Alice in InfoLand - Chalk DustBloghttp://www.aliceinfo.org/blog/2010-04-13T15:24:29ZSquarespaceMeme: 5 things policy-makers ought to knowhttp://www.aliceinfo.org/blog/meme-5-things-policy-makers-ought-to-know.htmlAlice2008-08-11T05:08:37Z2008-08-11T05:08:37ZCathy Nelson tagged me with this meme, originally started by Nancy Flanagan, so here goes:
Five Things Policy-Makers Ought to Know:

1. If you're going to mandate a new initiative, then you need to FUND that initiative. Do not expect schools/districts to find money for your newly legislated requirements, just because you 'said so.' NCLB's ridiculous requirements have meant the elimination of too many programs that made kids think creatively and critically beyond the narrow parameters of the TEST.

2. Assessment and accountability can be measured in many ways beyond standardized testing. Robots can pass tests. That doesn't mean they can think on their own. AYP doesn't consider the intangibles that make kids want to learn. Effective teachers have myriad (not necessarily "score-able") ways to encourage and evaluate student learning.

3. Walk the walk before you shoot your mouth off: every wannabe BoE member and/or central office administrator should be required to substitute teach for at least a month -- at the elementary, middle, and high school levels -- so they know what it's really like in the trenches.

4. There should be term limits for ALL elected/appointed policy-makers. Entrenched doesn't always mean enlightened. 'We've always done it that way' is not a viable rationale for any decision. Times change, cultures change, and new viewpoints often bring new solutions.

5. Effective -- and fully-funded -- library programs need to be an integral part of every school. No, you can't get all the info you need on the InterWeb. You need school librarians to guide your students and teachers to the best resources, and to the skills/strategies that will help them become informed citizens.

I tag Sara Kelly Johns, Kristin Fontichiaro, and Francey Harris.

Technorati Tags: , , ]]>Did You Know -- Shift Happenshttp://www.aliceinfo.org/blog/did-you-know-shift-happens.htmlAlice2007-03-02T17:17:30Z2007-03-02T17:17:30ZWow! Share this intriguing video with everyone you know!
The original presentation was created by Karl Fisch, Director of Technology at Arapahoe High School in Colorado: http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2006/08/did-you-know.html,
then re-mixed by Scott McLeod, a professor in Minnesota: http://scottmcleod.typepad.com/dangerouslyirrelevant/2007/01/gone_fischin.html
And definitely read the comments at both posts for more background info!

also cross-posted at the AASL blog

]]>If a picture is worth more than 1000 wordshttp://www.aliceinfo.org/blog/if-a-picture-is-worth-more-than-1000-words.htmlAlice2007-01-08T14:46:54Z2007-01-08T14:46:54ZA Periodic Table of Visualization Methods

Wow: 110 different ways to graphically demonstrate information and concepts!
Although the examples given in the table are all business-based, it should be easy to adapt these into possibilities for revising many of those standard (and boring) “write a report on” assignments.

found via Lifehack.org

]]>Let's Work Togetherhttp://www.aliceinfo.org/blog/lets-work-together.htmlAlice2006-04-12T16:54:18Z2006-04-12T16:54:18ZA sad reality is that — too often — classroom teachers just don’t know how to effectively utilize the skills of a school librarian.  Here’s the text of a flyer I gave out to teachers every year:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The mission of our School Library program is to:

  • develop information-literate students
  • create lifelong learners
  • help teachers teach

I CAN HELP YOU BY:

  • working with you to develop authentic research activities for your classes.
  • coordinating information and research skills strategies with classroom curriculum.
  • recommending additional resources to extend your classroom materials.
  • presenting booktalks about new/relevant books for your classes.
  • preparing Project Pathfinders to guide your students to the best resources for your assignments.
  • brainstorming project ideas, lesson strategies, and topics with you.
  • providing guidance relating to the ethical use of information.
  • notifying the public library of any class assignments.

 YOU CAN HELP ME BY:

  • notifying me as soon as possible of any planned resource-based class projects or assignments.
  • meeting with me to develop/plan effective resource-based activities.
  • reserving class time in the library as far in advance as possible, and notifying me as soon as possible of any schedule changes.
  • understanding both the extent and limitations of the School Library’s resources and schedule.
  • remaining with your students and supervising their behavior while they are in the library.
  • sending no more than two students at a time to the library on a pass, unless prior arrangements have been made.

and the tag line on every notice I sent out:

Let’s work together
to help our students
become successful lifelong learners!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Having these guidelines clearly defined made connections/cooperation/collaboration by teacher and librarian so much easier for everyone concerned!
 

]]>Medium AND Messagehttp://www.aliceinfo.org/blog/medium-and-message.htmlAlice2006-03-14T02:08:43Z2006-03-14T02:08:43ZFor my upcoming presentations and hands-on workshops on “how to use Bloglines to look brilliant to your faculty” I’ve put together a set of instructions… using the create a blog capabilities of Bloglines itself.

These are only introductory instructions; I cover more details and advanced strategies during the actual workshops.
The demo blog is at http://www.bloglines.com/blog/Aliceinfoshow2rss

Comments and suggestions gratefully accepted here, since the Bloglines blog doesn’t have any comments capability.

I’m still gathering examples of school library bloggers. Check out an extended list on the TeacherLibrarianWiki that Joyce Valenza has created for us to use as a collaborative courtyard.

tags: RSS, web 2.0, school library, teacher-librarian, CIL2006, ISE2006

]]>Wiki me?http://www.aliceinfo.org/blog/wiki-me.htmlAlice2006-02-15T12:21:52Z2006-02-15T12:21:52ZCoordination of School Library Media Programs and Services (aka ‘so you wanna be a school librarian?!’) online course I teach via RU/SCILS/PDS is offered in both the Fall (14 week) and Summer (8 week) semesters.
Since
  • I frequently revise course units as I find new readings to use, and have to crunch / expand the course content depending on the timeframe, I end up with files, notes, etc. all over the place,
  • My former students often ask if there’s a way they can find out what ‘new’ readings I’m recommending,
  • I’m fascinated by the possibilities of web 2.0 applications for EXPLORING AND SHARING information.
I’ve decided to try using a wiki for my course-materials, to force me to learn how to utilize and demonstrate this new format.

There are lots of free wiki-hosts out there, but after I noticed that both Steven M. Cohen and Meredith Farkas (two of MY gurus) use PBWiki, that’s a good enough recommendation for me — esp. with a tagline that says “PBwiki makes creating a wiki as easy as making a peanut butter sandwich.” So I’ll be setting up my Intro to School Librarianship wiki at http://slmps.pbwiki.com .
Do I need to worry about crunchy or smooth?





]]>New technologies 'r ushttp://www.aliceinfo.org/blog/new-technologies-r-us.htmlAlice2006-01-27T15:43:17Z2006-01-27T15:43:17ZJacquie Henry’s "I will — as a school librarian" meme is a wonderful thought-provoker.  The irony, unfortunately, is that those ‘old style’ school librarians will never even know about it, since it’s not (ahem) available in print, but only on that newfangled read/write interweb thingy.

]]>FLIP it!http://www.aliceinfo.org/blog/flip-it.htmlAlice2005-11-30T14:15:04Z2005-11-30T14:15:04ZUse the link in the Navigation Bar (to the right) to access some of my FLIP it!™ materials.

Included so far are:

  • Overview and Graphic Organizer
  • Background/Explanation of how FLIP it!™ works
  • Information Skills Categories
  • Information Literacy Standards Matrix
  • Research Activity Guides
  • Research Reflection form
  • Additional Applications of the FLIP it!™ mnemonic

If there’s enough interest, I will consider setting up a discussion forum for FLIP it!™ users.

Any questions ? 

 


]]>Once a bigot, always a bigothttp://www.aliceinfo.org/blog/2005/10/2/once-a-bigot-always-a-bigot.htmlAlice2005-10-02T23:19:32Z2005-10-02T23:19:32ZAccording to Reed Hundt, former FCC chair, he once asked Bill Bennett, former Secretary of Education, to support the legislative proposal for the Telecommunications Law of 1996 that would eventually pay for internet access in all classrooms and libraries in the country. 

Bennett refused to help, because, as he told Hundt, he did not want public schools to obtain new funding, new capability, new tools for success. He wanted them, he said, to fail so that they could be replaced with vouchers,charter schools, religious schools, and other forms of private education.  Gee, nice statement from the guy being paid by the guvm’t to set policy for public schools.

Fortunately, the bill did manage to pass, and as Hundt points out in his article at the TPM cafe, "The Internet has been the first technology made available to students in poorly funded schools at about the same time and in about the same way as to students in well funded schools."

 

]]>What did you do in school today?http://www.aliceinfo.org/blog/2005/9/9/what-did-you-do-in-school-today.htmlAlice2005-09-09T12:57:16Z2005-09-09T12:57:16ZTransparency in education should be the goal of every teacher, administrator, board of ed member. 
But how do you accomplish that?

Take a look at Mabry Middle School’s website for a wonderful example of how to publish up-to-date info about school activities !   While the principal’s blog sets the tone and addresses the Big Issues, it’s the individual teachers’ blogs — with homework assignments, test reminders, classroom notes, etc. — that open up those classroom doors to the community.

The Media Center’s blog exemplifies the kind of info every school library’s web-presence should include: book recommendations, resource/research guidelines, class projects, library schedule, etc., all in a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Many schools/districts tell their teachers to "get on the web," but then merely provide minimal guidance,  a basic webpage template, and almost no follow-up… which is why so many teacher pages never get updated.   Mabry’s site uses blogging software (WordPress, I suspect) that offers many options, without requiring complex HTML-coding knowledge. 

Kudos to Dr. Tyson, Mabry’s principal, for this exemplary use of information technology to push learning to the world beyond the school building’s walls.

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