[CASL-L] AASL Hotlinks – May 2014

[IRENE KWIDZINSKI]

FYI

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Subject: AASL Hotlinks – May 2014
 


AASL Hotlinks – May 2014  
The mission of the American Association of School Librarians is to advocate excellence, facilitate change, and develop leaders in the school library field.  
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Volume 13, Issue 2
May 2014


In This Issue:Association News
Member Spotlight
Education News
Resources for School Librarians
Grants & Awards
Partnership News   
Association News     
Eaglecrest High School Named National School Library Program of the Year
Eaglecrest High School, located in Centennial, Colo., is AASL’s 2014 National School Library Program of the Year (NSLPY) Award recipient. Sponsored by the Follett Corporation, the NSLPY annually recognizes a 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.

AASL Announces 2014 Award Recipients
AASL announced the recipients of its 2014 awards. AASL awards and grants recognize excellence and showcase best practices in the school library field in categories that include collaboration, leadership, and innovation. The AASL award winners will be honored at AASL's Awards Ceremony during the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas. The ceremony will be held from 9–10:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 28. Debuting in a new format this year, all are welcome to celebrate the accomplishments of their peers during this recognition event taking place prior to the AASL President’s Program. The AASL Awards Ceremony will no longer require a ticket to attend nor will a luncheon be served.

AASL Announces Winners of School Library Month Student Video Contest
AASL, along with ProQuest, Abrams, and SchoolTube, announced the winners of the "Lives Change @ Your Library" Student Video Contest. The winning entries are:

Libraries Change Lives at Dartmouth Middle
Dartmouth (Mass.) Middle School
http://bit.ly/QpJWH8

Lives Change @ Your Library
Grassfield High School, Chesapeake, Va.
http://bit.ly/1i8TL6C

School Libraries Change My Life
David A. Kaechele Elementary School, Glen Allen, Va.
http://bit.ly/1k4dB3D

The winning videos will be featured on the AASL, ProQuest and SchoolTube and websites and social networking platforms.

National IMLS Research Summit Focuses on School Librarians and Student Achievement
Fifty research scholars from across the nation gathered in Chicago to participate in AASL’s Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) research summit. Focused on setting an agenda for future school library research, the “Causality: School Libraries and Student Success (CLASS)” summit took place April 11-12, 2014. The five-person panel included John P. Brock, MLS; Joseph Maxwell, PhD; Paul Lanata EdD; Marcia Mardis, EdD; and Shana Pribesh, PhD.   
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Member Spotlight     
Kathryn Payne and Sharon Hamer Honored with MASLA Awards
Kathryn Payne at Saugus High School and Sharon Hamer at Belmonte Middle School were honored with awards at the annual Massachusetts School Library Association Conference. Payne won the LMC President’s Award, which honors an MSLA member who, in a career of three years or fewer, has made a significant impact on student learning through a quality school library program. Hamer, the library teacher at Belmonte Middle School, was awarded the MSLA Service Award that honors individuals who have demonstrated dedication to the profession of school librarianship through leadership at the state and possibly at the national level.

Melissa Keefer Awarded SCASL’s 2014 Nancy Day Scholarship Award
Melissa Keefer was awarded the 2014 SCASL-sponsored Nancy Day Scholarship. Melissa is a current MLIS candidate at the University of South Carolina, pursuing a career in school librarianship. She is a former Exceptional Children’s teacher and 2009 alumna of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Special Education program. She lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina, with her husband and children.

Laura Fleming Named a National School Boards Association Emerging Technology Leader
Laura Fleming, media specialist at New Milford High School in New Jersey, was named one of the National School Boards Association’s “20 to Watch” educators. Laura’s blog, Worlds of Learning, shares many of her initiatives including the development of a digital badge program to acknowledge teachers’ informal learning. Her media center, now packed with students every period, has become a makerspace with a 3-D printer, Raspberry Pi, and Makey Makey Kits to unleash students’ creativity to construct new knowledge. 
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Education News
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American Teens Rank Middle of the Pack among PISA Results
Results from the Programme for International Student Assessment find that American 15-year-olds are just above the average of 44 countries and economies in problem-solving skills and far behind teens in Asia. On average U.S. teens earned a score of 508 on the Programme for International Student Assessment Creative Problem Solving test, between top-ranked Singapore’s 562 and bottom-ranked Colombia’s 399. The PISA results put U.S. students in the middle of the pack.

Engaging Students in Education
Students were 30 times more likely to say they were engaged during the school day when their individual interests were a priority and educators made them feel excited about the future, according to a report published by Gallup Education. School leaders should not neglect the social and emotional factors that help students thrive and should empower teachers so that they are more engaged and effective in the classroom, according to the “State of America’s Schools” report.

States Improving Digital Learning Opportunities
Some states nationwide are showing improvement in digital learning, according to a recent report card released by Digital Learning Now!, a national initiative of the Foundation for Excellence in Education. The report card, which assesses states' kindergarten through grade 12 digital education policies awarded highest marks to Utah and Florida. Nevada, which improved to a B from a D, has worked to remove access restrictions for distance education.

State of America’s Libraries
Last month the American Library Association released its report on the 2014 State of America’s Libraries during National Library Week, April 13–19, detailing library trends of the past year. The full text of the report is available both on the ALA website and as an American Libraries digital supplement. Included in the report are trends associated with academic, public, and school libraries; ebooks and copyright issues; social networking; library construction; legislative issues; and intellectual freedom.

Report Finds 80 Percent of High School Students Graduate
High-school students in the U.S. are graduating in record numbers, with 80 percent of eligible students earning diplomas, according to Education Department statistics from 2012. Researchers predict the U.S. will have a 90 percent graduation rate by 2020. Top states--with graduation rates of 88 percent or 89 percent--include Iowa, Vermont, Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Texas.

New NAEP Test to Assess Real Life Problem-Solving Skills
Students nationwide will take part in a new test from the National Assessment of Educational Progress that will assess students' problem-solving skills using a platform developed in collaboration with video-game designers, according to a recent announcement. Results of a pilot of the test are slated for release in 2016. No date for rollout in the nation's schools has been announced.

Proposed Regulations for Teacher Training Expected This Summer
A proposed overhaul of regulations for teacher-training programs are expected to be released this summer by the U.S. Department of Education. The anticipated proposal, which will be open for public comment, comes as officials are anticipating the retirement of about 1.6 million teachers nationwide and amid concerns that new teachers are unprepared for the classroom. The regulations are expected to include a requirement that colleges receiving federal funds must track the performance of their alumni.

Vermont Librarians Win Standards Battle
School librarians in Vermont won a standards victory early this month when the Secretary of State’s Office approved Education Quality Standards that emphasize the essential role of school librarians and libraries in student success. Vermont School Library Association (VSLA) President Denise Wentz says that the original draft of the standards “excluded any mention of the word ‘library’ or ‘librarian.’” That omission triggered VSLA to swing into high advocacy gear, meeting with the Vermont secretary of education and the state board of education, launching a statewide postcard mailing drive, and attending all three hearings about the standards that were held across Vermont. Wentz says school librarians are thrilled “to have a ruling that keeps the library program in Vermont schools.” 
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Resources for School Librarians     
School Librarian Evaluation Tools in Essential Links

Spring often equals evaluation season for school librarians. As you complete your year and meet with administrators, AASL’s Essential Links can help. Links to rubrics for evaluating a school librarian and to job descriptions can be shared with your administrator to help ensure you get credit for library management and for your teaching and leadership roles. You can also use the links here to do an end-of-year self-assessment and get some ideas for where you might want to grow professionally. Check here to see the resources Essential Links can offer.

ALA President Barbara Stripling's Free Webinar Series Continues with 'STEAM in Libraries'
STEAM Learning, a framework for teaching across the multiple disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics, is the focus for the next webinar in Barbara Stripling’s “Libraries Change Lives” series. This free webinar will concentrate on introducing the STEAM philosophy into school and public libraries; highlighting its project-based learning and collaborative qualities. Mark your calendar for 1-2 p.m. Central time on Monday, May 19, 2014. Registration is mandatory and limited to the first 100 participants who arrive in the virtual room. Visit the Adobe Connect event page to sign up today: http://ala.adobeconnect.com/e18cq69oo50/event/registration.html.

Seven Questions for Librarians Considering Future Services
In this presentation, Lee Rainie, Director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project, runs through the seven questions libraries need to address as they consider future services and their role for their patrons and communities. Originally presented at the Texas Library Association’s Annual Conference, Rainie describes how project research about the changing role of technology in people’s lives affects the kinds of issues librarians need to address as they experience the disruptions of technology change.

Using Film to Improve Students’ Understanding of Literary Themes
Students love videos and movies, writes teacher Kevin Hodgson, so he uses them to enhance close-reading skills of the novels and nonfiction books studied in class. Using the website "What's the Big Idea?," Hodgson writes in this blog post that students watch clips from popular television shows and films that highlight a specific ethical dilemma--such as lying--to spur class discussions and essay topics. "The talks often lead into some interesting writing about character motivations and author's intent. As I teach synthesis across multiple 'texts,' these videos become another resource in my toolbox," he writes.

Helping Students Evaluate Online Resources
A recent survey of 770 seventh-grade students revealed more than 70 percent value content relevance over a website's credibility, writes Julie Coiro, associate professor of education at the University of Rhode Island. In this blog post, Coiro suggests four strategies for educators teaching students how to recognize high-quality online content--an essential part of online research, she notes. Among these, teachers should discuss dimensions such as relevance, accuracy, perspective and reliability of the resources, she writes.

How School Can Launch Successful STEAM Programs
Building successful STEAM programs--those that focus on science, technology, engineering, arts, and math--involves starting small and building upon existing lessons, said educators featured in this article. Other tips include focusing on training teachers and allowing flexibility within the program. "It takes a year of transitioning to the STEAM mindset and getting your staff to really gel as a team, to learn to talk to each other," STEAM consultant Georgette Yakman said.

Tips for Creating Solid Co-Teaching Relationships
Creating a good co-teaching relationship begins with agreeing on the learning goals for students, teacher Tom Morrill writes in this blog post. Morrill also offers tips to help co-teachers manage disagreements and guidance for providing support. "If co-teachers support each other in these ways, a teaching marriage can be greater than the sum of its parts," he writes.

How Time for Creative Thinking Helps Build Problem-Solving Skills
Creative activities, such as music-making and other art forms, support the development of problem-solving skills, asserts Charles Limb, an associate professor at John's Hopkins University. This blog post highlights some of Limb's research findings and their implications for creative arts in schools. "Very early on there's this need for the brain to be able to come up with something that it didn't know before, that's not being taught to it, but to find a way to figure something out that's creative," Limb said.

Digital Microstories Engage Students in Common Core Lessons
The transition to Common Core State Standards has brought a renewed focus on so-called close reading, and educators Michael Fisher and Danielle Hardt make the case for using "digital microstories" to engage students in literature. Such short stories can be as brief as 140 characters and are designed to engage students and teach them to make connections to words and visualizations "using a teacher- or student-selected web tool," Fisher and Hardt write.

How to Leverage the Interactive Power of Game-based Learning
The principles of game-based learning can help motivate students, suggests Jordan Shapiro, an author and Forbes columnist. In this blog post, Shapiro explains how teachers can implement "gamification" in their lessons. Ideas include using merit badges instead of grades and designing project-based lessons, where students must demonstrate mastery before moving to the next level. "Done well, gamifying the classroom encourages students to be motivated by the excitement of moving on to new challenges," he writes.   
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Awards & Grants     
Bammy Nominations Due May 15
Nominations for the Bammy Awards are being accepted until May 15. The Bammy Awards are a cross-discipline honor that identifies and acknowledges the extraordinary work being done across the entire education field every day. The Bammy Awards acknowledge that teachers can't do it alone and don't do it alone. The Awards aim to recognize the collaborative nature of education, to encourage respect in and across the various domains, to raise the profile and voices of the many undervalued and unrecognized people who are making a difference in the field, and to elevate educators, education, and the value of life-long learning in the public eye. AASL member Deven Black was named the 2013 Bammy Award recipient in the inaugural school librarian category.

Dollar General Literacy Foundation Youth Literacy Grants
Dollar General Literacy Foundation Youth Literacy Grants provide funding to help students who are below grade level or experiencing difficulty reading. Grant funding is provided to assist in implementing new or expanding existing literacy programs; purchasing new technology or equipment to support literacy initiatives; and purchasing books, materials, or software for literacy programs. Maximum award: $4,000. Eligibility: schools, public libraries, and nonprofit organizations. Deadline: May 22, 2014.

ASM Materials Education Foundation: Living in a Material World Grants
The ASM Materials Education Foundation "Living in a Material World" grants help teachers bring the real world of materials science into their classrooms and recognize teacher creativity. The purpose of these grants is to enhance awareness of materials science and the role that metals, glasses, ceramics, semiconductors, and polymers play in our modern world, and that material scientists play in society. Maximum award: $500. Eligibility: K-12 teachers. Deadline May 25, 2014.
 
Entertainment Software Association Grants for Youth Programs
The ESA Foundation is dedicated to supporting geographically diverse projects and programs that benefit American youth of all races and denominations and make a difference in the quality of their life, health, and welfare. The Foundation seeks to harness the collective power of the interactive entertainment industry to create positive social impact in our communities. Maximum award is $50,000. Eligibility: 501(c)(3) organizations with programs that serve youths ages 7-18. Deadline: May 28, 2014.

Captain Planet Foundation Ecotech Grants
The Captain Planet Foundation, in partnership with the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, is offering grants for the purpose of engaging children in inquiry-based projects in STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) using innovation, biomimicry/nature-based design, or new uses for technology to address environmental problems in their communities. Maximum award: $2,500. Eligibility: schools or non-profit organizations. Deadline: May 31, 2014.

Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation Grants for Youth with Disabilities
The Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation Grants program is dedicated to helping young Americans with disabilities maximize their potential and fully participate in society. The foundation supports organizations and projects within its mission that have broad scope and impact and demonstrate potential for replication at other sites. A major program emphasis is inclusion: enabling young people with disabilities to have full access to educational, vocational, and recreational opportunities, and to participate alongside their non-disabled peers. Maximum award: $90,000. Eligibility: 501(c)3 organizations. Deadline: June 1, 2014.

PTO Today Parent Group of the Year
PTO Today’s Parent Group of the Year Contest is an excellent opportunity to showcase your hard work while giving your school the chance to win cash and prizes. Maximum award includes $3,000, plus a free DIRECTV system for the school, installed in up to eight rooms. All parent groups (PTO, PTA, HSA, PTC); public and private schools; rural, suburban, and urban schools are eligible. Deadline is June 1, 2014.

National Weather Association Sol Hirsch Teacher Grants
National Weather Association Sol Hirsch Teacher Grants improve students' education in meteorology. Teachers selected will be able to use the funds to take an accredited course in atmospheric sciences, attend a relevant workshop or conference, or purchase scientific materials or equipment for the classroom. Maximum award: $750. Eligibility: K-12 teachers. Deadline: June 1, 2014.

MetLife/NASSP Breakthrough Schools
The National Association of Secondary School Principals and the MetLife Foundation are calling for entries in the search for the nation’s top Breakthrough Schools. Applicants should be high-achieving middle or high schools or schools that are making dramatic improvements in student achievement, whose best practices and outstanding results can inform other schools as they further their own improvement efforts. Maximum award: $5,000 recognition in the association's monthly magazine, Principal Leadership. Eligibility: high-achieving middle and high schools with 40 percent or more students eligible for free and reduced priced meals. Deadline: June 30, 2014.

NSTA New Science Teacher Academy
The NSTA New Science Teacher Academy Foundation is a professional development initiative created to promote quality science teaching, enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence, and improve teacher content knowledge. Maximum award includes program expenses. Middle or high school science teachers entering their second or third year of teaching, working a schedule with 51 percent of their classes in science are eligible. Deadline is July 1, 2014.

Dow Jones News Fund High School Journalism Teacher of the Year
The DJNF High School Journalism Teacher of the Year program identifies outstanding high school journalism teachers. Maximum award: a laptop computer; travel and lodging expenses and a per diem for substitute teacher fees for address and seminar; a quarterly column for the fund's newspaper, Adviser Update; and attendance at a seminar at the Poynter Institute for Media Studies in St. Petersburg, Fla. Eligibility: high school journalism teachers with at least three years' experience who have done exemplary work in the 2013-2014 academic year. Deadline: July 9, 2014.   
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Partnership News     
ASCD Launches New Framework for Schools and School Systems
ASCD has announced an innovative new teaching framework designed for schools and school systems worldwide to ensure that high-quality teaching and learning occurs in every classroom. The new teaching and learning framework, called FIT Teaching -- Framework for Intentional and Targeted Teaching™ -- is based on the work of Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey and provides teachers with the resources to ensure the success of every learner.   
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AASL Hotlist

















 
Member CurrentsAllison Fitzgerald earned her K-12 school librarian certification through the Texas Education Agency.

Heather Moorefield-Lang is now Assistant Professor for the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina.

Did you land a new job, attain a new degree or position, or change your name? Tell us about it! Through Member Currents, AASL will provide a forum for updates on its members. Types of updates include graduations, certifications earned, changes in job positions, retirements, name changes, and death notices.   

Changing Lives through Informal Learning
 
Flipping the Switch: Everyday Advocacy for Your School Library Program
 
Lives Change Though Collaboration (and so Does Professional Practice)

(Clicking these links will first prompt you to log in to the AASL website.)  


Plants and Trees and Leaves, Oh My!
 
Help! My Rights Have Been Violated!!
 
Shhh! We're Taking a Trip on the Underground Railroad!
 
Poetry and Artwork
 
Historical Figure Biographies Lesson 2: Creating the Voki      
AASL Calendar  
May8: Webinar: The Common Core and the Public Librarian: Reaching Patrons and Students

19: Webinar: STEAM in Libraries

21: Webinar: Repackaging Research -- Recipe for the Common Core      
Latest AASLblog posts:Let’s Get Together Thursdays – Online Community Collaboration
 
What to Read Wednesday – THE WARRIOR HEIR by Cinda Williams Chima
 
Monday Means Advocacy: Students
 
What to Read Wednesday – SHIVER by Maggie Stiefvater
 
Friday Find — The Nerdy Book Club
 
Let’s Get Together Thursdays – What “How About Writing a Persuasive Letter?” Led to …
 
Tuesday Tech Tips
 
Friday Finds — SLM Webinar Series
 
Let’s Get Together Thursdays – Saying “Yes, And…” Using Improv in Education
 
Tuesday Tech Tips
 
Monday Means Advocacy: Virtual Library Legislative Day
 
Ideas for Using AASL Best Websites: Blendspace
 
Let’s Get Together Thursday – Cultivating Collaboration
 
What to Read Wednesday – THE RIVER OF TIME SERIES by Lisa T. Bergren
 
Tuesday Tech Tips      
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