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Volume 11, Issue 11
February 2013
In this Issue:
Association News
Education News
Resources for School Librarians
Grants & Awards
Partnership News
Member Spotlight
Association News
School Library Month Video Contest Challenges Students to Let Loose Their Creativity
AASL, in collaboration with SchoolTube, announces the launch of the School Library Month 2013 student video contest “Communities matter @ your library.” Contestants are urged to let loose their creativity and use humor, drama, music, and/or special effects to illustrate how the school library program fosters a sense of community in their school. More information can be found at www.ala.org/aasl/slm/video.
Travel Grants Available for First-Time National Conference Attendees
AASL is offering 30 grants for travel to its 16th National Conference & Exhibition to be held Nov. 14–17, 2013 in Hartford, Conn. The $750 grants for first-time attendees of the conference are sponsored by Bound To Stay Bound Books. The deadline for applications is
11:59 p.m. Central time on March 11, 2013. Late applications will not be considered.
AASL Opens Call for Best Practice Showcase Proposals
AASL 16th National Conference
& Exhibition attendees will once again get a taste of current programs that are leading the way in school library program development during the conference's best practice showcase. The IDEAxCHANGE, formerly known as the Exploratorium, will be held Thursday afternoon of the conference taking place Nov. 14–17, 2013, in Hartford, Conn. The best practice showcase features 50 tabletop displays occurring simultaneously and geared to give attendees a taste of the current research, projects and best practices in the school library field. To submit a proposal, visit
national.aasl.org/rfp.
Jonathan Kozol to Keynote AASL President’s Program at ALA Annual Conference
Best-selling author and student advocate, Jonathan Kozol, will speak during the AASL President’s Program at the ALA 2013 Annual Conference in Chicago. Jonathan Kozol has devoted his life to the challenge of providing equal opportunity within the nation’s public schools to every student regardless of racial origin or economic level. “I can’t think of a better person to share his insight with us so that we can better realize that school librarians can make a positive difference
in the lives of all children as we help them aspire to a promising future through the power of knowing how to find and use information, generate ideas, develop deep understanding, share stories and create positive human connections,” said AASL President Susan Ballard. Kozol’s presentation, preceded by a brief membership meeting, will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 29.
AASL Preconferences Empower School Librarians as Education Leaders
Preconferences offered by AASL before the ALA 2013 Annual Conference are designed to empower school librarians as education leaders in their schools. These half-day workshops will be offered Friday, June 28 in Chicago.
During COMMON sCOREs: Instructional Partnerships that Deliver Success, presenters Judi Moreillon, Suzanna Panter, Gloria Voutos and Stacy Cameron will explore the core of 21st-century school librarianship and its relationship to state standards, including the Common Core. In Real World, Real Tools, presenters Laura Pearle, Wendy Stephens and Debra Logan will look at encouraging both intellectual dispositions and hands-on research with digital authorship projects to enhance technology skills - all while ensuring ethical information behavior and equitable access to all information sources for every student in your building or district.
Thought Leaders Share Insights on Turning Graphic Novel Naysayers into 'Yaysayers'
AASL presents the newest set of podcasts in its 30 Second Thought Leadership: Insights from Leaders in the School Library Community series. The just released 30 Second series focuses on the January/February 2013 Knowledge Quest issue, “Getting to Know Graphic Novels,” and explores the question, “How can school librarians convince naysayers of the value of graphic novels and convert them to yaysayers?"
Education News
Report Shows New Common Core Academic Standards Advancing in Nation’s Urban School Districts
"Implementing the Common Core State Standards in Urban Public Schools" - a report released by the Council of the Great City Schools - shows 87% of big-city school districts nationwide plan to have fully implemented the Common Core State Standards in reading and mathematics by the 2014-15 school year. The report also indicates that 100% of the respondants involved their teachers in some degree in developing implementation plans and that approximately 77% are currently in the process of developing communications strategies to make key education stakeholders, including parents, aware of the Common Core standards and how they will impact students.
Scholars and Tech Experts Create - and Request Input On - A Digital Learner Bill of Rights
HASTAC - a network of individuals and institutions inspired by the possibilities that new technologies offer for shaping how one learns, teaches, communicates, creates, and organizes one's local and global communities - has released a draft copy of their new "A Bill of Rights and Principles for Learning in the Digital Age" which outlines what students should expect to be afforded in an online world. The developers have asked for suggestions from tech experts, teachers, and students. One of the developers specifically invites "students everywhere to read this beginning, to talk about it, and to add to it. Remix, rehash, and hack this Bill of Rights, adding your own thoughts and perspective."
FOSI Asks All to Pledge to Use Online Power for Good
On February 5th, A Platform for Good (PfG), a project of The Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), will be asking everyone to pledge to use their online power for good. The pledge consists of a simple but powerful statement: “I will use my power for good,” and asks parents, teachers and teens to commit to taking one positive action – from complimenting friends to becoming virtual volunteers. The launch of the pledge coincides with Safer Internet Day, an international event which aims to help make the online community a safer, more respectful place. Visit, www.aplatformforgood.org on February 5th and take the pledge!
New Report Identifies Digital Games as Possible Solution for Student Engagement Crisis
The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and the Games and Learning Publishing Council have released a new report - Games for a Digital Age: K-12 Market Map and Investment Analysis - which looks at the prevalence of student digital gaming and the level of school engagement. According to the press release, the "report identifies significant barriers for games developers to enter the school market such as the changing policy landscape, a lack of teacher professional development on the uses of technology and a need for low-cost, data rich assessments. Key trends that are favoring game-based innovations include one-to-one computing and “bring-your-own-device” initiatives, adoption of interactive whiteboards, a new focus on personalized learning environments and expanding research on the efficacy of engaging digital games."
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills Announces New Leadership
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), a national organization that advocates for 21st century readiness for every student, announces the selection of Dr. Steven Paine as P21's incoming president and Dr. Helen Soulé as executive director. Dr. Paine is an education advocate, Milken Educator Award recipient, and served as West Virginia's state superintendent of schools from 2005 to 2011.Dr. Soule's background includes teaching, as well as serving as Executive Director for Cable in the Classroom, and has held several P21 leadership positions, including Director of State Partnerships and Interim Executive Director.
Resources for School Librarians
Knowledge Quest Webinar Aligns Graphic Novels to the Standards
In a new AASL Knowledge Quest webinar, writer Katie Monnin will guide attendees through aligning graphic novels to various national standards, including the AASL learning standards and the Common Core State Standards. Monin will demonstrate how graphic novels align to the AASL learning standards, the Common Core State Standards and the National Council of Teachers of English/International Reading
Association standards. Monnin will also tie graphic novels to contemporary reading and writing literacy realities students face in today’s diverse literary world. “Aligning Graphic Novels to the Standards” will take place at 6 p.m. central time on Feb. 12, 2013. To register, visit www.ala.org/aasl/ecollab/upcoming.
Select Fall Forum Recordings Explore Transliteracy in the School Library Program
During Transliteracy in the School Library Program, AASL'S 2012 Fall Forum, school librarians from all over the country met to discuss transliteracy - the ability to read, write and interact across a range of platforms, tools and media. The forum featured Henry Jenkins, renowned author and media studies scholar, who served as the opening and closing speaker as well as primary facilitator. Joining Jenkins as facilitators were Kristin Fontichiaro, clinical assistant
professor at the University of Michigan School of Information, and Barbara Jansen, chair of educational technology and library services and upper school media services director at Saint Andrew's Episcopal School in Austin, Texas. Select recordings from this day and a half long institute are now available in AASL's professional development repository -
eCOLLAB | Your eLearning Library.
Performance Evaluation Resources Available on Essential Links
How is your program evaluated? Many of us are participating in new teacher evaluation systems through participation in the federal government’s Race to the Top. Knowing how to position your work as a school librarian so your administration understands what you are doing and evaluates you accordingly is important. This month, check out the links to
performance evaluations in the AASL Essential Links for some guidelines and talking points as evaluations take place.
NEA Releases Common Core State Standards Toolkit for Math and ELA
The National Education Association has released a new toolkit for the Math and ELA Common Core State Standards. The resources included in the toolkit "are designed to give educators the tools they will need to effectively prepare for
the implementation of Common Core State Standards."
Guides Help Educators Achieve the Common Core
Achieve, a non-profit organization focused on college and career readiness, has published a series of briefs and guides focused on the implementation of the Common Core State Standards. All of these publications are available to the public for free in PDF format.
Website Helps Prepare Students for College
Transitioning to College (T2C) provides resources for both students and librarians about the college experience and the role of academic libraries. T2C users include high school juniors and seniors and their librarians, guidance counselors, and teachers, as well as for those working with incoming college freshmen.
Copyright in a Copypaste World
Pleasedontcheat.com focuses on digital ethics and aggregates valuable resources around the web. The site contains links, tools for educators, and thought provoking questions for students.
Grants & Awards
Secret Millionaires Club "Grow Your Own Business Challenge"
The Secret Millionaires Club Learn & Earn program teaches financial literacy and entrepreneurship through activities for the classroom, home, and other settings where students and families learn. It was developed to extend the lessons of the Secret Millionaires Club webisodes and prime-time TV specials, both of which feature Warren Buffett. The "Grow Your Own Business Challenge" an annual national competition challenging kids throughout the country to come
up with new business ideas. The grand prize is $5,000 plus a chance to meet Mr. Buffett. Teachers can win prizes, too! Deadline:
February 15, 2013.
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Accepting Mini-Grant Applications
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation is accepting applications from public schools and public libraries anywhere in the United States and its territories for program or event mini-grants of up to $500. The funding program provides an opportunity for educators, whose efforts are often inadequately funded or recognized, to create special activities outside the standard curriculum and make time to encourage their students. The application deadline is
March 15, 2013.
Pathways Within Roads to Reading
Roads to Reading Initiative's
Annual Competitive Book Donation Program is designed to donate books to literacy programming in small and rural communities that have little or no means of purchasing quality-reading materials. Deadline:
March 30, 2013.
Green Ribbon Schools' K-12 Healthivores Video Game Design Contest
Healthivores - Kids getting smart about health - invites student teams to create a video game based around any topic having to do with health or fitness. One winning team from the elementary, middle school, and high school age ranges will win new laptops. The Healthivores site provides educatorss with a toolkit that includes step by step lesson plans, how-to videos, and resources on how to create a video game.
Deadline: March 31, 2013.
Lockheed Martin Offers Grants for Education
Lockheed Martin provides grants for K-16 Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Education. This includes Lockheed Martin's K-12 STEM Education Initiative, Engineers in the Classroom, as well as STEM-focused curricular and extracurricular programs that provide employee engagement opportunities in a community in which Lockheed Martin has employees or business interests. The maximum award varies. 501(c)(3) organizations that deliver standards-based science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education to students in K-16 are eligible.
The deadline is rolling.
Pearson Foundation Announces Student Digital Storymakers Award
The Pearson Foundation and digital publisher, Atavist, have announced the details of the first annual Digital Storymakers Award -- an award that recognizes excellence in original student nonfiction narrative that blends, text, photo, video, interactive maps and other rich media features. The award is open to high school, college and graduate students, including those studying journalism, graphic arts, writing, photography and documentary video/film who create a nonfiction, multimedia narrative. The 2013 grand prize is $5,000 and publication in the Digital Storymakers App. Story submissions accepted starting January 1, 2013, and due April 15, 2013.
Digital Media Challenge Offers $100,000 in Prizes For Fresh Ideas on Democracy
Looking@Democracy, a project of the Illinois Humanities Council (IHC), with support from the MacArthur Foundation, is a national competition offering a total of $100,000 in prize money for short, provocative media submissions designed to spark a national conversation about why government is important to our lives, or how individuals and communities can come together to strengthen American democracy. The challenge will award $25,000 for First Place as well as categories and awards for 2nd & 3rd places, People’s Choice, and Emerging Artists. Deadline: April 30, 2013.
Partnership News
School Librarians Shine as part of Digital Learning Day
Digital Learning Day, taking place Feb. 6, is a nationwide celebration of teaching and learning through digital media and technology that engages students and provides them with a rich, personalized, education experience. Eight lesson plans featured as part of “Digital Learning: Lessons in Action” were created by school librarians or as part of a school librarian and teacher collaboration. In addition to having her lesson plan featured on the website, AASL member Joquetta Johnson will present a live session titled "Raving about the Raven with Touch and Learning Technologies." Johnson’s presentation, one of five educator-led demonstrations of digital learning in action, will reach a wide spectrum educators and educational leaders, including special guest Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan. The Digital Learning Day activities will then culminate in a high-profile Digital Town Hall being held at the Newseum in Washington, DC from 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. (ET).
FREE Resource from AASL - Inspire Girls to Pursue STEM Careers!
Can*TEEN Career Exploration is an innovative resource to inspire girls to see themselves in STEM careers through gaming and online activities. The initiative encourages tweens and teens to challenge and expand their knowledge of diverse STEM subject matter with connections to related professions, potential career paths and women out in the world making a difference. AASL, working with the Carnegie Science Center: Girls Math & Science Partnership, and with support from the
Motorola Foundation, will distribute Can*TEEN Trivia Wheel Library Interactive CDs to more than 2,500 middle schools serving students ages 10-14. This offer is newly expanded to all states and any school librarian serving students ages 10-14. Opt-in here to receive the Can*TEEN Trivia Wheel Library now through mid-February!
Join the Movement to Transform Literacy Education in America
By registering in the Literacy in Learning Exchange for free, you will get recognition and support from AASL and the top foundations and professional associations serving educators, as well as access to videos, peer-reviewed articles, webinars, and other information resources. Once registered, you will have the opportunity to set up a group to put your school on the map as a site where professionals work together to advance student literacy learning! Your group will become eligible to get direct consultative support from NCLE staff and will be connected with others who are doing similar work to share what you know/learn.
Member Spotlight
Sandra Hughes-Hassell Receives Award for Teaching Excellence
Sandra Hughes-Hassell, a professor and coordinator of the School Library Media Program in the School of Information and Library Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, received the ALISE Award for Teaching Excellence in the field of Library and Information Science Education. The award is granted to those demonstrating regular and sustained excellence in teaching library and information science, contributions to curriculum design which demonstrate subject expertise, and mentoring students, alumni, and/or practicing professionals outside the classroom.
Karen Lemmons Recieves Distinguished Alumni Award
Karen Lemmons, AASL Treasurer, was awarded the Wayne State University Library and Information Science Distinguished Alumni Award. The award is presented to a SLIS graduate who has made outstanding contributions to the library and information science field. It recognizes those who have achieved distinction in the profession based on job performance, service, publications or other relevant professional activity.
Sara Kimmel featured in Teaching Tolerance
Sara Kimmel, school librarian at Rush Henrietta Senior High School in New York, was profiled in the "Down the Hall" feature in the Spring 2013 issue of "Teaching Tolerance." The article applauds her "speaking up about bullying and advocating anti-bias resources," and states "she has made her library—and her school—a nurturing, inclusive environment for all."
