[CASL-L] AASL Hotlinks - March 2012

[IRENE KWIDZINSKI]

FYI


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From: American Association of School Librarians <aasl at ala.org>
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Subject: AASL Hotlinks - March 2012

AASL Hotlinks - March 2012  
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Volume 10, Issue 12
March 2012
 

In this Issue: 
 Association News
Education News
Resources for School Librarians
Grants & Awards
Partnership News
Member Spotlight

________________________________
 

Association News
________________________________
 
Participate in AASL's School Libraries Count! Survey by March 15 and Get 
Personalized Reports
Personalized reports are now available for participants in the 2011 AASL School 
Libraries Count! longitudinal survey, which gathers data on changes in the field 
to gain understanding of the state of school library programs nationally. These 
personalized reports complement AASL's suite of advocacy tools, including an 
online module for implementing AASL's learning standards and program guidelines, 
"A Planning Guide for Empowering Learners."  By using the School Libraries 
Count! personalized report in tandem with the results generated, under the 
rubric in the Planning Guide, school librarians will be able to present a more 
complete case when advocating for their school library programs and community 
needs. Don’t miss the opportunity to receive a 2012 personalized report by 
participating in the current survey.

Participants are encouraged to view the AASL webinar demonstrating how to use 
their data to advocate for their school library program and draw connections 
between the data outputs generated using the Planning Guide module and their 
personalized reports. The webinar is available at the AASL website.

AASL’s School Libraries Count! longitudinal survey questions cover the library 
program’s hours, staff and selected staff activities, collection, technology, 
usage and expenditures. 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.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.



 AASL Offers Webinar on Social Networking and Cybersafety
AASL will offer a webinar, Social Networking, Technology, and Safety: Engaging 
Your Community, at 6 p.m. CDT on March 21.  This one-hour webinar is designed 
for K-8 librarians who are interested in creating presentations that help 
parents keep their children safe when using technology.  Facilitated by Lisa 
Talbert, Mary Ann Curran and Amanda Kuzminski, the webinar offers a set of 
materials and resources on social networking and cybersafety that can be adapted 
to fit the needs of their school communities. The webinar will cover the 
importance of cultivating administrative and district office support by building 
a network of experts along with a familiarity of online resources. Attendees 
will also be guided through targeting needs of the community and creating 
successful parent information nights. Live AASL webinars are complimentary and 
are available only to current, personal members of AASL.

Best-Selling Author Carmen Agra Deedy to Speak at AASL Awards Luncheon
New York Times best-selling author Carmen Agra Deedy will speak during the 
annual Awards Luncheon for AASL.  The luncheon will be held Monday, June 25, 
during the ALA 2012 Annual Conference in Anaheim, Calif. Deedy’s children's 
books have won numerous awards, including the Jane Addams Peace Association Book 
Award, the International Latino Book Award and the Best Children's Books of the 
Year from the Bank Street College of Education. She served as the 2008 
spokesperson for AASL's School Library Month and has shared her stories with 
hundreds of thousands of school children.

The AASL Awards Luncheon highlights the best of the best in the school library 
field and gives members a chance to celebrate the accomplishments of their 
colleagues. Luncheon tickets are $55 and must be purchased in advance. Deedy’s 
appearance at the awards luncheon is sponsored by Peachtree Publishers. To 
register for the luncheon, and for more information about this and other AASL 
events at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference, visit the conference website.

Vote in the 2012 AASL Election!
Representation is essential for school library concerns and issues to be 
addressed. AASL has more than 8,000 possible votes to cast and the potential to 
be heard. Raise your voice in ALA and vote this month. Polls open March 19 and 
votes must be received by April 27. For more details and candidate biographies 
visit the AASL election website.

AASL's eAcademy Offers Additional Online Courses
Register now for one or more of AASL’s e-Academy courses scheduled through the 
end of summer. The four-week self-paced courses are designed to give 
participants 12 hours of learning led by experts in the school library field. 
The upcoming courses include:

	* Mar. 19 – Apr. 13 Inquiring Minds Want to Know: Infusing Literacy Skills into 
the Inquiry Process
	* Mar. 19 – Apr. 13 The Path to Collaboration: Making it Happen
	* Jul. 9 – Aug.  3 Design for Understanding Meets the 21st Century School 
Librarian
	* Jul. 16 – Aug. 10 From 0 to 60: Implement eBooks in Your Library Program in 4 
Weeks
	* Jul. 16 – Aug. 10 Making a Place, Making a Case for Read-Alouds: A Powerful 
Teaching Tool for Literacy
AASL e-Academy courses are led in Moodle, a Web-based online learning system 
that students access from their browser. Each course is designed with the busy 
school librarian in mind - participants can complete coursework at a time that 
is most convenient for them. Detailed descriptions of each course and 
registration information are available on the AASL e-Academy pages.

AASL Forms Special Interest Group for School Librarian Retirees
At the ALA 2012 Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, the AASL Board of Directors 
approved the creation of a special interest group for school librarian retirees 
based on a request of 38 AASL members. The Retirees Special Interest Group will 
give school librarian retirees an opportunity to network with colleagues in 
person and virtually. Via the group’s ALA Connect Community and meetings during 
ALA Annual Conferences, retirees can share their experiences and expertise and 
help AASL move towards the future of the profession. “Retired school librarians 
are a very important segment of AASL members,” said Carl Harvey, AASL president. 
“The experience they gained throughout their career is an invaluable resource 
not only for school librarians just entering the profession, but for AASL as an 
organization as we move forward as educational leaders.” Membership to the group 
is open to all AASL members.

AASL Releases Updated Position Statement on Flexible Scheduling
AASL has released an updated position statement on flexible scheduling. The 
statement stresses the role of the school library program as a fully integrated 
part of the educational program so that students, teachers and school librarians 
become partners in learning. To be fully integrated, classes need to be flexibly 
scheduled into the library on an as needed basis to facilitate research, 
training and utilization of technology with the guidance of the subject 
specialist, the teacher, and the process specialist, the librarian. Now revised, 
this position statement integrates the concepts set forth by AASL’s learning 
standards and program guidelines.

AASL Releases Updated Position Statement on the Role of the School Library 
Program
AASL has released an updated position statement on the role of the school 
library program.  Approved by the AASL Board of Directors at the ALA 2012 
Midwinter Meeting, the statement stresses the crucial role the school library 
program plays in preparing students to become active, contributing members of 
the 21st century. The statement not only looks at the role of the library 
program, but the role of the school librarian as an instructional partner, thus 
integrating the concepts set forth by AASL’s learning standards and program 
guidelines.

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.

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
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Read Across America Tour to Fund School Library Grants 
The National Education Association’s (NEA) Lorax Reading Tour – Driven by Mazda, 
is a cross-country tour designed to bring the gift of reading to thousands of 
public school students. The tour, which began March 2, focuses on sharing the 
story of Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax" with students, raise awareness for public 
schools in need and provide an opportunity for consumers to show that they care. 
Sponsored by Mazda, the tour will visit more than 20 cities, stopping at public 
schools and Mazda dealerships across the country to bring the gift of reading to 
thousands of public school students. For each test drive of a Mazda vehicle on 
the tour through April 2, Mazda will donate $25 to benefit public school 
libraries in need across the United States. Mazda has committed to donating up 
to a possible $1 million to school libraries through the test drives. Visit the 
NEA website for more information about the test drives for public school 
libraries program.


Education Commission Releases Report on Twelve Education Policy Issues
The Education Commission of the States has released its "12 for 2012" report, 
which focuses on 12 issues the commission feels will move education policy 
forward this year. The commission indicated that the report is not intended to 
dictate education policy priorities for 2012, instead it is intended to 
stimulate thinking around how best to craft the next steps of education policy 
across the country. The 12 issues in the report are:

	1. Pre-K and expanding its focus to P-3.
	2.  K-12 finance: Creating and maintaining efficiency and financial 
accountability without lowering expectations.
	3. Blended learning: Getting moving. Getting it right.
	4. Common Core Standards: from talking to doing.
	5. Developing civic engagement in PK-12: State action in the absence of federal 
funding.
	6. Teaching quality: Fasten your seatbelts!
	7. Rural: Enhancing the potential of education in rural America.
	8. Data: Access to what teachers and leaders need to improve student outcomes 
9and the skills to use it).
	9. Individualized instruction: Faster. Cheaper. Smarter.
	10. Performance funding: Building a model without a blueprint.
	11. Remedial education: We know more now than we ever have.
	12. Credentials of value: Some are better than others.Parent and Educator 
Survey Finds Formative Assessments Important to Student Learning
A new survey by the Northwest Evaluation Association and Grunwald Associates 
finds that parents and teachers want timely, actionable assessments that monitor 
individual student performance and progress across a range of subjects and 
skills to help improve teaching and learning. The survey asked parents, 
teachers, and district administrators which assessments they found most useful, 
tested the most relevant knowledge, and were most cost-effective. The majority 
of educators and parents say monitoring individual student performance should be 
among the top priorities. The study found educators prefer formative assessments 
over year-end tests to track student progress and adjust instruction. Parents 
believe that formative assessments help teachers focus on content, provide 
teachers with necessary information to pace instruction, and ensure all students 
learn fundamental skills. Both parents and educators also said it is important 
to measure higher-order thinking skills such as problem-solving, critical 
thinking, communication, creativity, innovation, and collaboration.

New Evaluation Gives Low Grades to Most State Science Standards
A new evaluation of science standards by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute gave 
very low marks to the majority of science standards from every state and the 
District of Columbia. The analysis, which found many standards to be vague, 
deemed most states to be ‘mediocre to awful," with the average grade across all 
states a low C. In 27 jurisdictions, science standards earn a D or below. Only 
two jurisdictions, California and the District of Columbia, earned straight As. 
Four other states - Indiana, Massachusetts, South Carolina, and Virginia - 
earned A minuses. Seven states earned grades in the B range. Of the 44 
jurisdictions that have revised or replaced their science standards since the 
2005 analysis, 11 showed improvement, in some cases dramatic. Kansas, for 
example, moved from an F to a B, and Arkansas moved from a D to a B. The authors 
of the evaluation recommend a purposeful focus on improving or replacing today's 
standards as a key part of a comprehensive effort to boost science performance 
nationally.

Commentary - Traditional Classroom Models Prevent Innovation
In a commentary in Education Week, Arthur Wise writes that the primary force 
resisting change in public education is "a self-contained, four-walled classroom 
with a fully qualified teacher for every 25 or so students." According to Wise, 
"continued adherence to this design reinforces the status quo, making it a 
tyrannical force against change." He says that under this model, educators must 
teach 100 percent of the time, standing in front of or in proximity to the 
class. Students must be supervised 100 percent of the time by teachers in fixed 
groups. Wise writes that technology has failed to foster innovation because 
schools are using hardware, software, courseware, and technical support in ways 
that continue static forms of teaching and learning. In his article, Wise offers 
an alternate definition of "classroom" as 150 students served by a team of 
professionals and others. He says, “a team of 17 full-time members, led by a 
well-compensated, board-certified or otherwise accomplished teacher, could serve 
the class” at the cost of six fully qualified teachers. Senior teachers would 
remain accountable for the learning of the 150 students, Wise says, but many 
other human and technological resources would be available to help students.

Analysis Finds Learning to Write Helps Students Learn to Read
A new study, published in the winter edition of the Harvard Educational Review, 
found that students who received writing-skills instruction (which includes 
spelling and sentence formation) or increased the amount of writing in 
classrooms improved their reading fluency and comprehension. Although reading 
skills are especially important in our word-filled world, in which people need 
to understand text in contexts that range from Facebook posts to instructions on 
bottles of medicine to legal documents, the study said many students and adults 
have not fully mastered reading. Researchers also found that many students do 
not write frequently in the classroom.

Latino Students Credit Librarians and Educators for Transforming their Lives
At the recent Latino Education Summit, students shared the personal struggles 
and challenges they faced while pursuing their academic goals, and testified to 
the importance of mentors, teachers, and librarians to their current success. 
The summit, which took place at NBCUniversal Headquarters in New York's 
Rockefeller Center on the Saturday Night Live stage, featured 150 educators, 
government officials, businessmen, and media. Julian Rodriguez, a junior at Mott 
Hall Bronx High School and a current CHCI scholar, said he has always felt 
pressured by his peers to reject his educational goals and pursue a career as a 
basketball player or be content to work at McDonald's instead. He credits his 
school librarian, Ms. Gray, for encouraging him to stay in school and out of 
trouble.



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 Resources for School Librarians 
________________________________
 

Webcast Offers Effective Strategies for Reading Comprehension
A new Make Reading Count webcast by Reading Rockets discusses the essential 
components for developing good reading comprehension skills in young children. 
The free cast identifies some of the potential stumbling blocks, and offers 
research-based comprehension strategies teachers can use in the classroom to 
teach all children to become better readers.

Library of Congress Offers Free "A Princess of Mars" Novel Online
“A Princess of Mars,” the first novel from classic author Edgar Rice Burroughs, 
is now available for free at the Library of Congress website as a digital 
flipbook. The novel features the character John Carter, who is set to hit 
theaters in a big screen adaption from Disney on March 9.  Students interested 
in the film may also be interested in reading John Carter’s adventures in print.


 

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Grants & Awards
________________________________
 
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.

¡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!.

Amber Brown Grant Sends Authors to Schools
The Amber Brown Grant is now open and accepting applications for 2012. Named for 
late author Paula Danziger’s most beloved character, the grant commemorates her 
life and the connection between children, and the authors and illustrators who 
create for them. Two schools will be rewarded with an all expense paid visit by 
a well respected children’s author or illustrator. The chosen schools will also 
receive a $250 stipend to assist in creating this memorable event to celebrate 
reading, learning, and children’s literature and $250 worth of books by the 
visiting author. Additionally, one runner up school will be selected and 
rewarded with books valued at $250.00. Any school with the desire and commitment 
to enrich their curriculum with a guest author or illustrator is eligible to 
apply. However, this grant is primarily focused on bringing an author or 
illustrator to a school that cannot or has not been able to afford this 
privilege. Applicants must fill out the application in its entirety and submit 
it before April 1. All applications must include a statement of support from 
your principle.

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.
 
McCarthey 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.

Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards Recognize Student Creativity
The Adobe Foundation’s Adobe Youth Voices Aspire Awards celebrates the 
extraordinary work of young media artists from around the world by recognizing 
top talent in media production. They offer young media makers and educators the 
opportunity to submit their film, photography, and/or audio pieces for a chance 
to be showcased on the Adobe website from May 7th-June 18th, and to win Adobe 
software, Dell laptops, Samsung camcorders, and cash donations to a charity of 
the winning projects choice. All media must be submitted for youth by an 
educator in the Adobe Youth Voices educator network, or by educators who have 
registered to Adobe Youth Voices Essentials. The Adobe Youth Voices educator 
network includes educators who are affiliated with partner organizations. If you 
are not part of the Adobe Youth Voices educator network, please submit your 
media via Adobe Youth Voices Essentials. The deadline for submissions is April 
20.

Department of Education Issues Startup Challenge
The U.S. Department of Education is offering a National Education Startup 
Challenge. Students are invited to submit a business plan and a video clip 
promotion for a for- or non-profit startup that includes an innovative strategy, 
product, or service designed to address one of four topics.  Do you have 
innovative ideas on how to: (1) help middle school students’ transition to high 
school and graduate; (2) develop skills for success in postsecondary education; 
(3) choose affordable colleges that best suit student needs, consistent with 
their education and career goals; or (4) increase the likelihood students 
complete their college degrees on time or early?  The deadline for submissions 
is May 1.  Winning students will be celebrated by White House and Department 
officials and may qualify for additional recognition opportunities.

Reading Rockets Celebrates Edgar Rice Burroughs with Writing Challenge
A new Writer’s Quest writing contest that celebrates legendary author Edgar Rice 
Burroughs is being offered by Reading Rockets. Burroughs created many beloved 
characters, including Tarzan and John Carter, who will soon be on the big screen 
this March in a feature film from Disney. The contest begins on March 9 and ends 
May 4, and features four categories by grade:  Level I Grades K–2),  Level II 
(Grades 3–5), Level III (Grades 6–8), and Level IV (Grades 9–12). Visit the 
Reading Rockets website for official rules for each category. Prizes include a 
collection of books, "John Carter" titles, and signed movie posters.

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 Services (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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Partnership News
________________________________
 

Last Chance to Enter the STEM Video Game Challenge
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.

Read for My School Campaign Reaches 150,000 Books Read in Just Five Days
Just five days after announcing its first-ever national Read for My School 
campaign, We Give Books announced that students, families and schools 
successfully reached the goal of 150,000 children’s books read online. The 
effort will result in the donation of 150,000 new hardcover and paperback 
children’s books to more than 700 public elementary schools designated by 
readers across the United States. We Give Books estimates that more than 50,000 
people and schools from all 50 states participated in this online reading 
celebration. Since We Give Books launched in 2010, the Pearson Foundation and 
Penguin have donated nearly 825,000 books to schools and nonprofit organizations 
designated by readers who read from a free digital library of children’s books.

P21 Congratulates Leadership States in First Round of No Child Left Behind 
Waivers
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21), the nation's leading organization 
promoting 21st-century learning opportunities for all students, congratulates 
Kentucky, Massachusetts, and New Jersey, P21 Leadership States, who have been 
awarded flexibility waivers from the current requirements of No Child Left 
Behind, alongside Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and 
Tennessee.

President Barack Obama, in announcing approval of the waiver plan, has indicated 
that the process would reward states for innovative improvements in standards, 
assessment, and accountability systems. These waivers stipulate that states 
demonstrate their work in preparing students for college and career, and set new 
targets for improving achievement, among other factors. P21's 10 year 
collaborative efforts working with education, business, and policy leaders has 
established the comprehensive Framework for 21st Century Learning which clearly 
articulates the intersection between college and career readiness, with its 
emphasis on the 4C's of critical thinking and problem-solving, communications, 
collaboration and creativity and innovation. The Framework provides the backbone 
for many innovative practices to raise achievement and improve learning 
conditions for students in the states which have worked to adapt the Framework 
at every level.  



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Member Spotlight

________________________________
 

AASL Members Share Literacy Efforts in Kappan Magazine Feature
An article by AASL members Sandra Hughes-Hassell, Casey H. Rawson, Lisa 
McCracken and Mary Gray Leonard, along with Jennifer Boone, Katy J. Vance and 
Heather Cunningham, was published in the February issue ofKappan magazine. The 
article, "Librarians Form a Bridge of Books to Advance Literacy" highlights 
their efforts to raise literacy among black males at Durham, N.C. schools, by 
reaching out to them with books and programs aligned with their interests and 
culture. It features the strategies these school librarians developed to improve 
the education, social and employment outcomes for students. AASL's Empowering 
Learners: Guidelines for School Library Programs are also mentioned in the 
feature.


 
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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________________________________
 

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





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Self-Censorship

Ideas for Using AASL Best Websites: Skype

White House Petition for School Libraries - Next Steps


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