AASL Announces 2017 Social Media Superstars
AASL's Social Media Recognition Task Force is proud to announce the following AASL Social Media Superstars:
- Sensational Student Voice: Andy Plemmons
- Advocacy Ambassador: Sara Kelly Johns
- Tech Troubadour: Krista Welz
- Program Pioneer: Naomi Bates
- Curriculum Champion: Michelle Luhtala
- Leadership Luminary: Joyce Valenza
- Social Justice Defender: Susan Polos
The task force thanks all who participated by submitting a nomination or leaving an endorsement. All nominees were outstanding and all were seriously considered for recognition. Let our finalists inspire you today!
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Baltimore County Public Schools Named National School Library Program of the Year
Baltimore County Public Schools, serving all public schools in Baltimore County, Md., is AASL's 2017 National School Library Program of the Year (NSLPY) Award recipient. Sponsored by Follett, the NSLPY Award annually recognizes a single school or district-wide school library program that meets the needs of the changing school and library environment and is fully integrated into the school’s curriculum. The recipient receives an obelisk – the symbol of school library excellence – and $10,000 toward its school library program.
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AASL Announces 2017 Award Recipients
AASL has announced the recipients of its 2017 awards. AASL awards and grants recognize excellence and showcase best practices in the school library field in categories that include collaboration, leadership and innovation. Recipients of this prestigious program are celebrated for their outstanding talent and dedication to the profession. The AASL award winners will be honored at the AASL Awards Ceremony & President’s Program during the 2017 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. The ceremony will be held from 9 a.m.–12 p.m. on Saturday, June 24.
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Chelsea Sims and Sarah Latcham Receive IASL’s Outstanding Library Program Award
Chelsea Sims, teacher librarian at South East Junior High, and Sarah Latcham, teacher librarian at Van Allen Elementary, received the Iowa Association of School Librarians’ Outstanding Library Program Award. The award recognizes school librarians from all levels and the important work they showcase.
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Kathy Mansfield Writes SLM Article for Kentucky Teacher
Kathy Mansfield wrote an article about the importance of school librarians and School Library Month for Kentucky Teacher. “Certified school librarians provide guidance and support to students as they wade through the sometimes overwhelming streams of information around them,” she writes. “The role of the certified librarian in our schools is vital to the development of a skill set for our students to interact and engage with a media- and information-rich world.”
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DeVos Names Hires for Key Positions
Jason Botel has been tapped by US Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos as the deputy assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education and acting assistant secretary of that office. DeVos recently announced this appointment and several other hires for key positions at the department.
Survey Reveals Trends in Teens’ Social Media Use
Instagram and Snapchat may be the social media platforms of choice for a majority of teenagers, according to a survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. The survey also reveals social media use trends related to race and class.
Parents Worry about School-Issued Tech
Some parents are concerned about how their students' data could be collected and used by companies that supply school-issued technology, according to a survey from the nonprofit Electronic Frontier Foundation. The report also found many parents are uneasy about the schools' privacy protections and security protocols.
FCC Votes to Eliminate Broadband Price Caps
On April 20, the FCC approved a plan to deregulate the $45 billion market for business-to-business broadband, also known as Business Data Services, by eliminating price caps that make Internet access more affordable for small businesses, schools, libraries, and hospitals. The price caps, which have been in place for years, are designed to protect small businesses and other community institutions from predatory behavior by monopoly broadband providers.
Report Considers Community-College Graduation Rates
Among community-college students who attended school full time in their first semester, 38% graduated compared with 31% of students who began part time, according to a report from the Center for Community College Student Engagement. More counselors, guided pathways and better advising could help increase graduation rates of part-time students, the report suggests.
Are Children Entering First Grade Better Prepared?
First-graders' reading skills have improved over time, according to a study by researchers at Ohio State University. Data show improvements in reading skills between 2001 and 2013, but the analysis also reveals a gap among some student groups in advanced-skill areas.
Immigrant Hispanic Families Prioritize Tech Purchases
Immigrant Hispanic families may be more likely to support technology purchases for their children than other parental groups, according to research from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop. The research also reveals a technology-access gap among this population.
iPhone Dominates among US Teens
Three-quarters of US teens own iPhones, and an even higher proportion say this will be their next smartphone, according to Piper Jaffray. The survey also found growing interest in Apple Watch, with 13% of teens saying they planned to acquire one in the next six months.
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Resources for School Librarians
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Creating a Content-Rich Makerspace
In this blog post makerspace teacher Sam Patterson shares insights from a project where students created cardboard armor. He notes that the lesson supported skills such as reading, writing, math, communication and character education.
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How to Boost Resilience in Struggling Students
Resilience can be fostered and encouraged in students, asserts author Barbara Blackburn. In this blog post, she shares five ways teachers can help struggling students develop resilience, including by setting realistic expectations and changing the negative scripts that students may hear in their minds.
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4 Ideas to Jump-Start Learning with Tech
Teachers can play an important role in teaching students about positive uses of technology, digital learning specialist Kerry Gallagher writes in this blog post. She shares several ideas for using technology to help jump-start learning.
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How Drawing Graphs Can Boost Writing and Math
Teachers can incorporate writing exercises into math classes by having students draw graphs to tell stories, writes educator Meghan Everette. In this blog post, she outlines how to put together a lesson using graphs.
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Teacher Shares Recipe for Blended Learning
For instruction to be truly blended, Carly Nation, an English teacher at a one-to-one device school in Florida, found that she had to revise the way she used technology to support instruction. In this commentary, she describes her recipe for blended learning.
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Reimagined Buses Help Take Learning Mobile
Some education leaders are renovating buses to create mobile learning spaces. In Oregon, a transit bus has been retrofitted as an art studio on wheels, bringing the arts to students in rural school districts and low-income housing developments.
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Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming
School libraries are invited to apply for a $5,000 award recognizing outstanding humanities programming in kindergarten through eighth grade, the American Library Association (ALA) Public Programs Office announced. Nominations for the 2017 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming will be accepted until May 5.
Freedom to Read Foundation Banned Books Week Grants
Applications are open for the Freedom to Read Foundation’s Banned Books Week Grants offered through the Judith F. Krug Memorial Fund. Staff at all types of libraries, schools, universities, and community organizations are encouraged to apply. Grants are awarded at two levels, $1,000 and $2,500. Grant applications are due by May 12.
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