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‘Powerful’ On-Demand Learning Offered on AASL eCOLLAB
 With the addition of the newly archived webinar “Powerful Partnerships: Libraries, Technology, and the Common Core,” the AASL eCOLLAB continues its tradition of offering relevant on-demand professional development for school librarians. While content on eCOLLAB is intended for AASL members and subscribers, AASL is offering all members of the profession complimentary access to the “Powerful Partnerships” webinar archive by visiting www.ala.org/aasl/ecollab/achieve-ccss.
AASL Celebrates School Library Month with Spokesperson Jeff Kinney
 Jeff Kinney, New York Times bestselling author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, has been named the national spokesperson for the 2014 observance of School Library Month. Celebrated in April and sponsored by AASL, School Library Month honors the essential role that strong school library programs play in a student's educational career.
ALA Creates Institutional Repository
The American Library Association in collaboration with the University of Illinois is creating its own institutional repository (ALAIR). An institutional repository by definition is a digital repository for collecting, preserving and disseminating the informational, some say intellectual, some research, output of an organization. The University of Illinois was chosen because of the expertise of its archives and IR staff and that the University currently houses the ALA print archives.
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 The #1 eBook service for libraries is now #1 for schools. Now serving millions of students in thousands of schools, OverDrive helps you get more students reading with eBooks. Learn how to implement a successful eBook program in your school: register for a FREE WEBINAR. |
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U.S. Student Achievement Stalls amid Funding, Equity Hurdles
 Despite notable progress in key states, overall US student achievement has stalled in the face of funding hurdles and equity gaps, according to the Education Week Research Center’s annual “Quality Counts” report. It also finds that the recession, new academic standards, the complexities of local district oversight, and new technology are just a few of the many issues impacting the nation’s schools.
Americans Prefer Print over E-books
A report finds that most Americans prefer print books over e-books. The survey, conducted by the Princeton Survey Research Associates International, found that 70 percent of Americans read print books last year, but only four percent read exclusively e-books. The average adult read five books in 2013. While Americans read both print and e-books, the survey also found that half of American adults now own an e-reader or tablet, a seven percent increase from 2012.
Reading Novels Changes the Brain
An Emory University study published in the journal Brain Connectivity finds that reading a novel appears to produce quantifiable changes in brain activity. Researchers found that on the days after the reading, significant increases in connectivity were discovered on hubs in the brain that are associated “with perspective taking and story comprehension, and the changes exhibited a time course that decayed rapidly after the completion of the novel.”
Kindergarten Should Raise the Bar on Content
A study from the University of Chicago and Vanderbilt University finds that kindergarten students perform better when teachers focus more on advanced reading and math lessons. “We find a consistent and positive effect of exposure to advanced content for all children in both reading and mathematics,” researchers wrote. “We find that all children, regardless of their early childhood care experiences, benefit from more exposure to advanced mathematics content.”
Appeals Court Strikes Down Net Neutrality Rules
A federal appeals court has struck down important segments of the FCC’s Open Internet rules (PDF file), determining that the agency does not have the power to require internet service providers to treat all traffic equally. The Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit ruled on Verizon v. FCC (PDF file), a challenge to net neutrality rules put in place in 2010, vacating the FCC’s antidiscrimination and antiblocking policies. However, carriers must notify subscribers that they are making some traffic run faster or blocking other services.
Engaging with E-books Can Aid Children’s Literacy
 A report published in the January 2014 issue of SAGE Open finds that electronic devices have a positive impact on younger children’s literacy skills. The report examines how different digital tools—an iPad, an iPod, and a tabletop touchscreen computer—capture and hold children’s attention to print media delivered electronically.
Youth Perspectives on Technology in Schools
A study from Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet & Society finds that although 78 percent of students own cells phones, activating them in school is restricted, which frustrates students. Students were also irritated by limited Wi-Fi access at school, Internet filtering, and the push to embrace tablet computers.
Districts Advised to Upgrade Technology beyond Common Core Requirements
As school districts prepare for online assessments aligned with the Common Core State Standards, many are faced with having to make additional investments in technology. However, experts say that smart school leaders are going above the minimum requirements when upgrading Wi-Fi networks, hardware and software to anticipate future needs that could improve student achievement. One example is to increase network speed to accommodate increased use of digital textbooks, online curricula and more.
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Resources for School Librarians
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All about Makerspaces on Essential Links
What’s a makerspace? Should you have one? Whether you are just hearing about this phenomenon or you’re absolutely ready to jump in with both feet, makerspaces are worth knowing about. Read all about makerspaces in AASL’s Essential Links this month, and feel free to add your favorite resources too!
How to Expand STEM Learning Opportunities
The depth and breadth of science, technology, engineering and math education at K-12 schools can be increased by creating opportunities for teachers to do more research and collaborate to exchange ideas, as well as by including more parents and STEM professionals in the conversation, writes Matt Levinson, an educator at Marin Country Day School in California. In this blog post, he offers 10 recommendations, including the creation of STEM-related clubs and expanding the use of Skype to connect students to scientists in labs and their experiments.
Tap into the Opportunities of the 21st-Century
The challenges of the 21st century, such as online social networks and changing demographics, can be turned into opportunities for success by school leaders, writes McKell Withers, superintendent of the Salt Lake City School District in Utah. In this commentary, he writes that while inaccurate information can be spread online, trusted sources—such as teachers and principals—can use the same tools to overcome communication barriers.
Crowdfunding How-Tos
 This guide from Edutopia offers educators ten steps to a successful fundraising campaign using crowdsourcing on the Web. It also outlinesthe pitfalls to avoid and compares features and fees of 12 popular crowdfunding platforms for schools.
How to Create a Student-Centered Environment
In this commentary, science and technology teacher Marcia Powell poses five questions to help educators reflect on their teaching style and adapt it to give students more of a choice and voice in their learning. She suggests teachers analyze how they handle a lack of student buy-in on projects and seek more student input to make a lesson better. “No matter how well-intentioned we may be about student engagement, we sometimes miss the mark,” she writes.
Tips for Successful Co-teaching
“Backward planning” is one approach that middle-grades teacher Elizabeth Stein uses to strengthen her co-teaching relationships and develop a “co-teaching state of mind.” Stein, who specializes in literacy and special education, writes in this blog post that she also tries a collaborative teaching strategy at least once a month. “It's about finding the balance in your schedule, in your relationships with your co-teachers, and with yourself,” she writes.
How Comics Can Be Integrated in English and History Classes
Teachers should consider using comic books to teach English and history lessons, high-school teacher David Cutler writes. In this blog post, he writes about his decision to assign "Kingdom Come," a story about an aging Superman. The comic, he writes, excited students about their work and were eager to discuss their observations. Cutler, a history, government and journalism teacher in Miami, writes that he also has used X-Men comics to teach students about intolerance and found that Iron Man stories help teach students about the American spirit.
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IMLS National Leadership Grants for Libraries
 The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is accepting applications for National Leadership Grants for Libraries. The program supports projects that address challenges faced by the library and archive fields and that have the potential to advance practice in those fields. Successful proposals will generate results such as new tools, research findings, models, services, practices, or alliances that can be widely used, adapted, scaled, or replicated to extend the benefits of federal investment. The application deadline is February 3, 2014.
Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants for Libraries
ALA and the Will and Ann Eisner Family Foundation opened applications December 6 for the new Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grants for Libraries, which recognize libraries for their role in the growth of graphic literature. The collaboration extends graphic novels into a new realm by encouraging public awareness about the rise and importance of graphic literature and honoring the creative excellence of Will Eisner. The application deadline is February 7, 2014.
2014 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards
 The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, is seeking applications for the 2014 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Awards. The twelve award-winning programs will receive $10,000, an invitation to accept their award from the President’s Committee’s Honorary Chairman, First Lady Michelle Obama, at a ceremony at the White House, as well as an award plaque and the opportunity to attend the Annual Awardee Conference in Washington, DC. The deadline for application submissions is February 10, 2014.
Lowe’s Toolbox for Education Grant Program
Lowe’s Charitable and Educational Foundation is dedicated to helping parent-teacher groups achieve even more for schools. Lowe’s will donate up to $5 million to public schools and public school parent teacher groups at as many as 1,000 different public schools per school year. Deadline is February 14, 2014.
Citizens-Save-Libraries Grants
 Applications for cycle two of the Citizens-Save-Libraries grants from United for Libraries, made possible by a grant from the Neal-Schuman Foundation, are due April 15. The 10 libraries that are selected will receive two days of onsite consultation by advocacy experts, who will help Friends of the library groups, library directors, and trustees develop individual blueprints for advocacy campaigns to restore, increase, or save threatened library budgets.
Ezra Jack Feats Foundation Minigrants
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, which fosters children’s love of reading and creative expression in our diverse culture, celebrates the 26th year of its Minigrant Program with a call for proposals. Approximately 70 grants of $500 each will be awarded to qualifying teachers and librarians at public schools and libraries across the US. The deadline for grant submissions is March 15 and decisions will be emailed to all applicants by May 1, allowing educators to plan for the next academic year accordingly.
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Tips to Help Celebrate Digital Learning Day
 Feb. 5 marks Digital Learning Day—a day dedicated to helping educators integrate more digital learning into their instruction and into libraries. The Digital Learning Day website provides suggested activities to mark the day, including asking faculty to try something new, hosting a digital learning fair, asking tech-savvy teachers to mentor fellow educators, and encouraging the use of teacher portals. There is also a live, celebratory virtual conference hosted by the Alliance for Excellent Education. To find out more about Digital Learning Day, visit http://www.digitallearningday.org/.
ASCD Joins Instagram as @officialASCD
ASCD has joined the social network Instagram under the username @officialascd. ASCD's Instagram profile will show educators a behind-the-scenes look at ASCD, while providing free motivation and professional development through pictures and videos. Instagram users can expect sneak peeks of ASCD events, motivational quotes from ASCD experts, and a look inside ASCD's headquarters. The Instagram account will provide a glimpse into ASCD that has yet to be tapped.
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Jean Stock Selected to Participate in ALA’s 2014 Class of Emerging Leaders
 Jean Stock, library media specialist at Larchmont Elementary School in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey, was selected to participate in the American Library Association’s 2014 class of Emerging Leaders. The ALA Emerging Leaders program is designed to enable talented new library professionals to bring their talent, energy and new ideas and approaches to the library community. Stock will join four other librarians from across the US to work on a project to be used by school librarians nationwide that will focus on the elements of effective school library programs and school librarian evaluation.
Margaret Lincoln Awarded 2013 State Librarians Excellence Award
 In December Margaret Lincoln, district librarian for Lakeview Schools in Battle Creek, MI, was honored by the Lakeview Board of Education as a recipient of a 2013 State Librarians Excellence Award for superior customer service. Besides training high school students in information literacy, notably through her special course developed for library assistants, Lincoln has shown exceptional commitment to facilitating learning about issues of race and diversity for both her students and the community as a whole.She has also demonstrated very fruitful partnerships with classroom teachers on projects to incorporate electronic resources and online communication into the school curriculum and lesson plan.
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