[CASL-L] Fw: AASL Hotlinks - February 2012
IRENE KWIDZINSKI
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Mon Feb 6 14:41:00 PST 2012
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From: American Association of School Librarians <aasl at ala.org>
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Subject: AASL Hotlinks - February 2012
AASL Hotlinks - February 2012
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Volume 10, Issue 11
February 2012
In this Issue:
Association News
Education News
Resources for School Librarians
Grants & Awards
Partnership News
Member Spotlight
________________________________
Association News
________________________________
AASL President's Petition for Effective School Libraries Surpasses 27,000
Signatures!
AASL President Carl Harvey's WhiteHouse.gov petition to the Obama administration
to ensure that "every child in America has access to an effective school library
program by providing dedicated funding as part of the reauthorization of the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)," surpassed the 25,000 signature
mark nearly a week before the Feb. 4 deadline. The Obama administration requires
25,000 signatures or more on any petition to receive an official response. The
White House staff will now review the petition, send it to the appropriate
policy experts, and issue a reply.
ReadCarl's AASL blog on the success of the petition and how to continue the
momentum!
You can also access a wiki site for high school librarians designed to raise
awareness of the historical roots of the petition process. Developed by the AASL
Advocacy and Legislation Committees, the wiki contains resources on petitioning
the government, school libraries and the SKILLs Act, and includes a lesson plan
"Will you sign this petition?"
Author Henry Jenkins Anchors AASL Fall Forum
AASL is proud to welcome renowned author and media studies scholar Henry Jenkins
as keynote speaker and primary facilitator of the 2012 Fall Forum. Author and
editor of more than a dozen books on media and popular culture, Jenkins will
present his ideas and research Oct. 12-13, during "Transliteracy and the School
Library Program" in Greenville, S.C. During the two-day institute, Jenkins will
share his extensive expertise on participatory culture and help attendees
identify the transliteracy skills students require to successfully navigate the
new information landscape. More information on AASL 2012 Fall Forum on
Transliteracy and the School Library Program can be found at the AASL Fall Forum
website.
AASL Opens Sixth Year of "School Libraries Count!" Longitudinal Survey
AASL has launched its sixth longitudinal study. Conducted by KRC Research,
"School Libraries Count!" gathers basic data about the status of school library
programs across the country. The survey’s questions cover the library program’s
hours, staff and selected staff activities, collection, technology, usage and
expenditures. Starting in 2008, AASL began adding supplemental questions to also
address a current issue within the school library field. In 2012, these
additional questions focus on technology access and filtering.
AASL will use this information to develop advocacy tools to support school
library programs at the local, state and national levels. All K-12 schools -
public and private - are invited to participate on a voluntary basis. Past
participants' continued involvement is encouraged, since those responses are
crucial to examining trends. The survey’s questions cover the library program’s
hours, staff and selected staff activities, collection, technology, usage and
expenditures. The last day to complete the survey is March 15. More information
about "School Libraries Count!" and its key findings from previous years is
available at the survey website.
Register for a Complimentary Webinar on Releasing Your Inner Leader
AASL is offering members a complimentary webinar on spinning 21st century
standards-driven evaluations and professional development into stronger school
relationships, Monday, February 13 at 7:00 PM CST. Carolyn Jo Starkey, author of
the Jan/Feb Knowledge Quest feature, "Releasing Your Inner Leader" will address
how collaborative cultures are transforming professional development in new and
inspiring ways. Members must register at the AASL website.
Register for an AASL e-Academy Course on Collaboration
Led by experts in the field, AASL's four week e-Academy courses are designed to
isolate and strengthen problem areas, and assist school librarians in developing
the skills and techniques needed to bring their programs into the 21st century.
The next course in the series is The Path to Collaboration: Making it Happen.
The course runs from March 19 to April 13,and is facilitated by Marilyn Heath.
Participants will learn how to identify and analyze the factors that contribute
to successful collaborations with teachers.
Detailed descriptions of the course, along with registration information, is
available on the AASL e-Academy page.
Register for National Library Legislative Day
Online Registration for the 2012 National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) is now
open. The 2012 NLLD will be held at the Liaison Hotel in Washington DC, April
23-24. Hundreds of librarians plan to meet with their Congressional
representatives and senators to push for important library legislation. Visit
the ALA website to register for this event and to book a hotel.
Are School Librarians Endangered? Leaders Share Thoughts on the Profession
AASL is proud to present the second set of podcasts in its 30 Second Thought
Leadership: Insights from Leaders in the School Library Community series. 30
Second Leadership features school librarian experts delivering brief and
practical advice based on the themes of Knowledge Quest issues. The new podcasts
focus on the recently released Knowledge Quest issue, "Futurecasting," and
explore the question, “Are school librarians an endangered species?” Leader
respondents to this 30 Second question include:
• Henry Jenkins, provost's professor of communication, journalism and
cinematic arts at the University of Southern California and the 2012 AASL Fall
Forum keynote speaker.
• Doug Johnson, director of media technology for the Mankato Area Public
Schools and Minnesota State University adjunct faculty member.
• Michelle Luhtala, department chair of the New Canaan (Conn.) high school
library and recipient of the 2012 National School Library Program of the Year
(NSLPY) Award.
• Heather Moorefield-Lang, education and applied social sciences librarian at
Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.
• Delia Newman, associate professor and the director of the SLiM (School
Library Media) program at Drexel University's iSchool.
Visit Knowledge Quest online and share your answer to this question.
Register for AASL Preconferences at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference
Registration for the June 21-26, 2012 ALA Annual Conference and AASL
preconferences is now open! This year’s conference in Anaheim, CA will bring
together more than 25,000 librarians, educators, authors, publishers, literacy
experts, illustrators and the leading suppliers to the market. As part of this
annual event, AASL will offer three exciting preconferences onFriday, June 22:
• The One Day Library Website
8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Andy Austin, Christopher Harris, and Brian Mayer present a make-and-take
workshop with a fully functional library web portal ready to install on your
organization's server. Using Drupal, an open source content management system,
the presenters will lead participants through all the steps needed to build and
maintain a website.
• Libraries in the Cloud
8:30 am to Noon
Doug Johnson will host this preconference on how libraries can benefit by moving
to the cloud and what role librarians can play when staff and student
applications become hosted. The session discusses the implication of hosted
computer applications and resources on school library programs and the role of
the school librarian.
• Leading Professional Development that Matters…and Works
12:30 pm to 4:00 pm
Debbie Abilock, Kristin Fontichiaro, and Violet H. Harada will discuss several
professional development models for cultivating leadership in school librarians,
and explore how schools can be improved from the inside out.
Ticket price information for these AASL preconferences can be found at the ALA
Annual Conference Website. For more information on AASL preconferences and
sessions at the 2012 ALA annual Conference visit the AASL @ ALA Annual
Conference website.
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Education News
________________________________
New Report Shows Where States Stand on Common Core Standards
A new report from Education First and the EPE Research Center looks at the
readiness of states to implement the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The
study gives the status of state plans in educator professional development,
curriculum, and teacher-evaluation systems. All 50 states and the District of
Columbia were included in the study. The majority of states have begun to align
their systems to the CCSS by providing professional development to teachers (45
states), changing or devising curriculum guides and other instructional
materials (35 states), and revising teacher-evaluation systems (38 states).
Every state that has adopted the CCSS, except New Hampshire, has a fully
developed plan to provide teacher professional development aligned with the CCSS
(20 states) or is in the process of developing such a plan (25 states).
NCES Seeks Participation in Schools and Staffing Survey
The Schools and Staffing Survey, now underway for the 2011-12 school year, is a
voluntary sample survey that is designed to be nationally representative of all
types of schools. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), the
statistical agency for the U.S. Department of Education, is seeking the
assistance of school organizations. Please reach out to your administrator and
within your district to see if anyone has received a survey and encourage
participation in this once-every-4-years survey. For previous year reports and
background information on the Schools and Staffing Survey visit the website
Education Department Releases Two Reports on Engaging Students in Citizenship
n January, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and several Obama
Administration and education officials launched a national conversation on the
importance of educating students for informed, engaged citizenship. This event
focused on the release of two papers: a Department report, "Civic Learning and
Engagement in Democracy: A Road Map and Call to Action," and the final report by
the National Task Force on Civic Learning and Democratic Engagement, "A Crucible
Moment: College Learning and Democracy's Future." "Road Map" notes a need for
national dialogue on civic engagement, stating that U.S. civic knowledge is far
from exceptional. Less than 30 percent of fourth-, eighth-, and twelfth-grade
students were proficient in civics, according to data from the 2010 National
Assessment of Educational Progress. The report highlights nine steps the
Department will take to advance civic learning and engagement, such as adding
civic indicators to student surveys, promoting public service internships and
careers, and leveraging federal programs and public-private partnerships.
Report Offers Case Studies and Design Guide for Media Sharing
A new report by the Joan Ganz Cooney and LIFE Centers, features case studies
written by researchers and producers on the challenges and successes of bringing
families together around newer forms of media. It also features a design guide
that offers essential advice to media producers interested in engaging children,
parents, grandparents, and educators in meaningful conversation and play in this
digital age.
Wallace Foundation Report Finds Effective Principals Help Improve Student
Achievement
A new report from the Wallace Foundation, based on over 70 research reports and
other publications from the foundation regarding school leadership, summarizes
what makes for an effective principal and how to tie principal effectiveness to
improved student achievement. The authors report that effective principals
perform five key functions well: shaping a vision of academic success for all
students; creating a climate hospitable to education; cultivating leadership in
others; improving instruction; and managing people, data, and processes to
foster school improvement. Each of these five tasks must interact with the other
four for any part to succeed. The foundation's work over the last decade
suggests the creation of a pipeline of leaders who can make a real difference
would have four necessary and interlocking parts: defining the job of the
principal and assistant principal; providing high-quality training for aspiring
school leaders; hiring selectively; and evaluating principals and giving them
the on-the-job support they need.
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Updates MET Findings
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has released an update to its preliminary
findings for its Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project, investigating the
properties of five instruments for classroom observation: Framework for Teaching
(FFT), Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), Protocol for Language Arts
Teaching Observations (PLATO), Mathematical Quality of instruction (MQI), and
UTeach Teacher Observation Protocol (UTOP). Researchers assessed each instrument
using two criteria: reliability and validity. All five instruments were
positively associated with student achievement gains. Evaluators found that
reliably characterizing a teacher's practice required averaging scores over
multiple observations. They also found that combining observation scores with
evidence of student achievement gains on state tests and student feedback
improved predictive power and reliability.
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Resources for School Librarians
________________________________
Celebrate African American History Month
The Library of Congress is offering free resources for celebrating African
American History Month in February, including, videos, exhibits, images, lesson
plans, student activities and research aids. This year's theme, "Black Women in
American Culture and History," honors African American women and the myriad of
roles they played in the shaping of our nation. The theme, chosen by the
Association for the Study of African American Life and History urges all
Americans to study and reflect on the value of their contribution to the nation.
Print to Digital Playbook Released for Digital Learning Day
On Digital Learning Day, a digital "playbook" was released that organizes into
four sections the chronological chain of issues schools must address when making
a transition from primarily print to mostly digital resources. Issues include:
switching content to digital formats, establishing Internet connectivity
throughout the school, establishing Internet connectivity throughout the
community the school serves, and tailoring content to meet the capabilities of
the particular devices owned or used by students.
AASL, working together with the Alliance for Excellent Education and other
national educational associations and organizations, called on school librarians
to participate in the inaugural national Digital Learning Day on February 1.
Digital Learning Day celebrated innovative teaching practices that make learning
more personalized and engaging and encourage exploration of how digital learning
can provide more students with more opportunities to get the skills they need to
succeed in college, career and life.
Free toolkits for Digital Learning Day are currently available and include links
and references to instructional strategy ideas, lesson plans, sample outreach,
ways to collaborate, and resources. There are toolkits for all audiences,
grades, and subjects.
List-Group Label Helps Improve Students Vocabulary and Categorization Skills
Readingrockets.org has highlighted a classroom strategy called list-group-label,
a form of semantic mapping that encourages students to improve their vocabulary
and categorization skills and learn to organize concepts. Categorizing listed
words — through grouping and labeling — helps students organize new concepts in
relation to previously learned concepts. Visit the website to find out how to
use list-group-label, and go inside a second grade classroom in Evanston,
Illinois to observe students learning the strategy.
Slideshow Offers 70 Ideas on How Students Can Use the iPad
This free slideshow offers ideas for student programs using the iPad. Some of
the recommendations include: making music, practicing letter formations, writing
a puppet show, practicing oral fluency, creating an e-book, taking a virtual
field trip with Google Earth, turning the iPad into a walkie-talkie, and turning
on collaborative whiteboards for idea sharing.
Interview with Swedish Head Teacher on School Libraries
Read an interview with Edward Jensinger, head teacher (principal) at Pauli
gymnasium, an upper secondary school situated in Malmö, Sweden. He discusses the
role of the school librarian, collaboration, and the educational benefits of
school libraries. Jensinger's school won Sweden’s 2010 Best School Library of
the Year award.
Consumer Reports Offers Free Guide for Prospective College Students
Consumer Reports has produced a free guide for prospective college students to
help them navigate the college research and selection process. Published in both
English and Spanish, the 30 page booklet identifies and defines the information
that matters most to prospective students, directs them to the best resources to
find those key pieces of information, and includes two worksheets designed to
simplify and support the research and evaluation process.
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Grants & Awards
________________________________
¡Viva! Offers Health Literacy Challenge Contest for Students
The Vital Information for a Virtual Age (¡VIVA!) Peer Tutors of the South Texas
Independent School District are conducting a nationwide health literacy
challenge. Students enrolled in U.S. schools in grades 6-12 can submit a video
promoting the web site MedlinePlus.gov. The video submission deadline is March
23. Winners will be announced on April 16, and winning videos will be posted on
the ¡VIVA! website. The prize for winning videos is the iPad 2. For complete
details about the video contest please visit ¡VIVA!.
Win a Free Visit to Your School Library by Author Jan Brett
International bestselling author and illustrator Jan Brett is giving away a free
visit to a school or library. The school or library that has the most parents,
teachers, librarians, friends, or supporters who "like" Jan Brett on Facebook
will win a free school or library visit in the 2012/2013 school year from Jan.
Anyone over the age of 18 may enter; they do not need to have an affiliation
with the school or library for which they are entering. Entries must be
submitted no later thanApril 9. Jan is also offering Runners up (2-10) a prize
of 10 Jan Brett books for the school or library, and second runners up (11-100)
will receive a prize of a signed Jan Brett poster. The contest is limited to one
entry per person. To enter and to see complete contest rules, visit Jan's
website.
McCarthy Dressman Education Foundation Offers Academic Enrichment Grants
The McCarthey Dressman Education Foundation offers Academic Enrichment Grants
designed to develop in-class and extra-curricular programs that improve student
learning. The foundation considers proposals that foster understanding, deepen
students' knowledge, and provide opportunities to expand awareness of the world
around them. The maximum award is $10,000 per year for three years. Educators
employed by schools or non-profit organizations with the background and
experience to complete the project successfully and who have direct and regular
contact with students in grades pre-k to 12 from low-income households, are
eligible. The deadline is April 15.
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation Now Accepting Online Submissions for Minigrant Award
This year marks the 24th annual call for grant proposals by the Ezra Jack Keats
Foundation. The Foundation, established by renowned author and illustrator Ezra
Jack Keats, has awarded over half a million dollars in grants to public schools
and libraries in all 50 states and the U.S. Commonwealth since 1987. The
deadline for submission of proposals for the $500 Minigrant award is March 15,
2012. Proposals will be read directly after the March deadline, and winners will
be announced starting on May 15. Decisions will be emailed to all applicants
after May 15. All Minigrant applications are available exclusively online at the
Foundation's Website and must be submitted electronically. The foundation also
offers a video tutorial explaining the process on its Website.
2012 Library Grant Applications Now Being Accepted by SABR
The Negro Leagues Committee of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR)
has announced new grant opportunities for school libraries. Two $1000 awards
will be awarded. The deadline for submission is March 19. Winners will be
notified by Jackie Robinson Day, April 15.
Next Generation Learning Challenges Announces Third Wave of Grants
Recognizing the need for a fundamental change in the way education is designed
and delivered across secondary and postsecondary institutions, Next Generation
Learning Challenges (NGLC) has announced the availability of $12 million in
grants for comprehensive whole school and college models that use technology to
achieve more personalized learning experiences. Funding is being provided by the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Initial applications will be accepted on a
rolling basis until June 8, 2012. Visit the Next Generation website for more
information.
Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation Offers Grants to Help Inner-City Educators
The Brown Rudnick Charitable Foundation Corporation's Limited GEO: Grants to
Help Inner-City Educators will fund specific, one-time future education-related
needs or ideas that promise to improve inner city education within one year.
Small, concrete projects that will improve inner-city education in Boston,
Hartford, Providence, New York or Washington, D.C. within the coming year are
eligible. The maximum award is $2,000 and the deadline is ongoing.
New National Program Recognizes Student Poets
The President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH) and the
Institute of Museum and Library Sciences (IMLS), in partnership with the
Alliance for Young Artists and Writers, has created the National Student Poets
Program (NSPP) to honor youth poets whose original work exhibits exceptional
creativity, dedication to craft, and promise. From a group of national winners
of the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, a jury of literacy luminaries will
choose five teen poets. Each teen will receive an academic award of $5,000, work
with poet mentors, promote the importance of poetry and creative expression
through readings and workshops, and will be featured at the National Book
Festival in Washington, DC, in cooperation with the Library of Congress. To be
considered for the NSPP, students must be in grades 9, 10 or 11 and be enrolled
in a public, private, parochial, home-school or out-of-school program. Students
must also win a gold or silver medal award in poetry in the 2012 Scholastic Art
and Writing Awards. Deadlines for the scholastic awards vary by region. NSPP
Awards will be presented in September 2012.
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Professional Development
________________________________
Education Department Offers Fellowship Opportunities for Educators
Applications for the U.S. Education Department's fifth cohort of Teaching
Ambassador Fellows recently opened and are scheduled to close on February 22.
Since 2008, this highly competitive program has enabled a total of 69
outstanding educators, each with a record of leadership, strong communications
skills, and insights into education policy based in classroom expertise to work
with the agency on either a full- or part-time basis. The Washington Fellowship
is a full-time appointment based at the Department's headquarters in Washington,
D.C. The Classroom Fellowship enables educators to participate on a part-time
basis with the Department, working with the agency's regional offices, in
addition to their regular school responsibilities. The Regional Fellowship,
offered for the first time this year, is a full-time appointment based at one of
the Department’s regional offices. All fellows spend a year learning about
federal programs and policies, sharing their expertise with federal staff
members and providing communication and outreach about federal initiatives to
other educators on behalf of the agency in order to help teachers understand and
implement these efforts at the federal, state, and local levels.
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Partnership News
________________________________
Read For My School Campaign to Donate 150,000 New Children'sBooks!
"Read for My School," a special We Give Books campaign by the Pearson
Foundation, will launch on Valentine's Day, February 14 and continues through
March 14. Through this campaign, We Give Books is donating 150,000 new
children's books to public elementary schools across the country. This is an
opportunity for schools to earn up to 500 brand new children's books for FREE!
For every book read on behalf of a school, that school will receive one new
book, with the ability to earn a library of up to 500 brand new children’s
books. After a school has earned 500 books, readers can assist other schools in
meeting their goal. Books can be given to any public elementary school in the
United States and its territories. Visit the We Give Books website to learn
more about this campaign.
National STEM Video Game Challenge Accepting Entries
The National STEM Video Game Challenge is open for entries through March 12th,
2012. Finalists for Youth Prizes (Middle School & High School) and Adult Prizes
(Collegiate & Educator) will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges.
Winners will be announced in Spring 2012. Almost $200K in cash and prizes will
be available, with multiple ways to win! Complete guidelines on how to enter are
available at the official website.
AASL, an original outreach partner, is proud to once again lend its support to
the National STEM Video Game Challenge presented by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center
at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media. The challenge, now in its second year, aims
to motivate interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)
learning by tapping into students’ natural passion for playing and making video
games.
One of the many ways AASL is putting the focus on educational gaming includes
the September/October 2011 Knowledge Quest on Educational Gaming. The issue
explores how lessons based on games are currently contributing to school
learning standards, what effect educational games have on students, and the ways
in which school librarians are helping to develop games as educational tools.
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Member Spotlight
________________________________
New Canaan High School Librarians Earn ALA Award for Cutting Edge Program
ALA's Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP) and the Library
Information Technology Association (LITA), have selected the Participatory
Platforms for Learning program at New Canaan High School Library in New Canaan,
Conn., as one of the winners of the association's third annual contest to honor
cutting-edge technologies in library services. The program, featuring the
contributions of AASL members Michelle Luhtala, Christina Russo, and Mariana
Psenicnik, strives to cultivate curiosity throughout the learning community and
encourage experimentation with new tools for content creation, publication and
participation. It includes deploying the full complement of Google applications;
advocating a culture of intellectual freedom; using Twitter for current events
research; and using Facebook groups for students to record their research
process and provide feedback to others in the group. The program enmeshes
learning and the "real world" to teach students digital citizenship by
encouraging them to become responsible information consumers, creators and
contributors in the public domain. For more about the program, visit the New
Canaan High School Library online portal.
We love to brag about our members! Looking to make it into AASL's Member
Spotlight? Submit your spotlight to Markisan Naso for inclusion in the next
Member Spotlight segment.
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Renew your AASL membership and receive 10,000 Capstone Rewards Bonus Points!
________________________________
AASL Hotlist
A Special Valentine's Day Offer from an AASL Collaborator!
30 Second Thought Leadership video series!
Share quality lesson plans at the lesson plan database!
AASL Advocacy Brochures!
Get AASL's Building Level Toolkit!
Get the Planning Guide!
Order your 21st Century Learning poster set!
Sign up to receive AASL's Advocacy Tip of the Day!
Get involved with AASL by contributing your expertise to a committee, editorial
board or task force today!
________________________________
AASL Calendar
2012
March
15: Last day to complete School Libraries Count! survey
19: Path to Collaboration course begins
April
1-30: School Library Month!
13: Path to Collaboration course ends
June
21-26: AASL at ALA 2012 Annual Conference
October
12-13: AASL 2012 Fall Forum
________________________________
Social Networking with AASL
Latest AASLblog posts:
White House Petition for School Libraries - Next Steps
Ideas for Using AASL Best Websites: Tagxedo
Watch the Youth Media Awards... at Your School
Ideas for Using the AASL Best Websites:Prezi
Highlighting One Student's Call for School Library Advocacy
Knowledge Quest: Futurecasting
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