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POuRiNG THROuGH fABLES & HiSTORY: AN iNTERViEW WiTH cANDAcE fLEMiNG

june 2011

Learning Commons Come to Life

8 15 21
THE JoUrNEy From lIBrary mEDIa CENTEr To lEarNING CommoNS NEW DESIGN CoNSIDEraTIoNS THaT TraNSForm THE lIBrary INTo aN INDISPENSIBlE lEarNING ENvIroNmENT INFoHIoS 21ST CENTUry lEarNING CommoNS: TraNSFormING HoW EDUCaTorS USE aND THINk aBoUT SCHool lIBrarIES

27 31

GENEraTIoN lINkED NSlPy WINNErS For 2011: lEaDErSHIP rEIGNS!

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Professional Book Review of the Week Major Documents you will need Learning Commons News Professional Development Section The new site has RSS feed, so sign up to receive updates directly to your computer. You can also share articles and gain access to the digital version of the magazine.

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Joyce Valenza challenges readers to rethink the rules and the roles of contemporary teacher librarians Newsvine YouTube SlideShare LinkedIn Google Google Talk in her extraordinary piece Manifesto for 21st Century Teacher Librarians. Originally published in her Tag Team Tech online column for our sister publication VOYA magazine (www.voya.com), the Manifesto generated record-breaking views and comments on the VOYA website. While it has been reprinted many times in many places, we want to ensure that TL readers see it, enjoy it, and work to implement it.

DIGITAL Tl Google Yahoo

A digital edition of Teacher Librarian is available online! What is available is an exact replica of the print version, but it is fully searchable and comes with many other useful capabilities. Users can bookmark, read, and email articles or reviews, download or print articles, and much more. The service is currently free to everyone. However, you will need to register to receive it. Back issuesall of 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2010are available. Visit the TL web site www.teacherlibrarian.com for details. We will continue to add archives and new content so do not stay away too long!

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TLs Web Wonders columnist Joanne Troutner scours the Web for the best in online resources. She provides a monthly recommendation for teacher-librariansonly at www.teacherlibrarian.com.

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Volume 38 Number 5 June 2011

cONT
FEaTUrES

8 15 21 27 31 34 40

THE JoUrNEy From lIBrary mEDIa CENTEr To lEarNING CommoNS

Linda M. Waskow recounts her journey transforming the Beaufort (SC) Elementary School media center into a lively and inviting Learning Commons and she shows that vison, creativity, initiative, and resourcefulness are woth their weight in gold. The article is supplemented Scrounging tips from the editors.

NEW DESIGN CoNSIDEraTIoNS THaT TraNSForm THE lIBrary INTo aN INDISPENSIBlE lEarNING ENvIroNmENT
Ann M. Martin, Douglas D. Westmoreland, and Angie Branyon describe a more formal transformation of their high school library into a vibrant Learning Commons. Readers will see why Henrico School District was selected as one of the AASL National School Library Programs of the Year.

INFoHIoS 21ST CENTUry lEarNING CommoNS: TraNSFormING HoW EDUCaTorS USE aND THINk aBoUT SCHool lIBrarIES
Jennifer C. Schwelik and Theresa M. Fredericka describe how INFOhio created an online professional development environment for K-12 educators: The 21st Century Learning Commons. It is an amazing program from a state that continues to lead the profession.

GENEraTIoN lINkED
Michelle Cook (language arts teacher) and Cynthia Cassidy (media specialist) report on their fascinating and extremely successful collaboration on a technology-infused multimedia project in language arts and history. This is collaboration, teaching, and learning at its best.

NSlPy WINNErS For 2011: lEaDErSHIP rEIGNS!

Elizabeth Betty Marcoux profiles the three winners of the National School Library Program of the Year award, citing leadership as the common trait.

TIPS & TaCTICS: a GolD STar ExPErIENCE: FIrST GraDE aCTIvITy PlaNTS maNy SEEDS
Leslie Cataldo Savage offers a new take on an old classroom activity: planting seeds and watching them grow. Through collaboration with the classroom teacher, use of the library, and a good dose of technology tools, she planted some very important seeds in the minds of her first grade multimedia producers.

SUmmEr rEaDING
David Loertscher strongly suggests three sources of summer reading for professional development, each very different, each challenging.

WWW.TEaCHErlIBrarIaN.Com

ENTS
BESTBUYS BESTBUYS
36 42 46

aDvISoryBOARD
Susan D. Ballard Londonderry School District, NH Sballard@londonderry.org Gail Bush National-Louis University, Chicago, IL gail.bush@nl.edu connie champlin Library Consultant cchamp@iquest.net Rosemary chance Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX rxc001@shsu.edu Bill Derry billderry@optonline.net Ray Doiron University of Prince Edward Island, PEI raydoiron@upei.ca Jean Donham University of Northern Iowa jean.donham@uni.edu Rose Dotten University of Toronto Schools, Toronto, ON Michele farquharson Kerrisdale Elementary School, Vancouver, BC mfarquhars@vsb.bc.ca carrie Gardner Kutztown University, PA carrie.gardner@gmail.com Sara Kelly Johns Lake Placid Middle/Senior High School, NY johns@northnet.org Doug Johnson Mankato Area Public Schools, MN djohns1@isd77.k12.mn.us Liz Kerr Ontario Library Association, Toronto, CA lkerr@accessola.com Erlene Bishop Killeen Stoughton Area School District, WI erlene.killeen@stoughton.k12.wi.us Marcia Mardis Florida State University, FL mmardis@fsu.edu Joy McGregor Charles Sturt University, Australia joymal@bigpond.net.au Jo Ellen Misakian Fresno Pacific University, CA jmisakian@fresno.edu Betty Morris Jacksonville State University, AL bmorris@jsu.edu Barbara Weathers Duchesne Academy, Houston, TX Barbara.Weathers@duchesne.org Nancy Zimmerman University of South Carolina, Columbus, SC npz@gwm.sc.edu Feature articles are blind refereed by members of the Advisory Board. Guidelines for authors available online at: JUNE 2011 5 www.teacherlibrarian.com

DEParTmENTS
6 38 49 50

Poster: Survive! Web Wonders Joanne troutner Cool Tools for the Summer and more Professional reading David V. Loertscher resources for the Teacher librarian

Notebook David V. Loertscher and Elizabeth Betty Marcoux Progress What Works David V. Loertscher Enabled, Engaged, Empowered Personal Computing Reid Goldsborough Free vs. Fee in the Digital age author Portrait Julie Prince Pouring Through Fables & History: an Interview with Candace Fleming

Bookmarkit Bookmarkit
11 ya Fiction Kathleen Odean 13 Picture Books John Peters 17 18
Graphic Novels Joe Sutliff Sanders Best New Software Joanne troutner

54 56 59

Primary voices Erlene Bishop Killeen The Winds of Change From the Brain Trust Teacher librarians are Education: Thoughts from valerie Diggs InfoTech Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson Stop PowerPoint Paranoia: Thinking Differently about Presentation Projects

20 Junior Nonfiction
Sara Catherine Howard

30 ya Fiction Kathleen Odean 39 Picture Books John Peters 48 Junior Nonfiction

Sara Catherine Howard

66 67 69 70 71 71

School library Tech Ideas Elizabeth Betty Marcoux Technology and yoU advocacy Sue Kowalski reach out, make Connections, Thrive and Furthermore the Editors Information you Can Use Coming in october our Columnists advertiser Index

55 Graphic Novels Joe Sutliff Sanders 57 Web Sites Suzanne Myers Harold 68 Web Sites Suzanne Myers Harold

NoTE Book

is committed to collaborative partnerships for improved student learning through thought-provoking and challenging feature articles, strategies for effective advocacy, regular review columns, and critical analyses of management and programming issues.

founder Ken Haycock Publisher Edward Kurdyla coeditor David Loertscher coeditor Elizabeth Betty Marcoux Managing Editor Corinne O. Burton editor@teacherlibrarian.com cOLuMNiSTS Rachelle Lasky Bilz, Reid Goldsborough, Suzanne Myers Harold, Sara Catherine Howard, Larry Johnson, Erlene Killeen, Annette Lamb, David Loertscher, Elizabeth Betty Marcoux, Kathleen Odean, John Peters, Julie Prince, Joe Sutliff Sanders, Joanne Troutner, Betty Winslow EDiTORiAL OfficES TEAcHER LiBRARiAN The Journal for School Library Professionals Box 958 Bowie, MD 20718-0958 Phone: 301-805-2191 fax: 301-805-2192 E-mail: editor@teacherlibrarian.com Subscription e-mail: subscriptions@teacherlibrarian.com Web site: www.teacherlibrarian.com ADVERTiSiNG REPRESENTATiVE The YGS Group, 3650 West Market Street York, PA 17404 717.505.9701 E-mail: info@theygsgroup.com DESiGN AND LAYOuT Enterline Design Services, LLC www.enterlinedesign.com PERMiSSiONS Requests to reproduce items beyond a single copy require permission from the publisher. Send requests to: publisher@teacherlibrarian.com. SuBScRiPTiONS $56 per year. Bulk rates to one address available. Subscriptions, Teacher Librarian Box 958 Bowie, MD 20718-0958 Phone: 301.805.2191 Fax: 301.805.2192 Subscription inquiries e-mail: editor@teacherlibrarian.com Or subscribe online at: www.teacherlibrarian.com Teacher Librarian is owned by E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC. U.S. POSTMASTER: Teacher Librarian (ISSN 14811782 USPS #9-407) (Publications Mail Registration Number 40028609) is published bimonthly except July/August for $56.00 per year by E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC, Box 958, Bowie, MD 20718-0958. Periodicals postage paid at Bowie, MD, and at additional mailing offices. ADDRESS CORRECTIONS: Send address corrections (covers only) to Subscriptions, Teacher Librarian, Box 958, Bowie, MD 20718-0958.

Progress
David loertscher and Elizabeth Betty marcoux

t Teacher Librarian, we as editors and publisher, continue to discuss the role traditional print publications vis a vis electronic publications in the second decade of the 21st Century.
As featured in the April issue, we now offer a digital edition of the journal. In this issue we have included, for the first time, some articles that are larger in scope than the text printed in the article. That is, to enjoy the entire thinking and impact of the article, we are now directing the reader to multimedia spaces beyond the print edition. The article might lead you to a full printed document or to a range of multimedia supplements. This issue is all about ideas for making your school more visible, important, useful and vital. Take these ideas and customize them to fit your situation. For example, the lead article in this issue by Linda Waskow is actually a tour of the development of her elementary learning commons. Waskow gives you ideas about transforming your library. So, at various points in the article, you are directed to a picture, or a video, or a presentation so that you can appreciate what Linda began with, how it developed, and what it is like at the present time. We would appreciate your feedback on our multimedia extensions, whether you are reading the print version, the current digital version on our website, or downloading a particular article from a database. We think it will enhance what authors want to say and demonstrate to our readers. We are eager to have you contribute ideas to make this publication a richer experience. As our regular readers have discovered, we try to include in each issue of Teacher Librarian an article or two on the progress of transforming the school library and the computer laboratory into a learning commons. In addition, we are excited to announce the 16th Treasure Mountain Research Retreat will be held Oct. 26-27 from noon to noon at the Osseo School District, a suburb of Minneapolis, MN. This will happen just prior to the AASL national conference in Minneapolis. The theme for this 16th retreat is Knowledge Building in the Learning Commons. If you would like more information on this

All rights reserved. No part of this journal may be reproduced without written permission. Not responsible for unsolicited editorial material. Copyright 2011 by E L Kurdyla Publishing, LLC.
MEMBER 2001-02

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meeting of researchers and practitioners in the field, email David Loertscher at reader. david@gmail.com and he will invite you to a Google Group where all kinds of information about the Learnference will be given. This gathering is termed a learnference because it has already begun with a webinar that can be watched any time and it will continue for a year with various events. For those who cannot attend, some of the sessions will be available through Elluminate. In the first quarter of this year, a report was done regarding the status and use of teacher librarians in Australia (http:// www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/ee/ schoollibraries/report/front.pdf). Some of their recommendations are quite global and need to be considered regardless of geographic status. For instance, there is a recommendation for recognizing the status of teacher librarians as vital, integral partners in the quest to improve the status of student achievement in literacy (including digital literacy) which could and should be supported more at the national level. This is excellent as a recommendation, but again, we need to talk about the local and regional impact the teacher librarian brings first and foremost what the local and regional perceptions of the teacher librarian are when decision making

occurs. Of course the national perception cant be denied, but that comes from the local and regional perception being best aligned with what students can achieve when a professional is present in the school library first. Resources, including the professional, are impacted by what the perception is of OTHERS regarding their value to student achievement. A national policy is great, but it cant be the only factor leading to effective use of the school library and the retention of the teacher librarian. For the most recent award winners of the National School Library Program of the Year, or NSLPY, (written about in an article by Marcoux) the common thread is leadership. However, the other commonalities these three winners possess are influence and perception by others outside of the school library those in educational leadership positions as well as community leadership positions. Funding will always be an issue, but funding will come more readily if the funding of something is seen as trustworthy and of value to the overall health of the student and their needs. Does your program make these issues overt? Does it have value to more than the student and the library? One of the AASL NSLPY winners this year recently constructed a new high school library that was transformed from

the traditional understanding of the school library to something not unlike a Library Commons in the article by Martin and company. They attest that it isnt enough to have the facility; you also have to have the program to go with that facility. Schwelik and Fredericka talk about a state initiative that allows the profession to develop an environment that is not only a facility concept but a continuing education program. Cook and Cassidy write an article about the work they have done that defines a successful and meaningful collaboration using both people and technology for its success. Savage takes you to a place where you can review what you already do often she sees it as planting the seed as much as planning a project or lesson. Dont miss the underlying theme of the 2011 NSLPY winners they all lead and they all are valued by persons beyond the school library. Read how to lead and create value using the three sources that Loertscher offers for summer reading. Consider spending time planning how to begin and continue the influence of your program and yourself as the professional. As you do so look at the other items in this issue there is so much to help you work on your program!

WRiTE fOR TEACHER LIBRARIAN!

The editors of Teacher Librarian welcome original manuscripts on any aspect of library services for children and young adults that will contribute to excellence in programs and improved support for their delivery. We are committed to collaborative partnerships for improved student learning through thought-provoking and challenging feature articles, strategies for effective advocacy, and critical analysis of management and programming issues We invite you to share your knowledge, expertise, or research with the Teacher-Librarian readership and the greater teacher librarian community. We encourage articles from both practitioners and library educators. Submissions will be considered for publication only if they have not been published previously and they are not under active consideration by another journal. Articles usually range in length from 2000 to 3500 words, but can be longer or shorter depending upon the needs of the topic. For more information about submission and author guidelines, please visit our website www.teacherlibrarian.com. Click on the Submissions tab at the top of the page.

JUNE 2011

FEaTUrEARtiCLE

What does the 21st century Library Media center look like? it looks like a work in progress, ever changing to meet the needs and demands of the students and teachers it serves.

The Journey from Library Media Center to Learning Commons

as well as explore by using a variety of information resources. KidsPub, in which kids learn the facets of writing and publishing their written worka collaborative project with classroom, music, and art teachers. It would feature: Publishing in print form Publishing on the web Podcasting Vodcasting W-BES Channel 1 News Network Technology4Kids and teachersa collaboration technology to provide just-intime skills, tips, and training on such topics as Web Quests, Internet searching tools and strategies, and publishing programs such as PowerPoint, Word, Publisher, and other applications that would be used in the classroom. Reading Buddiesworking in collaboration with classroom and art teachers to create and use puppets as reading buddies. Rent a Readerbuddy with another grade level or community volunteer for Reading Buddy Time in the LMC Schoolwide: BES Building Readers with Buddies Establish special reading buddy locations throughout the building Award students reading buddy passes that will allow the class or student(s) to read during certain periods The Seagull Air Zone podcast

lINDa m. WaSkoW

ditors note: This article is a history and tour of the growth and development of an elementary school learning commons. No tour would be complete without lots of pictures, more than could be printed in the magazine, and videos. As you read the article, you will notice highlighted words/phrases followed by numbers in parentheses (W1), (W2), etc. These correspond to an online index of and links to additional photos and video. To access them, go to: https://sites.google.com/site/waskowlcmediaindex/. We hope that readers will enjoy this multimedia periodical article.
In early June 2008 I interviewed for the media specialist position at Beaufort Elementary School. Little did I know that this would launch an incredible journey unlike any other. During the interview, I shared my vision for the library media center and projected a three to five year timeline to give this vision life. My concepts and ideas resonated with the interview team. What does the 21st Century School Library Media Center look like? This has been a leading question for almost a decade, and nationally recognized professionals have explained that it has yet to be defined, much less described. This view was refreshing, encouraging, and exciting, but disconcerting, too. I had hoped for a prescribed blueprint that I could follow. Instead, I was given an infinite plane upon which to imagine, create, and implement a 21st century school library media center, according to my vision. My preliminary thoughts were based upon professional readings, graduate courses, and conversations with professionals on blogs, wikis, webinars, and podcasts.

vISoN For my mEDIa CENTEr

The school media center (LMC) should include but not be limited to the following: Designated areas within the LMC where children can relax and enjoy a favorite book,

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The Clifford House in the everybody book section. Developed for students by students and community of BES Podcast Vodcast

I had interesting ideas about the form and function of the LMC. However, as I continued to read and interact with professionals in the field at conferences, on blogs, and in webinars, my vision not only expanded, it exploded, taking on a new life form.

THE JoUrNEy BEGINS

The position was offered to me, and I grew excited at the prospect of becoming part of a team that encouraged creativity and innovation. After accepting the position, I

revisited my vision numerous times, pondering what my new LMC would look, feel, and sound like in the latter part of the twenty-first centurys first decade. Certainly, it wouldnt be the quiet library I knew as a child and young adult. I envisioned a place where children would come to explore, learn, and actively engage in information resources that would be in a variety of formats. They can extract from this plethora of information data sets to create their knowledge in forms that only they would be able to imagine and craft. Podcasts, vodcasts, blogs, wikis, virtual libraries, and virtual museums came to mind. Add to this project-based learning activities coordinated with children located somewhere else on the planetGermany, Japan, Alaska, Pennsylvania, or wherever

else we could make connectionsand you will see that my LMC, BES Media 2.0 would take center stage for children who would be excited about exploring, learning, communicating, and sharing what they learn and discover about the amazing world in which they live.

PHaSE oNE: THE laUNCH

I reported to my new job at Beaufort Elementary School (W1) in mid July 2008. When I walked into the library media center (W2), I did a quick 360-degree scan of the space. Beaufort Elementary School is blessed to have a media center that is supersized with approximately 4,500 square feet of main floor space and an awesome panoramic view of the Beaufort River. But
JUNE 2011

Zone 2: The Sandbar. it also looked very much like a library and didnt match my vision for the library media center. I focused first on how the collection was organized and displayed and considered the most expedient ways to organize the space for optimum traffic flow and showcasing the books and materials. Too much furniture coupled with an awkward traffic pattern became the focal point of my action plan. In keeping with the schools mascot, the seagull, I determined that the theme for the library media center would feature a beach or coastal flavor. The low height bookcases would make perfect piers, jetties, or docks if placed in the right locations. The tops of the bookcases needed some refurbishing. At a local hardware store, I found wallpaper designed for application on wood, not walls, and purchased several rolls that had an appearance similar to a rock jetty on a beach. The wallpaper on top of the bookcases made them pop. With a bit of imagination, one could envision kids walking alongside the jetties. A variety of stuffed animals, full body puppets, and interesting coastal artifacts were used to create eye appealing displays that would attract the children to the jettiesand ultimately to the books they contained. Envision a beach house surrounded by a white picket fence. We were in need of white picket fences to use as accent pieces and to define different areas of the space, so wood, paint, and screws were purchased for this project. I designed picket fences that were 4 feet wide and 32 inches high. After cutting all the 1 x 4 boards to the needed lengths, I painted them white. A parent volunteer and another teacher on staff volunteered to assemble the fence sections per my blueprints. The bookcases needed to be rearranged to allow for better access to the right of the circulation desk. This included the easy bookssoon to be renamed the Everybody Book sectionthe big book collection, and the Promethean interactive classroom area. The four shelving units would be rearranged to frame a reading and browsing area between them. The bookcases were moved perpendicular to the windowed wall that overlooks Bay Street and the Beaufort River in the City of Beaufort. Beyond this space was the interactive classroom area, which was not large enough to accommodate staff meetings. One of the two bookcase jetties was moved to the side wall, so that the once cozy browsing area became the staff meeting/interactive classroom area. Another smaller section within this space became a fenced in area we called the puppet garden. Small garden and beach chairs were purchased for the puppet garden W3) to create a reading area for the children. This new arrangement made this area seem larger and more inviting for the children and the teachers. The area behind the circulation desk, which was located at the center of the media center, had six computer tables along the window. Five tables were rearranged

into a horseshoe pattern, and one table was donated to a classroom. Five desktop computers and one older printer/copier occupied the computer area. These workstations would be used for reference work and desktop publishing. The reference and fiction book areas also needed attention. There were too many bookcases, so the reference collection was consolidated and relocated. Some chairs and a sofa were placed to form a casual reading area for the children and staff members. Three rows of bookcasesthe tops of which were covered with the stone finish wallpaperwere repositioned to form a jetty coming off of the windowed wall and another jetty coming off the side wall very similar to what was done on the opposite side of the media center. The surplus shelving, along with a long magazine browser unit, was removed from the media center. The area that the shelving now framed would become the home of the readers theater stage and performance area. In the back workroom, I found a disassembled pentagon house, which the kindergarten teachers no longer used and kindly allowed me to use for the media center. I assembled it, placed it in the everybody book section, and named it the Clifford House (W4) (Clifford the red dog puppet would occupy a space above its door). This quickly became a favorite spot for children to sit and read with friends. insert FA01A The professional development collection was also in need of attentionrestaging and perhaps relocation. By the end of the first year, the collection was moved to a vacant room across the hall from the LMC. This space became the new home of the W-BES media production studio. I consulted with the technical representative from South Carolina Educational Television (SCETV) to determine options for broadcasting a live morning news show. To facilitate this, the district technical services installed cabling, so that the morning show could be broadcast over the existing media distribution system to classrooms with televisions. Televisions were becoming an endangered species, however, as the districts initiative of the interactive classroom incorporating video to the Pro-

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Bookmarkit
methean board was the new standard. This transitional step for the broadcast studio would change during my second year at the school. The final project for the first year was the readers theater stage set. I designed the stage and the captains reading cabin W5). I wanted it to look like a cut-away section of a ship. My son-in-law constructed the 8 ft. by 8 ft. stage. I designed and constructed the reading cabin (a 5 feet wide by 4 feet deep by 4 feet high structure) with two portholes, one on each side of the cabin and a door on the front. Along the edge of the decking or stage are vertical poles to form the railing, and nautical rope was purchased and strung on these poles. The ship has one access point. The old atlas stand became the narrators podium for the readers theater area. As my first year came to a close, the children and the staff loved the transformation that had taken place. All of the children enjoyed the Clifford House, the Captains Reading Cabin and boat. Two readers theater plays were presented at the end of the year. like the beach scene I envisioned. Year two was a bit stressful, but this also allowed me to observe how the previous years changes played out. I also had time to think about the space, how it had been used, how it could be used, and the need for a new name that would be descriptive of the space. When I met with my principal for the end of year review, I suggested renaming the media center, so that it would reflect the purpose of the space. I explained that in the 21st century, the needs of our learners were radically different from the previous century. To address this, I had transitioned the library space into a multipurpose space that housed a mini computer lab, an interactive e-classroom, an early childhood area with big books, a readers theater stage, an inquiry learning area, an information island, and the library collection. Best practices pointed toward a learning commons concept, so I suggested The Learning Commons as the new name. The principal thought it was a great idea. A major renovation project was scheduled for the summer. All interior spaces were to be repainted white, all carpeting was to be removed, and white vinyl tile with blue accent tile was to be installed. I wasnt too sure how this would look, and images of a hospital clinic immediately came to mind. All of the media center materials were packed and stored. This was the perfect opportunity to not only rename the space, but to rearrange the bookcases and more.
KAT HLE EN O DEA N

YA ficTiON

Play Ball!
Breakaway. Andrea Montalbano. Philomel, 2010. $16.99. 978-0-39925215-0. Grades 5-8. Seventh grader LJ loves soccer and excels at it. Shes impatient with her less skilled teammates, especially when she wants to impress a scout for a state select team. Can she learn to control her temper and recognize others strengths on and off the field? The great wall of Lucy Wu. Wendy Wan Long Shang. Scholastic Press, $17.99. 978-0-545-16215-9. Grades 5-8. Lucy Wu, 11, looks forward to having her own room when her sister goes to college. Shes also psyched about playing on the basketball team, which she loves. The arrival of a great-aunt from China and her parents insistence that Lucy go to Chinese school look like theyll ruin her plans for sixth grade. Payback time. Carl Deuker. Houghton, 2010. $16. 978-0-547-27981-7. Grades 7 up. Senior Mitch, who wants to be an investigative reporter, covers football for the school newspaper. When a new senior shines in practice but plays only in clutch situations, Mitch suspects something illicit is going on. A strong mystery combines with lots of football action and some real danger. The pick-up game. Marc Aronson, and Charles R. Smith, eds. Candlewick Press, 2011. $15.99. 978-0-7636-4562-5. Grades 7 up. In these excellent interrelated short stories, Walter Dean Myers sets the scene at the Cage, a city basketball court in Manhattan. Each following story draws from the previous one but adds its own flavor and characters, from authors such as Robert Lipsyte, Adam Rapp, and Sharon Flake.

PHaSE TWo: PaUSE, rEFlECTIoN, aND a NEW NamE

My second year I encountered a few unplanned speed bumps. During the summer I had total hip replacement surgery, which went well with one exception: minor nerve damage that resulted in sciatica palsy (drop foot). Year two started without me for the first six weeks, and for the following two months, I only worked half days. Undergoing physical therapy three times a week and wearing a leg brace, I could not undertake any major projects for the media center. During the spring I was off campus for a total of 20 days to complete a library internship that was part of the MLIS degree program that I completed in May 2010. The only change made during the year was the purchase of a vertical revolving magazine unit and five beach umbrellas to accent the five learning zones that were created the previous year. Now the media center was beginning to look more

PHaSE THrEE: THE lEarNING CommoNS EmErGES

The year began earlymid July. After the painting was finished and the flooring was replaced, shelving boards had to be cleaned and installed on the bookcases, all furniture and bookcases had to be put back into place, and thousands of books (W8) had to be unpacked, sorted and shelved. Surplus bookcases and furniture were identified and removed. Two bookcases measuring ten feet long by 40 tall could be used on either side of the entrance doors. These were painted white. Two teachers donated three 4 ft. by 8 ft. lattice panels to this proj-

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Zone 3: Discovery Dock ect. These were attached to the back of the bookcases. This created a beautiful display area at the entrance to the Learning Commons W9). The mini computer lab (W10) was relocated from the area behind the circulation desk to the fiction side of the library. By October, power poles and network drops were installed by district technical services. Twelve drops were installed even though I only had five desktop computers. I was planning for future expansion, though with an unknown target date. In January, the Learning Commons received an unexpected gift from my principal: thirteen new desktop computers as part of the schools technology refresh cycle. I put twelve into the Computer Cove area. The five old computers were surveyed out because of their age and slow speed. I negotiated with our technician and acquired two additional computers that were in one of the computer labs that had been refreshed. I purchased the needed parts to upgrade the newer broadcast studio computer to support the needs of the multimedia production team. The W-BES Multimedia Production Team W11) creates and produces a morning show W12) as well as special projects, such as documentaries (W13) and PSAs (W14) (public service announcements) as needed by teachers and the principal. Educating the school family on what a Learning Commons is became my mission for the year. The various areas were renamed. I purchased white oak paneling and had it cut to size to reface the circulation desk (W15).. Nautical rope was cut to length to conceal the seams where the panels met. I used left over panel pieces to create signs for the new learning zones. Zone One: This area lies within the Everybody Book section and includes the primary instructional space equipped as an e-classroom (IWB, multimedia cabinet, sound system) and the Big Book Beach (W16) complete with a Big Book easel. Zone Two: This area lies within the Fiction Book section and includes the Seagulls @ the Sandbar (W17). As one would expect, the Sandbar is home for the Captains Readers Theater Stage setcomplete with the Captains Reading Cabin, floor seating capacity for two classes, a beach umbrella, and leisure reading seats. Zone Three: This area lies within the lower range of non-fiction (000-699) area and includes reading tables, the Discovery Dock (W18) area, a listening station for audio books, and a reading area with chairs and a beach umbrella. Zone Four: This area lies within the upper range of non-fiction (700-999) and includes a reading area with seating, a beach umbrella, and our Computer Cove (W19) which has 12 desktop computers available for research, exploration, and for students to take Reading Counts quizzes. Zone Five: This area is located behind Information Island (W20) and includes the circulation dock, the reference dock, the magazine browser, and seating for reading. There is also a selection of strategy games that a group of students can check out and play in the Learning Commons. Teachers are slowly adopting the concept of the Collaborative Learning Commons (W21). I have a fifth grade teacher who schedules her class to use the space weekly as her 1:1 learning environment (W22). She brings a set of 10 laptops

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JO HN P ETE RS

PicTuRE BOOKS

THE GraND ToUr UPDaTED

An African princess. Lyra Edmonds. Ill. Anne Wilson. Candlewick. 2004. 9780763625955. $15.99. Grades 1-3. Young Lyras doubts that she is really a princess, as she has always been told, are dispelled when shes taken to a Caribbean island to visit her Taunte Mayand she learns about her extended, multiracial familys heritage. Appealing illustrations underscore the warm, intimate atmosphere. Dodsworth in Rome. Tim Egan. Houghton Mifflin. 2011. 9780547390062. $14.99. Grades 1-3. Dapper, well-traveled Dodsworth and his freewheeling duck companion arrive in Rome and as usual get a gander at many of the grand sights while narrowly avoiding disaster thanks to Ducks eagerness to, for instance, do a little painting in the Sistine Chapel. Simple cartoon pictures mirror the episodes manic but poker faced tone. A giraffe goes to Paris. Mary Tavener Holmes & John Harris. Ill. Jon Cannell. Marshall Cavendish. 2010. 9780761455950. $17.99. Gr. 1-3. Given as a gift to the king of France, Belle the giraffe travels across the Mediterranean by ship, then walks all the way to Paris where she becomes a great celebrity. Based on a real journey, this engaging tale is illustrated with both new watercolors and old maps and prints. How much? Visiting markets around the world. Ted Lewin. HarperCollins. 2006. 9780688175528. $17.99. Grades K-2. Illustrated with vivid photographs, this tour of local markets worldwide really captures the distinctive sights, smells and sounds that make each unique, memorable and well worth a visiteven for armchair travelers. Olivia goes to Venice. Ian Falconer. Atheneum Books for Young Readers. 2010. 9781416996743. $17.99. Grades 1-3. The renowned pig with the big personality sees the canals and palazzos, samples the gelatos and brings home a very special souvenir. The reworked photos with which this outing is illustrated nicely capture a sense of the great citys look and spirit.
JUNE 2011

Zone 5: Info Island for her students to use. This way, they have a combination of laptops and some of the desktops in Computer Cove to use for their learning activities. They work in learning teams and are able to spread out in the commons, each team working on a different learning activity while the teacher works with a small group on math skills. At first, the children didnt like leaving their classroom, but upon the second visit, they decided it was better than their classroom: They had more space and could move about freely to collaborate with fellow students, find needed resources, and work on engineering and science projects. A first grade teacher has four students who are her top readers. They visit twice weekly to work on special reading activities with us. The children decided on a name for their group Tinkerbells Terrific Readers (W23)and badges were designed for them to wear when they visit. They are making great progress with their reading comprehension skills. They love coming to the Learning Commons. The Learning Commons is on a hybrid schedule this year. This allows for story telling with the younger children, flexible scheduling for third through fifth grade children, and all day access for students and staff to access resources, both digital and print. Phase Four: Future Plans. The physical space transformation is almost complete. As the collection is weeded over the next year, more bookcases will be removed to expand the capacity of the learning zones. Acquiring furniture that is age appropriate is on the wish list. A new e-Print laser printer was purchased and installed in the

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aN EDITorIal rESPoNSE To THE SCroUNGING mENTalITy oF TEaCHEr lIBrarIaNS

Risk-taking professionals such as Linda Waskow who forge ahead in the creation of a learning commons often share a trait called scrounging. They exhibit fearless outreach to others to get what they need to create an entirely new environment, transforming the traditional library into a client-owned common area rich with possibilities and inviting collaboration and creativity. Such an idea is central to the learning culture of the school. The editors asked a group of San Francisco teacher librarians who completed their masters degrees last year what they have done to move their work environments toward a more central learning commons. following are some of their ideas for scrounging. Talk to everyone about your transformation for the kids. These San Franciscans talked to parents, parent volunteers, school work crews, teachers, and administrators and garnered amazing contributions of furniture, equipment, and computers. They also received simple space and furniture fixes (such as wheels on shelving units) and other ambiance improvement. Ask for contributions. When people understand you are making a difference in the lives of children, they will open their checkbooks. Open a wish list on Amazon. com and publicize it. You may be surprised by the number of gifts you receive. Connect with DonorsChoose.org for donations of anything from pencils to laptops to rugs. One participant noted: I have been able to acquire all my technology tools through Donors Choose. I now have a Mac laptop that I use at both my schools, large pull down screens and presentation carts for each school. Both my schools have rolling book carts for my paperback books through Donors Choose. Scour sources of free things. Our group frequents discard district warehouses, flea markets, and garage sales. Among the finds there are books, both for your collection and for gifts and prizes to students whose homes lack reading material. Trust that others will come to your assistance. Several noted that parents who knew the need for plain maintenance of the collection actually got paid help to assist the single professional in the warehouse to allow more time for work with teachers and students. A member of our group offered this example: To liven up one of my libraries, I have been asking families to take home an old wooden chair and paint it. One family painted a chair full of snakes, another a rainforest chair. Little by little the chairs are being painted. One day the library will be full of these colorful chairs. Think of community resources and make connections: Use all your personal contacts, e.g. authors you know, bookstore owner friends, actors, costume designers, etc. Youd be surprised how many of them will assist you or volunteer their time to work with your students. I have had several authors and poets visit and have never paid any honoraria. Instead, I buy copies of their books for the library or sometimes teachers will request classroom sets after an author visit. Ive also taken my students on several field trips free of charge to see plays, dance performances, etc. I even had a renowned Bay Area Shakespearian actor come to the school to coach my students. Keep thinking of volunteers. Yes, there are still folks anxious to help with their time, talents and treasure. Idea Contributors: Valerie Barth, Lisa Bishop, Winnie Porter, Christopher Lamb, and Brad Williston, Teacher Librarians, San Francesco Unified School District, San Francisco, California

Learning Commons to serve the current needs of the Computer Cove area, as well as the future addition of mobile digital devices such as the iPod 4th generation and the iPad 2 or HP TouchPad to further extend the digital learning venue at the Learning Commons. What does the 21st Century Library Media Center look like? It looks like a work in progress, ever changing to meet the needs and demands of the students and teachers it serves. We are a common learning ground, a Learning Commons (W24), where anyone can come to explore, investigate, imagine, learn, collaborate, create, and communicate ideas and more. Linda Waskow is the Media Technology Specialist, Beaufort Elementary School, Beaufort,, SC. She has a B.S. in Elementary Education from The Kings College in NY, an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education from the University of South Carolina, a Masters in Library Information Science from the University of South Carolina, and a Doctorate in Education in Child and Youth Studies and Instructional Technology from Nova Southeastern University in FL. She holds current teaching credentials at the post graduate/doctoral level in Virginia and South Carolina in the areas of Early Childhood, Elementary and Media Specialist with Highly Qualified status in Early Childhood and Elementary Education in SC.

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New Design Considerations That Transform the Library into an Indispensible Learning Environment

When a project of this magnitude is initiated, it is important to follow a thoughtful and structured process that will maximize opportunities.

aNN m. marTIN, DoUGlaS D. WESTmorElaND, aND aNGIE BraNyoN

ditors Note: this article is supplemented by an online PowerPoint presenation available at http:// vimeo.com/24013894

From THEory To rEalITy: DESIGNING a SCHool lIBrary

Planning and designing a new high school library to reflect emerging trends while remaining true to best practices takes time, thought, and teamwork. Forecasting space to ensure functionality and flexibility (concepts that are learning commons oriented) begins with productive dialog between the architect and school administration. When plans for Glen Allen High School in Henrico, Virginia were initiated, the Richmond, Virginia architectural firm of Moseley Architects listened to all comments. In this article, Doug Westmoreland, Vice President of Moseley Architects, and I will provide an overview of how the design of the Glen Allen High School library evolved. More important, you will hear from the planning teacher librarian who truly put the heart into the physical structure of the library. The Glen Allen High School library is a [B1] total program where design, vision, and functionality merge into a vibrant learning environment. As the Educational Specialist for Library Services, my vision was to create a 21st century library that defines literacy [B2] through varied access points, develops and refines critical thinking within a social context, and most important, allows students to grow personally and academically. I found it extremely important to emphasize that the high school library [B3] must provide for both instructional and real-world needs of high school students, staff, and administration. This vision mandated a technology infrastructure to support two instructional areas rich with wireless connectivity, interactive whiteboard capabilities, projection equipment, and high definition television. Basic functional areas such as a circulation desk, reading areas, a workroom, and a conference room, as well as special areas for exercise bikes and gaming, were also considered. When these physical space issues blended with shelving needs for print and a desire for an open, bright environment, keen observations and responsive dialog were necessary to accomplish this

vision, while meeting financial and state regulations. A strong spirit of cooperation was forged between the architect and the teacher librarian to create the Glen Allen High School Library. When a project of this magnitude is initiated, it is important to follow a thoughtful and structured process that will maximize opportunities. During the design and construction of Glen Allen High School, it was comforting to know that implementation procedures were in place for each step in the process. This eliminated the uncertainty of what to do next. The initial phase was the most important, because it reflected the planning, the information gathering, and the incorporation of creative and collaborative thinking into the stated vision. This was the step where the architect took the lead. As the first step in the creation of Glen Allen High School, the architect facilitated a Design Workshop with a design committee of 32 people, which included the instructional leadership of the district, lead teachers from all of the current high schools, school board members, school plant personnel, parents, and community members. The first task of the committee was to create a project vision through a brainstorming session. The project viJUNE 2011

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Interactive white board, LCD large screen monitor, and projection displays are provided in the learning commons. sion was succinct, but powerful: We will design a new high school that provides our community with a safe, innovative, adaptable, state-of-the-art facility that will create a functional and efficient learning environment embodying responsible environmental values. From this vision, the committee was led through a series of sessions to create the adjacencies of the various functions of the school, including the site design. The architects were able to create seven site and building diagrams from this vision, which were discussed quickly by the design committee. Two options were selected and went forward in development. Regarding the vision of what the library should be, the committees consensus discussions were consistent: A space with a Barnes and Noble atmosphere where students wanted to be The heart of the school, located in the center of the academic houses A feature space from inside and from outside the school, located along the main street corridor [B4] A discussion and sketch session about the library followed with the instructional team leader, the head of library services, a current high school teacher librarian, a technology specialist, and the design team. Square footage allowanceswith an emphasis on the functionality and flexibility of the spacewere analyzed and discussed. Through an analysis of activities that would take place in each space, coupled with the realization that flexibility was critical to accommodate for activities that were unknown during the planning, a reallocation of space was achieved. One decision made at this initial meeting was that the schools Instructional Technology Resource Teacher (ITRT) should be located within the librarys space, creating a synergy between this function and all other library functions. A series of large windowswith low shelving for multiple displaysopen to the main street corridor of the school were incorporated during these early discussions. New technologies continue to change library functions. For instance, Henrico Schools has had a student laptop environment (with a wireless network throughout the school) for ten years, so there was no need for computer labs in the library. The need for classroom instruction is still valid, but the desire for more informal and casual functions are critical. A completely open environment was required for supervision and flexibility, but the larger space in the library needed to be defined by the

architecture to create smaller, different environments [B5]. Formal classroom instruction was created in one corner, with a less formal instruction area in the diagonal corner, separated by low book stacks. Informal areas are created in several locationsnear the large windows in the center of the library and in the quieter area adjacent to the circulation desk. Four types of displayslaptop, LCD large screen monitor, interactive white board, and projection are provided for group or individual learning opportunities. The School District required that Glen Allen be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) Silver certified school in the county (The school is currently slated to achieve one level higher, LEED Gold certification). Various sustainable design strategies were featured throughout the building, which will provide learning opportunities for the students. In the library, the most evident sustainable design feature is the abundance of daylighta taller space with clerestory windows defines one of the classroom areas, and the stacks (though not movable) are low in the open part of the library. Informal seating areas are also incorporated into this area. Lighting is automatically controlled by sensors, allowing the natural daylight to substitute for artificial lighting when appropriate. Spaces within the large reading room are defined by ceiling height, color, and different lighting types, creating different atmospheres in the space. Lighting can be controlled separately in all areas of the larger space. The process of opening a new school takes years, so the planning focus must include an eye on the future. It is one thing to design a library for 2011 but another to design a learning commons that will anticipate future needs. The foundational work created a physical space that was responsive to the district philosophy, strategic goals, and vision. The Glen Allen High School library is accessible to all members of the learning, and greater, community. The architect created a focal point along the main street corridor that provided connectivity to the academic and community areas of the school.

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JO E Su TLi ff SA N DE RS

GRAPHic NOVELS

THE laST UNICorN

The Last unicorn. Peter S. Beagle, Peter B. Gillis, Renae De Liz, and Ray Dillon. IDW, 2011. $24.99. 978-160010-851-8. Grades 4 and up. For centuries, she has watched the forest creatures she protects enter the world, fight and love their way through their short lives, then die. And on the day she finally leaves the forest, what she becomes may make her wish she had never learned that she is the last unicorn. Beagles original novel is a masterpiece of fantasy, and this, the first comic book adaptation of that legendary novel, is executed with vivid affection. Breaking down Beagles novel must have been a herculean chore, considering that one of the great strengths of the novel is Beagles lush voice, and Gillis takes great pains not to transfer long passages of lilting language onto the comics page, where such verbiage would become quickly tiresome. But the real treat of this adaptation is De Lizs evocative use of layout. One spread, for example, relates the brief tale of an old woman who still weeps when she recalls the unicorn she saw as a child. The left side of the spread shows the girl, wide-eyed and shining with life. The right shows the old woman, wrinkled and tear-stained. Across the bottom of the spread runs a vine, its woody knots a foreshadowing of the woman, its budding blossoms a remembrance of the girl. Each spread is just as thoughtfully composed, and the result is that this important story thrives in its new form.

Interactive white boards and other technology promote learning and collaboration. So what makes the Glen Allen High School library so amazing? Teamwork and a visionary teacher librarian with boundless energy and a can-do attitude who was able to breathe life into a space that will challenge todays students with their tomorrows in mind. Angie, the new teacher librarian hired for this space, transformed it into an engaging and inviting place where organized chaos fueled student and staff inquiry and learning. She embraced the concepts of creating a program where knowledge and understanding would be the focus of interactive instruction. Here she talks about this process: Angie: I was thrilled when I received the phone call in July 2009 and was informed that I would be the teacher librarian for the new Glen Allen High School. Though Henrico County always provides a planning teacher librarian to open new schools, this was the first time a full year was allocated for this professional. This meant I would have an entire year to study best practices, physical space design, plan the collection, and develop programs. I had no idea what an enormous job this would be, nor how tremendously rewarding. One of my first tasks was to sit down with my principal and the districts teacher librarian specialist, Ann Martin, to discuss our shared vision for the library. Each of us had a similar vision for the library that arose from a new paradigm. The heart of the school was my description. The center of the school for research, information, and technology that is inviting and userfriendly was the principals vision. A 21st century space that defines information literacy, develops and refines critical thinking within a social context that will allow students to grow personally and academi-

The process of opening a new school takes years, so the planning focus must include an eye on the future. it is one thing to design a library for 2011 but another to design a learning commons that will anticipate future needs.
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Bookmarkit
JOA NNE T ROu T N E R

BEST NEW SOfTWARE

Study Island. http://www.studyisland.com/. Gr. K - 12 Here is one of the well developed drill and skill subscription options available today. Study Island is an integrated learning system that is web based. It provides learning activities tied to common core and state standards for learners of all ages. Kindergarten students start with reading and math. The lessons include appropriate audio prompts and are engaging. Writing lessons for all levels closely match state tests. The writing prompts are straight forward. Learners work with a built in word processor and can easily submit their work to be graded. A series of technology lessons aimed at middle school students touch on basic computer skills as well as digital citizenship. High school options cover algebra, biology, Shakespeare, and several AP courses. The classroom manager option is easy-to-use and powerful. Parent communication choices allow for automation of notices. Reporting selections give a class and individual student view. The graphs provide an excellent visual look at learner progress. The real time feature makes this a superb tool for RTI situations. Built-in tools allow for creating custom assignments and assessments. The subscription includes not only access at school but access at home, after school club location, and the public library. This range of access provides a number of ways to involve parents in helping students practice skills. Study Island is a superb drill and skill system with wonderful parent communication options and easy to use management tools. Suggested uses Use portions with a projector/IWB as a whole class activity Use as a differentiation tool for your classroom Create a school based assignment that engages all grade levels Engage parents with the communication tools Provide an activity for students to do with their parents at home

cally was the vision from Ann Martin. I finally refined it down to: A 21st century library of technology and information literacy governed by an open and welcoming culture. The learning commons philosophy was ideal for the Glen Allen library program, because we wanted to develop a sense of ownership by administration, staff, students, and parents. We wanted to use the space in a flexible way, so that there would be options for all students needsfrom quiet areas to collaborative spaces. From this vision grew the Glen Allen High School Library. Since Henrico County has a one-to-one laptop initiative in the secondary schools, having 24/7 access was possible for students at this high school. I set about to make the library more than just a physical place but also a virtual place; this could easily be accomplished since each student had computer access at school. Henrico County provides a district-wide flexible teaching and learning platform called SchoolSpace, which is an adaptation of ANGEL Learning. The students contribute to the virtual library through this platform which, in effect, becomes a digital locker storing information for students and staff to share. This virtual setting where students can blog, continue discussions, and send evaluations to the library provides a social world that addresses their need for collaboration and communication. The faculty and staff have found it informative to follow conversations among their students as they collaborate to complete assignments in virtual teams. Access to information was and is a primary goal. My first task was to provide up-to-date materials to enhance the instruction being provided in the classrooms. Students, teachers, and other teacher librarians were consulted to determine what would actually be included in that opening day collection. SchoolSpace provides constant access to the physical collection by allowing students to reserve books from home; it also provides access to county-wide databases at the click of a button. Currently, I consult with the faculty and students concerning what they would like to see included in the collection

on an ongoing basis. A blog is provided on SchoolSpace for the staff, students, and community to review books and to offer suggestions for inclusion in the library. It is so fun to have students stop by to ask, Has my book come in yet?, because it emphasizes the concept that the collection belongs to the learning community. A physical library is the launching pad for lessons. Through the power of technology, lessons continue beyond the limit of four walls. Often lesson concepts expand on SchoolSpace after the students leave the physical library. Classroom interactive white boards and various technologies such as glogster, animoto, voice thread, ToonDoo,and prezi, etc. magnify the possibilities of lesson development. But I wanted this library program to not just encompass four physical walls and a virtual space; I also wanted it to be an introduction to the world. So outside we went with GPS units, as geocaching technology became instrumental in creating lessons from all parts of the curriculum and introduced us to the community in which we live. GoogleEarth, in conjunction with geocaching, opened up the global world and a whole new way to experience the curriculum. Twelve Nooks were purchased to allow students and faculty access to reading in a different way. Thirty iPods were purchased to round out the technology we lend. Students have done presentations, added musical accompaniment to a lesson, or enhanced a tour of the art gallery at the school using these devices. They have recorded information about the art in both French and English. They have used many of these tools to access all kinds of information, a critical first step. The physical space melted away, as students and staff used a technology-rich environment that included a virtual interactive library. Our central program needed to stress critical thinking, problem solving, independent research, and ethical use of technology and information. This would only be successful if collaboration between teachers, the teacher librarian, and teacher technologist occurred. Cooperative planning was essential in order to incorporate the library and technology goals into each

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A physical library is the launching pad for lessons. Through the power of technology, lessons continue beyond the limit of four walls.
teachers curricular goals. Since technology skills are essential for both teachers and teacher librarians, placing the teacher technologist within the learning commons makes for powerful teaching opportunities. The availability of this team within the learning commons provides impetus to develop technology-rich lessons that create real world situations. Curricular content and 21st century skillsrather than separate agendasneed to be integrated. Integrating content curriculum with the library program is essential for student success. Having been a teacher, I know how hard it is to set aside one more minute during the day for a meeting, so I utilized the technology we had and began meeting in chat rooms, through email, and at lunch. As teachers began to see the value of combining their goals with our goals, more and more teachers began stopping by during their planning periods to discuss a collaborative lesson. Lessons where students needed to think critically, draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and then use that knowledge to create new knowledge began to be the norm. At Glen Allen, the teachers, the teacher librarian, and teacher technologist collaborated on a venue where students can realize the importance of being a productive member of a democratic society by sharing their knowledge. Each day the program schedule brings new opportunities to collaborate. An example of an integrated, cotaught lesson is the unit on the Fibonacci Sequence and its importance to poetry, music, and art. Library lessons were already taking place in classrooms, virtual communities, and the library. Next we moved outdoors where students used GPS units to enhance lessons in literature, science, business, marketing, and social studies. The GPS units were used to connect real world problem solving by applying critical thinking to their curricular knowledge. Exploring new avenues for integration and lesson delivery continue, as our staff dream of possibilities of where they can go next. The flexible physical space at Glen Allen lends itself to collaborative planning, teaching, and learning. Pockets where students can work in small or large groups were part of the design. The entrance is set back to provide an area for students to sit and work together on projects that require louder conversations. The long entrance with book shelves make natural bays for the stationary bikes. These bikes are part of a districtwide initiative that resulted from collaboration between the Educational Specialist for Physical Education and the Educational Specialist for Library Services. The desire to fight obesity and provide action-based learning was the basis for a grant proposal that placed four stationary bikes in every secondary library in Henrico County. The correlation between exercise and reading blended, teaching the whole childbody and mind. The Glen Allen teacher librarian developed a Read Across America program for the students and staff. The library physical space is open, which allows for flexibility; so, the office by the entrance can double as a recording studio for projects such as the art museum. The workroom becomes a kitchen at times when food activities are part of a lesson. The 60 high definition TV is a stopping place for students to access information such as news, sports, and cultural events 24/7. In this section of the library are caf tables where students gather to chat in an informal, comfortable space. These chairs and tables can be moved easily to expand or collapse groups. The area with an Interactive White Board has tables and chairs to accomodate a class, while an adjacent area carves space for smaller groups to work or for the teachers to work on inquiry-based lessons.

Henrico School District has had laptop environment for 10 years. Books and computers mesh into the background, as the space drives the needs of staff and students. My final goal was to make sure that students and faculty got my personal attention. Key to this was to help students and faculty pursue personal and aesthetic growth through reading for pleasure and personal learning. I knew that if I could get students into this facility, I could get them to read. They were either going to be reading and working collaboratively here or be at Barnes and Noble or Starbucks. I used board games, a Wii console, a recliner soft chair, and four exercise bikes to entice the students and staff into the library. Additionally, students were allowed to bring food and drink into the library. They streamed into this facility to eat lunch and get a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. It was such a novel approach for the students to have a space they could call their own, that a culture of respect and caring developed. Many visitors of this learning commons space state, You let students eat in the library? The wonderful outcome is that students value the privilege to use the space and, as a result, they are respectful of the facility. They embrace its casual atmosphere, making sure they leave it as clean or cleaner than when they arrived.
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Bookmarkit
S A R A cAT H E R i NE H OWAR D

JuNiOR NONficTiON

BIoGraPHIES ENHaNCE CUrrICUlUm

Brave Escape of Edith Wharton: a Biography. Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge. Clarion Books, 2010. $20. 978-0-547-23630-8. Grades 7-12. As the title implies, Wharton found a way to blend her high society life with her desire to be a writer. With photographs and antidotes, the author provides interesting details of the life of this unique woman. Extensive chapter notes, bibliography, and index are appended. Use with high school literature classes. captain Mac: the Life of Donald Baxter MacMillan, Arctic Explorer. Mary Morton Cowan. Calkins Creek, 2010. $17.95. 978-1-59078-709-0. Grades 6-9. This fascinating account of the daring and courageous Arctic explorer will appeal to science readers as well as those interested in true adventure stories. Timeline, notes, bibliography, further reading, and a detailed index complete the back matter. frederick Douglass: a Noble Life. David A. Adler. Holiday House, 2010. $18.95. 978-0-8234-2056-1. Grades 7-10. With Adlers usual attention to the facts, here is an outstanding fit for connecting with history, speech, government, and literature courses. Douglasss childhood as a slave proved to be instrumental in his adult fervor for freedom for all. Beautiful sketches and photos enhance many of the pages along with comprehensive notes, time line, and index. Self-Reliance: the Story of Ralph Waldo Emerson [World Writers]. Peggy Caravantes. Morgan Reynolds, 2011. $28.95. 978-1-59935-124-7. Grades 7-10. Interspersed with photographs, sketches, and Emersons quotes, the text is an interesting read for students beginning the study of this influential American author and philosopher. A timeline, chapter notes, index, and photo credits make this useful for literature and philosophy reports.

When the design team planned the school, the library facility was put at the center of the school and at the center of the academic wings. The library truly is the heart of the school. It is always full of students engaged in learning, communicating, researching, playing, talking, and navigating their way through high school. The trip in high school is not always easy; decisions are at times over-whelming and life changing. Therefore, there has to be a place where a student can come to talk about options, to find answers, to read for pleasure and escape, and to enjoy learning. That is what the library is at Glen Allen High School: A 21st century library of technology and information literacy governed by an open and welcoming culture. That is what makes the library at Glen Allen the heart of the school.

curriculum, building connections, implementing dynamic learning strategies, and most important, fostering visionary leadership.

rEFErENCES
Loertscher, David, Carol Koechlin, and Sandi Zwann (2008). The New Learning Commons: Where Learners Win. Hi Willow Research & Pub. Henrico County Public Schools. Glen Allen SchoolSpace. Retrieved May 6, 2011 from http://schoolspace.henrico.k12.va.us. Glen Allen School Library. Retrieved from http://henrico.k12.va.us/gahslibrary/. Madigan, Jean Blaydes. Action Based Learning Retrieved May 6, 2011 from http://abllab.com/. Moseley Architects. Richmond, VA. Retrieved May 6, 2011 from http://www. moseleyarchitects.com/. Ann M. Martin is an Educational Specialist, Library Services, for the Henrico County Public Schools, Henrico, VA. She can be reached at ammartin@henrico.k12.va.us Douglas D. Westmoreland, AIA, is Vice President, Moseley Architects, Richmond, VA. He can be reached at DWestmoreland@moseleyarchitects.com Angie Branyon, is Librarian at theGlen Allen High School, Henrico County Public Schools, Henrico, VA. She can be ereached at apbranyon@henrico.k12.va.us

SUmmary By aNN marTIN

Planning the Glen Allen library was exciting and energizing. The physical and virtual space emerged with a vitality that mandated use. This happened because the design, vision, and functionality of Glen Allen High School were grounded in the learning commons philosophytriggering buy-in from users at multiple levels. Now, the Glen Allen High School library is abuzz with activity from the beginning until the end of the day. What could be termed controlled chaos ebbs and flows throughout the day, as students, staff, and administrators make the library a must stop. Instruction is alive with collaborative brainstorming that breathes life into the content standards, infusing creativity, communication, and relevance into student inquiry. This wonderful library thrives, because the teacher librarian creates an atmosphere of openness toward the learning commons philosophy in which collaboration, communication, and user input drive the program. The library reflects the users needs and tendencies. It honors 21st century learners who are inspired to solve real life problems, connect learning to relevant concepts, and use technology to share what they learned. What this library program achieves is a commitment to integrating

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FEaTUrEARtiCLE

INFOhios 21st Century Learning Commons:

School library media specialists on the front line are the best channels of communications to classroom teachers.

Transforming How Educators Use and Think about School Libraries

JENNIFEr C. SCHWElIk aND THErESa m. FrEDErICka

he major question each teacher faces is how can technology help each of the learners in my care move toward excellence? The Learning Commons is the laboratory where the faculty and staff learn and develop their skills in embedding technology to boost learning and achievement. David V. Loertscher, The New Learning Commons: Where Learning Wins
BaCkGroUND aND FoCUS
The ways people around the world learn have changed. Innovations have turned the economic system into a global, knowledge-based society. Advances in technology have eliminated geographical, economic, and social barriers in human communication. And, the pace of change is phenomenal. In addition, research in neuroscience demonstrates a disconnect between the ways students learn and current teaching practices. Children growing up in a world of innovative technology learn in ways different from their parents. Yet, the education system is anchored in traditional practices and struggles to help students acquire the dynamic and creative skills necessary to flourish in this new electronic era. School librarians in Ohio saw this sea of change coming more than two decades ago. And through innovation, they now are leading the way to help K-12 schools reinvigorate their commitment to learning. Starting in the 1990s, Ohio school library leaders took

strategic steps to determine the impact of school libraries on teaching and learning. They began by working with Drs. Ross Todd and Carol Kuhlthau to conduct the landmark research study Student Learning through Ohio School Libraries, which demonstrated how school libraries help improve student achievement. In addition, under the leadership of the State Library, Ohio school, academic, and public libraries partnered to provide cost-efficient, equitable access to core electronic databases for all students and teachers. School library leaders also worked with state government officials to secure funding for licensed school library media specialists to help districts hire and retain professionals. For OELMA (the professional library association for school library media specialists) and INFOhio (the K-12 information network), the work has been nonstop. There have been peaks and valleys, economic hardships, and political challenges, but Team Ohio has persevered. Throughout this transition, while traditional library services have continued and new ones have evolved, there has been a conscious re-focusing on student learning. As a result, school librarians are delivering effective instruction in a more efficient manner, developing a shared language with professional colleagues, aligning learning activities and systems with clear objectives for student growth, and modelJUNE 2011

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Participants have the option to receive credit for their work in the 21 Things, including individual module CEUs, graduate college credit, or a 21st Century Skills Certificate with specialization in Media and Information Research. To enhance learning, many school librarians have organized groups of teachers to work through the modules together. EBSCO is one of my standardINFOhio databases, so I thought I was very familiar with its features. Wrong again! Working through the thing, has given me yet more ideas for applications with students....I checked out the three online note taking sites, not sure which one Ill use....I use Wordle for formative assessment. I will toss out a concept or term and ask students to give me words that they think of that are associated with it - I can quickly see what the dominant thinking is - and what the wrong concepts might be.. 21 Things Forum Participant

The INFOhio 21st Century Learning Commons provides an array of services. ing research on instructional effectiveness. This substantial progress has helped them to survive and thrive in this new learning environment. This article will focus on one critical aspect of library leadershiphow INFOhio created an online professional development environment for K-12 educators: The 21st Century Learning Commons. Since the launch of the 21st Century Learning Commons, educators from across the state have joined to participate in virtual training. And now, the education community is inviting school librarians to become integral partners in supporting the education reforms needed to ensure our children are ready for the future. creates the foundation for a virtual learning community. The Learning Commons provides an array of resources to help educators adapt teaching methods, model inquiry learning in a virtual environment, and share information with colleagues 24/7. Two components are defined below.

Knowledge Building Community (KBC)

Guided by David Loertschers work on the importance of collaboration and sharing in 21st century learning, INFOhio created a discussion forum in the 21 Things. In this discussion forum, participants post rich and creative ideas. As the discussion forum grew, it became evident that Ohio educators needed a social network platform to facilitate further collaboration among K-12 teachers and librarians. To meet this need, INFOhio created the Knowledge Building Community (KBC) to ensure an inviting and easy-to-use networking space, allowing collaboration to thrive and grow. The KBC fosters opportunities for discussions, sharing implementation ideas, and sharing and creating tools and classroom projects. Topics include e-books, etextbooks and their devices; teaching practices including links, resources, classroom project ideas and fully developed presen-

21 Things for 21 Century Success

st

DESIGN aND STrUCTUrE

The INFOhio 21st Century Learning Commons is an online resource that: Guides educators in integrating 21st century skills communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking into learning experiences. Increases educator content knowledge in information and media literacy. Fosters a sense of collaboration and

Guided by Stephen Abrams and inspired by the Learning 2.0: 23 Things developed by Helene Blowers for the Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County, INFOhio created one of the key features of the Learning Commons: the 21 Things for 21st Century Success. This free, self-directed professional development tool incorporates 21st century skills, INFOhio educational resources, and Web 2.0 tools. Since the launch, more than 2,000 teachers and librarians have registered in the Learning Common, have worked through the Things modules, and have sharedvia the discussion forumcreative ways they plan to use the resources and tools in their classrooms and libraries.

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and used an open-source content management system. This combination allowed INFOhio to build the Learning Commons with minimal financial resources. The goal: to create a functional, flexible learning environment with integrated community features that not only facilitated learning, but also enhanced the user experience by immersing the user in an environment designed to get people to communicate and collaborate. The INFOhio team outlined the work, contacted volunteers in the Ohio library and teaching community to develop virtual tutorials, and began an investigation of open-source content management systems. The volunteers began writing, the technical team began reviewing, and within a few weeks decisions were made. Technically speaking, the 21st Century Learning Commons and Knowledge Building Community were built using the latest version of the Joomla CMS available at that time. The site is housed on a Windows 2008R2 server using IIS7, PHP 5.3.5, and MySQL 5.2.5. The Joomla JomSocial community application was used to build the Knowledge Building Community. The Catalyst theme from RocketTheme was used, along with a number of commercial and free modules, components, and plug-ins available at the Joomla CMS web site. Thank you to the Joomla development community for such a stable, flexible, and featurerich project.

INFOhio promotes collaboration through online discussion forums. tations. In addition, we find Ohio teachers using the site to mentor each other by brainstorming, answering questions, and sharing effective teaching and learning practices.

CrEaTING THE lEarNING CommoNS

To build the Learning Commons, INFOhio involved a large community of volunteers

The 21st Century Learning Commons and the Knowledge Building Center use the Joomla CMS framework, along with several commercial Joomla add-ons and a number of custom-developed add-ons, for authentication and sharing services. The site was built to be extensible, allowing additional courses and features to be added without requiring any rework of the existing site or components. Collaboration is further promoted through a social network platform.
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Today, members of the Learning Commons can create their own groups and discussions, propose ideas, participate in others discussions, share thoughts from learning activities, and more. Simply using the 21st Century Learning Commons and Knowledge Building Community exposes users to community and research tools that not only are valuable to them as educators but also to their students.

ENSUrING STUDENT ENGaGEmENT

The INFOhio Learning Commons includes content to assist educators to differentiate instruction, engage students using various teaching strategies, and keep up-to-date on content and trends in education. Educator content modules include: INFOhio Videos Collaboratively

produced, freely available videos about some of INFOhios most popular online resources and how to apply them to 21st century learning skills. Glossary Definitions of todays teaching and learning terms. Fully searchable, the glossary focuses on Web 2.0 technologies, 21st century skills, and Information Literacy and Research. Discussion Forums Peer collaboration on a variety of subjects related to teaching and learning. The discussion forum is a first step to building a collaborative community. Learning Skills Incorporating information literacy skills, national standards, instructional strategies and a variety of electronic resources through the DIALOGUE: Inquiry and Knowledge Building Process chart. Content is available through exploration. Each Learning Skills module

includes a research-based, instructional strategies video.

aPPlyING EDUCaTIoNal rESEarCH

Knowing that 21st Century Learning Skills are foundational to student success in a global information-based economy, INFOhio designed a Learning Skills area based on the AASL 21st century standards. Key to this design is the INFOhio DIALOGUE Model for the 21st Century, which includes the inquiry and knowledge building process. The Inquiry and Knowledge Building Process chart incorporates information literacy skills, national standards, instructional strategies, and a variety of electronic resources to meet K-12 teacher and librarian needs. The chart highlights the relationships between the stages in DIALOGUE with the inquiry process and demonstrates to teachers the use of this model to assist students in building new knowledge. INFOhio created the instructional strategies modules in partnership with Montgomery County Educational Service Center, Dayton, Ohio. The modules establish an explanation of the research-based instructional strategy. The Learning Skills provide a demonstration of the strategy in action using INFOhio and other webbased resources to support the instructional strategy. The Learning Skills content incorporates research-based instructional strategies discussed by Dr. Robert Marzano in Classroom Instruction That Works. These research-based strategies affect and improve student achievement when used in a classroom setting. The Learning Skills area includes a range of instructional strategies, an explanation of each strategy, videos demonstrating each strategy, and resources to assist discussion on practice and use of INFOhio resources in classroom instruction.

rEaCHING THE ClaSSroom TEaCHEr

As the Learning Commons took shape, INFOhios User Council, consisting of 44

INFOhio Dialogue Model for 21st century skills.

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school librarians representing every region of the state, assisted in providing feedback and direction and a voice from the field. The Users Council made INFOhio aware of needs of classroom teachers and school librarians. These needs included credits, face-to-face training, virtual training, and self-paced instruction. Again, with minimal funding available, the INFOhio team called on colleagues to provide feedback and training. The Users Council reviewed the Learning Commons site and the 21 Things modules and provided feedback and suggestions on marketing the Learning Commons to the classroom teacher. As a result of this feedback, a series of free, after-school professional development webinars for Ohio educators, Learn with INFOhio, was offered for the 2010-11 school year. Based on the 21st century teaching and learning resources and aligned with the 21 Essential Things, the webinars focused on classroom application of 21st century skills. Presented by teachers, librarians, and curriculum coordinators, the webinars applied INFOhio resources in delivering 21st Century Learning Skills. Each webinar included contact hour certificates. The recorded webinars and their resources also are posted on the INFOhio webpage. The webinars provided professional development and discussion on topics such as Cool Tools for 21st Century Projects, inquiry and research in eleQuestions and suggestions that have emerged as topics in the webinars: Can you discuss how the INFOhio resources can be used in implementing the new common core standards? A great collaborative storytelling tool that we use for kindergarten is Storybird! We like Wordle at my school, but have also started using Tagxedo to add graphics to our word clouds.

mentary and secondary schools, differentiated instruction, resources and practices to support STEM education, and resources and 21st century practices for language arts and social studies.

CoNSTaNT CHallENGES, NEvEr-ENDING CommITmENT

Is it possible to continue to build new partnerships with the learning community of school districts throughout the state and to continue to build on the strong foundation that the Learning Commons has demonstrated to help teachers better understand the information resources and technology

available to them? The answer is yes, but it isnt always easy. Promoting and explaining how to use new learning tools and resources across the state takes time, effort, and money. School library media specialists on the front line are the best channels of communications to classroom teachers. But given the dramatic changes in the job descriptions and responsibilities of library media staff, INFOhio felt it was necessary to increase statewide efforts and provide more assistance at the local and regional levels. In the fall of 2009, INFOhio implemented a new concept to help promote the value of the Learning Commons environment.

INFOhio Timeline.
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INFOhios Certified Coach Program trained a cadre of Ohio educators to provide on-site training for classroom teachers on how to use INFOhio resources effectively and how to integrate INFOhio into their classrooms using 21st century instructional strategies. The 17 ICoach teams included members from each of the three, state-supported professional development groups EdTech Centers, Educational Service Centers, and Information Technology Centers. To date this school year, the ICoach cadre has trained more than 1,900 participants. The program not only provides skill development for K-12 educators, but also encourages use of school and public libraries. INFOhio intends to renew this successful training initiative and launch a continuation this summer. Goals for 2011-2012 include increasing awareness of INFOhios virtual resources and professional development among even greater numbers of K-12 teachers, administrators, and parents. What about the future? Well, theres no shortage of challenges there. To shed some light on whats ahead, INFOhio worked on a

project funded by the Martha Holden Jennings (MHJ) Foundation this year to discover the difficulties facing Ohios educators. The MHJ project involved creating a learning collaboration among middle school teachers and students in northeast and southeast Ohio. INFOhio worked with teachers in faceto-face and online professional development sessions. INFOhio assisted the teachers in creating a virtual collaboration space to develop project-based, 21st century learning opportunities for their students. This project helped INFOhio evaluate the needs and issues of practicing teachers. The project results clearly indicated that moving from traditional classroom instruction to a global, collaborative instructional model is tough work. They showed that educators are faced with a rapidly changing environment that includes reduced funding, increased testing, increased class size, and constantly changing demands. Consequently, it is no surprise that what our classroom teachers and administrators really need today are encouragement and hope. As INFOhio plans for 2012, the lessons learned from the MHJ project and the needs expressed in the INFOhio Learning Commons and Knowledge Building Community will focus the work. INFOhio continues to support teachers and school librarians as they prepare students for work in a global information-based environment. Yes, school libraries have the same mottos: helping students learn, teachers teach, and parents prepare their children, and, providing the right resource at the right time for the right student. But in an online learning environment, these messages take on an entirely new and farreaching importance. Clearly, education is in transition. Learning in virtual environments is rapidly moving to the forefront. And, funding is, at best, uncertain. But in Ohio, school libraries are leading this transition by providing online resources, relevant education models, and virtual mentors. INFOhio has always focused on the practical while working to invent the future. INFOhio is committed to transforming teaching and learning by connecting educational resources with the power of infor-

mation technology. It is that commitment and determination that made it possible for us to conceive and build INFOhio and the INFOhio 21st Century Learning Commons.

rESoUrCES INFOhio Resources

INFOhio Website http://www.infohio.org INFOhio Learning Commons Website http://learningcommons.infohio.org

Technical Resources
Joomla CMS http://www.joomla.org JomSocial http://www.jomsocial.com Joomla Add-ons http://www.joomla.org RocketTheme http://www.rockettheme.com Theresa M. Fredericka is Executive Director of INFOhio, the Information Network for Ohio Schools. She has also served as a library media services consultant for the Kentucky and Ohio Departments of Education; a Coordinator of Learning Resources and Technology for Lakewood City Schools; and as a school librarian for both Deer Park Community Elementary Schools and Findlay High School in Ohio. Jennifer C. Schwelik is the PreK-12 Technology and Professional Development Manager for WVIZ/PBS & WCPN/NPR ideastream. She has also served as the project manager for TRAILS; as a consultant for INFOhio; as a school librarian for both Beachwood City Schools and Bay Village Schools; and as an English and social studies teacher for both Lorain County JVS and Polaris JVS. Other members of the INFOhio Team who contributed to this article include Gayle Geitgey, Melissa Higgs Horwell, Mike Ridinger, and Terri Shutt.

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Generation Linked
mICHEllE Cook aND CyNTHIa CaSSIDy
INTroDUCTIoN
Generation Linked a fitting description for the modern generation. Their phones, computers, tablets, and video games are linked. They live a large percentage of their lives in a virtual world. They are chatting, posting pictures, setting their schedules, playing games, shopping, and even creating and working together to maintain entire imagined societies all in a virtual world. These digital natives are never out of touch. And whether they realize it or not, their constant cyber chatting is a distinct form of collaboration.

How often do students ask teachers for homework?

a language arts specialist, brings contentarea knowledge and an understanding of her particular students to the partnership. So when the two decided to work together on a new unit using Understanding by Design principles, the obvious decision was to design a project that was interdisciplinary and technology-rich.

To THINE oWN SElF BE TrUE

Two frequent visitors to cyberspace are media specialist Cynthia Cassidy and language arts teacher Michelle Cook, both from the Mount Olive Middle School in Budd Lake, New Jersey. Cassidy and Cook know their strengths, but they also admit their vulnerabilities. They recognize that their areas of expertise balance each others limitations, and this relationship provides the foundation for successful collaboration. Cynthia is the media specialist and librarian, whose forte is integrating technology into the curriculum. Michelle, as

CollaBoraTING IN THE CloUD

A late night e-mail was the tinder, a History Channel exclusive was the spark, and two creative educators were the fuel. The fire was lit, and their progressive collaboration advanced through e-mail, voice and Skype messages, and in the cloud on Google doc. Without ever meeting formally during a common planning period, Cynthia and Michelle constructed a truly interdisciplinary unit that effortlessly integrated technology and research. Pressed for time, the two educators took the lead from their students and became linked. Partnering in cyberspace allowed Cook and Cassidy freedom to plan on their individual schedules. The History Channel exclusive that gave life to the project featured a biography of the very passionate and charismatic Dr. Zahi Hawass, Egypts Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The story focused on Dr. Hawass mission to return Egypts lost and stolen treasures. As Michelle watched, she remembered an email request from Cynthia that simply statJUNE 2011

A History Channel show inspired the topic of the award-winning Who Owns History? project.

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SCAN was a Web 2.0 tool used in the project. ed, Come up with a topic! While viewing the documentary, Michelle wondered: If Dr. Hawass has been fighting for Egypts antiquities for years, who is he fighting against? With that question, the ISTE SIGMS Technology Innovation award-winning project, Who Owns History? took form. Writing collaboratively in the cloud, Cynthia and Michelle crafted a scenario incorporating voices for four unique perspectives: Isaac Digg, an American Archeologist; Layla Hassan, an Egyptian Citizen; Thomas Campbell, the Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art; and of course, Dr. Zahi Hawass. The projects essential question was: Who Owns History? And what better way to approach such a multidimensional question than by using an interactive Web 2.0 tool that asks students to examine various points of view? tage is that the SCAN tool allows users to give voice to varying perspectives, thus teaching students that there are always at least two sides to every story.

ExCITEmENT ProvokES EvolUTIoN aND ExTENSIoN

After determining that the SCAN tool would be the platform for their unit of study, Cynthia and Michelle kept the fire burning by adding a few final elements to the project. Drawing upon their expertise, they considered various essential skills that they could incorporate, Cynthia located non-fiction ar-

ticles of varying reading levels and videos that students would use for their research. With the help of former colleague Sandy Wozniak, now Director of Curriculum and Technology Products at TregoED, Cassidy and Cook were able to explore and utilize a number of Web 2.0 tools to help organize and deliver the project. Once organized, Cassidy transferred the links into an easily accessible folder on Livebinder.com. However, when Cook balked at the lengthy URL generated by Livebinder, referencing her students remedial typing skills, Cassidy quickly generated a solution through tinyurl.com. Michelle used her expertise in language arts to develop practical and student-friendly rubrics and graphic organizers to help focus students on the essential elements of point of view, voice, and persuasive language. Michelle also constructed mini-lessons using laptop stations that would allow students to practice active reading strategies and use their persuasive writing techniques. With the Livebinder organized, mini-lessons and resources invented, and the SCAN scenario carefully crafted, Cassidy and Cook were excited to introduce the unit to the 130 students on Cooks team.

CollaBoraTIoN IN rEal TImE

Cassidy and Cook felt they had thought of everything, but after successfully introduc-

TWo SIDES To EvEry STory aT lEaST

The SCAN tool, offered by TregoED (www. tregoed.org/teachers/about-scan.html) provided the perfect foundation for the unit, because it is flexible, student-centered, and asks students to incorporate a multitude of skills. It also helps that SCAN mirrors many of the same formats as social networking sites such as Facebook. This familiarity triggers comfort in most students and generates excitement. Another advan-

Cook and Cassidy used Understanding by Design principles in the project.

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ing the project to two classes, Michelle expressed trepidation about whether her next class would enjoy the same success. To ensure that Michelles special needs students would have additional support to master the required non-fiction reading, the two jumped into action. While Cassidy instructed a middle school audience of nearly 30 students, Michelle hastily located a 5Ws graphic organizer that Cynthia was then able to transform into a SMART board document. The seamless adjustment was critical in helping students master the content and was a great compliment to the unit.

BUT DID THEy lEarN?

The impact of this project was astounding. Typically, on traditional projects, approximately 85% of Michelles students complete all of the assigned work, some reluctantly. For this unit, however, the classes achieved a surprising 99% total completion rate. Cynthia and Michelle attribute a variety of reasons for this. But specifically, they believe that, unlike an oral class discussion

that may be monopolized by a minority of students, the online tool using screen names and avatars elicited full participation. In fact, many students went beyond the requirements, writing far more comments than mandated. Overall, Michelle found that even her most reluctant pupils and learning-disabled students, such as those with autism and dysgraphia, were active contributors during the SCAN sessions. Cynthia and Michelle attribute this increase in participation to a different attitude toward learning, which students voiced in their self-reflections. Using SCAN, each student knew his or her voice was important and would be read and considered by every other student. The SCAN tool also gave students the ability to work at their own pace without apprehension of peer pressure. In addition, the supplemental materials acted as high-interest tools that differentiated background materials, so students with diverse reading levels could read information with ease. This multi-modal approach to learning allowed progress monitoring that was immediate

Students worked collaboratively and individually. and constant, so students practiced learning independence, which also increased their motivation. Additionally, because the SCAN tool provides a teachers view that gave us a full transcript of student discussion, we

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were able to use a rubric on voice to quickly assess the quality of student work. This transcript gave us concrete evidence of the scope and quality of participation of all students during the discussion. The built-in teachers view also allowed us to monitor the ongoing discussion in real time for netiquette and content, ensuring that all students were on-task at all times. The students written work demonstrated how they achieved the language arts learning objectives while practicing 21st century skills. Specifically, the graphic organizers and final essays constructed by the students proved that they understood the various points of view, analyzed all of the issues, and were able to construct valid arguments that were substantiated by textual support. In fact, when Michelle assessed the final essaysusing the New Jersey State Holistic Scoring Rubricthe class average proficiency rating ranked at an 8.9, which is above the states average. Further, when these students completed the Mount Olive School Districts required writing assessment, they scored a full percentage point above the 6th grade class average, which is exceptional considering Michelle has the only mainstreamed learning-disabled students on the grade level. Success can also be measured by the attitudes of the students. During the unit, Michelle and Cynthia overheard students commenting that they love SCAN and cant wait to come back tomorrow to do this again. Students were fully engaged and had to be prodded to log off the computers at the end of the class period. As they were gently nudged out the door, many still debated their perspectives. Some students even asked if they could access the activity from home, because they were afraid they would miss something if they didnt read all the comments. How often do students ask teachers for homework? However, the most telling comment of all was made by a small group of students who wondered, Why isnt Mrs. Cook making us do any language arts? Students were so engrossed in the activity that they didnt even realize they were practicing and applying their reading and writing skills.

BrINGING IT ToGETHEr
Employing active reading strategies, determining important ideas, writing with voice, applying research, using persuasive writing, and providing textual evidence while having fun in a virtual world? Who would have thought that any one unit could accomplish so much in so little time? With a little tinder, a spark, some fuel, and progressive collaboration, teachers and library professionals can rekindle their cooperative spirits and get linked.

rESoUrCES
SCAN: http://www.tregoed.org/teachers/ new-to-scan.html LiveBinder: http://livebinders.com/play/ play_or_edit/63928 or http://tinyurl. com/62vsuda Registered users can access the complete project details and resources on the TregoED site: http://www.tregoed.org/dashboard/teacher-tips.html TregoEd is offering a limited time (expires June 30) discount of school subscriptions. For just $350, a school can have unlimited teacher accounts/building. To get the discount, use coupon code schoolsub2011. The project meets the following standards: ISTE.NETS for Students: 1-6 American Association of School Librarians Standards for the 21st Century Learner: 1.1.1, 1.1.7-1.1.9, 1.3.2, 1.3.4, 1.3.5, 1.4.2, 2.1.1, 2.1.3, 2.1.5-6, 3.1.6, 4.3.1, 4.3.4. Common Core English/Language Arts Standards: Writing 6-12: Gr.6.1, 6.2, 6.4, 6.6, 6.9 Reading 6-12:Gr. 6.2, 6.6, 6.7 Reading and Writing for Informational Text 6-12: Gr.6.6 Speaking and Listening Skills: Gr.6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.6 New Jersey Core Curriculum Contents Standards 21st-Century Life and Careers: 9.1.8.A.1-4, 9.1.8.B1-2, 9.1.8.D.1, 9.1.8.D.3-4.

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FEaTUrEARtiCLE

NSLPY Winners for 2011:

Leadership Reigns!
ElIzaBETH BETTy marCoUx

All are risk takers, all are active participants and great supporters of their communities.

f one considers the three winners of the National School Library Program of the Year award and thinks about a common theme among them, it would be leadership. From the first reading of their applications to the final visits at their sites, leadership was a prevalent and common trait for all three.
In times when school library programs are at risk for either elimination or diminishing results, this speaks loudly to the global education community. All three have involved themselves in not only the activities of their schools, but also the activities and perceptions of their communities. Below you will find information about the award winners (in no particular order).

1. PINE GrovE mIDDlE SCHool

Pine Grove Middle School is located just outside of Syracuse, New York, and is a part of the East Syracuse-Minoa Central School District. Sue Kowalski, the teacher librarian at Pine Grove, is a dynamic leader in learning, and she continually strives to always be where students can receive and learn information effectively. Sue does things both face to face and virtually, using technology and interpersonal interactions to benefit student learning. She reaches students through such practices as her one way text alerts about interesting things regarding the library and the school. But she doesnt stop there. She has hadand continues to havegreat influence over both teachers and administrators. It isnt often one hears the Superintendent assert that the middle school library program is viewed by much of the community with the same passion often connected to popular sports programs. Sue partners with the teacher in her building as well as with individuals in the community and the district to develop strategic plans and workable schedules for all, as well as to gather feedback about what worksall of which contribute to Sues integral status in her school, district, and community. As a vital contributor to the professional de-

velopment work in her school and district, she actively participates in regional library organizations, giving many presentations. Attended by her colleagues and educational partners, these events are filled to capacity and beyond, as others clamor to learn her secrets for success. Administrators are invited to attend these sessions and conferences at minimal to no charge. But she isnt done. Her altruistic approach to learning is reflective of the model she presents in her own library. Students tangibly benefit from her vision of sharing, but her community does as well. Banners announce the importance of libraries over city streets; on every document she creates the mission statement of the districts libraries goes home to students houses. While she doesnt hold a traditional book fair in the library, much of the money raised by this fair comes to the library. She doesnt participate in competitive fund raising but looks at how to best recycle to gain funds for other things. Sue creates planning sheets and reports mainly for herself but shares them readily with others. She looks for needs in the schools learning environment and proactively develops plans that will address these issues. Though working at Pine Grove has been a big challenge for her, Sues focus is on advancing the cause for enhanced learning and participation by students and teachers. One great example of this is the articulation of curriculum standards and the district unified research continuum that Sue advanced, making learning more
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successful across grades. She shares with teachers how a project aligns or can align with standards used in the district and how it can be tweaked to do so even more. There are no formal agreements with other libraries outside of this district, but that doesnt stop Sue. She looks to see how she can collaborate extensively with the nearby public libraries, even using their facilities to work with and tutor her kids. And, of course, she is a big supporter of the public librarys summer reading program. Beyond her library walls, Sue is an active participant and the library has a reputation for kids doing things that are business relatedand more than just asking for money. Not only is Sue communicating with her students on a regular basis through social media, but she serves on many school and regional committees. For instance, Sue works on the School Improvement Team committee and sees great support for the school library and its work there. She coordinates the Bookapalooza program that everyone talks about. Though it is truly a collaborative campaign, many believe it wont happen in the community or schools unless Sue pulls it together. She goes where the students are, whether on a ski trip or to a night event filled with math and science. Most of all, Sue empowers her students to be leaders and active participants in both their education and their community. She is able to empower the students to take leadership roles in many activities, as they develop their own ideas. Sue embraces changes that advance student learning, such as the concept of the Learning Commons. Without hesitation, she offered the library she managed as a facility for these changes. With next to no money, she transformed her library into a facility that allows both teachers and students to self navigate into the area they most need. Shelves were moved and casual reading areas developed. What was the clerks room is now the quiet room, and moveable walls make up a planning area that is available for student and teacher planning. Whether for an activity within the community or school or a lesson on the field or in the classroom, Sue aims toward mean-

ingful learning experiences with high, challenging expectations, ones from which both students and teachers will benefit.

2. HENrICo SCHool DISTrICT

Henrico School District is located in the Richmond, Virginia area. It is fortunate to have Ann Martin, a former president of the American Association of School Librarians, as its district school library leader. She brings a consistent message to the school district about school library programs and sees to it that the programs do indeed match what she says will happen. Nothing she says or does conflicts with the district agenda. In fact, she makes sure that every program is responsive and leads the district agenda at every school. Even the superintendent commends the program for its service to its constituency and the school library programs commitment to the students in this district. This school district and its school libraries use data heavily to drive their programs. They look at results of various assessments and learn how to engage students in learning more concertedly through them. Ann gathers and uses survey results from the community on performance and satisfaction levels that relate to the school library program. She uses these results to lead the district to even better and more relevant performance. Ann often uses data to support her requests as well as requests made by any committees she or the teacher librarians serve on. Her charts and graphs of information are powerful tools. One teacher librarian attends each PTA meeting, and Ann reviews the district strategic plan as well as the library committee and task force minutes on a regular basis. She sees this type of results-oriented planning as a communication mechanism between the school library program, the district, and the community. Technology is an important issue in this district, but Ann works well with both the district administration and the school library programs to infuse technology into learning. E-Learning is a digital platform that this district uses and the school library program is on top of this. The school li-

braries serve their students well with their programs and technology. They embrace the 1-to-1 laptop initiative as a learning opportunity and research tool for all, including teachers. Even the district personnel comment on how the teacher librarian is one professional in every building that seems to love technology, but often will think outside the box in terms of how to use it. Attention and advocacy are the areas that most represent this school districts school library program, and its quality is recognized by the district and the community. Each librarian models his or her best in their schools, and other educators recognize the richness they bring to what students and teachers can accomplish while learning. There is strong modeling among the librarians in this district, with engaging and non threatening collaboration. Problem solving is very apparent with the Educational Technology department, as each school has access to not only these people on a regular basis but often make them an integral part of the school library team. Ann knows how to facilitate the school library programs, so that they have quality resources readily available and usable regardless of what it may be, and being the diverse district it is, these vary significantly. Many of the school district personnel acknowledge that teacher librarians lead much of the professional development in this district and appreciate the impact they have on improving teaching and learning in the schools. They speak about school library programs being integral parts of the instructional role of the school, and they speak about the shared decision-making commitment they found in the school libraries. They see the teacher librarians as technologically rich and innovative, worldly and information fluent, relevant and exciting. Most of all, they see the school library programs meeting student needs and interests, be they advanced students or special needs students. While some school library programs use student assistance more than others, they all pay attention to student learning issues. From web page development to shelv-

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ing, students talents are embraced by the teacher librarians and used effectively in their programs. The students assist in making great videos about their programs and assist in developing displays that celebrate their learning successes. Clearly there is student buy-in of the school library programs.

3. NorTH EaST INDEPENDENT SCHool DISTrICT

North East Independent School District is located in the northern area of San Antonio, Texas. The district school library program is led by Richard Hasenyager, a nationally recognized leader of school libraries. There is a feeling that Ric leads the teacher librarians in this district well and has great expectations for them. From the moment you encounter school library personne in this district, you are struck by their professionalism. Whether working with lower socioeconomic students or not, this districts school library program makes it their responsibility to offer the best of the best to any and all students and teachers. Ric has worked concertedly to involve the building level teacher librarian at each site and he offers them support and assistance to become even more integral to their schools. He believes in advancing all programs and teacher librarians as they connect more concertedly with their students. Articulation is important to these teacher librarians, and they work well together, both in their schools as well as in their district. They are active contributors to what makes education worthwhile for their students. There is statistical evidence made available to each site that helps develop their programs, so that they best meet the needs of that school community. Partnerships with both businesses and public libraries advance these causes also. The superintendent notes that teacher librarians are teachers not keepers of books. What is taught is shared among school library programsand studied as well, so that articulation is found at all developmental level areas. There is no question that kids make these libraries. The facilities are engaging,

exciting, encompassing, and used heavily. They represent the learning environment and make students, parents, and teachers glad they exist. The individual interests of the students are honored and respected, but there is an expectation that accountability will occur and be shared within the district and the community. Site-based decision making about the librarys diverse holdings is welcomed, and students are encouraged to participate in this process. All students know that what information they need will be found for them in a timely manner regardless of it being within their site specific collection or not. Student comments, as well as school improvement concerns, help drive the library programming. Students tend often to define the school library as theirs. Whether a shared space with the public library librarians cross-trained in school and public libraries, the user is first and foremost. Students know their research has both rigor and meaning and they know they can find help and support for that research in the school library programs. Learning radiates from these school library programs. The district and this community dont perceive these programs as low hanging fruit, which can be reduced or eliminated in hard budget times. Rather, they see them as integral to what is happening educationally for students in every building. The teacher librarians are seen as the curators of resources. They help students succeed. Ric advocates not only for the district school library program but for the individual sites teacher librarian by promoting the tools and opportunities each campus teacher librarians can use. They are leaders on their campuses, and he ensures that they are effective. They have the resources, professional development, and attention they need to be successful, thanks to Ric and their schools. He encourages and models collaboration with the district teacher librarians, working with them to move toward more inquiry-based work, and he asks them to help their building teachers flesh out the research steps it takes for this approach. For instance, in Texas, science is first tested in 5th grade. The

teacher librarians are made aware of how they can influence the work of the science teacher and help them create the centers to be used in developing the students science learning habits. One might call it a bit of stealth science going on. Suffice to say that Ric facilitates these teacher librarians in many ways to help them develop structures that make them even more effective. They serve on their school sites leadership teams and are recognized in their buildings as leaders who teach students and collaborate effectively with teachers. With Rics help, they instruct students even more effectively. Ric also collaborates extensively with other school departments. He brings quality to their education programs and agendas while infusing the school library program into what they want to accomplish. Respect for the school library program has grown in this district, largely due to the teacher librarians work with many different programs and in many different areas. In summary: Each of these three winners is leading the school library field and contributing actively to education. The school library programs they represent are integrated into the fabric and life of their schools. They count! These programs all support 21st Century Learning and they all take initiative with ideas that are viable to their situations. They all allow their students to be empowered, self directed, and self motivated. When you walk into these libraries, you can see what is important: The teacher librarians are the go-to people for quality ideas in education. Whether a new facility or an old building, the school library is a place teachers and students, administrators and parents want to visitit is where the teacher librarians model energy, enthusiasm, and dedication. All are risk takers, all are active participants and great supporters of their communities. These programs arent going to disappear since they have meaning to the entire learning community; they impact leadership and are a key part of the instructional plan for every school.

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TIPS&tACtiCS
With this project, the student learning was visible, documented, and very, very sweet.

A Gold Star Experience:

First Grade Activity Plants Many Seeds

lESlIE CaTalDo SavaGE

irst graders in my building often do a plant project in their classroom, where it stays. But not last fall. I met with classroom teacher Erika Furr, a veteran and class act, and we decided to amp up this project. Erikas class was still going to grow plantsbean and tomato plants, to be more specific, since they grow fast. As usual, half the class got bean plants and the other half got tomatoes. We decided, however, to put digital cameras in the hands of these first graders. They dutifully carried their plants down to the library once a week and snapped two pictures each of their plants. Behind the scenes, I uploaded their best pictures to their VoiceThread accounts. (VoiceThread is terrific Web 2.0 tool for the elementary set and can be used for any kind of digital storytelling. Its cheap to get accounts for your whole school. Files of almost any type can be uploaded). Back in the classroom, the students wrote journal entries every week about the stage of their plants development. When students came back to the library/computer lab, they made audio recordings of their journal entries in VoiceThread. The audio recordings were laid over the corresponding images of the plants, showing the particular stage of their development. In the end, each student had a multimedia photo journal of five stages of his or her plants growth. Each student in the bean group was paired with a student in the tomato group and then each wrote one more journal entry about their partners plant, noting the differences between the two kinds of plants. In the computer lab, the students commented on their partners VoiceThread by making audio recordings of this last journal entries. They then had the freedom to make other comments about their classmates VoiceThreads. To ensure student security from the very start of the project, the kids drew digital self-portraits they used as avatars to represent themselves on the website. After the students had completed their work on VoiceThread, I sent to all the parents an invitation that contained the website link and directions for commenting on their childs work. Many parents visited the site and commented upon the projects. This, of course, delighted the students. Some students proudly told me that grandparents in far away locations were able to see their work, too! In the end, students were very proud of their accomplishments. They were the youngest students in the school to use our digital cameras and had successfully created VoiceThreads. We had a celebration day in the computer lab where the students and I took virtual tours of their work. As teachers, we enjoyed a 100% student success rate with this project. The icing on the cake occurred this year when these same students returned as second graders and asked to do the project again! The five-week project aligned with many standards in our new technology curriculum, library curriculum, and first-grade English Language Arts and science curriculums. In June 2010, I did a very short presentation at a faculty meeting about our accomplishment.
TEACHER LIBRARIAN 38:5

Once the other first grade teachers in our building saw the results, they wanted in. This year, we are changing the topic but the whole team is going to embark on a new collaborative project in Spring 2011. This great project did not require much planning time. I pitched the idea in an email to the classroom teacher last fall. She liked it and we met for about one hour when we both had open time for professional development. We carefully mapped out each of our responsibilities for the project and what would happen on the days when her students came to me for class. We also scheduled a few additional class sessions in the computer lab to incorporate more work with VoiceThread. The classroom teacher and I also met for about thirty minutes on a rare day when our planning periods coincided, to continue mapping out our roles and responsibilities. Other than these two planning sessions, we only touched base briefly when she came to pick up her class. At these moments, we would let each other know that we were on track with the original schedule we had mapped out. All of this was possible with about an hour and a half of joint planning. (I will say that when we met we were very focused and did not waste a second of time!) With this project, the student learning was visible, documented, and very, very sweet. Leslie Cataldo Savage is a library media specialist at Palmer Elementary School in Baldwinsville, New York and can be reached at lsavage@bville.org.

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Learning Commons

Treasury

David v. loertscher and Elizabeth Betty marcoux, eds.; Teacher librarian Press; 2010; ISBN: 978-1-61751-000-7; $30.00

(800) 873-3043 Fax: (936) 271-4560 Email: lmcsourcesales@gmail.com Website: www.lmcsource.com

This compendium of articles from Teacher Librarian completes a trio of guides to leadership teams interested in transforming the school library and computer lab into a Learning Commons. The rst book, The New School Learning Common Where Learners Win (Loertscher, Koechlin, and Zwaan) set the theoretical foundation for the Learning Commons. The second book: Building a Learning Commons (Koechlin, Rosenfeld, and Loertscher) provides administrators and learning leadership teams with the planning tools needed to establish a Commons. In this third publication, the editors have gathered together 25 articles they have solicited about the Learning Commons idea over the past several years and published in Teacher Librarian. Articles lay the foundation of the Common, provide real examples from teacher librarians who have established a learning commons in their school, provide a glimpse into curriculum matters related to the Commons, the technology needed to make the Commons a success, a guide for the staff and role of specialists in the Commons, and nally several articles dealing with assessing impact on teaching and learning. This trio is a valuable collection for reinventing the nature of school libraries into a 21st century model.

Librarians: We Will Survive!

AISD BOOK CART DRILL TEAM { Lyrics sung to the music in Gloria Gaynors I Will Survive! }

At rst I was afraid; I was petried e. rarians would be cut, and then just cast asid That lib But I knew deep in my heart We could prove that would be wrong, Because were strong, And we know how to bring it on!

We wont sit back and let it be! We will speak out, and then we ll mobilize the whole communit y. And those who just dont get it - can go sit down and shush , If they think for just one secon d they can close the book on us.
View the YouTube video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzlFWcgx-gE

Oh no, we wont walk out the d oor! It might save money, but all ou r students need us more. Arent we the ones who teach th e skills they really need For the future? So if we want them to succeed. . .

. . . we will survive; we will survive. search skills and keep the love of books alive. Well build those re us goals to reach, weve got every kid to teach, Weve got camp And well survive, we will survive! Hey, hey!!!

WH aT Wo rkS

Enabled, Engaged, Empowered

A survey of 294,399 Students 42,267 Parents 37,720 Teachers/Librarians 4,969 Administrators/Tech Leaders
David v. loertscher

ach year, Project Tomorrow conducts massive surveys of K-12 teachers, administrators, teacher librarians, technology coordinators, parents, and students.
The report, The New 3 Es of Education: Enabled, Engage, Empowered: How Todays Educators are Advancing a New Vision for Teaching and Learning, May, 2011 (available for download at:

www.tomorrow.org) provides a very interesting glimpse into the role of the teacher librarian in technology. As expected, we are masters in helping select and push quality resources from the digital world. The report states: The role of the school librarian is increasingly focused around the use of digital content in the classroom. Librarians or media specialists in many schools have the responsibility for identifying, evaluating and recommending digital resources to teachers. On one level, the school librarian is the go-to person to identify websites for classroom use (78 percent), create collections of resources for curriculum support (56 percent) and to find specific digital content, podcasts and videos to support classroom lessons (47 percent). However, librarians are also enabling and empowering teachers skills with digital content answering questions about technology tools (85 percent), participating with teachers in professional learning communities (66 percent) and training teachers how to locate and evaluate digital content (33 percent). With the increased variety and depth of the digital resources available for classroom use, the librarian is emerging as a critical player in enabling the use of these tools in the classroom, taking on the twin roles of cheerleader and exploration sherpa. (p. 13) Teacher librarians are not quite as astute in recommending various types of technologies as shown in the table below (from p. 13). We suspect they are punting to tech coordinators for that role. Later in the report, the writers make a major statement of the value of the teacher librarian that needs broadcasting all over the education world: This disconnect between the value propositions of principals and teachers has interesting ramifications as schools and districts explore how to expand the role of digital content within instruction. In some schools, teachers have the author-

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Bookmarkit
using the Google form to collect data or ideas that end up in a Google Spreadsheet in real time allows learners to do analysis and synthesis not possible in any other medium. collaborative mind maps allow groups to build and structure collective knowledge.
ity to select their own digital resources; in others, that responsibility is held by a district committee. In the middle of many of these discussions is the school librarian. The librarian view on how to effectively evaluate digital resources is an interesting blend of the teachers and principals points of view. Within the librarians evaluation rubric, the most important factors when recommending digital content to teachers are: Content accuracy (81 percent) Ease of use by teachers and students (76 percent) Alignment to curriculum standards (73 percent) Credibility of the content publishing organization (66 percent) Cost (60 percent) Level of engagement and interactivity (50 percent) (p. 16) So, we can be proud that someone else, other than ourselves, with a major national report recognizes our value in teaching and learning. However, not covered in the report is a new set of tools that teacher librarians can use to push even further into the center of teaching and learning. These are Web 2.0 tools popularized and supported by Sig MS in ISTE, the AASL tech committees, and such leading professionals as Joyce Valenza, Buffy Hamilton, and Vicki Davis. Of the myriad of Web 2.0 tools now available for free, there is a class of these tools that provide innovative potential for collaborative learning and collective intelligence creation. We all recognize the need for an individual student to master various skills and build deep personal understanding in the various content areas of math, social studies, fine arts, science, and the language arts, but there are new opportunities to combine what I know with what you know to create even deeper understanding and new collective knowledge. We refer to tools such as the Google Document where groups of writers can create, edit, and build. Using the Google Form to collect data or ideas that end up in a Google Spreadsheet in real time allows learners to do analysis and synthesis not possible in any other medium. Collaborative mind maps allow groups to build and structure collective knowledge. Google Presentations allows up to seven individuals to simultaneously create visual summaries of what they know. Collaborative brainstorming tools such as TitanPad allow real time exploration of ideas. These and many more belong to a new class of tools that teacher librarians should use and promote to help illustrate that collective thinking is a powerful way to prepare for careers and for college. It is all a part of the use of ideas and information called for by the AASL Standards which also promote the effective use of quality ideas and quality information to build both individual and collaborative skills and knowledge.
JO HN P ETE RS

PicTuRE BOOKS

TImE For vaCaTIoN!

carls summer vacation. Alexandra Day. Farrar Straus Giroux. 2008. 9780374310851. $12.95. PreS-Grade. 2. A day exploring the woods and lake near their summer cabin is anything but restful for little Madeleine and her marvelous Rottweiler nannyin fact, its so exciting that not even a fireworks show can keep her awake that night. Days big, fully detailed paintings are, as ever, eye-filling and as rich in humor as the nearly wordless storyline. A couple of boys have the best week ever. Marla Frazee. Harcourt. 2008. 9780152060206. $16.00. Grades 1-2. The contrast between the relatively staid narrative and the wild horseplay in Frazees freely drawn pictures will draw gales of laughter as two irrepressible lads sent off to stay with grandparents find more than enough to do to stave off boredom. froggy goes to Hawaii. Jonathan London. Ill. Frank Remkiewicz. Viking. 2011. 9780670012213. $15.99. K-Grade 1. Swimming! Surfing! Hula dancing! Froggy is ready to have a good time in Hawaiibut, as fans of his previous misadventures will expect, the best laid plans of little frogs often go awry. Bright cartoon scenes of fun in the tropical sun light up Froggys latest outing. i love vacations. Anna Walker. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2011. 9781416983217. $9.99. PreS-Grade 1. A very short and simple paean to fun on the beach, featuring a little zebra, a proper assortment of toys and local wildlife, splashing, sand, an upbeat narrative and a cozy bedding down after a days explorations. Oops! Jean-Luc Fromental. Ill. Jolle Jolivet. Abrams Books for Young Readers. 2010. 9780810987494. $17.95. A Parisian familys efforts to get to the airport and start their vacation run into hilarious trouble as a cascading series of surreal near-disasters raise one obstacle after another. An action packed adventure, made even more engrossing by the books jumbo trim size and a closing foldout.
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TlEXtRA

Essential summer reading for professional development

Summer Reading
can be used to stimulate ideas for improvement. It is a role many teacher librarians do not appreciate as a source of leadership and power. Translating the data that cross our minds each day into good ideas is a characteristic of creative leadership not taught in any library school. It can be learned, however, and that is where Johnsons book comes in. Johnson scours history and use the art of storytelling to present seven ways to recognize and develop good ideas: 1. The adjacent possible good ideas are ahead of their time and require certain conditions to be implemented. 2. Liquid networks many ideas develop in coffee house conversations, informal discussions, and networking. 3. The slow hunch good ideas emerge over a long period of time; something that has bothered you seemingly forever but suddenly the solution appears. 4.Serendipity by chance, you run into something that stimulates a great idea or solution. 5. Error all ideas are not created equal and many fail before the good ones emerge. 6. Exaptation taking an idea used for one solution and transferring it to solve another, different problem. 7. Platforms ideas stacked on other ideas that finally emerge into a solution. All day, every day, teacher librarians observe what is happening and face seemingly insurmountable problems and challenges. This book will help you realize that you have the capability of developing work

DavID v. loErTSCHEr

ach summer we recommend a few titles to be part of your professional development activity to refresh your mind and stimulate your vision. In the past, we have recommended a wide selection from which to choose. This time, we very strongly recommend just three exceptional resources.
Where Good Ideas Come From: The Natural History of Innovation by Steven Johnson (Riverside Books, 2010, 326 p., $26.95, ISBN: 9781594487712) Before you read the short review of this book, I suggest you view Johnsons fabulous cartoon booktalk in the YouTube video cited below. You will find his TED talk about his book in the second link. YouTube Video: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=NugRZGDbPFU Ted Talk: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=0af00UcTO-c Interest aroused? Why, you might ask, should teacher librarians be concerned about where good ideas come from. What is rarely known or appreciated in the school environment is that there are only one or two persons on the staff who see across the school and have an opportunity to discern patterns and trends, to see mediocrity and excellence in practice, and to develop a sense of school culture as a whole. One of these persons should be the principal or another administrator. The second person should be the teacher librarian. Every working day, data about the school as a whole come into your head, and if you pay attention, those data

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arounds, innovative interventions, and, most of all, recognizing good ideas in students and encouraging creativity wherever you see it budding. After reading this book, I spent an hour discussing it with a fine scientist. What a great think! Johnson is on to something. Something that will give you great confidence in your role.

The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (ASCD, 2011, 121 p., $26.95, , ISBN:9781416611493) Most teachers and teacher librarians are familiar with or have used the Understanding by Design ideas from Wiggins and McTighe for the past decade. These are general design principles of learning using backwards design ideas of planning, assessing, and teaching activities. In this volume, the authors revise their strategies in what they term UbD 2.0. Their revised template is in three stages: Desired Results, Evidence, and Learning Plan. In stage one, Desired Results, the authors include both the content (meaning and transfer) to be learned and the 21st Century skills to be mastered. In stage two, Evidence, they build in assessment measures both during and at the end (formative and summative) of the process. In stage three, Learning Plan, they develop the actual learning activities. In this last stage, the authors have designed their model for three different types of teaching strategies: direct teaching, facilitation, and coaching. This is an interesting dimension for teacher librarians who prefer inquiry rather than the narrow concept of direct teaching.

Almost half the book is devoted to the building of engaging goals and essential questions. In fact, they have tried to design the book as if the reader is engaged in a model learning experience. We have spoken to the authors about two concepts which they have yet to come to terms with in their work. The first is the push into the wide worlds of information and technology. The second is The Big Think or metacognitive activity after the unit is over. (see Loertscher, Koechlin, and Zwaans book about this concept. The Big Think: 9 Metacognitive Strategies That Make the End Just the Beginning of Learning by David V. Loertsscher, Carol Koechlin, and Sandi Zwaan. Hi Willow, 2009, ISBN 978-1-933170-45-9; $35.00.) Why is this book in its very detailed approach to unit planning essential? For several decades, teacher librarians have been urged to be experts in co-planning and coteaching learning experiences. It is an elusive goal to our profession, but it wont be if teacher librarians understand a technique like UbD 2.0 and can actively demonstrate that two heads are better than one. Teacher librarians who can demonstrate that, every time they are involved in the learning process, better results happen, will also demonstrate their indispensability. You can probably only handle one chapter of this book at a time because you are going to want to have the details automatically engrained in your head rather than having to follow a very detailed list of steps. So, a chapter a day followed by

thinking and thinking and thinking would refresh your method of collaboration with teachers. Andrew Churches, a New Zealand educator writes a blog about technology in education that can be viewed at: http://www.openeducation.net/2008/04/11/blooms-taxonomy-and-the-digital-world/ He also has done extensive work and thinking about technology and the revised Blooms Taxonomy. His wiki on this topic is titled: Educational Origami and is at: http://edorigami. wikispaces.com/ There is so much valuable information on the wiki, especially excellent concepts about technology, expect to take a few hours to read and think your way through it. For example, there is a fine description of the 21st century teacher and what a 21st century classroom might look like for the digital native learners of today. There is a great deal to use here in crafting vision statements, policies, and just plain thinking about technology and learning. P.S. If you want to keep informed about important documents and other information , subscribe to David Loertschers Twitter feed. The name is davidloertscher and these tweets end up on the http://teacherlibrarian.com web site. We try not to fill your in-box, but Tweet only about significant items.

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WEB Wo ND E rS

cool Tools for the Summer and More

Joanne Troutner

hink about learning something new over summer vacation or another break in the school year.

In our ever changing world, we teacher librarians have to stay upto-date. That task is becoming even more difficult as we watch our professional world morph every day into another challenge. So, start by deciding to learn one new thing a month! Consider the sites in this column installment as starting points to help you reach that goal! Start by exploring the world of Google! Begin by developing a customized Google search engine for one of the topics being covered by a teacher who uses your expertise. First check the quick example I made at http://linkyy.com/JTExample. Then move to the Google page, http://www.google.com/cse/, and create your own to share! This is a wonderful tool for helping students stay on track and saving time on some research projects. From here move to the phenomenal Google Art Project housed at http:// www.googleartproject.com/. This option explores a number of art museums across the world with the streetview technology found in Google maps. In addition, you can explore a number of the works

housed at each museum in very high resolution. Consider how you will share this find with art, social studies, and humanities colleagues. Finally, explore the showcase of Google Earth options housed at http://earth.google.com/outreach/showcase.html. Consider selecting your favorites and creating a pathfinder on Netvibes, http://www.netvibes.com/, or Weblist, http://weblist.me, or Wall Wisher, http://www.wallwisher.com/, or Glogster, http://edu. glogster.com/, or your other favorite tool for sharing pathfinders. Explore the option of creating a fake Facebook wall with the MyFakeWall site, http://www.myfakewall.com/. An email address is needed to register for a free account. Once the account is established, creating the profile is straight forward and simple. Look at these examples to spark ideas for using this tool in a range of classroomshttp://www.myfakewall.com/w/Elizabeth+I and http://www.myfakewall.com/w/Franklin+D+Roosevelt. Think about having students move this into the science and math realm by creating walls for chemical elements and math properties. Status updates could be more information about how the element is used or the math property is found in real life. Want to improve your skills using Excel, Word, or PowerPoint? Getting a new version of Office installed at school? Look no further than the superb tutorials offered by Bernie Poole at http:// www.pitt.edu/~poole/onlinebooks.htm. Here are step-by-step learning guides for Office 2000, XP, 2003, 2007, and 2010. The materials are available in PDF format. And Bernie freely offers to send the activity files to you via email. Designed for use with his preservice teacher classes, the materials give examples of using the tools in the classroom. The section on using mail merge itself is invaluable for educators! Thinking about using Evernote as a tool for yourself? Or possibly becoming the expert and helping students use this masterful tool? Dig into the Tips and Stories section of the Evernote blog. Begin by looking at 10 Tips for Teachers Using Evernote at

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http://blog.evernote.com/2011/01/13/10-tips-for-teachers-usingevernote-education-series/. Here you will find a number of time saving ideas for using this tool as a teaching tool. Then head to the Tips link at the top of the screen. Scroll through entries to see ideas of how students are using this tool including an entry by our own teacher librarian, Buffy Hamilton. Also peruse the video tutorial done by a Chicago teacher, which is housed at http://stumpteacher.blogspot.com/2011/01/evernote-101.html. Take a look at Storybird, http://storybird.com/. This Web 2.0 publishing tool provides an easy-to-use option for creating digital stories. The approach is to start with the art work and then add the story. This tool is a hit with elementary students. The site is designed to be friendly for younger users. Classroom accounts can be easily created; students can be added without email addresses. Stu-

dent assignments are quickly created and may be private or public. Check out the blog entry of a modern language teacher in England to discover even more uses, http://www.boxoftricks.net/?p=1967. The folks at Make Use Of have produced yet more wonderful resources designed to make using various technology options quick and easy! Check out the list of 15 titles found at http://www. makeuseof.com/tag/15-free-guides-teach-stuff/. Here you will find superb information and downloadable guides on privacy settings for Facebook, using Dropbox, digital photography, a guide to Gmail and more. Each PDF file is designed to help both beginners and more advanced users. Check out some of the options and decide how to share the information with your fellow educators and students. One of my favorite PD options is the annual K 12 Online Conference. The 2010 conference options are housed at http://wiki.

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k12onlineconference.org/home/for-participants/2010-schedule. Here you will hear from technology experts and students. Be sure to watch the Student Voice keynote by Colby Ratzlaff. Explore parent engagement options; learn more about mobile learning; and, see a wide range of classroom applications. This site alone can provide myriad ideas for collaboration and will spark new ideas for your library media center. Want to explore the world of QR codes or just brush up your current knowledge? Stop by Tammy Worcesters tutorials at http:// www.tammyworcester.com/TipOfWeek/TammyWTechTipOfWeek/ Tech_Tip_of_Week_Tammy_Worcester.html. You are looking for tip 95 and 96. Of course, you may want to check out the options from the year as well. Planning for use of iPads and other mobile options in your

school? Be sure to include a visit to the Teach With Your iPad wiki at http://teachwithyouripad.wikispaces.com/. This one stop shop provides excellent teaching ideas, a database of great apps, and a superb list of apps that work with a projection device. Learn about using an iPad as teacher station and as mobile learning device for students. Finally, run through the list of 35 Best Web 2.0 Classroom Tools found at http://edudemic.com/2010/07/the-35-best-web-2-0classroom-tools-chosen-by-you/. Here you will find classics that reinforce ideas you already have as well as new options to explore. Think about using this format as a springboard to deliver the top 3 5 tools to showcase to your colleagues.

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 . . . a beautiful, healing reminder for both children and parents that, no matter what life throws at you, the power of love and the unbreakable human spirit survives and thrives in all of us.
Gary Sinise, Actor/National spokesperson for The American Veterans Disabled For Life Memorial Foundation

Outstanding! This book will help families of all ages cope with the challenges they face when a loved one is injured or just not the person he/she was before the war. I wish every civilian family would read this book so they could better understand what military families are dealing with on a daily basis.
Ruthi Moore, Director of Nursing, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

Our Daddy Is Invincible!

Shannon Maxwell, author Liza Biggers, illustrator Price $15.95 ISBN13: 978-1-61751-003-8 Pub Date: March, 2011 Hardcover 36 pages 4th Division Press
For orders or more information please visit www.ourdaddyisinvincible.com 4th Division Press is an imprint of E L Kurdyla Publishing LLC www.kurdylapublishing.com

What happens when a parent becomes traumatically injured? In Our Daddy Is Invincible! Alexis and Eric find out that their Daddy was badly hurt, something they thought impossible. They are scared for him and wonder how his injuries will change their lives. They learn that his love for them continues to be strong and that life goes on. There are people to help in their daddys recovery, new adventures to be found, and new ways to find enjoyment together as a family. Turn the pages of this beautifully illustrated, hope-filled book and discover the possibilities. While Our Daddy Is Invincible! directly addresses the concerns of children of wounded warrior parents, it also provides the opportunity to teach all children about the sacrifices and challenges faced by their classmates, friends, and neighbors and their parents. To view an online preview of the book please go to: http://tinyurl.com/maxwell-invincible

ProF ESS IoN al rEa DI N G

Resources for the Teacher Librarian

David v. loertscher & Elizabeth Betty marcoux

essential read. (Libraries Unlimited, 2010, 354 p., $55.00, ISBN: 9781563088063)

ImProvING STUDENTS WEB USE aND INFormaTIoN lITEraCy

James E. Herring If you are fairly new to the concepts of Web 2.0 and its application to information literacy, try this James Herring book. In plain terms, he introduces the basics of the Web as well as wikis, blogs, websites and other tools. He explains their use in teaching students how to deal with the world of digital information as they explore, research, and create. Herring is a prominent scholar in our field and knows his stuff. Recommended. (Facet, 2011, 192 p., $85.00, ISBN: 9781856047432)

INTEllECTUal FrEEDom maNUal, 8TH EDITIoN

ofce of Intellectual Freedom How long has it been since you have browsed through and used this essential manual? It is amazing to find the history and various interpretations of the central code of ethics of the library profession all in one place. The topics covered are incredible and this volume needs to be at hand as a reference and guide to day to day operations of a library and learning commons. Of particular interest in this edition is the number of articles dealing with children and young people in both the print and digital environments as the world of information changes. For problems and challenges, for policies and practice, this manual has the essent1al ideas and guidance we all need. Check your shelves. What edition do you have? Probably time to update. (ALA Editions, 2010, 439 p., $65.00, ISBN: 9780838935903)

makE mE a STory : TEaCHING WrITING THroUGH DIGITal SToryTEllING

lisa C. miller Digital storytelling has taken off as a major use of technology. It helps children and teens build understanding, communication skills, writing, narrative, and a number of other skills as they build and deliver a stories of their own. We often think of creating a literary story from something like the Caldecottt winner The Lion and the Mouse, and there are plenty of examples in this book of using literature and our surroundings to build and tell stories in all kinds of media. There also are examples of building a story or documentary using investigative research on a topic such as the Titanic or the Pyramids. The engagement of the multimedia final product just might inspire the best in students, the theme with both printed examples and video examples on the accompanying CD. If you havent used this technique in your schools, we recommend this as one of many titles that will give you some fresh ideas. Happy storytelling with your students! (Stenhouse, 2011, 102 p., with CD, $20, ISBN: 9781571107893)

INSTrUCTIoNal TECHNoloGy : PaST, PrESENT, aND FUTUrE, 3rD ED.

Gary J. anglin, ed. Teacher librarians pride themselves as being instructional designers with a deep understanding of instructional technology that boosts learning. There is an important sister field of instructional technology that we do not consult as often as we should. Thus, the need to consult the experts in instructional design represented in this collection of essays. You wont find the basic and essential articles that are in this collection on Google. You wont find a collection of the experts in educational technology that are in this book, which will give you the background you need to operate in a world that straddles both information and technology. Anglins book is often used as a textbook for masters and doctoral students of instructional technology to build their theory base. If you want to know the authoritative scoop, consult this source. Llearn the lingo, grasp the ideas, and you will be able to talk their talk and translate those ideas into the real world of your school. An

DIGITal CommUNITy, DIGITal CITIzEN

Jason B. ohler Ohler, a seasoned technology veteran, provides us with a serious look at technology in education across the years. He also argues for the need and the method to educate a different generation in a very different information and technology environment. Ohler is a realist, not a dreamer pushing the awesome possibilities. He makes a great deal of sense and helps the reader think about the opportunities to create a community of students prepared to live in our new digital world as respectful, creative, participating, and thoughtful citizens. We enjoyed the books FYI sidebars which provide many useful tidbits you can work into school and district technology conversations. Ohlers lively style should appeal to you and help you rethink your role as a teacher librarian. His chapters addressed to the school board provides useful hints as you prepare

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your own presentations and professional development for these folks and other administrators, parents, and government officials. Recommended as a thoughtful read. (Corwin Press, 2010, 256 p. $39.95, ISBN: 9781412971447)

TEaCHING BoyS WHo STrUGGlE IN SCHool : STraTEGIES THaT TUrN UNDEraCHIEvErS INTo SUCCESSFUl lEarNErS
kathleen Palmer Cleveland As we all know, boys are fading and girls are rising in success at school You already know your own success rate at communicating with these often bored savages that roam the halls looking for an escape from anything academic. Cleveland creates various classifications for the male crowd out there and then proceeds to recommend strategies for staring into their yellow eyes without blinking once and reaching out to grab not only their attention but also their budding academic selves. Many of these techniques will work with any human being as you reach, teach, engage, and push a new generation into the future. It is worth a read even if you dont always agree; we all need a quiver full of strategies to cope, and to succeed with that awesome crowd of potential who will respond if some adult is smart enough to reach out. Dig in. Reaching one more reluctant student with a new strategy would be worth more than the price of the book. (ASCD, 2011, 233 p., $24.95, ISBN: 9781416611509)

problems in the learning commons. It is quite another to see a context and be able to articulate a larger vision. In this book, Fullan looks at system-wide change and asks: What does it take for a school district to pull itself out of the quagmire and become relevant and move to a leadership position. Fullan has major recommendations with some simple ideas that can make a difference. There is a chapter on what the individual can do in that larger consider-

ation of change. A book like this may be like eating your broccoli or taking caster oil (that reference is for those of us who remember back many years) it is good for your head, it doesnt take that long, and it will give you an informed opinion about a number of local issues. So, try this one. Eat the rest of those peas on your plate. Smile. (Corwin Press, 2011, 136 p. $25.95, 9781412978736)

all SySTEmS Go : THE CHaNGE ImPEraTIvE For WHolE SySTEm rEForm

michael Fullan If you havent read a book by Michael Fullan, then you may as well begin with this one. This book will not help you manage the library/learning commons the minute you read the first chapter, but it will make you smarter when you sit at the table in conversations about school improvement. And, that is the table at which we need to sit. It is too easy to see just our own
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Bookmarkit
S A R A cAT HE R iN E H OWAR D

JuNiOR NONficTiON

aNImalS: PETS, FarmS, WIlD

Deer. [Blastoff! Readers. Backyard Wildlife]. Derek Zobel. Bellwether Media, 2011. $15.95. 978-1-60014-440-0. Grades K-3. Through basic text and bold photographs, this Level-1 Reader presents information about the life of deer, including what they eat and where they live. Other subjects in the series include bears, chipmunks, coyotes, foxes, frogs, rabbits, raccoons, skunks, snakes, squirrels and turtles. Back matter has a simple glossary, web sites, and index. farm Animals: Turkeys. [21st Century Junior Library]. Katie Marsico. Cherry Lake Publishing, 2011. $18.88. 978-160279-976-9. Grades K-3. With minimal explanation, the reader is presented with the progression of growing turkeys to having turkeys on the dinner table. A basic glossary, find out more, and index round out the title. Siamese are the Best! [The Best Cats Ever]. Elaine Landau. Lerner Publishing, 2011. $25.26. 978-0-7613-6427-6. Grades 2-5. Here is a series for the cat lover and perfect companion to Lerners The Best Dogs Ever series. The attractive page layouts feature large photographs and fact boxes along with tips for carrying for the popular Siamese breed that is originally from Thailand. Appended is a glossary, additional reading, web sites, index, and photo acknowledgments. The Stinkiest Animals [Pebble Plus. Extreme Animals]. Connie Colwell Miller. Capstone Press, 2011. $17.99. 978-1-42965307-7. Grades PreK-2. From Eww! to Gross! on the Stink Meter, the easy-toread text and colorful photographs will engage most young readers. The title concludes with a brief glossary, books, web sites, and index.

CHallENGING UNITS For GIFTED lEarNErS: TEaCHING THE Way GIFTED STUDENTS THINk: SoCIal STUDIES
kenneth J. Smith The title of this book attracts teacher librarians because we are very interested in collaboration and realize that many of the gifted students are bored. Unfortunately, this book relies too heavily on scripted teaching right out of a textbooks teachers manual. First, do this. Then do that. Then say this next and on and on. The book would be more useful to us if it presented fascinating problems to solve, ideas on how to build collaborative intelligence, or it coached instead of prescribed. Look elsewhere for better ideas for the gifted. (Prufrock Press, 2011, 198 p., $19.95 , ISBN: 9781593634223)

CoNNECTING lIBrarIES WITH ClaSSroomS: THE CUrrICUlar rolES oF THE mEDIa SPECIalIST, 2ND ED.,
kay Bishop Knocking at the classroom door and actually gaining entrance seems to be the life struggle of many teacher librarians. How do we make a real difference? Why would a classroom teacher want to work with us? Bishop takes the approach that the teacher librarian should be knowledgeable about various kinds of students and disciplines and learn how to gain entrance through specific ideas connected to the various needs in the school. She covers reading, music, English as a second language, autistic students, highly mobile students, gay students, the use of Web 2.0 tools, working in distance education environments, and working with the idea of inclusion. We think whatever workswhatever expertise a teacher librarian can bring to the table to boost deep understanding and learning skills is worth considering. Teacher librarians who have a plethora of ideas and approaches that solve the nitty gritty problems encountered every day in the classroom are much more likely to get in the door. Get a copy of Bishops book and add the best of the ideas to your repertoire. It is another and important dimension to our role. (Linworth, 2011, 122 p., $45.00, ISBN: 9781598845990)

EvEry Book IS a SoCIal STUDIES Book: HoW To mEET STaNDarDS WITH PICTUrE BookS, k-6
Jeannette Balantic, andrea S. libresco, and Jonie C. kipling This collection of ideas focuses on the use of specific picture books to teach social studies. The authors demonstrate how to guide students through thinking and doing activities and provide practical and useful ideas that can easily be replicated in the classroom. You will need to have a copy of the picture books discussed in this book, or any of the additional books listed in the bibliography, to take full advantage of the ideas. If teachers in your school are not using literature to teach in the content areas, social studies is a good place to begin. There is the danger of ruining a perfectly good book by over examination and over work, but you will know which techniques to use from these authors and which to exclude based on the response of the students. While there are other ways to design super learning experiences, this is a common variant worth thinking about. Recommended. (Libraries Unlimited, 2011, 268 p., $30.00 ISBN: 9781598845204)

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PErSoNal ComP U TI N G

free vs. fee in the Digital Age

reid Goldsborough

ne of the most interesting dynamics in the digital world is the interplay between goods and services that you pay for and those you get for free. Weve seen free PCs, free software, free Internet access, and free Web sites.
As the maxim goes, you get what you pay for, and almost always theres some price to pay for something that ostensibly is free. That price typically takes the form of substandard quality, more or less intrusive advertising, or compromised privacy. Still, the ethos of free has a strong tradition and moral underpinning among users of personal computers, other digital devices, and the Internet, and whenever something that was once free starts to cost, a hue and cry can be heard across the land. The recent announcement that Microsoft was acquiring Skype (www.skype.com) has some of Skypes millions of users worldwide preemptively complaining about the possibility that the software giant may eventually start charging users to make voice and video calls to one another using their PCs, which currently is free (Skype calls to landline and mobile phones carry a small fee). On one hand, these worries have some basis. Microsoft is paying a whopping $8.5 billion for Skype, making this its most expensive acquisition. Microsoft has more than enough cash for the acquisition, but Skype lost money last year, more than $7 million. On the other hand, Microsoft has kept other acquisitions free to users, leveraging them to help support the prices of its core products, its Windows operating system and its Office suite of software programs. Heres predicting that Skype will continue to be available separately, for free, while also being integrated into existing Microsoft products. Another interesting development in the free vs. fee arena is the emergence of pay social networking services that give users more than what they get for free from giants such as Facebook and Twitter. One such service is Ning (www.ning.com), which lets people and organizations create their own social networking site. Users can customize the look of their site, accept or reject particular types of members based upon profile questionnaires, control whats shared among members, and even optionally charge

member fees and incorporate advertising. Fees for setting up a Ning site range from $2.95/month for a mini site to $49.95/ month for a pro site with unlimited members and premium addons. The roiling world of publishing is another area where feathers are being ruffled by change and money. In March the largest metropolitan newspaper in the U.S., the New York Times, starting charging fees to frequent visitors of its Web site (www.nytimes. com) who arent also subscribers of the papers print version. Anyone will still be able to read up to 20 articles per month for free. More than that will cost, beginning at $15 per month. Not all visits are included in the 20-article limit. If you access an article through search sites such as Google or social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, thats a freebie, though Google searchers are limited to five articles per day. The New York Times like many companies on the Web is trying to come up with creative solutions that retain visitors while increasing revenue. In explaining its change, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., chairman of the New York Times Co., said, The challenge now is to put a price on our work without walling ourselves off from the global network, to make sure we continue to engage with the widest possible audience. Hard numbers arent yet publicly available, but one dedicated New York Times reader said that the number of online reader comments about Times articles seems to be down, likely indicating fewer online readers. As much and as loudly as some users complain about any movement from free to fee, others argue that it benefits society as a whole. In a recent blog post at Open Forum (www.openforum. com), run by American Express, one participant spelled out various reasons he felt that free is hurting us all. Free content isnt valued by readers the same as paid content, says John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing (www.ducttapemarketing.com), a small business market consulting firm. When content is free, its more likely that content producers will simply slap something together. When users pay for content, Jantsch feels theres a better chance for building a loyal community around it. Its likely that in the future, some digital offerings will remain free. Some, to the delight of many, will become free. But an increasing percentage, it seems likely, will cost. Reid Goldsborough is a syndicated columnist and author of the book Straight Talk About the Information Superhighway. He can be reached at reidgold@comcast.net or www.reidgoldsborough. com

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aUTHorPORtRAit

Pouring Through Fables & History:

An Interview with Candace Fleming
JUlIE m. PrINCE

andace Fleming is the versatile and acclaimed author of more than twenty books for children, including the Boston Globe/Horn Book Award-winning biography, The Lincolns; the bestselling picture book, Muncha! Muncha! Muncha!; and the beloved Boxes for Katje.
JMP: Your newest book, Amelia Lost! (Schwartz & Wade, 2011), is a fun and comprehensive look into the life and disappearance of Amelia Earhart. Will you tell us a bit about how you researched and verified accuracy? CF: Yes, accurate being the appropriate word. I use primary source material as possible. In the case of Amelia Earhart, there were some stories she recounted that werent 100% true, so I went to a couple of experts, including Ric Gillespie of The International Group for Historical Aircraft Recovery (TIGHAR www.tighar.org). I also spent some time at Purdue, where the vast collection of Amelia Earhart and her husband, George Putnam, is located. They had some really great stuff. JMP: Some of the people who claimed to hear Amelia Earhart were kids, right? Or young people? CF: Yeah, and I focused on the young people. I mean there were a couple of people, I touched on, like the lady in Texas, because the story was just so interesting. There was a gentleman out in the Pacifica real reliable radio guymilitary manthat had heard her, and I included him as well. But my focus really was on two teenagers that claimed they heard her. They seemed pretty solid. JMP: Youve got a huge body of work. With your nonfiction specifically, can you tell us about a fact that was really interesting and what you did with it? CF: You mean like how I just found a fact that Ive decided to write a book about? JMP: Yes! Exactly! CF: Oftentimes what happens is that I find some information that simply doesnt jive with what I already knew. I remember with the Lincolns, I wasnt even going to include Mary Lincoln, except in the appropriate places. I was going to focus solely on her husband. I thought I knew who she was, but I didnt have a very great opinion of herwhich tells me right away that I should know better. Like most people, I believed that Mary Lincoln was a shrew and a lunatic and made her husband quite miserable.

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Then I came across a letter at the Lincoln library that she had written for her husbands birthday. And when they were first married, she threw him a birthday party and she gave this little speech and said something like, Im so glad youre having this birthday. Im so grateful for your mother! And it was the sweetest thing. I sort of stopped and went, huh? JMP: Yeah, that doesnt sound very shrewish, does it? CF: No it doesnt. So then I started following that and discovered that she was this woman who was really in love with her husbandand she was this terrific mother. What I do is answer questions for myself. You know, Im curious about this, so I have to look up that, and now Im curious about so I have to look up this, and then, Now I have to walk in her footsteps and see what she saw from the front porch steps of her childhood home. Then all of a sudden, I have this new view about Mary Lincoln, and I can only include her fully in this book. What happens for me is that all of this sort of changes the scope. I always think Im going one way, and then I fully turn another way. JMP: Well, that curiosity obviously worked out for you. CF: It helps that I have a really flexible editor! I mean really flexible! She waits until Im done. Then I sort of dovetail all that information in with all the if onlys. Like with Ameliaif only shed learned to work her radio properly, but she couldnt because she had to do speaking appearances. She had to do speaking appearances because she did all that P.R., and she did all that P.R. because she needed the money, and she needed the money because she needed to fly. I mean it almost becomes inevitable. JMP: So with fiction, is that almost a break for you from all the nonfiction? CF: Its sort of left brain/right brain, you know? Nonfiction is work intensive, slow, meticulous building thats almost like putting pieces of a puzzle together. The long projects take years. The fiction side is the creative side that gets to do what it wants to do. Its almost like a pressure release. When I was in the middle of all the Lincoln research with all that death and despair, I thought

I cant take it anymore. Im just going to write a book thats funny. My goal is just to be funny. And then came the fabled fourth graders (The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School, Schwartz & Wade, 2007). I then needed a short project while working on the Barnum book, so suddenly I was writing Clever Jack (Schwartz & Wade, August, 2010 picture book). JMP: That makes perfect sense. Im thinking that you might use some of the facts from that nonfiction puzzle by moving them over to the fiction side. CF: I do, I do. I think all that nonfiction begets a lot more ideas. I love getting ideas for picture books. I have an elf story stuck in my head right now. I dont know where it came from, but really, for me, the two sort of work hand-in-hand. Im a firm believer in the more you write, the more you write. JMP: What kind of feedback have you gotten from readers, and whats your favorite kind of feedback to receive? CF: I get a lot feedback from kids. I love them. Theyre so honest. Now that they have all of these electronics, they can reach out and grab me all sorts of ways. I get a lot of letters about Muncha! Muncha! Muncha! from kids. They send me their versions of what should happen next. Theyre always brilliant. I get a lot of letters from kids all over the country about the Aesop books. They like the name. They always swear that they know kids exactly like that. I think its heartwarming, because thats exactly the point! Whats really fun about the nonfiction is that I hear from kids that theyre not just using the books for reports, but that theyre actually reading them. In the last few weeks, Ive found that girls love that book. No pun intended, but its really flying off the shelves into their hands. Its always the one that disappears, just like Amelia. Really, no pun intended! I think its just far easier for them to relate to Amelia Earhart than to Eleanor Roosevelt. That sounds shallow, but Amelias just cute as a button on that cover. Its great because shes such a strong woman and they could really have a worse role model.

JMP: Wheres the weirdest place youve ever seen your books in the wild? CF: Ive seen them on airplanes before and I often see MUNCHA! in a diaper bag, and I think, hey look, thats my book! I know youre going to ask if I tell them its mine, and noI do not. JMP: Well why not?! Dont you think theres some mother out there who would be thrilled to have the author of a beloved book come up and introduce themselves? I, for one, would be beyond excited if it happened to me! CF: I dont want to impose myself on people. I never do that. JMP: Oh, impose, imposeplease! Especially with kids, because they so often dont realize that authors are real people! CF: [Laughs] Im always so grateful when kids take the time to seek out a stamp and send me a real letter, because kids dont really have that much time anymore, I dont think. I always feel really, really honored. Im glad I can be doing something I really like. JMP: Being in the writerly world, youve met a lot of authors. Who made you the most starstruck? CF: I met Virginia Hamilton early in my career and almost did that Im not worthy, Im not worthy thing. I met her at the ALA Conference. I think she was getting the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award back in 1995. She was at my table and I was just blown away. She was so nice and kind. In fourth grade, I read The Planet of Junior Brown (Macmillan, 1971), and it just really changed something. It changed my vision of what was out there in my world. Talking to the author was just lovely. And then there was Judy Blume. All I could think of was, How nice to meet you. What would I have done without Margaret? And Katherine Paterson. Those folks. JMP: Oh! Youre killing me. But all this childhood book talk leads nicely into something I always try to talk about in the Author Portrait Column, and that is, tell us your experiences with school libraries, either as a child or recently. CF: Oh! I cant think of a time when I wasnt using libraries. Truly! When I was in school, they were building a library, so they
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had the portable library with shelves that they pushed into the gym and wed pick out books that we wanted to read. I remember once I picked out a book with three teenagers riding in a convertible while wearing chiffon scarves that were blowing in the wind. I have no idea what that book was, but I mustve only been in the second grade. The librarian approached me and gave me a different book. It was Stuart Little, and I remember that I thought it was about the best book Id ever read. It was the best book ever!

I felt so small and I thought it was so cool that he had all that small stuff. I credit (or blame) librarians with the way books and food go hand-in-hand for me. My mother used to take me to story time at the library. I loved the way the page turned and the way her voice sounded. She had an incredible voice. She read Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel and books like that. The silent, comfortable, dim room was so comfortable. Then, after we had all these delicious stories, she would pull out this

gold tin that I thought looked like a treasure box. And inside were all these aluminum foil-wrapped Brachs candies that were different colors, like jewels in that box. We got to pick two. Just two, and my mouth would be watering the whole time. To me, the best reading experience involves cookies or something like that. Its all wrapped up together. So like I said, I can either blame or credit the librarians. JMP: Do you do school visits yourself now?

morE WITH CANDACE

JMP: Tell us more about the young people involved in the search for Amelia Earhart: CF: One of them was an African American (Dana Randolph) boy in Wyoming who was a radio aficionado. He had built his own antenna and could pick up all kinds of things on his radio. He was tuning a dial in his living room and heard this voice come through and actually went to the authorities with it. That was, I think, one of the most compelling pieces of evidence for me, because it was 1937; An African American 16-year-old wouldnt have gone to the police to tell them hed heard something he hadnt. It wouldnt have been a prank. It would have been really far-fetched and dangerous for an African American to do in 1937. Of course the police did report it to a radio authority, and he transmitted what Dana had heard to navy officials in Washington, D.C. That radio guy from Rock Springs, Wyoming went out to Danas house and heard [Earhart] faintly as well, so there is a little corroboration. . Somewhere along official lines, they said its possible that this kid actually heard it. In the case of Betty Klenck, I just thought it was such an intriguing story. As a 15-year-old girl, she listened to the radio the way kids today watch TV. She kept her notebook next to her so she could doodle and draw and write down bits and phrases from the radio. This was just something she did for fun. She happened to hear this voice that she always claimed was Amelia Earhart. Again, some of the information from

her notebook corresponds with what we know about Amelia Earhart. Its just interesting. In the book, I dont say they absolutely, positively heard her, but I do say that they claim to have heard her. Im always looking for that thread to pull that makes everything unravel. I love when I find a story or discover something I havent heard before. Or maybe its the opposite. When I was working on my Amelia project, I found the greatest story about her going to the Iowa State Fair in 1908 and it was the first time shed ever seen an airplane. She said that she wasnt interested in it, even a little bit, because she was far too interested in a little hat that was made out of a peach basket. She was 12 at the time, and I thought, Oh my gosh, this is so charming. As a biographer, were always looking for that thread, you know? But then I discovered that it wasnt true. Theres no way there was a plane at the Iowa State Fair back then. Aviation history simply doesnt allow it. I freaked out. At that point, I felt like everything unraveled in the wrong way. I had to take it back, but then I found another of the stories of hers, and then another. I just had to weed out the facts from the myths. Theres a great story about how Fred Noonan would communicate with Amelia by attaching notes to a fishing pole and sending them up from the back of the plane while they were traveling around the world. Well, if youve ever seen that plane, its great big, almost like a passenger plane. Theres no way he did that. He sat in the front. The reason they didnt want to say that he sat in the front is because people

would think that gave him part ownership in the flight. Then theres the belief that she didnt care about her hair, that she simply cut it all off and had this mop-top, tousled look. But then, I found out that she actually curled it to achieve that mop-top, tousled look. What that forced me to do was then reconstruct her more honestly. JMP: It really is fascinating. I didnt know before I read Amelia Lost! that Amelia Earhart took ying lessons from a female pilot. Many people, like me, assumed that Earhart was the only female pilot back then. CF: Thats the press, isnt it? I think thats the whole point of that book. I mean, she and Putnam were a great public relations team. They did a great job while she was alive doing P.R. so that everything was good for Amelia, and we still buy it, and George Putnam did an awesome job after she died. Weve even continued that. I think whats interesting is that we know better. We look at the celebrities of the 20th century, and we take what they say with, as they say, a grain of salt, but sometimes with historical figures, we dont do that. Amelia Earhart did a lot of public relations. She had reasons that she told stories about herself that were not true. She had a public image, and that image was really important. Thats what weve been left with, and thats part of what the title is about. Amelia Lost! is about how we lost her in not only the South Pacific, but I think we also lost her over the last 75 years. Weve forgotten what the true woman was, which I think is far more extraordinary than her being the

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CF: I do, yes. JMP: And people can just use your website (www.candaceeming.com) if they want more information? CF: They can. Absolutely. JMP: What cities are you headed to in 2012? I know you travel a lot. CF: My calendar is just crazy. Im in Virginia twice and Texas three timeshonestly, three times. Maryland, and a lot of other states, like Utah. But then were also going to the Singapore American School and The

American School of Bombay, and yes they still call it Bombay, even though were calling it Mumbai, for two weeks and then five weeks. If you can escape Chicago at any point during January or February, you do it. JMP: Well, we wish you safe travels and thank you so much for talking to us today. CF: Anytime, Julie. Ive enjoyed it. JMP: May Amelia keep ying off the shelves and your books never disappear from them! CF: Thank you!

BookS By CaNDaCE FlEmING:

The Great and only Barnum: The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum (Schwartz & Wade, 2009), The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary (Schwartz & Wade, 2008), picture books like MUNCHA! MUNCHA! MUNCHA!, illustrated by G. Brian Karas Anne Schwartz Books, Antheneum, 2002 and many others. A recent fiction book is The Fabled Fifth Graders of Aesop Elementary SchoolSchwartz & Wade, 2010.
showed the way. JMP: Im glad that youre carrying that torch forward yourself! So tell us about the fabulous Ric Gillespie who helped you so much. CF: Hes an aviation historian who is currently out in Nikumaroro in the Republic of Kiribati (formerly known as Gardner Island, where it is believed Earhart may have disappeared. He opened up a lot of the TIGHARs files, which, for me, was about the most amazing thing that could happen. Suddenly I had all these primary documents that I hadnt even known were therethings youd have to be Ric Gillespie to have, like copies of files from the U.S. Coast Guard the Navy, etcetera, that arent scrubbed. That means its not the official version they put out, its the actual one. TIGHARs collection is what really made a difference in the book. They had gathered up all the original depositions of people who swore they heard her calling from where she was supposedly plane-wrecked. It was sort of eye opening. They had done a computer program showing where the plane would have bounced, depending on the time of day, depending on the weather. These guys are all aviation experts, so they know their technology. They had deduced that some things were definitely pranks, but some of them were possibly people who could have actually heard her. They firmly believe it. Note: A major underwater search is planned for July, 2012the 75th anniversary of the ight. See TIGHAR.org for more information.

best pilot ever, because she certainly wasnt. She wasnt the best female pilot either. The book is, in part, to reclaim her a little bit. I hope I succeeded. JMP: Yes, you absolutely did! The whole thing was just a really quick read. It was geared toward the younger reader, but its also really engaging for the adult reader. I think you did a fabulous job. Do you know anything about the rumors that have been surfacing recently about new developments in the search for Amelia and her plane (Fred Noonan, Amelias navigator was also lost)? CF: Thats all Ric Gillespieyou can just see his hand in that pot (chuckle). The search for the wreckage is really based on his records. Because of him I got a really firm base in aviation history. JMP: Didnt they find some bones? CF: They did. Theyve sort of pin-pointed it now to what used to be Gardner Island, based again on his computer, where people said her position wasbased on a lot of things, theyve pin-pointed it there. His belief is that because of the time of day, the tide was up, so she landed on an atoll. The reason that we did hear her for a couple of days was that the water would come in and out. When the water went out, they could go out to the plane and make contact. When it went in, they could not. Eventually, the tide coming in and out pushed the plane off that steep atoll shelf. Its down there, but it would be hard to find. Theyve been searching for a few years now. They found a make-up compact that had some make-up in it that was definitely 1930s. A lot of people say, Oh that

wouldnt have been Earharts, because she didnt cotton to the idea of feminine beauty, but reality is that she always had her compact with her. Her quote was always, You never know when the press is gonna show up. The real Amelia was showing through. They also found a campsite where people were cooking, some shoe heels, and bones that I think went to the University of Oklahoma for DNA testing. I dont think the tests are back yet. JMP: Wow! Thats really fantastic! Its very cool. It would certainly seem to make people like Dana and Mabel exactly right. JMP: How did you personally end up researching and writing about Amelia Earhart? CF: My mom. For me, theres always some human link. My mother was about fifteen at the time, and she used to tell me stories about how she read newspapers that told how Amelia disappeared. She couldnt believe it. She lived in some little town near Lake Michigan and she used to walk around the beach, which was, you know, basically the neighborhood, and she would look up in the clear blue sky over Lake Michigan. She stood there and stared. She just knew that if she stood there and waited long enough, she would see Amelia winging her way in, because Amelia never got lost. For that reason, I was always interested in Amelia Earhart. What I realized later was that Amelia Earhart really pushed the boundaries and showed that women could accomplish big things that were really outof-the-box for women. To young girls, that meant they could do it too. Amelia really

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PrIm ary vo ICES

The Winds of change

Erlene Bishop killeen

y first column for this school year talked about dealing with change. I had no idea at that time that I was really writing to myself and all my colleagues here in Wisconsin.
This spring has brought wild winds in the Midwest winds of new political leaders and priorities, winds of a shifting attitude toward teachers and education, winds of national movements and even winds of terrible natural storms whipping through many communities. As public employees many of us are hold-

ing tight to our hats and hoping to weather the wild changes, whatever they bring! Even the current kindergarteners have changed from ten years ago. They come to us from a wide variety of families eager to see what we have to share with them. Often we hear about kids needing to come to school ready to learn. I have yet to meet a kindergartener who is not ready and excited to learn. They may not be equipped for the level of work we expect of them but they are always ready! This year I reaffirmed my love of the 5 year olds in schools. What a joy! What a challenge! Now that four year old kindergarten is established in so many communities, the incoming five year old has changed into a stronger student and a more capable learner. The differences are amazing: no need to introduce any of them to classroom routines although some reminders of school behaviors are always appropriate. We have some kindergarteners who have spent a year as a three year old preschooler, a year as a 4K student during half days, and are now ready for their third year of school and the first full day curriculum. They are ready to learn. These kindergartners love stories, activities, and learning about the world through experiences and interaction. Many more of them are reading before they start school than in the past and even more are able to read beyond the end of first grade level before they even get to first grade. They know a lot about everything and they have experiences with many parts

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Bookmarkit
of the world. Airplane travel, Internet access, and mobile technology are all native to them. Im already starting to wonder what kinds of research projects I will have to evolve to by the time they reach fourth and fifth grade. The winds of change are stirring up new perspectives. We are managing to change the perspectives of our children, faculty, and community about our positions and our Library Media Centers, Learning Commons, or Information Centers! We are all moving as the winds blow us off base. Some professionals have taken on additional responsibilities and new names such as Learning Strategists, Learning Coordinators, Learning Resource Teachers, Library Media Teaching Consultants, etc. Some are acquiring mobile technologies such as I-Pads, I-Touches, I-Pods, Nooks, Kindles, etc., to entice children, inform adults, and attempt to meet needs of all learners. Some are building new offerings for professional development, book clubs, family events, or community outreach. Some are rearranging schedules, responsibilities, and functions. Some are becoming specialists in new areas reading, learning theory, administration, social welfare, or healthfulness. We are meeting changing technology, changing attitudes, changing needs of children, and changing situations. We are finding advocates and supporters. ALA President, Roberta Stevens and the ALA Council have rallied authors and publishers to support books and readers in libraries. AASL President Nancy Everhart has toured the states and drawn attention to school libraries. At every stop she drew in politicians, pop culture figures, local dignitaries, parents, teachers, and children to honor the school libraries and the librarians that ran programs of excellence. Journalists and historians as well as professors have spoken out about the importance of the library institution. These advocates are encouraging and give hope when we most need it. My hope is in those kindergarteners. It comes in the forms of comments from their parents when I am told My son loves coming to the library (It is always library, never any newer name!) and getting to pick out his own books. Its his favorite part of school. Or when a mother says My daughter is so happy when she brings home a new book from the library. We have to read every night so she can bring it back and get another one. Another parent upon meeting me for the first time says, Oh, youre the librarian I keep hearing so much about. It is even better when it is the children themselves. Youre my favorite librarian. I dont think they have had any other but I still smile and say Thank you. And now, when the end of the year is coming, Im going to really miss the libarry (sic) when we dont have school anymore. Of course, I smile and mention the public librarys summer program and remind them they will be back in first grade. You cant pay for publicity this good! My community passed two referendums last year to provide additional funding for the schools. One was for building repairs and the second, larger one, was for increased operating budgets for the next four years. These were the largest referendums passed last year in the state and we are not the largest school district by any measure. In these economic times, it was a strong statement of support. One of the arguments listed in the newspaper, flyers, and other documentation distributed by a parent led referendum supporting group was the possible loss of music programming, advanced placement classes, and our librarians. In actuality, the professional library positions were not on any cut lists the district administration had ever considered. Still, this was one argument that helped pass the referendum with a sizeable majority. The perspective was out there and it was one of the calls to action. The district librarians couldnt help but appreciate the concern and support. Again, I found hope and an anchor in these stormy times. These are changing and difficult times. As I finish a year filled with uneasiness, confusion, destruction, and storming emotions, I reflect on growth, movement, and the refreshing breeze of my young patrons to find hope. May each of us continue to find hope and renewal in the perspectives of the primary voices that surround us in our work! Happy Summer Breezes!
JO E S u TL iff SA N DE RS

GRAPHic NOVELS

SHErloCk HolmES
Sherlock Holmes and the Scandal in Bohemia. 978-0-7613-6185-5. Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure at the Abbey Grange. 978-0-76136189-3. Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Blue Gem. 978-0-7613-6190-9. Adapted by Murray Shaw and M.J. Cosson and illustrated by Sophie Rohrbach. Graphic Universe, 2010. $26.60. Grades 4 and up. Adapting Holmes stories into comics is very challenging, which makes these books all the more impressive. Very little happens in a typical Holmes story: something goes wrong, the detectives interview a series of people, the hero sits around thinking, and eventually he confronts the culprit. Comics are a visual medium, and in the same way that readers of novelsin which its perfectly all right to describe at length the thought processes of a brilliant detectivetend to enjoy detective stories better than moviegoers do, comics readers tend to want to see things movingnot smart people sitting in chairs and thinking deeply. Sophie Rohrbachs illustrations are cunningly designed to address this challenge. She moves the point of view around dramatically, zooming in on Watson, for example, when he finally figures out something Holmes realized an hour ago, or swiveling the perspective so that we fail to see the face of a suspect whose identity would eliminate the mystery. The creators also interject short bits of narration on Watsons notepad to maintain the sense that Watson is writing down these adventures shortly after he has experienced them. The result is a mystery that is always engaging, even when the action is mild.

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From T HE BraIN TrU ST

Teacher Librarians Are Education: Thoughts from Valerie Diggs

TL: Talk briey about education as it relates to teacher librarianship. This is a huge question. When I think about education and school librarians, I picture a vine with entwined branches. The two are inseparable. School librarians are education. They educate students, staff, parents, and the community. School librarians work alongside students to encourage their creativity and innovation as they encounter new ideas and information. Within the parameters of a lesson, a more involved project, or a personal information need, school librarians are the coaches through which students begin the process of asking questions, finding answers, thinking about those answers, and creating new meanings for themselves, their peers, teachers, and parents. With these new meanings comes communicationa sharing of these new ideas and thought processes. In collaboration with the classroom teacher, decisions are made as to what type of product best fits the communication needs of the students and the assignment. School librarians are poised to help students with this communication by offering online tools designed for the expression of creativity. Tools such as Prezi, VoiceThread, Animoto, Glogster, and more can be used with the guidance of the school librarian. The education of staff is paramount. The world of information and access to information changes on a daily basis. Keeping staff informed of new resources and tools has to be a priority for every school librarian. New pedagogies, teaching tools, professional publications (both online and print) are all areas where the school librarian can help colleagues in the classroom. Parents need guidance and education in cyber safety for their children and in the use of online databases and other school library resources from home. How to guide their children through both small writing assignments and major projects is a skill many parents want to have. Who better to provide that education than

the school librarian? Navigating the school and library web pages, information about plagiarism and student ethics, where to find information that fits the needs of their child and the topics at handthese are all things that parents need and want to know. TL: How can school libraries and teacher librarians become more central in the evolving teaching and learning process? Here is where school librarians leadership skills must shine. Through strong and consistent leadership, membership on curriculum committees, and faculty and department presentations, the school librarian can advocate for his/her program and resources as an essential part of teaching and learning for every student. With the adoption of the Common Core Standards, the school librarian can take a leadership role to assist the classroom teacher in integrating the standards into the existing curriculum. What better time is there but now to be at the forefront of resources and tools to facilitate new directions and growth? School librarians can create virtual spaces where the common core standards come alive for teachers. Connecting the standards to essential resources is a role that is just begging to be played, and school librarians are poised to be the perfect players in this game of standards adoption. School districts across the United States continuously adopt new pedagogies and new directions for professional development, all geared at helping their students learn and their teachers teach. From things like universal design for learning, response to intervention, and professional learning communities, the school librarian is in the unique position to participate in the professional development and to be seen as a leader and the go-to person for all of these movements. TL: What ideas do you have that will help todays teacher librarian link to a teacher and the learning process in each school? Be a meeting guru. Insert yourself wherever and whenever you can. Curriculum committees, technology committees, accreditation processes, team meetings, and lunchtime gatherings are all avenues for not only teacher contact but for the school librarians leadership skills and knowledge base to shine. Sit in on classes, offer to correct bibliographies, notes, or even projects. Show teachers how to use Web 2.0 tools as well as how to evaluate their students work. Create rubrics for projects that make use of these new tools. Make the life of a classroom teacher easier. Know the curriculum and who teaches what. Use the Meebo tool on your web site to encourage teachers and students to ask questions directly from their classrooms during the day. Be as open and helpful as you can. Be a true colleague. Hold professional development on a variety of topicsfrom copyright law, to how to prevent plagiarism, to cyber-safety. TL: Talk about technology and its impact on both education in general and school library work specifically today. Technology is how we live our lives and conduct the business of education today. From online textbooks, to math programs, to literacy programs, to distance learning and beyond, technology has become embedded in all that we do. Students take tests online, participate in interactive web quests, blog about endless topics, contribute to Wikis as part of group work, use Web 2.0 tools to communicate information, and text and IM constantly. Harnessing

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the power of technology should be first and foremost for every school librarian. Many of our resources exist online. From eBooks, to databases, to catalogs that are completely searchable from home, our school libraries are virtual and 24/7. Students today are encouraged to build their own information spaces, using any one of many easy tools for creating web space. These personal information spaces are how students organize their thoughts and their resources, and work in groups with their peers. TL: What major ideas do you have about what teacher librarians can do as a profession to evolve into a more central role than they have held previously? School librarians must stop thinking about school libraries as their spaces. Claiming ownership of the school library is the death knell for both the space and the position. Our school libraries are community spaces. They are spaces meant to be shared with students, staff, parents, and the community at large. Students need to feel ownership of the space, teachers want to feel welcomed and comfortable there, and the management piece needs to be participatory and not top-down. TL: Please provide any other information about K-12 education that teacher librarians might need to focus upon. Education does not stop at grade 12. Preparing our students for life after grade 12 is the charge of all K-12 educators. That life may include a four-year school of higher education, a two-year school, a technical school, the military, work, or any other life pursuit our graduates may choose. How do school librarians fit into this puzzle? They can fit into the puzzle by helping prepare students for life after high school. Future employers, colleges, and the military are all looking for creative minds. Out-of-the box thinkers and problem solvers are the most sought-after individuals in the workforce today. Creativity, innovation, collaboration, quick thinking, problem solving and inquisitiveness are all traits sought after by schools of higher education and employers. As school librarians, we have a duty to prepare our students to do all of these things well. Help students ask questions and find answers, give them the tools they need to communicate new knowledge with their teachers and peers, and work with teachers to create opportunities for problem solving and question development. Help teachers move away from teaching out of the bottom drawer to teaching in the 21st Century. TL: If you were to talk to new teacher librarians today, what would you identify as the practice that most is most different from in the past and that most needs to be addressed? I would stress to new school librarians that when they get a job in the school library field, they should never call the library their library. If the library in a school is conceived of by students and staff as being the librarians space, and all that students do there is to check out a book and look something up online, then the librarian will be out of a job in five years. Stagnant spaces are being converted into technology centers. Librarians who want to own their spaces are being laid off, only to be replaced by technology specialists, or worse, no one. Share your space with students, specialists, teachers, etc. Include art, music, drama, science, math, and many other disciplines. Treat the students with respect, and most will respond in kind. Draw on the many constituencies in your building to help you improve your program and facility. Establish a friends of the library committee and listen to what they have to say. Conduct evidence-based practice every step of the way. Keep solid data on how your school library is used, and what is really happening there. Never assume that administrators and teachers get it, because often they do not. You, as the school librarian, are the teacher of all. TL: What are some constants that you see in todays teacher librarian profession? We are a service organization. That has not changed, but this role has expanded to include more and better. Never say no to a request unless it is really undoable! We are the provider of resources, but in a much different and better way in the 21st century. We do some providing, but also encourage the information seeker to ask questions and transform the answers into personally meaningful knowledge spaces,
Su ZA N NE MY ER S H A RO L D

WEB SiTES

BIrDS
fOR EDucATORS: Division of Migratory Bird Management . http://www.fws.gov/ migratorybirds. Click on the Education & Outreach tabs for a downloadable pamphlet on attracting, feeding, and housing backyard birds. Site includes migratory bird program fact sheet and a link to the Junior Duck Stamp art contest. Education Program cornell Lab of Ornithology. http://www.birds. cornell.edu/page.aspx?pid=1673. The resources for educators include print, web, and multimedia resources for K-12 and undergraduate students. Study physics through animal behavior, explore biodiversity conservation using Google Earth, and publish your students research through the BirdSleuth curriculum. Environment for the Americas Home of international Migratory Bird Day. http://www.birdday.org. Environment for the Americas provides educational materials and activity suggestions to promote International Migratory Bird Day. Create bird puzzles, masks and coloring sheets, help birds at home, set up a birding geocache, learn bird topography and how to use binoculars, and get tips on leading a bird walk. Make a Difference at School National Wildlife federation. http:// www.nwf.org/At-School.aspx. Create a wildlife habitat at school habitat by transforming the schoolyard into an outdoor classroom. Site includes lesson plans and resources for educators. uSGS Patuxent Wildlife Research center Bird Banding Laboratory. http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/bbl/. A detailed explanation of bird banding and how it helps scientists study the movement, survival, and behavior of birds. Site includes brief history and information on who bands birds and why.

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Make TL Your K-12 School Library Resource

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whether those spaces exist in the mind, on paper, or virtually. School librarians will continue to struggle to be heard, to justify their existence, and to be the first on the chopping block during times of budget cuts. There are some school librarians who never venture very far from the doors of their libraries. They bury themselves in cataloging and in shelving books, but never in working creatively and collaboratively with teachers and students. It is these veterans who we need to reach, who need to be encouraged to do more of different things. All the books on the shelves do not have to be neat, volunteers CAN catalog books, and students CAN be taught to shelve books. The most important part of their role is NOT sitting behind the circulation desk checking out books, but being out on the library floor or in the classrooms and teachers rooms encouraging 21st century thinking and teaching 21st century skills. TL: What is the best way to equip oneself as a teacher librarian in todays world for todays school library work? Stay current with technology, read up on leadership skills (or take a course in leadership), and take courses in instructional techniques, new pedagogies, new technologies. Join your professional organizations, attend conferences and webinars, take online courses, and talk to teachers. Win their friendship, and everything else will fall into place. Eat lunch in the teachers room, buy resources teachers will want, and make them readily available. Respect the students who walk through your door. Provide a safe place for those students who hate the cafeteria, and buy them books they will want to read. Show students how to use the large suite of Web 2.0 tools that will spark their creativity and allow them to communicate what they have learned in fun and exciting ways. Teach them to be the managers of their own information spaces. Teach students about the vastness of the information TL: What links are most important between the teacher librarian and the classroom and education today? I think I have answered this above.

TL: Anything else you would like to share? Keep learning, keep an open mind, and work hard to open the minds of your fellow colleagues and the students in your school. Start small, one baby step at a time. Soon you will be moving your program ahead by leaps and bounds. And, dont be afraid to blow your own horn. Know who to contact at the offices of one of the major newspapers in your area, and befriend local reporters. A picture and a few words will work wonders! Valerie Diggs is the Department Head of School Libraries for the Chelmsford (MA) Public Schools where manages seven school libraries with a staff of fourteen professionals and paraprofessionals. Her transformation of the Chelmsford High School Library to a true Learning Commons space was the subject of the feature article in the April 2009 publication of Teacher Librarian, entitled From Library to Learning Commons: a metamorphosis. She has also published Ask, Think, Create (KnowledgeQuest , 2009) and in collaboration with her son, Paul Mihailidis, published From Information Reserve to Media Literacy Learning Commons: Revisiting the 21st Century Library as the Home for Media Literacy Education ( Public Library Quarterly October December 2010). Valerie is a member of the Massachusetts School Library Media Associations (MSLA) Executive Board, and is currently Presidentelect of this organization. She has served as Standards Committee Chair for MSLA, and as such was the author of standards document, Recommended Pre K- 12 Information Literacy Standards approved by MSLA and published in 2009. Diggs is the director for Region One (The New England States) for the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and a member of the executive board of AASL.

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INF oT E CH

Stop PowerPoint Paranoia: Thinking Differently about Presentation Projects

annette lamb and larry Johnson

resenting ideas, and extending the experience. For instance, thinking about the structure of humans and animals through the use of X-ray images. See Figure 2. Go to X-Ray Visions ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/10/photo-journal/veasey-photography by Nick Veasey from National Geographic for other examples.

mEaNINGFUl mISSIoN
A meaningful mission is at the core of an effective presentation. Not... I want to tell you stuff about this topic so you know stuff. Instead... I want to challenge your thinking about this topic. For instance, you may have heard of the chrysalis stage of a Monarch butterfly, but did you know other insects have a similar pupa stage? For the mosquito, its called a tumbler. By showing a photograph of a mosquito tumbler next to a monarch chrysalis, audiences have a unique example for comparison of this stage. As you re-design your student project assignment, think about the purpose of the presentation. How will student designers involve their audience in the inquiry process including questioning, thinking, inferring, and reflecting?

presenters enthusiasm will be contagious if he/she combines a meaningful mission with engaging examples and opportunities to extend the experience.
Whether learners use PowerPoint or Google Presentations, its time to re-imagine student assignments and assessments. Identifying a meaningful mission, infusing engaging examples, and offering opportunities to participate and extend the experience through technology-rich resources are critical to project pizazz. Eliminate the common problems that poison presentations and turns off the audience. Instead, make your projects pop! See Figure 1. PowerPoint can be seductive. Young people and teachers alike are susceptible to its charms. Small groups can be heard saying: Lets do a PowerPoint presentation! Lets animate the clip art. Lets add a few bullet points. How about some crashing glass? Rarely do we hear students or educators talk about the purpose of the presentation, the quality of the information presented, or opportunities to extend the experience beyond the presentation. These are the elements that make a presentation powerful, not superfluous clipart, dizzying transitions, or annoying sounds. In the past, presentations often displayed factual, content information as a series of bullet points. Eliminate the laundry lists. Increasingly, savvy presenters are shifting their attention from disseminating facts to designing experiences that address the diverse needs of their audience and stimulate their thoughts and insights, while using varied channels of communication to convey ideas. Rather than exploring the tools like PowerPoint, this article will examine how to think differently about presenting ideas, rep-

Inquiry and the Mission

Consider the follow four stages of inquiry: quEstion. Encourage the audience to generate and think about questions. For instance, providing relevant data or statistics encourages questioning. Rather than simply showing an infographic, ask viewers what questions they have after examining a visual. Use a graphic related to the Internet Infographic zavose.com/infographics/the-internet-infographic as an example for generating questions. For more examples of infographics, read Joanne Troutners article titled InfoGraphics Defined in the December 2010 issue of Teacher Librarian. think. Promote deep thinking during the presentation. In a project about world cultures, show the homes of children from around the globe. Ask the audience to compare them to their own home. Use the following website: Homes Around the World ( www.ict.mic.ul.ie/websites/2002/Imelda_Fitzgerald/HomesAround theWorld-1.htm ), Houses Around the World ( www.hgpho.to/ wfest/house/house-e.html ), Wonderful Houses Around the World ( www.shelterpub.com/_wonderful_houses/wh-toc.html ) or go to Wikimedia Commons ( commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Houses ) and explore by type or country. Also, use the book Material World ( books.google.com/books?id=NGQ7Ng2MDLIC ), listen to the NPR program, and explore Material World ( www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ worldbalance/material.html ) from PBS NOVA for ideas. Also, consider the book Where Children Sleep by James Mollison. infEr. Show participants examples and ask them to draw inferences. For instance, what makes Olympic swimmers different from other swimmers? rEflEct. Reflect on primary source documents, speeches, and
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figure 1: Overview. Image Credits: (1) Wrist and Hand by Wifredor, Wikimedia, CC-A-SA; (2) Smallpox by James Hicks, CDC, PD; (3) Migrant Mother by Dorothea Lange, LOC, Digital ID fsa.8b29516; (4) Jerrie Cobb, Astronaut, NASA, PD. Technology images courtesy Openclipart.org.

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the Arctic Circle Infographic ( www.sunsentinel.com/broadband/theedge/newsillustrated/sfl-ni-arctic,0,5060630.htmlstory) to examine the issue and challenge conventional thinking. EngagE. When you imagine microscopic beings, you might not think about them as living things with daily lives. Use photographs to bring them to life. ProvokE. Use video as a way to provoke people to think in different ways about a topic. For instance, explore the videos at Truth ( www.thetruth.com/videos/ ). PErsuadE. Combine images with statistics for a powerful statement. Use image collections from government sources such as the Center for Disease Control ( http://phil.cdc. gov/phil/home.asp ) to discuss health research topics such as small pox or malaria. As you collaborate with teachers to develop assignments, select content that matches the mission. Do you want participants to simply enjoy or take action? Select a word that could provide focus for a student presentation assignment. What type of assessment could you use to evaluate this type of assignment? figure 2: X-Ray landmark decisions. Weve all read the Gettysburg address, but what does it mean to you. What visuals would represent your thinking about the speech? Watch the project posted on YouTube ( youtube.com/ watch?v=FsrDeGJUZdQ ) to begin this type of discussion. with people at an emotional level. For example, rather than a traditional view of animals. Think about their relationships. Use the Animal Sweethearts photos ( kids. nationalgeographic.com/kids/photos/animal-sweethearts/ ). For more ideas, view the Animal Courtship Infographic ( www. sun-sentinel.com/broadband/theedge/ newsillustrated/sfl-edge-ni-animal-courtship,0,3602483.htmlpage ). inform. When exploring the human hand, consider the best way to visualize the parts for discussion. It might be a photograph, line drawing, or diagram. instruct. Use images and video as part of a presentation to demonstrate an idea or teach a concept. Watch Instructable ( www. instructables.com ) videos for ideas. Many are YouTube videos that you may need to download for class. Use Zamzar ( www.zamzar.com/ ) or other online tools to download, then insert into presentations. Be sure to give credit in the presentation. challEngE. Who owns the Arctic? Use

ENGaGING ExamPlES
Engaging examples add life to a presentation. Not... Ill show you things youve already seen or heard before. Instead... I want you to see and think in new and exciting ways. We often explore history through famous people such as presidents. However its interesting to learn about everyday people too. Use family photos to bring history alive. My great grandfathers played on the same football team in high school around the turn of the last century. Lynk Thomas is in the front row on the extreme right and Paul Kinnick is sitting beside him. What would they have thought of the president of the United States at the time? See Figure 3.

Content and the Mission

When selecting content, presentation developers should consider the spectrum of purposes. Is the presentation intended to entertain, emote, inform, instruct, challenge, engage, provoke or persuade? A diagram of a hand might be used to inform, while an image of a sick child might be used to persuade. What type of approach best fits your mission? EntErtain. Cartoons are a good way to draw attention to a topic and entertain at the same time. EmotE. When exploring a topic, look for information or ideas that will connect

Compelling Examples
Rather than simply copying images off the Internet, encourage students to use engaging examples including stories, experiencJUNE 2011

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rEsourcEs. Rather than simply showing a single image, incorporate a wide range of resources to explain a topic including books, illustrations, educational materials, and Google Video as shown in Figure 4.

Types of Examples
Ask students to think about what type of examples best fit their mission? Will the presentation contain known, familiar, comforting, connected, modified, different, atypical, or unique examples to convey ideas and information? known. Talk about how well-known sounds and images reflect a particular topic or time period such as Dorthea Langes Migrant Woman photograph. familiar. Use moonwalk photographs from NASA Images ( www.nasaimages.org) to connect an audience with the topic of space and remind them of our past visits to the moon. Explore the composition of the moon plus identify five reasons we should return. comforting. Use audio to reflect a place or time. For instance, This Land Is Your Land is a folk song that could be used in exploring the regions of the US. The picture book This Land Is Your Land has great images to go with the song. connEctEd. Use classic photographs like the image of an Afghan girl by Steve McCurry from National Geographic that can be found at the Famous Photo ( www. worldsfamousphotos.com ) website. People around the world associate this photo with Afghan women. modifiEd. Rather than using all of the statistics, lets think about 100 people. Watch the video Miniature Earth ( www. miniature-earth.com/ ). Incorporate elements of the book If America Were a Village. Theres also an infographic that represents the Earths population through 100 People ( www.toby-ng.com/graphicdesign/the-world-of-100/ ). diffErEnt. When students explore cultures different from their own, images are essential. Ask students to examine how people around the world celebrate happy events. For instance a person from India might participate in the 5,000 year-old tradition of

figure 3: Family Photograph es, anecdotes, and varied resources. Students should be asking the question: how will I bring the topic alive with my ideas? storiEs. Draw human interest through stories that make the content of the presentation more interesting and connected. This is particularly important in projects focusing on biographies. For instance, by 1951 Albert Einstein was famous. However, he was just a person like everyone else. He was known for his unruly hair and sense of humor. Find photos that could illustrate this story at Wikimedia Commons ( commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Albert_ Einstein ). ExPEriEncEs. You cant take your audience on an African safari to explore the habitat of the zebra. However you could describe the habitat within the context on a panorama image. Go to Gigapan ( gigapan. org/ ) and 360Cities ( www.360cities.net/ ) for many examples. anEcdotEs. Rather than just providing factual information, incorporate stories to personalize information and provide a context. For instance, if youre talking about the use of animals in medicine and therapy, locate an example to illustrate the concept such as Tater Tot ( kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/ photos/gallery/tater-tot/ ) the miniature horse.

figure 4: The Snail Project

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henna hand designs. National Geographics People & Culture photo gallery ( photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/ photo-of-the-day/people-culture/ ) provides images that explore interesting and different cultural experiences. atyPical. Highlight the lesser-known aspects of history. For instance in the 1960s, Jerri Cobb trained but never made a trip into space. We often focus on the famous and infamous people from history, however the less well-known individuals are often as interesting to study. uniquE. When studying buildings, sculpture, or other famous constructions, we often see the final or finished assembly. However, look for unique images that the audience may not have seen before. For example, explore the Eiffel Tower ( www. crookedbrains.net/2008/02/under-construction.html ). As you think about the possibilities for student projects, do you want learners to think in the box or around the edges? Select a word that could spark interest or provide focus for one of your lessons or presentations.

orGaNIzED oPPorTUNITIES
Student presentations are often limited to five or ten minutes. Consider ways to extend the experience by offering options that go beyond the primary presentations materials. If students are using a presentation to promote their favorite Michael L. Printz Award winning book for young adults, ask them to also set up an online book discussion using a tool such as Good Reads ( goodreads.com ). Or, encourage participants to view an authors website such as the 2011 Printz award winner, Paolo Bacigalupis Windupstories ( windupstories.com ) Not... When Im done, you can ask questions I cant answer. Instead... I want to involve you and extend the learning experience. If youre using a document camera to share a book such as The Handiest Things in the World by Andrew Clements, think of ways to extend the experience by providing a camera and asking children to
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photograph their own hands. Students can then participate in creating a class presentation of their photographs. See Figure 5.

Audience Involvement
Students should ask themselves: how will I involve my audience? Organized opportunities to participate and extend the presentation experience include connecting to an online version of the presentation materials, sharing additional resources, participating in online discussions associated with the topic, or providing options for participants to take action. Extend their learning far beyond the scope of the presentation. connEct. Help participants associate the topic with their own life. For instance, you might provide calculators and other online tools. Life expectancy calculators are an example that might be used when talking about healthy habits: Life Expectancy Calculator ( moneycentral.msn.com/investor/ calcs/n_expect/main.asp ), Living to 100 ( calculator.livingto100.com/calculator ), The Longevity Game ( northwesternmutual.com/learning-center/the-longevitygame.aspx ), Virtual Age ( peterrussell. com/Odds/VirtualAge.php ). Also explore the Living Longer Interactive ( msnbc.

msn.com/id/23887587 ). ExtEnd. Provide resources that allow participants to learn more about the experience. For instance after talking about the Inca civilization, ask participants to explore the GigaPan ( gigapan.org/gigapans/1758/ ) image of Machu Picchu. Then, go to the Google Earth Machu Picchu Tour ( gigapan.org/gigapans/1758.kml ). sharE. Create a place where audience participants can discuss the topic beyond the scope of the presentation. The Ning ( ning.com ) website provides a place where teachers can create a social network for their peers or students. Its free to educators. Explore the Technology and School Administration Ning ( schooladministration.ning.com ). takE action. After talking about the importance of nutrition, a presenter might recommend writing a grant such as the Welchs Harvest Grants ( scholastic.com/ harvest/ ) project.

need? Select technology-rich tools and resources to promote interaction and collaboration. Is the presentation intended to be the end or the beginning of a larger experience? BEforE. Create a poll using Flisti ( flisti. com ) or ask participants to text their ideas or thoughts going into the presentation. during. Set up a backchannel using a tool such as Todaysmeet ( todaysmeet.com) that can be used for sharing ideas during a presentation. For instance if youre doing a program on book clubs, you could set up a Todaysmeet Bookclubs ( todaysmeet.com/ bookclubs ). aftEr. Use Wallwisher ( www.wallwisher.com ) to share ideas or complete an activity after a presentation. For example, participants could share ideas about ways to recycle or experiment for the science fair.

Presentation Participation
Think about ways students can use technology to involve their audiences before, during, and after the presentation. They should ask themselves: what types of opportunities best match my audience and

TECHNoloGy, PrESENTaTIoNS, aND THE SCHool lIBrary

From elaborate social networks to vivid virtual worlds, tomorrows presenters will have increasingly sophisticated technologies available for communicating ideas. However the key to an effective presentation will continue to be how these tools are applied to meet the needs of learners. How will you use technology to help students make the most out of a presentation project? The next time a teacher talks about their end-of-semester PowerPoint assignment, encourage a new assignment that focuses on content connections, information inquiry, and thinking experiences rather than simply making PowerPoint slides.

rESoUrCES
Troutner, Joanne (December 2010). InfoGraphics dened, Teacher Librarian, 38(2), 44-47. Adapted from the presentation Presentations that Pop! Stop PowerPoint Paranoia at ( eduscapes.com/sessions/pop/ ). figure 6: Welchs Harvest Grants.

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SC Ho ol lIBr ary T ECH I DEaS

Technology and YOu

Elizabeth Betty marcoux

here are very many opportunities for us to be learning about technology and how to integrate it into our practice.
For instance, I heard about a recent webinar designed to explore how best to engage students in learning by combining classroom instruction with the computer. But there is a step that must be taken first before such opportunities to advance our capacities for using these technologies can be effective. It isnt enough to know what is out there. As educators we have the responsibility of determine how best to use various technologies , in what capacities, and also when to NOT use them for good reason For example: When might it be a great idea to use smartphones with students to help prepare for a high-stakes test , or as a way to reach them about new ideas for learning that could extend beyond the school day? But what about students who dont own or use a smartphone? How could they benefit from this kind of innovative approach to learning? What about a traditional book report becoming digital (think video) so it could be shared extensively and even crafted with many students contributing to the final product? Let them share it on YouTube. Should YouTube videos be used in school? Should they be part of the collection? How can school library database information be more readily shared with students through their growing personal connections to technology? Once again, however, how is this done for students who do not have connections such as smartphones, tablets, or other portable computing and communication devices? How can cloud computing be used effectively to help solve storage issues as well as document sharing? Can information about school activities (and school library issues) be shared better through the mobile or portable devices that many students carry or have access to than such traditional methods as announcements in the building or newsletters sent home? Is there a way to incorporate issues like GPS and census information that is online into decision making powers of students? While there is indication that parents are eager for their children to experience and learn through as much connectivity as possible, will this create an even greater burden on parents as they

try to provide the best education they can for their children? Will this widen the well-known digital divide? These are just a few examples of the questions we need to ask and try to answer before we can effectively put various technologies to good use, focused on student learning. What are the benefits? What are the drawbacks? What are the more subtle implications? One thing is certain students in the second decade of the 21st century are more than interested in technology; they are emotionally, culturally, socially, and intellectually attuned to it, no matter which end of the K-12 spectrum they represent. They use various technologies almost 24/7 and are much more comfortable with how to use these technologies than ever before. Recently concerns arose about various technologies and their abilities to track behaviors, but students seem not to care. Are they under-reacting to it because they dont understand the possible implications? Are adults over-reacting to it, bringing a pre-tech world view. Why not use these concerns for teaching a lesson by putting technology into a larger context as well as using it as a learning tool? The new standards of learning (think Common Core) challenge us to think more creatively about how to engage students in learning. Evidence shows that students learn more effectively when they are engaged about what they are learning and see a connection to it and their lives. Technology can help them grasp information more readily, and it can be repetitive and dynamic as well as individualized for and by each student. The National Education Technology plan (http://www.ed.gov/ technology/netp-2010) calls for the use of technologies in everyday life and in the attainment and improvement of five goals: learning, assessment, teaching, infrastructure and productivity. It stresses the use of technology to improve the quality of life of not only students but also of educators working to improve learning. For a good list of 2.0 technologies that can be used to integrate learning in very effective ways go to http://blogs.edweek.org/ teachers/leading_from_the_classroom/2011/01/the_choice_20_ technology_integration_checklist.html. These can be explored and incorporated into student learning habits. There are benefits to technology in education, there are drawbacks, perils, opportunities, no doubt implications and effects as yet unknown. Teacher librarians are in a great position to help sort these out and to provide leadership in the use of technology in teaching and learning. Take the lead and put together a package of learning opportunities that mirrors the needs of your students. Look at the issues of how to use digi-rubrics effectively in your school. Explore such learning tools as Coolmath (http://www.cool.com ), an amusement park of math and more; Scratch (http://scratch. mit.edu), designed to help students develop important design and problem-solving skills, learning how to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively; Animoto (http://animato. com), a video slideshow creator; and Xtranormal, a movie making tool. (Caveat: make sure you read the fine print and understand the terms of service.). Some will work for some students, other tools will work better for other students. Be the technologist in your school, not the technician. Your colleagues will welcome your leadership.

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aDvoCaCy

Reach Out, Make connections, Thrive

Sue kowalski

ake away my tacky button-covered apron, box of crazy hats, assortment of conference badge holders, my Sharpie markers, sidewalk chalk, roll of cellophane, or our portable easel and you will put a huge dent in our librarys publicity toolbox.
Our library is a functional and bright space that can and does welcome guests all day every day, but connecting outside our four walls makes our library program an integral part of our entire school community. Thanks to significant outreach, our program benefits from an array of partnerships and connections. Many of us are immersed in bittersweet times in our profession as we see staff and programs taking devastating hits. But, carry on we must! We must create and secure sustainable partnerships that will continue to transform how we, in particular, and libraries, in general, are perceived and used. To get complacent about outreach because we have a reduced staff, shrinking funds, or dwindling optimism is a sure recipe for disaster. Quality outreach campaigns need to be ongoing, creative, and meaningful to their intended audiences. A library manager needs to assess gaps that exist and provide the leadership to fill these voids in areas like awareness, service, or programming. Occasionally, there may be a one-size fits all way to get the word out, but more likely, outreach needs to be differentiated just like instruction does. There are untapped customers at every turn and the mission is to increase, not just maintain quality investors. September is always a symbolic fresh start to the year ahead. We arm our students with policies and handbooks and orientations. We treat our teachers with password lists and procedures and schedules. We distribute information for all our patrons. And then, all too often, we sit back assuming that all of our customers have what they need. Its not enough. Treat your clients to an ongoing campaign that continues to keep your program and

its services at the forefront of their minds. Dont take it personally when information that is distributed in September gets forgotten about in October. Its human nature for customers to pay attention to services when the need them. If I am not going to use an amazing database right now, the email I receive telling me about it is likely to be meaningless-for now. Three weeks later, I might need a reminder, invitation, or support to bring me up to date. The more aware librarians are of their audience, the easier it is to provide outreach that is timely and valuable for all parties. Stay in the loop by meeting with teachers, visiting their virtual worlds, and talking to students. When time and schedules prevent you from making connections, delegate the keep connected role to a reliable point person. There is nothing more powerful than a study hall student telling YOU that his social studies teacher is getting ready to do Photostory projects about the Great Depression! Sharing ownership of the program makes an incredible impact on its success. At our school we embrace the opportunities that come with our space being used for a range of events. Collectively with administration, we have established that teaching and learning come first, so we seldom have events that conflict with our main mission. But in the hours before and after school, or for smaller events that can happen simultaneously with our regular schedule, we say bring it on. There are some non library events that we host, and many others that are coordinated by other school groups. Its helpful to think outside of the box and recognize that not everyone comes to the space for the same reason. We welcome that. In the last several months, our library was home to a staff breakfast to raise funds for a community cause, a student breakfast to kick off our community book read, a silent auction of student artwork for a cancer foundation, a salsa tasting party for teachers, a resource Block Party, our annual SOUP-er bowl buffet for a local food pantry, a used book drive, a holiday shop for students, a game carnival for kids by kids, a staff browse about event, monthly faculty meetings, a regional workshop for librarians, and an afternoon tea. These events are just some of the priceless connections we make. I wont pretend that with each event we feature a display of relevant books or resources! Sometimes we are just the space where our customers want to come just to be a part of something that appeals to them. If they happen to spot a book that appeals to them while they are there, fantastic. If they had a great experience just being in our space, thats a win-win, too! Thanks to the steady and diverse traffic we get, partnerships surface from every corner. Its very typical for a guest to say, Those plants look great there, do you need more? or, I have TONS of used books, I forgot you were collecting them, is tomorrow too late? Our program is richer because our customers SEE and are AWARE of what we are all about and want to be a part of our team. We often have giveaways, materials, and items to share. Instead of housing them in the library, we have mobile displays in
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Bookmarkit
S u Z A NN E MY E RS HARO LD

WEB SiTES

BIrDS
fOR STuDENTS: eNature: Bird Audio. http://www. enature.com/birding/audio.asp. Listen to the bird songs and calls of over five hundred fifty species found in North America. Bird calls are grouped by type. Click on a type of bird (slilt, owl, heron) to find specific breed calls. National Audubon Society. http:// web4.audubon.org/educate/kids/. The National Audubon Societys page for kids includes games, an adoption center, video and live web cams, and information on current events that affect birds. National Geographic Kids. http:// kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/ animals/creaturefeature/. The Creature Feature section presents facts and photos, video, maps, and e-cards about a wide range of animals, including over a dozen birds. Click on an animals photograph for additional photos, extensive breed information, and little known facts. Did you know fifty Canada geese can produce over two tons of manure in one year? Smithsonian Migratory Bird center. http://nationalzoo.si.edu/scbi/ MigratoryBirds. The Smithsonian National Zoos Migratory Bird Center includes educational resources for teachers, a photo gallery, featured bird of the month, coloring sheets and games such as Name That Nest, and a migration game. Royal Alberta Museum: Eggs. http:// www.royalalbertamuseum.ca/vexhibit/ eggs/vexhome/egghome.htm. The Royal Alberta Museum shares its extensive collection of bird eggs through their online field guide of over three hundred egg images, information on egg biology and some egg trivia.

the cafeteria, the mail room, the main lobby, the teacher conference rooms, and the nurses office. Each year, we have a community book read campaign, called Bookapalooza. Yes, we promote it in the library but we also at the credit union, the Post Office, our district office, the village halls, and the local public libraries. Transportable displays can be conveniently propped up at Board of Education meetings, open houses, and other gatherings that might get the word out to a new audience. Its wonderful that our school administrators support our community causes. But, we also benefit from shared leadership from the local sign company, our mayor, and friends in the department of public works! Our library programming often has a community service focus. We stress the importance of every little bit helps and this year through our programs in the library we have donated more than $700, boxes of books, can tabs, and food items to the SPCA, Ronald McDonald House, Salvation Army, Success by 6, and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Each time we have an event we bridge the connections between students and community organizations. These agencies now see our library as a force that can support them as they continue to move forward. Yes, we do a lot of extra to keep us in the forefront, but not at the expense of collaborative teaching and learning. We have a flexible schedule and approximately 85% of every day, I am an active partner in collaborative instruction. Often this happens in the library, but at times we work in other classrooms. Thanks to clerical support, we are able to take full advantage of this flexible arrangement and constantly maximize the potential of talents, expertise, and spacing needs. Often I hear librarians lament that they would love to do more outreach, advertising, and publicity, but there arent enough hours in the day. The busier I become with my role as teacher, the better I have become at delegating and sharing the role of running an outreach campaign that makes an impact. Find some reliable go to folks to make it happen. For me, students are my best asset, but certainly include

other staff members, volunteers, substitute teachers, and graduate students. Empowering shared ownership of the program is essential to its success. Embrace partnerships that bring a healthy dose of support to your work load. You will be amazed at what gets done when others feel valued and involved. Get to know your audience, both current and potential, and adjust your outreach accordingly. I have many customers who love my text messages, emails, and website information. There are just as many, however, who find notes, flyers, and face to face contacts more helpful. I get a lot of ideas from the world of libraries but I also learn from visits to coffee shops, garage sales, flea markets, department stores, hotels, and airports. Look around. What gets YOUR attention? What motivates YOU to attend, sign up, reply, or return? How do YOU learn best? When you walk into your favorite store, where do you gravitate? Why? Now ask a teenager, an elderly person, a younger child the same questions. Obviously, they are all drawn to different areas of an environment for personal reasons. Recognize that, and personalize your outreach campaign for audiences in and out of the library. One approach, one format, one timeline will not work for all your current and future customers. The time to rejuvenate your promotional campaign is now! With the mission and vision of your program at the forefront, treat everyone to a fresh and creative campaign that makes meaningful and lasting connections with your entire school community. Your program will thrive for years to come.

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information You can use

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UPComING NaTIoNal EvENTS aND CoNFErENCES

The Treasure Mountain Research Retreat and Learnference with the theme: Knowledge Building in the Learning Commons will be held Oct. 26-27 from noon to noon in the Osseo School District, Osseo, MN, just before the AASL Conference in Minneapolis. Researchers and practitioners of the school library and technology arena will meet to share research and ideas that push the teacher librarian and the teacher technologies into the center of teaching and learning. The Retreat will be hosted by Tim Wilson, Technology Director, and Dawn Nelson, Director of School Libraries for the Osseo School District. These two visionaries have joined forces the provide exemplary technology and learning commons services to the young people. If you have ever attended a Treasure Mt. Research Retreat, you already know the high level of conversation and intellectual engagement. If not, consider attending a thinkathon that will have a lasting impression on your research and practice. More information can be had at the following website: http://treasuremountain.pbworks. com/w/page/27805138/TM16 or by writing David Loertscher at: reader.david@gmail.com.

AASL Conference - The 15th AASL national conference and exhibition will be held October 27-30 this fall in Minneapolis, Minnesota, at the Minneapolis Convention Center (www.aasl11. org). The theme of this conference is Turning the Page and it will be a plethora of information that can be of use to teacher librarians, including ideas about collaboration, gaming, advocacy, assessment, technology, etc. This is the only national conference dedicated to the needs of teacher librarians and school library programs. Registration is now open - consider attending and networking with colleagues. Educom was founded in 1990 to help with the delivery of quality technology in education. It holds its conference usually in January at the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. The Academy is a public school in Philadelphia that is totally immersed in inquiry and one of the most sought after places to attend high school in the city. Joyce Valenza and David Loertscher will be presenting information on the Learning Commons concept. Watch for the announcement at www.educom.ie. Educause National Conference, a meeting of many types of educators and technology gurus will be held in Philadelphia, PA, October 18-21, 2011. If you want to spread your wings far beyond the world of the school library, you will hear and be able to network across education in one of the most exciting theory and practice conferences that will happen in the U.S. You can get more information at: http://www.educause.edu/ Washington Mall march - there will be a march in Washington DC July 30 at noon on the elipse to emphasize community driven educational reform and its impact on student learning. This march is in conjunction with the conference at the American University whose theme is Learn, Connect, and Get Active! which will be a conference of activism workshops followed by the march. Go to www.saveourschoolsmarch.org for more information. The march is free and open to all. Conference registration is required for attendance to the workshops.

Biographies of outstanding women teachers from around the world.

Ages 9-13, ISBN: 978-1-897187-86-9 $10.95

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Coming in

october2011
Feature articles on Intellectual Freedom Special booklist of YA lit compiled by VOYA editor-in-chief RoseMary Honnold Writer Walter Dean Myers provides insights From the Brain Trust More Learning Commons design

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oUr Co lUmNISTS
Reid Goldsborough: Author of Straight Talk About the Information Superhighway. reidgold@netaxs.com, http://members. home.net/reidgold. Suzanne Myers Harold: School Corps Librarian, Multnomah County Library, Portland, OR. suzharold@gmail.com. Sara Catherine Howard: Adjunct instructor, Department of Library Science, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX. lis_sch@shsu.edu. Larry Johnson: Professor, School of Library and Information Science, Indiana UniversityPerdue University, Indianapolis, IN. ljohnson@mail.escapees.com. Erlene Bishop Killeen: District Media Coordinator and Elementary Library Media Specialist for the Stoughton Area School District; adjunct instructor at the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh. erlene.killeen@ stoughton.k12.wi.us. Annette Lamb: Professor, School of Library and Information Science, Indiana UniversityPerdue University, Indianapolis, IN. alamb@eduscapes.com. David Loertscher: Coeditor of Teacher Librarian; professor, School of Library and Information Science, San Jose State University, San Jose, CA; president of Hi Willow Research and Publishing; and past president of the American Association of School Librarians. dloertscher@teacherlibrarian.com. Elizabeth Betty Marcoux: Coeditor of Teacher Librarian; faculty member of the Information School, University of Washington, owner of the consulting business, InfoCounts, LLC. betty.marcoux@gmail.com Kathleen Odean: Librarian, speaker, and author of Great Books for Girls (revised 2002) and other guides. Rhode Island. kathleenodean@hotmail.com, www.kathleenodean.com. John Peters: Supervising Librarian of the Childrens Center at 42nd Street, The New York Public Library, New York. cf071@yahoo.com, http://tinyurl.com/59s5jp. Julie M. Prince: Freelance writer and reviewer of books for children and young adults. www.juliemprince.com. Joe Sutliff Sanders: Assistant professor of childrens and young adult literature, California State University. joess@csusb.edu. Joanne Troutner: Director of media/technology, Tippecanoe School Corp, and owner, Creative Computer Enterprises, Lafayette, IN. troutner@mindspring.com, www. jtroutner.com.

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