Digital Nation Focus Group August 31, 2009
Posted by sgoodwin in : Check this out! , add a commentI was so graciously invited to participate in a Focus Group for a documentary project, Digital Nation, sponsored by PBS and Frontline.
It was a session involving teachers, librarians, educational consultants, and parents. We engaged in dialogue about how the Web and digital media changed and are changing the way we think, work, learn and interact. The project will revolve around video reports and stories submitted by users that will result in a nationally televised broadcast to air during the winter of 2010.
It was a productive session. So many ideas surfaced, were dissected and remolded, and submitted for further research and usage. We discussed how technology is used and how it impacts education, teenagers, and the supporting adults in their lives. I enjoyed myself and would love to participate again.
Talking points for Race to the Top comments–Friday is the last day to make a difference for inclusion of school libraries August 26, 2009
Posted by sarakellyjohns in : Check this out! , add a commentPosted on behalf of Advocacy Committee Chair Sheryl R. Crow.
Attached in Word with better formatting. Please cross post widely.
We have two days to make an impact for students by giving comments on the President’s Race to the Top initiative that will put $4.35 billion in Race to the Top competitive grants to support education reform and innovation in classrooms. School libraries are the entire school’s classroom for 21st century learning and need to be included. Your comments are crucial and the door closes after Friday! Use these talking points developed by the AASL Advocacy Committee (based on the AASL Legislative Committee’s background paper for the ALA Washington Office’s efforts on RTT) to send in your comments today to racetothetopcomments@ed.gov !
Please take a few moments to read about Race to the Top (RTT) and send brief positive comments to racetothetopcomments@ed.gov by Friday, August 28th.
States leading the way on school reform will be eligible to compete for $4.35 billion in Race to the Top competitive grants to support education reform and innovation in classrooms. Between the 2009 budget and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), more than $10 billion in grant money will be available to states and districts that are driving reform. School libraries need to be included in these grants!
Below you will find information about RTT, talking points, and writing tips.
RTT (Race to the Top):
This Friday, August 28th is the last day for comments to be submitted to racetothetopcomments@ed.gov regarding the draft of President Obama’s Race to the Top competitive grant proposal. By funding RTT as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), President Obama and Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, are clearly signaling that they see education reform as part of the path to economic recovery. Since school libraries prepare students with the 21st Century Skills identified by business, government, and education experts as necessary for 21st Century success, RTT offers an opportunity for school libraries to support and become part of this national educational reform effort. Race to the Top funding is a “golden” opportunity to position libraries and school librarians in a central role in the academic program of schools to make measurable contributions to students’ learning and academic achievement.
The Plan for Reform:
The U.S. Department of Education is challenging states to develop “comprehensive strategies for addressing the four central areas of reform that will drive school improvement:”
· Adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace;
· Recruiting, developing, retaining, and rewarding effective teachers and principals;
· Building data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices; and
· Turning around our lowest-performing schools
Talking Points–Connecting to the four-point Plan for Reform:
1. Adopting internationally benchmarked standards and assessments that prepare students for success in college and the workplace;
The AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner align with and expand upon the essential skills identified by the Partnership for 21st Century Skills to prepare students for success in higher education, life, and the world of work.
2. Recruiting, developing, retaining, and rewarding effective teachers and principals;
As instructional and technology leaders, school librarians offer support to both students and faculty through education and resources. In addition to providing professional development opportunities, school librarians work across the curriculum and grade levels to collaborate with teachers and have the opportunity to model best practices. Like building level administrators, school librarians have an horizontal and vertical perspective on curriculum and instruction within their buildings. Library Media Specialists are the uniquely qualified and prepared teachers who teach critical specialized skills identified in the AASL Standards for the 21st-Century Learner and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Professional school librarians are among the first positions cut when school systems face economic hardships. Students lose valuable and unique learning opportunities and teachers lose a key educational partner and source of professional development and support.
“School librarians are important instructional partners in supporting and expanding existing curriculum. [They] work with teachers to change what is possible in the classroom and support exciting learning opportunities with books, computer resources, and more” (U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science).
3. Building data systems that measure student success and inform teachers and principals how they can improve their practices;
School librarians are teachers who assess student learning and have a tradition of measuring their impact through surveys and statistics. They hold a unique position in the school that lends itself to reflective evaluation of all students at all levels and in all content areas.
4. Turning around our lowest-performing schools
State after state research studies document that a strong state-licensed school librarian who manages a networked school library provides equitable access to up-to-date resources, implements a dynamic instructional programs, and fosters a culture that nurtures reading and learning throughout the school has been the common thread found to impact student achievement.
“Across the U.S., research has shown that students in schools with good school libraries and certified school librarans learn more, get better grades and score higher on standardized test scores than their peers in schools without libraries. More than 60 studies have shown clear evidence of this connection between stdent achievement and the presence of school libraries with qualified school librarians” (U.S. National Commission on Libraries and Information Science).
When writing, focus on:
· STUDENTS & student learning, especially:
ü content standards
ü creative thinking
ü problem solving
ü critical thinking-evaluation
ü information ethics
ü responsibility and safety
ü authentic, real-world applications
ü Collaboration with other teachers and members of the learning community
ü Technology integration
ü Assessment
ü Equitable access for all students
“The Ask” (make it clear why you are writing…what action do you want the US Dept. of Ed. to take):
As the United States Department of Education works to reform education and to prepare our students for future success, it is in our students’ best interests to have access to a strong state-licensed school librarian who manages a networked school library, provides equitable access to up-to-date resources, implements dynamic instructional programs, and fosters a culture that nurtures reading and learning throughout the school. Many students have lost or are in danger of losing these valuable opportunities. RTT has the potential to fund access to these critical and essential services that the school library is uniquely situated to provide.
Writing Tips:
· Know what you are asking for.
· Start with a brief description of that request.
· Be accurate, specific, and concise.
· Use research from reputable sources.
· Be child-centered. This is about meeting the needs of children; it cannot be all about school libraries.
· When possible and appropriate include a BRIEF student-centered story to put a face on your “ask.”
Keep messages positive…short & sweet!
Most importantly, TAKE ACTION!
This is the time to make our voices heard!
NYPL and VoiceThread Join Forces August 25, 2009
Posted by jhurd in : AASL2007, Check this out!, Technology , add a commentLast week, VoiceThread announced a joint venture with the New York Public Library, home to thousands of historical documents and photographs.
Users can access over 700,000 images, maps, posters and more as they create their VoiceThread, and it’s brilliantly easy to use.
In VoiceThread, Click on “create,” then upload. This opens up the “media sources” button, which allows you to choose photos from Flickr, Facebook, your previous VoiceThreads or….the NYPL.
Images are browsable by category, or you can keyword search. Click on the images you want, click “Import” and they will automatically load onto your VoiceThread. They are even already captioned, with links, for citation purposes. How cool is that?
Nominations for the “I Love My Librarian” Award are now being accepted August 19, 2009
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : AASL News, Awards, Opportunities , add a commentAs in 2008, 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 for the award winner’s library, and a $500 travel stipend to attend the awards reception, hosted by the New York Times, in December.
Last year three school library media specialists, including AASL member, Margaret “Gigi” Lincoln, were honored. For more information on last year’s winners, visit www.ilovelibraries.org/ilovemylibrarian.
Nominations for school library media specialists will be accepted until October 9. For more information on eligibility requirements or to nominate a school library media specialist, visit the ILoveLibraries Web site.
Know Your Options August 17, 2009
Posted by jhurd in : AASL2007, Check this out!, Technology , 2commentsJust when you thought you knew all there was to know about Google Search! A few months ago, Google quietly introduced the “options” button, an interesting and powerful extension of their search tools repertoire.
First, watch this quick tutorial from Google:
There are three options that seem especially useful. Getting students to plan their searches, generate key words, etc. can be an uphill battle. When they can’t find information within the first few hits, they often give up, complaining “I can’t find anything!”
While other search engines also suggest related terms, Google provides one highly useful extra: you will often find a document results. For example, search “French Revolution,” click on the related searches link and “french revolution documents” pops up. With the emphasis on primary source materials in many history classes, this is a huge time-saver for students.
Similarly, the wonder wheel provides a graphical interface, a la Visuwords. for students more spatially oriented.
The Timeline can be used in two different ways. With the “French Revolution” search, for example, the user can drill down into specific dates. Clicking on the 1800’s section produced a page on the Battle of Marengo on June 14th, 1800.
It can also reveal trends. Run a search on “autism,” and you’ll see an explosion from 2000 on, along with an odd spike in the 1940’s. Upon further exploration, it turns out autism was identified in 1943, hence the high number of pages referencing that date.
Finally, the “Reviews” section in All Results. Students frequently have to find reviews of current topical books. If the NYT Book Review doesn’t have it, they’re often at a loss for where to look. A search for Friedman’s Hot, Flat and Crowded turned up the NYT Book Review, Slate and wired.com, among others.
While we would all love it if students were more willing to use advanced search options and the various skills we teach them, the reality is they’re often not. Google Options provides easy to use tools that encourage students to dig deeper and broader when they search. It’s hard to argue with that!
AASL Nominating Committee is seeking candidates August 17, 2009
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : AASL News , add a commentThe AASL Nominating Committee is still seeking candidates to run for election. We will select two candidates to run for President-elect, two candidates for Member-at-Large, and the Regions and Units will select two candidates to fill their positions, submitting them to the Nominating Committee.
We are finalizing the candidates, but wanted to be sure you had submitted your name or the name of an AASL member to run for these offices. Members who wish to nominate someone should identify the nominee name; present position or institution; address; telephone; fax; and e-mail address. Self-nominations are encouraged. All potential nominees will be considered by the Nominating Committee. Any nominees should be in to the Nominating Committee NO LATER THAN September 1, 2009.
The President-elect will serve a three-year term: beginning after the 2010 ALA Annual Conference as President-elect in 2010-2011, as President in 2011-2012, and as Immediate Past President in 2012-2013, ending at the adjournment of the 2013 Annual Conference..
The Member-at-Large will serve a two-year term, beginning after the 2010 ALA Annual Conference and ending at the adjournment of the 2013 Annual Conference.
Send nominations to J. Linda Williams, Chair, AASL Nominating Committee
USBBY Appointment – Call for interested AASL member August 12, 2009
Posted by Melissa Jacobsen in : AASL News , add a commentAASL is seeking a personal member interested in serving on the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) Board of Directors. The nominee will be recommended to the ALA Executive Board for a two-year appointment (2010-2012).
Overview:
USBBY serves as the U.S. national section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), which was founded to promote international understanding and good will through books for children and teenagers. USBBY’s purpose is to:
- Explore and promote reading materials of literary merit that have been created around the world for young people
- Cooperate with IBBY and with organizations whose objectives are similar to those of IBBY
- Facilitate the exchange of information about books of international interest for young people
- Promote the reading of these books by young people in the U.S.
USBBY is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
USBBY Board of Directors:
The Board includes an elected Executive Committee and twelve directors, four elected and eight appointed, representing the membership as well as the Patron organizations that support USBBY: CBC, ALA, IRA, and NCTE. The Board and membership also participate in more than twelve active committees, often working electronically from a distance.
Responsibilities:
The ALA-appointed director will represent ALA at three USBBY meetings per year: in February at the Children’s Book Council in New York City, at ALA Annual Conference (in Washington D.C. for 2010), and at either the National Council of Teachers of English Annual Convention in November (in even years) or the USBBY Regional Conference in October (in odd years).
Expenses to attend USBBY meeting/conferences are the responsibility of the individual or his/her institution. USBBY, ALA, and AASL do not provide financial support.
Criteria for appointment:
- Membership in ALA and AASL
- Interest or experience working on an internationally-oriented committee
- Ability to fund own travel to meetings
- Ability to attend all meetings
- Recommendation by the AASL Board of Directors
- Approval by the ALA Executive Board
Documentation:
All letters of interest must be accompanied by a resume or professional vita. Submit letter and resume/vita to Jordan Mack (jmack@ala.org) by September 11, 2009.
A “digital library space” for teens: YOUmedia at Chicago Public Library August 10, 2009
Posted by Wendy Stephens in : Check this out! , 3commentsIt wasn’t a new technology, an advance reader copy, or even a new service paradigm. One of the best things I brought home from the annual conference in Chicago was something else entirely, a new way of imagining WHERE we connect teens with books. I attended the open house of YOUmedia, “a digital library space for teens” in the Harold Washington library center in downtown Chicago on July 11.
The youth space enjoys its own premium access to State Street in what was once a library shop. The room was shiny and comfortable, with minimalist Midwestern modern bentwood seating relieved with riotous Scandinavian shocks of color. It was the teens enjoying the space who transformed the event into a laboratory experiment in serving teens, who are partly digital.
In the midst of an updated graphic novel and fiction collection, young people negotiated a virtual world on an iMac, tweens lounged, using wireless controllers to game from beanbags, and a knot of students jostled for space inside an acoustically padded recording room.
A series of library workshops leads to equipment certification, so teens can use the recording equipment instead of paying for time at a private studio. It is a perfect example of trusting teens with hardware as we would with traditional print or av resources.
The YOUmedia space is supported by several foundations and designed by students from Carnegie Mellon.
It was the gift from the Carnegie Mellon team –an undulating tree crafted from whiteboard with a rainbow of EXPO markers supplied for teens to annotate the images displayed on five interspersed digital picture frames, featuring slideshows of library programs and book covers — that inspired me to try a similar project in my school library.
Like the digital frames suggest, YOUmedia is a place where content can be not only consumed but created. The flat screens, interactive whiteboards, and document scanners exist cheek-by-jowl with college admissions prep books and heart throb magazines. That YOUmedia is an environment every bit as sophisticated and rarefied as those of the Michigan Avenue retailers a stone’s-throw away only reinforces that the planners were visionary, vibrant, and unabashed in their youth advocacy. Invoking a consumer paradigm treats teens as the future taxpayers and current tastemasters that they are.
