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Is it Time to Teach our Students to Disconnect?
May 31, 2011 (0 Comments)
Posted by: ASLCLast night a few of us from the ASLC were fortunate enough to see Sherry Turkle author of Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. I must confess that I have not read the book yet. I was originally put off by the title but the research and findings she presented last night make it a must read for educators and parents.
She spent a lot of time talking the impact that being constantly tethered to the internet is having on families, schooling and identity. The generation we are teaching has grown up in a world of distraction. They rarely experience a phone call where the other person has given them their full attention. This made me said but as I watch the students interacting here in high school, I see what she is saying. Rarely are kids speaking to one another without texting, looking at their messages or listening with one earbud in. She even spoke about some complaining that their parents never really give them their full attention---they too are interupting family time by reading emails, texting or connecting to the internet on their mobile device.
She also worries about privacy and how little privacy people actually have now with social networking sites. A consequence of social networking has been the dialing down of human contact. Many told her that they would rather text or email because it is easier to deal with people this way.
Please feel free to browse the notes (more notes) we took during the session. I know after seeing her speak, I am going to read her book. I also know that the next time I am at the park playing with my daughter I will think twice about responding immediately to the beep that lets me know I have received a text message!
You can see more of presentation here on TedTalks
Call for Proposals for Connecting Globally Conference
May 27, 2011 (0 Comments)
Posted by: ASLC
It is a pleasure to announce our Joint Provincial Conference, October 14th – 16th. This year’s theme is “Connecting Globally” – celebrating our ever-shrinking world, the power of global connections and the need for empathy.
We are looking for inspiring presenters who are committed to providing thought-provoking professional learning for teachers and teacher-librarians across a wide range of grade levels! One of the conference goal’s is to showcase the powerful fusion of social studies, educational technology and school libraries.
If you are interested in being a presenter, please complete the Speaker Proposal Submission Form on the Connecting Globally Site by May 30th, 2011.
The program consists of Five Strands:
1. Global Issues/Citizenship - global empathy, responsible, active & digital citizenship, environmental stewardship, economics & resources
2. Geographic and Historical Thinking/ Literacy
3. Outcome –based Technology Instruction – Media Literacy, Web 2.0 Applications
4. Inquiry and Critical Thinking -big idea questions, refining searches, online graphic organizers, presentation tools, decision making & problem solving
5. Inclusion and Diversity in the Social Studies Classroom – support for K & E and special needs inclusion
Teacher-Librarians Needed
May 25, 2011 (0 Comments)
Posted by: ASLCRecently there has been serious media coverage concerning school libraries in Canada. Below are links to these articles. There was also a segment on the CBC National News on Tuesday, May 17. CASL President Linda Shantz-Keresztes was interviewed for some of the articles. For the Globe and Mail article, Dianne Oberg of the University of Alberta was interviewed. The text after the links was written by Kelly Dilorio of the Niagara Region in Ontario. Teacher- librarians across Canada should be aware of these articles and may want to share these articles with their administration.
Toronto Star:
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/education/article/991716--libraries-shelved-as-school-boards-look-for-cutbacks
The Globe and Mail:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/digital-culture/social-networking/librarians-fight-for-a-role-in-a-digital-world/article2023169/
CBC
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/story/2011/05/12/wdr-catholic-board-library-closures.html
The Windsor Star:
http://www.windsorstar.com/news/Libraries+learning/4761773/story.html
Hamilton Spectator:
http://www.thespec.com/news/ontario/article/532674--libraries-shelved-as-school-boards-cut-back
The Ottawa Citizen
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/High-school-libraries-enter-21st-century/4786009/story.html
A strong school library program includes four components: collaboration with teaching staff (e.g. co-planning, co-teaching units or research assignments, support for teaching research and literacy) building reading literacy (e.g. running book clubs, assisting students in making reading selections, supporting staff with resources such as mentor texts for literacy instruction) enhancing learning through the use of technology (e.g. knowing the latest in technologies, providing support for those who are a little less hesitant to use technology such as SMART Boards, using wikis and blogs to encourage responses to reading) teaching research and information skills (e.g. making students aware of the appropriate and safe use of technology, digital citizenship, effective search strategies - not going directly to Google for answers, for example)
MOST IMPORTANTLY:
The move from Library to Learning Commons is an attempt to make libraries more current and effective in order to meet the needs of our 21st century learners. This includes expanding the formats to our offerings - eBooks, streaming video, links to research sites through our library webpages, access to a digital library catalog, audiobooks, and using portable technologies such as Netbooks to seek out information. A Learning Commons has both a physical presence (the books on the shelves) and a virtual presence (our library webpages, eBooks, for example) - a library is not just a place where we have books on shelves any more. It's a much more inclusive and differentiated environment that appeals to ALL learners!
Graduate of TLDL program from University wins award in B.C.
May 23, 2011 (0 Comments)
Posted by: ASLC"Teacher-librarian Nicola Kuhn is the recipient of the 2011 B.C. New Teacher-Librarian of the Year Award by the B.C. Teacher-Librarian Association (BCTLA)." says the Rossland News. Read the article to find out how Ms. Khun is 'an inspiration to others'.
Congratulations, Nicola!
Get a Teducation Today!!
May 02, 2011 (0 Comments)
Posted by: ASLCAndy Woodworth at Agnostic, Maybe rounds up 5 TED Talks Librarians Should Watch (and Why). In this must read post, Woodworth reviews each of the five recommended talks from the well-known TEDTalks video site. Here is the list:
Ken Robinson – Schools Kill Creativity (20m)
William Kamkwamba: How I Harnessed the Wind (6m)
Malcolm Gladwell – What We Can Learn from Spaghetti Sauce (19m)
Mark Bezos – A Life Lesson from a Volunteer Firefighter (5m)
JR – Use Art To Turn the World Inside Out (25m)
News
Judith Sykes publishes new book on Action Research
Conducting Action Research to Evaluate Your School Library
http://www.abc-clio.com/product.aspx?isbn=9781610690775
How should teacher librarians or instructional leaders engage in action research to improve their school library and benefit students' learning? This book provides the answers.Teacher librarians need to get directly involved with the research process in the learning commons in order to create actions and strategies that will enhance student learning—and benefit their own professional development as well as demonstrate accountability through their action research efforts. This book provides practical tips and work spaces for educators at the local, state, and national levels, clearly modeling and explaining the process and the tools for conducting action research in a school library setting that will identify the program's strengths and weaknesses. The author coalesces current expert opinions on the topic of action research in the school library environment and highlighting what other teacher librarians in the field have identified as the pros and cons of using the process. Readers are directed to focus on mitigating the "cons" through the use of specific working pages and templates and by initially exploring "five favorite" links, thereby encouraging those who are new to action research to try what might otherwise seem a daunting process. School principals K–12 who read this book will be better equipped to support their teacher librarians and teachers in this important professional process.
Highlights
• Supplies invaluable insights from experts and practitioners on the subject of action research
• Provides a clear model of the process in action
• Directs readers to additional resources that facilitate effective action research and timely topics for school library research, such as time management and technology in learning
ThingLink and Rosen Digital Launch Interactive Image Contest for K-12 Students
Students create digital projects with images, music, videos, and websites to win an iPad Mini or annual subscription to one of Rosen Digital's online databases
New York (Feb 27, 2013) -- Help your students harness their creative energies while putting their 21st-century skills to use with a new contest from ThingLink and Rosen Digital. Students in grades K-12 can create Interactive ThingLink images, providing the opportunity to explore their interests and passions, connect multiple resources into a cohesive presentation, and share their projects with a large community. Visit ThingLinkContest.com for more information.
ThingLink allows students to connect audio, video, images, websites, and text into one interactive image presentation. Projects deepen learning as students delve into content through research to present knowledge and ideas as they learn while practicing digital literacy skills of image creation and selection, content curation, tagging, and sharing.
"ThingLink is o ne of my favorite and most frequently used tools because it supports active student participation and requires users to construct ideas as they create," says Susan Oxnevad, Instructional Technology Facilitator and educator for 26 years. "The tool can be very useful for designing and implementing the types of deep learning experiences required by the Common Core and it is also an effective way to help students develop digital literacy skills. ThingLink is fun, flexible, and intuitive!"
Eligibility: All students K-12 are eligible to enter. Teachers and parents may enter an image on a student's behalf.
Submission Deadline: Images may be submitted through May 1, 2013. Enter images at ThingLinkContest.com.
Winners will be announced on May 15, 2013.
Categories: There are 10 categories:
My Favorite Books or Authors
Science -- Think Like a Scientist!
Health & Well-being -- You, Your Family, Your Friends
Environment -- The World Around Us
Community -- Volunteering & Making a Difference
Money Smarts -- Earning, Saving, Spending
Art & Music -- Express Yourself!
Sports -- Game On!
History & Social Studies -- From Yesterday to Today
Animals -- Furry, Friendly, & Fierce
Students can enter as many images as they like. All entries are viewable on ThingLink.com.
Voting: Friends and family can vote on their favorite images by using a "touch" icon on a ThingLink image. The most "touches" counts for a portion of the score. A team of educational advisors will review entries and determine winners.
Prizes: One iPad Mini will be awarded to the top winner in each category. The winning school in each category will also receive one Rosen database subscription for a year (Teen Health & Wellness, Digital Literacy, Financial Literacy, or the PowerKnowledge Science Suite). Certificates will be awarded to second and third place winners in each category.
For more information: Write to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Sign up for a free account at ThingLink.com.
