Group items tagged

"Joyce Valenza Ph.D On the librarian: What's the point . . ? The Twitter conversation April 30, 2009 @karlfisch: What's the point of having a media specialist if they aren't specialists in the media forms of the day? I was nearly finished copying and pasting, figuring out how best to post Tuesday's Twitter conversation, when I discovered that Karl Fisch (@karlfisch), who kinda started it all, already took care of that. (You likely know of Karl's very popular and provocative videos.) I am still not sure how best to frame this conversation on the place of the information/media specialist in today's school. What is clear is that a lot of smart people--people who are out there teaching, speaking, moving, and shaking--are disappointed in what they see when they see school librarians. Either we have a perception problem or we need to do some serious retooling. I'd say we have to deal with both. In a hurry. Being an information (or media) specialist today means being an expert in how information and media flow TODAY! It is about knowing how information and media are created and communicated. How to evalute, synthesize, and ethically use information and media in all their varied forms. It is about being able to communicate knowlege in new ways for new audiences using powerful new information and communication tools. Forgive me if it hurts. In my mind, if you are not an expert in new information and communication tools, you are NOT a media specialist for today. Tuesday's conversation happened in the open, on Twitter. We need to be aware that these conversations are happening where we cannot hear them--at conferences, at Board and cabinet meetings. We also need to make sure that our voices are heard and that we hear the voices of others in places like Twitter, where so many educational leaders and thinkers are chatting about us and many other things. I've selected the remarks that resonated loudest for me. (I've shuffled a bit, but you can visit Karl'

a wiki space created by school library media specialists  for school library media specialists--but with great ideas for the rest of us.

What Library Media Specialists need to teach each student

"we have compiled six specialist lists for delegates, pointing out some of the smaller exhibitors at the show. Complimented by a PDF route map, which will be handed out to delegates at the show, the lists and route map suggest stands which might be of interest for educators at the show."

What if every student (and educator) was a good online researcher?  I know, you don't have the time to teach information fluency skills.  What if you could get a significant advance is skills with just a 2 -3  hour time commitment?  Here's a great Prezi 'fly by" of the new Information Investigator 3.1 online self paced class.  Watch the presentation carefully to find the link to a free code to take the class for evaluation purposes. 

Of course you could always have you school librarian/media specialist teach information skills to your students! That's what they do!

I couldn't agree more. Library Media Specialists, especially when they can collaborate with classroom teachers, are the best resource for teaching these skills. However the problem of access to a Librarian and the issue of scale are real barriers. I've been creating content for Librarians for a decade. They are the best! You'll find years of free resources at: http://21cif.com This resource will help them reach more students. We had 1000 teens take this course at the Center for Talent Development. It really does work. We're hoping to reach teachers and librarians everywhere so we can pass along the skills and the opportunity. If American education was marginally rational there would be professionally staffed library media centers in every school. Since that isn't the case, I hope Internet based resources can keep the lights on for a new generation that really needs information fluency.

According to the Government Accountability Office, cyberattacks on federal agencies jumped more than 400 percent from 2006 to 2009. And U.S. security officials say the country's defenses aren't keeping up. By one estimate, the United States needs up to 30,000 cybersecurity specialists to protect the government and large corporations. Now there are only about 1,000.

As you know, teachers know everything. But there are some mere mortals out there who still need to ask questions. This is a fabulous site with over 80 specialist areas to ask questions to the cloud. The community will then help you find an answer. The areas include English and other languages, computing, maths, science, history and much more. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Cross+Curricular

Judy Dodge is a learning specialist and author and a recognized leader in the field of effective classroom instruction.

Hi, I've created 6 digital books on web 2.0/21st Century tools and am in the process to turning them into "real" ones. \nDavid Kapuler\nLibrarian / Technology/ Media Specialist\nvia Edutopia Groups\n

One theme at the conference was "one size doesn't fit all." Most kids are actually pretty savvy about keeping themselves safe from serious harm, but others - who are taking big risks - need more serious intervention. Risk prevention specialist Patti Agatston suggested we consider using health prevention models for Internet safety education - basic safety advice for most youth and intense counseling from mental health professionals for the small minority of young people who are taking extraordinary risks both on and offline.

"Reading is a foundational skill for 21st-century learners. Guiding learners to become engaged and effective users of ideas and information and to appreciate literature requires that they develop as strategic readers who can comprehend, analyze, and evaluate text in both print and digital formats. Learners must also have opportunities to read for enjoyment as well as for information. School library media specialists are in a critical and unique position to partner with other educators to elevate the reading development of our nation's youth."

Ten practical suggestions for regular-education teachers as they plan instruction with their special-education, Title I, or English language specialist co-teachers

"Thousands of new school places are being created for children with special educational needs or those facing additional challenges in mainstream education, providing tailored support to help children thrive. Every region in the country will benefit from a new school, which include 37 special free schools and two alternative provision free schools. This will create around 3,500 additional school places, boosting choice for parents and providing specialist support and education for pupils with complex needs such as autism, severe learning difficulties or mental health conditions, and those who may have been or are at risk of being excluded from mainstream schools."

Elementary Specialist Ideas. PE, Music, Art. Lesson Plans.