to believe in their students and themselves. This inspiring keynote address serves as a reminder of the inspiration that educational leaders (school library media specialists are mentioned!) provide students every day in school.
Arabs, Shabanu and YA Lit September 14, 2008
Posted by jhurd in : Community , 1 comment so farMention the word ‘Arab’ these days, and many Americans picture either swarming, American-flag burning hordes rioting in the streets, or oppressed, fully-covered women peering through the 4 inch grill in their hijab. And that’s certainly a part of the picture. However, it is just that–only a part.
After 10 years overseas in Islamic countries (Turkey and Egypt), teaching predominantly host-national students, I returned to post-9/11 America expecting a country more enlightened about Islam in general and the Middle East in specific. Needless to say, I was sadly mistaken, as a recent article in the NY Times makes abundantly clear.
As librarians, we play an important role in promoting literature that takes a nuanced view of other cultures and move beyond stereotypes. I know this is obvious, and we all attempt to do this. But are we really achieving our goal?
Since I returned from the Middle East, I’ve grown increasingly concerned over the portrayal of Arabs in young adult literature, and, moreover, the complete lack of more than a few novels depicting normal Arab-American teenage life.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Shabanu thoroughly. She’s a feisty heroine, worthy of admiration. Yet she falls into the stereotypical role most Western writers depict for Arabic women: forced marriage and a life of subservience to men. The West insists on seeing the veil as a sign of oppression; for some it is. Yet many Arab women see it as just the opposite: freedom. Freedom from being viewed as a sexual object, freedom from being judged based on looks, as many of my female students expressed when I asked them about their decision to cover (btw, many chose to cover, but just as many did not).
This is not to deny the horrors inflicted upon women in the name of religion, but to insist that the realities are far more varied and nuanced than most in the West realize. Shabanu’s life (and the way of life depicted in Husseini’s The Kite Runner or McCormick’s Sold) was every bit as exotic and alien to my mall rat, text-messaging addicted students as they would be to your average American teen. Yet we hand them these books and think we’re teaching them about other cultures.
As part of my school’s passionate commitment to a global curriculum, I recently purchased the book What Arabs Th
ink of America. I was horrified by the cover of an otherwise excellent resource, a picture I feared would bias students’ perceptions of the content before they’d even read it.
Part of the problem, of course, is the paucity of material available to us. We need to clamor loud and long for books that move beyond cultural stereotypes, however sympathetic; books that allow students to imaginatively engage in realistic portrayals of the foreign, and recognize the humanity in us all, regardless of differences.
I’ve blogged about this at greater length on my own blog, if you’re interested, and I’m working on compiling a list of books that take a more nuanced look at Arab and Arab-American life. Please post to the comments if you have any favorites you think should be on the list.
I’d also be interested in hearing other points of view, and starting a discussion about this and the related topic (grin–which I’ll probably blog about later) of Arab-American literature.
U.K. Age-banding Controversy Update September 12, 2008
Posted by Wendy Stephens in : Check this out! , add a commentIf you have been following the controversy in the U.K. stemming from that country’s megastore retailers’ push to age-label books, a report from the August 31 conference at Cambridge is now available at the website http://www.notoagebanding.org/.
New content on the site includes Phillip Pullman’s lucid and informed speech on the topic and a report describing authors who have sucessfully worked with their publishers to challenge this trend. Note that among the misinformation circulating in U.K. publishing circles was that all American books are labeled for age-appropriateness.
If you agree with the group’s underlying rationale for fighting age-banding, consider adding your name to the petition by emailing your name, professional affiliation, and thoughts on the subject to signup@notoagebanding.org.
AASL News September 10, 2008
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : AASL News , add a commentRegister for AASL’s 2008 Fall Forum by September 12 to receive the early bird rate
Early bird registration for AASL’s Fall Forum ends Friday, September 12. Register now for AASL’s professional development event of the year! AASL’s 2008 Fall Forum, “Assessment, Part II: Constructing and Interpreting Viable Tools for Effective Student Learning in the Library Media Center,” will be held October 17-19 in Oak Brook, Illinois (near Chicago). The rates on or before September 12 are: $209 for AASL members; $259 for ALA members; and $319 for non-members. Visit the Fall Forum pages on AASL’s Web site for a list of sessions and presenters and to register.
PBS documentary offers a thoughtful look at the state of our nation’s schools
On Monday, September 15, PBS stations will nationally air “WHERE WE STAND: America’s Schools in the 21st Century.” Hosted by NewsHour Senior Correspondent Judy Woodruff, the PBS documentary looks at real schools, administrators, teachers, and students, and seeks advice from experts on how to fix problems such as low math and science literacy, unequal resource allocation, and decreasing college graduation rates. Find out more information about the program and see a short preview of the show.
Deadline Approaching! Submit proposals for preconferences at AASL’s 14th National Conference
The deadline is approaching to submit a proposal for preconferences at AASL’s 2009 National Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. The theme of the conference is “Rev Up Learning @ your library.” Submitted proposals should be for half-day workshops that will be presented to school library media specialists November 4-5, 2009. Each proposal should address at least one of these themes:
- Technology
- Collaboration
- Gaming
- Reading
The deadline for proposals is 4:30 p.m. CDT on Monday, September 15. Proposals can be submitted electronically to Kelly Bishop, manager of professional development, at kbishop@ala.org, or by fax to (312) 280-5276. They can also be submitted in writing to Kelly Bishop, Manager of Professional Development, AASL, American Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60611.
AASL News September 3, 2008
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : AASL News , add a commentJumpstart’s Read for the Record Campaign chooses the children’s classic Corduroy
Jumpstart’s Read for the Record Campaign 2008 will be held Thursday, October 2. The event was designed to bring national attention to the importance of early education. The campaign encourages hundreds of thousands of children and adults to read the same book on the same day. The 2008 campaign has chosen Corduroy as its official book. AASL encourages its members to go to Jumpstart’s site and register to host a reading event at their school.Learn more about other upcoming school library promotional events.
Early bird registration ends September 12 for AASL’s 2008 Fall Forum
Register now and save on AASL’s professional development event of the year! AASL’s 2008 Fall Forum, “Assessment, Part II: Constructing and Interpreting Viable Tools for Effective Student Learning in the Library Media Center,” will be held October 17-19 in Oak Brook, Illinois (near Chicago). The rates on or before September 12 are: $209 for AASL members; $259 for ALA members; and $319 for non-members. After September 12, the prices will be raised $50 for each category. Visit the Fall Forum pages on AASL’s Web site for a list of sessions and presenters and to register.
Submit proposals for preconferences at AASL’s 14th National Conference
The deadline is approaching to submit a proposal for preconferences at AASL’s 2009 National Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. The theme of the conference is “Rev Up Learning @ your library.” Submitted proposals should be for half-day workshops that will be presented to school library media specialists November 4-5, 2009. Each proposal should address at least one of these themes:
- Technology
- Collaboration
- Gaming
- Reading
The deadline for proposals is 4:30 p.m. CDT on Monday, September 15. Proposals can be submitted electronically to Kelly Bishop, manager of professional development, at kbishop@ala.org, or by fax to (312) 280-5276. They can also be submitted in writing to Kelly Bishop, Manager of Professional Development, AASL, American Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60611.
