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Professional Toolkit Part A -
Professional Connections |
Online Interaction
I subscribed to the LM_NET listserv from Sept 10 th, 2005 to Oct 18 th, 2005. It is a listserv specifically for school media specialist professionals to exchange information on various topics. I saw a lot of requests for specific titles and for books on specific subjects (reader’s advisory). On a different slant, sometimes they would search for books of a specific reading level, lexile level, or interest level, especially when the two didn’t match up well. Books of interest to boys were often discussed.
I saw people asking for information on equipment like MP3 players, digital video cameras, globes, and laminators. People talked about different programming like Battle of the Books, Accelerated Reader and how to teach different library topics. My favorite AR quote is “AR is intended to be a guide, not a GOD…” Different software (both automation and for use with students) were discussed.
They asked about different research models and how they were used in other schools. Big 6 for different levels was discussed frequently.
Discussions about different holidays (like Constitution Day or Teen Read Week) during that time were discussed, along with activities to do for those days.
Many times people would be looking for resources (pathfinder web links) to use on different topics. Timely historical occurrences sparked discussion (like the Katrina flooding) and how to handle it with the students and teachers. Librarians who are nearer that area discussed how to handle issues like flood damage in the library.
Often librarians wanted to share forms for orientations, volunteer training, and policies. I saw some researchers come to the listserv seeking information on different topics like career opportunities for people with MLS degrees. It became a collaborative connection when librarians were searching for other schools to link with for cross-regional class projects (like evaluating other school websites with students or having student epals).
I also saw librarians asking for help about other professional activities like weeding tips and asking for reviews for book/AV selection. Some asked about different book fair vendor options. Someone promoted a conference they went to called the Scottish Learning Festival.
It seems like LM_NET is often used when librarians have something requested of them that they don’t know. People were job searching on that site as well. It seems like a great place to stick around so you can stay connected to current issues and trends in the school media specialist world. I like knowing that they are trying to help each other out so we can all be better at our jobs.
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Professional Pathfinder of Emily Morris
The required class link
- School Media Specialist
- Created by Dr. Larry Johnson and Dr. Annette Lamb as a part of Eduscapes.com
This page gives resources links to professional library organizations, journals, e-communications, books, websites, and much more!
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Links to 3 national organizations
- American Library Association
- Based in Chicago, Illinois
"The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 64,000 members. Its mission is to promote the highest quality library and information services and public access to information. ALA offers professional services and publications to members and nonmembers, including online news stories from American Libraries and analysis of crucial issues from the Washington Office."
- quoted from the ALA Home Page (linked above).
- American Association of School Librarians
- A division of the American Library Association
"The mission of the American Association of School Librarians is to advocate excellence, facilitate change, and develop leaders in the school library media field. AASL works to ensure that all members of the school library media field collaborate to: provide leadership in the total education program, participate as active partners in the teaching/learning process, connect learners with ideas and information, and prepare students for life-long learning, informed decision-making, a love ofreading, and the use of information technologies.
- quoted from AASL's Mission and Goals page.
- Online Public Library Center
- Based on Dublin, Ohio
"OCLCs objectives are to: establish, maintain and operate a computerized library network and to promote the evolution of library use, of libraries themselves and of librarianship, and to provide processes and products for the benefit of library users and libraries, including such objectives as increasing availability of library resources to individual library patrons and reducing the rate-of-rise of library per-unit costs, all for the fundamental public purpose of furthering ease of access to and use of the ever-expanding body of worldwide scientific, literary and educational knowledge and information."
--quoted from OCLC's Mission and Vision page
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Links to 2 state organizations
- Indiana Library Federation
- Based in Indianapolis, Indiana
"The Indiana Library Federation (ILF) is the largest professional organization for library and media center staff and supporters in Indiana. ILF keeps its members at the cutting-edge of their profession, offering critical continuing education opportunities as well as opportunities for library community leadership and important networking. In addition, ILF is devoted to promoting the health and well being of all libraries in Indiana. The organization sponsors effective legislative advocacy and public awareness programs on behalf of libraries statewide."
-- quoted from the ILF Home Page, linked above.
- Indiana Cooperative Library Services Authority (INCOLSA)
- Executive Director, Michael Piper ([email protected])
Based in Indianapolis, Indiana
"INCOLSA is the statewide network providing leadership in cooperative activities for Indiana libraries. Libraries promote economic vitality, quality of life, and lifelong learning. Through INCOLSA, more than 2,200 organizations in Indiana are working together to provide superior library services for the betterment of all Indiana citizens."
--quoted from INcOLSA's Home Page, linked above
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Links to 5 professional journals
- School Library Journal
- Published by Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc.
"SLJ serves librarians who work with young people in schools and public libraries. It gives indispensible information needed to integrate libraries into the school curriculum, become leaders in the area of technology, reading, and information literacy, and create high-quality collections for children and young adults."
- quote taken from SLJ.com's About us page.
- Teacher Librarian
- The Goldman Group
"T.L. is designed specificially for you, the library professional working with children and young adults. Within our pages you'll find lively and relevant articles exploring current issues such as collaboration, leadership, technology, advocacy, information literacy and management."
- quoted from TL's About Us page.
- Hornbook
- The Horn Book, Inc.
"The Horn Book Magazine and The Horn Book Guide are the most distinguished journals in the field of childrens and young adult literature."
- quoted from Hornbook's About Us page.
- School Library Media Research
- American Librarian Association, American Association of School Librarians
"School Library Media Research (ISSN: 1523-4320) is an official journal of the American Association of School Librarians. It is the successor to School Library Media Quarterly Online. The purpose of School Library Media Research is to promote and publish high quality original research concerning the management, implementation, and evaluation of school library media programs. The journal will also emphasize research on instructional theory, teaching methods, and critical issues relevant to school library media."
--quoted from SLMR's About SLMR page
- Library Talk
- From Linworth Publishing
"Filled with innovative ideas and informative articles, LIBRARY TALK is the publication you can depend on to assist you in handling the special challenges and needs of managing an elementary school library. Share helpful tips and successes in our Shoptalk section. Get solid management ideas and collaboration strategies in this "professional forum in print." And receive independent, critical reviews on fiction, non-fiction, professional reading, software, CD-ROMs, videos, and online resources. And, check out our Technology Connection section for the latest information on software, hardware and electronic resources!"
-- quoted from Library Talk's Home page (linked above).
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Links to 5 professional websites
- InfoSearcher
- Created by Pam Berger ([email protected]) , an educational technology/library consultant and trainer with over 20 years of library experience, is Publisher and Editor of Information Searcher and author of Internet for Active Learners (ALA Editions). This site is an online supplement to Information Searcher, a quarterly print newsletter for school librarians. The site provides professional articles on technology, information literacy, and more.
- Laura Bush Foundation for America's Libraries
- On this site, you can apply for a grant for your library. You can also read the current and archived newsletters from the foundation. (This source was found through AASL's Resource Guides for School Library Media Program Development)
- SUNLINK Weed of the Month Club
- This site helps you focus on a different section of your collection each month. It provides tips and helpful insights about the weeding process. (This source was found through AASL's Resource Guides for School Library Media Program Development)
- LION (Librarians Information Online Network)
- This site is a list of links that would be of interest to K-12 librarians. Some of the links include: calendar of events, cataloging resources, lesson plans and teaching activities for librarians, LM_NET, organizations of interest, school libraries on the web, and school and library related vendors. (This source was found in Administering the School Library Media Center by Betty J. Morris)
- The Children's Literature Web Guide
- Put together by David K. Brown from the Doucette Library of Teaching Resources, this site has information on authors, journals and book reviews, recommended books, readers' theatre, resources for teachers, parents, storytellers, writers and illustrators, research guides, children's literature organizations, children's publishers and booksellers, and more.
(This source was found by clicking on a link from Children's Book Awards)
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Links to 3 quality school media center websites that you can use as a model for your own
(These websites were evaluated and nominated for the LITEhouse Award through IUPUI Fall 2005 semester of L571-Information Architecture for the Web with Dr. Larry Johnson.)
- Chariho Middle School Library Media Center
- This is a good example of how to use tables and horizontal lines effectively. The font sizes and styles are easy to read. The colors are attractive and not distracting. The same goes for the graphics. I like the use of effective labeling to let users know what is under each column. The columns are geared towards different audiences or functions. The second half of the website has different “approved” internet search engines, image search, sound search and kid friendly searchers. Contact information and website currency information is at the bottom of the page, along with a graphic promoting the website’s quality.
- Westminster School Library
- This website uses layout very effectively. The colors help to contrast the different sections of the page. I like the logo border on the top. I also like how the table of content links are on the top of the page and also on the left side. The image of the girl doing a handstand on the front page is certainly eye-catching. The white font is a good color contrast to the blue background. Information about contact and website currency is on the bottom of the page.
- International School of Caracas
- This website also uses color effectively to layout the page. I like the border at the top and the yellow menu that is not quite on the far left of the screen. It is very simplistic in design from the entry page, but it serves its purpose. The other pages present a resource of pathfinder links on different topics. This site is a good example of how to use different text fonts effectively for headings, paragraphs, etc.
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Links to 5 notable people
- David Loertscher
- This person is notable because he has done research regarding school libraries. He has written books and articles, including The Information Literacy Movement of the School Library Media Field: A Preliminary Summary of the Research
http://witloof.sjsu.edu/courses/250.loertscher/modelloer.html and Indiana Learns (excerpts at http://www.indianalearns.org/introduction.asp.) He is a professor at San Jose University in the School of Library and Information Science.
- Keith Curry Lance
- This person is notable because of his research into the impact of school libraries on student achievement. He is the Director of Library Research Service, which is a unit of the Colorado State Library and the Colorado Department of Education, in cooperation with University of Denver. LSR provides statistics about libraries to professionals. He also teaches in Library and Information Science department at University of Denver. (This information was found through the Fall 2005 AIME Conference.)
- Carol Collier Kuhlthau
- I've heard about this notable person before this class. She is mentioned often in the area of information inquiry. She developed her own inquiry model called Information Search Process (ISP) that involves not only the learning process but exploring the feelings involved in each inquiry step. Here's Kuhlthau's professional information and email address: [email protected].
- Daniel Callison
- Not only is this guy the Dean of the School of Library and Information Services at IUPUI, he's got many other creditials as well! Here's Callison's professional information via IUPUI's website. His email address is [email protected]. He edits School Library Media Research and writes a monthly column for School Library Media Activities Monthly concerning "key terms in instruction."
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- Gary Hartzell
- This person is notable for many things, some of them being his research on schools as workplaces for adults and workplace relationships. He is the author of Building Influence for the School Librarian. He regularly speaks about librarian-teacher relationships and writes a monthly column for School Library Journal. (This information was found through the Fall 2005 AIME Conference.)
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Links to key selection tools
- ALSC's Children's Notable Lists
- This page is going to give you current and past listings of notable children’s books, recordings, videos, and software. You can either use the lists links mid-way down the page or on the left menu bar. (This source found through the ALSC website.)
- Coretta Scott King Award Winners
- This site lists the current Coretta Scott King award winners and there are links to past winners as well. There are book cover images as well.
(Source found through the ALA website.)
- YALSA's Booklists and Book Awards
- This website has links to the following young adult book awards: Alex, Best Books for Young Adults, Great Graphic Novels for Teens, Maragaret A. Edwards, Michael L. Printz, Outstanding Books for the College Bound, Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults, Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, audiobooks, DVD’s and videos, and Teen’s Top 10.
- Children's Book Awards
- This page gives links to Coretta Scott King, Newbery and Caldecott Award information. (This source was found through ALSC's website.)
- Children's Book Awards and Other Literary Prizes
- This site gives links to adult book awards, as well as awards for children. Not only do the awards cover fiction, but there is another set of links to cover awards for: audio/visual materials, lifetime achievement, historical fiction, internatioanlly published books, magazines, multicultural books, mysteries, nonfiction, poetry, reference books, science, science fiction, fantasy, horror, social studies, folklore, "best lists," best sellers, and state awards. (This source was found through searching the Yahoo! search engine with the keyword "children's book awards.")
- Children's Book Awards
- This site calls itself "The most comprehensive guide to English-language children's book awards on the Internet." Put together by David K. Brown in 1997 as part of The Children's Literature Web Guide, this set of links are categorized as follows: international awards, Canadian awards, United States awards, British awards, Australian awards, New Zealand awards, Children's Choice awards, Best Books of the Year awards, and other award sites.
(This source was found by searching the Yahoo! search engine with the keyword "children's book awards.")
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Links to essential position statements that guide your program (i.e. ALA right to read)
- ALA Bill of Rights
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- ALA Code of Ethics
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- ALA Freedom to Read
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- ALA Freedom to View
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- ALA Policy on the Confidentiality of Library Records
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- ALA Access to Recourses and Services in the School Library Media Program
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- ALA Core Values Task Force II Report
- (This source was cited through ALA's Information Power: Building Partnerships for Learning.)
- AASL's Position Statement on the Value of Library Media Programs in Education
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- AASL's Position Statement on the Role of the School Library Media Program
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Links to sample policy documents that reflect your mission (i.e. sample collection development, selection criteria, reconsideration policy)
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Links to key online vendors you would use for purchasing materials, furnishings, equipment, and library and promotion supplies
(Information gained from Fall 2005 AIME Conference vendor fair)
Publishing (print and/or A/V)
Furniture
Software / Databases
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Conference Participation
I attended the Monday session of the Fall 2005 AIME Conference.
I love this book!
First I attended a session called "I love this book!" with Betsy Cartwright from Yorktown High School and Reta Heinkel from Blackford County Middle School. It was planned to be a 2-hour session, but I only stayed for one hour so I could take part in another topic in the following hour. The ladies were facilitating a discussion on the audience's favorite book titles and authors, gravitating more towards adult books and authors. There was a small speech in the beginning about how we should not be part of the "clean plate club" when it comes to deciding whether we like a book or not. Making and using a book journal to keep records of what you like, don't like and didn't finish was discussed. I did not like the unstructured format because it was hard to hear and write down information at the speed at which it was being delivered. I also did not like that adult books were focused on because I happen to enjoy reading juvenile fiction and non-fiction for my own pleasure.
Technology and the Young Child
At 9 AM, I attended a session called "Technology and the Young Child," presented by Karen Wells from Lost Creek Elementary School with Nancy Carter (who didn't attend because of illness.) The purpose of this presentation was to share what children at Lost Creek Elementary have been able to accomplish with technology. Karen shared two main projects. The first, "Biographies Alive!," focused on children using Kidspiration to create plans and webs to organize their thoughts and writing. They used the Hyper Studio to create drawings and animate them. They used their multimedia projects as a presentation tool to talk about the biography they read and the autobiography they wrote about themselves.
The classroom teacher, Nancy Carter, collaborated with Karen Wells, the media specialist, on this project. Nancy would work on preparing the class for technology in 4 ways:
- Dictation - handwritten / proofreading & editing
- Keyboarding skills - dictation exercises would go into Microsoft Word, teacher modeling w/ computer and projector, teach TYPE TO LEARN software
- Expansion - work on punctuation, spelling lists, sentences and paragraphs on word processing software
- Experimental time - use Kidspiration software (web, graphics, text, templates, draw, write sentences)
The second discussed project was called "A Class with Some Class." It involved the class of students creating a Hyper Studio page incorporating a typed poem written by each student, vocal recording of the poem by each student, and a 2-shot digital photo animation of the student. The students used this technology as a presentation tool after learning about different patterns of poetry and writing poetry about themselves. This project was shown at a media fair and won for the 2nd grade level.
Other ideas that Karen discussed for uses of technology included:
- Use Kidpix or Hyper Studio to draw a picture and write a sentence.
- Use Kidspiration to make webs or graph items (templates).
- Play "I Spy" with a digital camera and make a book.
- Make Christmas ornaments with digital pictures and cutouts from the Ellison machine.
- Create a scene with digital pictures.
- Go wild with other ideas, but PLAN!
Karen Wells can be reached at [email protected] and Nancy Carter can be reached at [email protected].
Keynote Speaker - Keith Curry Lance
Dr. Lance spoke about the past of researching the impact of school libraries on student achievement as well as the future plans to study Indiana school libraries. The past of this research started in the 1950's to the 1980's where experimental research was conducted. Results concluded that test scores went up if:
- the librarian acted as a teacher, co-teacher or tutor
- collections were actively developed, technology was present and there was interlibrary cooperation
- there was a qualified library staff, budgets in place and support from the teachers and administration.
In 1992/3, the first Colorado study occured on statistical analysis. The "School Match" study was mentioned. It had to do with a study that was broadcast on National Public Radio that said the biggest factor in student achievement in schools had to do with "how much you spend on school libraries." Dr. Lance didn't see any proof of this study's results until many years later.
The present of the research is that 14 states' libraries have been studied since 2000. This includes over 8,700 schools and over 2.6 million students.
Dr. Lance mentioned Information Power, that lovely book that so much of the IUPUI SLIS program is based upon, and its 3 themes: collaboration, leadership and technology. He mentioned the trend in schools moving from standardized tests to standards-based tests. This has to do with measuring how well the students have learned the material versus only measuring how well the students perform against other schools.
Dr. Lance said several factors were important in school libraries making a difference. Technology in the schools (and the school library) is very important. Computers need to be available with the library catalog, Internet access and World Wide Web capabilities. Having a good library staff is imperative. There must be at least one media specialist with a bachelor's/master's degree in library science, teacher certification / experience and other library endorsements. There also must be a trained library support staff so the media specialist can do her job. Librarians should be teaching collaboratively with the classroom teachers. This includes planning, teaching classroom content and/or information literacy skills to students, as well as in-service training for teachers. Librarians should be pursing information access and delivery by developing great collections. They also should be point classroom teachers to print and electronic resources they can use. Librarians should make sure there are licensed databases for the students to use as well. They also should be motivating students to read. Lastly, librarians are also program administrators. They should be meeting with the administration, attending faculty meetings, serving on committees and meeting with other professional library peers. The library's hours of operation can affect students positively as well. The big push was for flexible scheduling.
Dr. Lance then went into a discussion about possible other factors that could contribute or harm a school's test scores. In the end, research concluded that poverty is the main factor that causes harm. (It's a money thing.) A secondary factor is school library development. Dr. Lance said that the small percentage impact school libraries make should be used to the students' advantage as much as possible.
Dr. Lance made some recommendations for things we school librarians should do. First, we should collect and share meaningful library statistics annually. Second, record and share our library success stories. Next, respond to appeals from researchers (especially grad students like me). Lastly, we should pursue "action research" projects ourselves. He said "action research" is a fancy way of saying "self assessment."
Now that I have the degree, what do I do?
This session was led by Cathi Godfrey from Jay County High School. Through a handout, she gave us a list of 13 things we should do as new school media specialists.
- Don't change anything - Find out how things work first. Also, change upsets the faculty.
- Drop everything that you are doing and work with students when they come in. - People are your first priority.
- Make friends - Don't hide in the library cave. Eat lunch with faculty. Socialize. Make connections.
- Become familiar with the standards in each department. - Review them a lot. They change. Initiate contact with teachers with ways library can meet standards needs.
- Do research. - Find out how standards relate to learning. Find out what's available.
- Suggest collaborative teaching strategies. - If you don't, you'll be obsolete.
- Offer gifts - Cathi used bookstore money (a designated fundraiser income) to buy "teacher wish list" A/V materials for the library (and food on occasion is always enjoyed.)
- Become familiar with your collection. - Shelf your own books on occasion.
- Serve on school committees. - Make connections. Represent the library. Use your voice.
- Go to school activities. - Be approachable to your students, parents, and other staff.
- Talk to your fellow teachers.
- Talk to your fellow school librarians.
- Have a fund raiser to provide extra items. - Book fairs are a popular idea.
District 4 Meeting
In this short meeting, I learned that AIME has ways to help school librarians advocate for their jobs. AIME and ILF conferences may be merged together. Also, a social at the Ayers Tea Room is planned for March
Big 6 Turbo Tools
In this vendor presentation, I learned about a software program that packages the Big6 inquiry model into an easy format for students, teachers, parents and librarians to use. The salesperson (for that's what he was) pushed that it was all about "problem solving," and told cute little stories about kindergarteners solving a dilemna about where to go on a family vacation. We were given a brief tour of the software itself, showing off some of the features. Supposedly, you can be guided easily through the six steps of the model, and then you can print or email your input to your teacher. There is email support from the company, as well as interactive help, free updates and access to web resources. Training is offered, but it is not free. Pricing is $395 per year for elementary schools (with a recommeded starting at 3rd grade) and $995 per year for middle and high school. For more information, you can go to www.big6turbotools.com.
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