AASL Submits ESSA Recommendations to U.S. Department of Education
AASL has submitted recommendations to the Department of Education in response to a notice of proposed rulemaking on ESSA accountability and state plans. The recommendations, cosigned by the ALA Washington Office, focus on school librarian participation in state plan development and on the school librarian’s role in teaching digital literacy skills.
AASL Conducts State-Level Workshops on ESSA Implementation
 AASL, in collaboration with the ALA Office for Library Advocacy and the ALA Washington Office, is offering a complimentary, comprehensive workshop on the Every Student Succeeds Act to each AASL-affiliated state association. The workshops build off of two well-received sessions presented by AASL during 2016 ALA Annual Conference.
AASL Seeks Proposals for 2017 ALA Annual Conference Programs
 AASL invites proposals for concurrent sessions to be presented during the 2017 ALA Annual Conference. The conference will be held June 22-27 in Chicago. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Oct. 3.
New Privacy Guidelines to Protect Patron Data
The ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Committee has approved four new library privacy guidelines that outline strategies and best practices for protecting patron privacy in the digital environment. The guidelines address online privacy and data security.
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Mark Ray to Work on U.S. Library Initiative
 Mark Ray, chief digital officer for Vancouver Public Schools, will be working for the Alliance for Excellent Education in Washington, DC. Ray will work with the Future Ready Librarians initiative, a national effort to connect school libraries and librarians to innovative instructional practices.
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Todd Burleson, Anita Cellucci, and Laura Gardner Named School Librarian of the Year Winners
Todd Burleson, resource center director/library media specialist at Hubbard Woods Elementary School in Winnetka, IL; Anita Cellucci, library teacher at Westborough High School in Hopedale, MA; and Laura Gardner, library teacher at Dartmouth Middle School in Dartmouth, MA, were named School Librarian of the Year winners. These school librarians all display outstanding achievement and innovative use of technology.
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EdTech Field Studies Yield Mixed Results
An analysis of three recent studies of technology use in education found mixed results, with some of the studies' research revealing negative effects of technology on student learning. The findings from these studies offer three takeaways for schools.
Read Books, Live Longer
Reading books is tied to a longer life, according to a new study by the Yale University School of Public Health in Social Science and Medicine. Researchers found that book readers live an average of almost two years longer than those who do not read at all.
ACT Reports Dip in College Readiness among Test Takers
Fewer high-school graduates met the ACT exam's college-readiness bar this year. ACT officials say an increased number of test-takers, boosted by some states' policies to cover the cost of the exam for all 2016 graduates, contributed to the decline.
Should Test Scores Drive High-Stakes Decisions?
Statistical models and scaling practices used for standardized test scoring may produce misleading data, according to a recent study. The report calls for transparency during test creation and cautions against using standardized test scores in high-stakes decision-making.
What Do Students Need to Know by Graduation?
Educators and experts in this series discuss what students should know when they leave school. Skills include higher-order thinking, content knowledge, and the ability to adapt to changing technology and workforce needs.
Report Reveals Next-Generation Job Skills
The jobs of the future likely will involve nonroutine interpersonal and analytical interactions, according to a report by the Center for Universal Education. Report authors contend that in-demand job skills will include critical thinking, communication, creativity, persistence, and teamwork.
Is Classroom Technology Going to Waste?
Few students are using technology effectively in the classroom, according to a recent study by AdvanceED. Researchers say this could be attributed to a few factors, including lack of adequate teacher training and the perception of technology in school culture.
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Resources for School Librarians
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Guidelines Target Needs of Homeless Students
The Department of Education issued new guidelines about how states and school districts should meet the needs of homeless students. The guidelines address how homeless students are identified and how schools and social service providers can collaborate to help them.
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4 Steps to Schoolwide Digital Citizenship
Schools should consider expanding their digital citizenship lessons this school year, write Julie Cremin, a digital-learning specialist, and Kerry Gallagher, a technology-integration specialist. They share a four-step process for getting started.
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NASA Opens Research Portal to the Public
NASA opened its research to the public in the free web database PubSpace. NASA believes that this move will benefit fellow scientists and engineers and accelerate innovation. Any NASA-funded research articles in peer-reviewed journals must be uploaded to the portal within one year of publication so that they are freely accessible.
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Is There Room for Play in High School?
High-school students participating in a study led by a researcher at Yale University reported feeling stressed 80% of the time. Educator Ashley Lamb-Sinclair reflects on how play-based learning could help enrich the high-school classroom and inspire students.
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How Socratic Seminars Teach Students to Think for Themselves
Socratic seminars can help students develop critical-thinking skills, sixth-grade teacher Mary Howard writes in this blog post. She offers a step-by-step guide to introducing the Socratic style of discourse in the classroom.
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How Flipping the Classroom Helps Personalize Instruction
The flipped instructional method gives teachers more time to reinvent what learning looks like in the classroom, write education consultant Aaron Sams and Justin Aglio, director of innovation at Montour School District in Pennsylvania. They share three ways flipped instruction can help students master material.
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Report Offers Guide for ESSA Implementation
The Education Commission of the States has published a report explaining 10 key issues surrounding implementation of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Issues include assessments, school-quality indicators, and low-performing schools.
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Tips for Using Augmented Reality in the Classroom
Augmented reality can help boost student motivation and learning, educators David Loveland and Jim Wasserman write in this commentary. They compare augmented and virtual reality and share three tips for introducing AR in the classroom.
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How to Boost Students’ Reading and Writing with EdTech
Many teachers incorporate digital tools beyond Google Docs in reading and writing assignments. This blog post offers an overview of 18 tools, including graphic organizers such as Answer Garden in the prewriting phase and websites such as Newsela and Tween Tribune for leveled nonfiction articles.
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K-12 Web Archiving Program
Beginning with a pilot program in 2008, the K-12 Web Archiving Program has engaged hundreds of middle and high school students from schools around the United States in selecting, describing, and preserving Web content. The program is accepting applications for new and returning partners from middle and high schools through September 16.
IEEE Maker Project Competition
The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' (IEEE) annual Maker Project Competition, welcomes innovators and tech enthusiasts to battle it out for great prizes and the chance to work with an IEEE member. The contest is accepting submissions through September 17.
Disney Friends for Change
Youth Service America and The Walt Disney Company are teaming up to inspire kids and families to make a positive impact in their community. Disney Summer of Service grants will offer young change-makers $500 to turn creative ideas into projects that will positively impact their communities. Applications will be accepted through September 30.
Captain Planet Foundation Grants
 The Captain Planet Foundation Grants are accepting projects that are project-based, performed by youth, have environmental outcomes, and are based in the U.S. Applications for spring and summer projects are due September 30. |
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