Calling for more media literacy: Who will teach it?

I just read Why Core Standards Must Embrace Media Literacy from Education Week.  This is a good article on the need for media literacy and information literacy instruction.  I agree, and find it problematic that it seems to fly in the face of school districts eliminating or cutting the hours of school librarians.  The common core standards actually align fairly well with the AASL Standards and the ISTE Standards.  Information literacy and 21st Century learning is what teacher librarians teach.  We've been doing it for a long time, constantly adapting to new technology and new ways of learning.  However, when positions are cut or eliminated, we don't have the opportunity to interact with students and faculty, and it is difficult to maintain these standards.   

Same blog, new graduate class

Borrowed the title from my nephew's blog The Brown Cow where he is narrating his second experience with going to school in Germany and titled his first post, "same blog, different year."
I started this blog for a graduate class several years ago, and have kept it up only sporadically since then, but now am required to blog once again.
Information literacy instruction, the role of librarians in the school system, and relevant research and tools remain my professional interests.
These have been eclipsed since February of this year by the political events in Wisconsin, though I don't know how much I should say about what I think about politics and education reform.  Continued warnings by both school officials and my union on the dangers of publishing on social media has created a chilling effect  in terms of what I feel comfortable discussing. 
Let's begin with the impact school libraries have on student learning.  The key study is the Colorado Study, first done  in 1993, and repeated both in Colorado and in many other states.  The most important finding was that, in schools that had a FULL TIME, CERTIFIED School Librarian who was seen as a teacher and actively involved in teaching, the students showed an increase in test scores, especially in reading and literacy.  Since that study, and the implementation of the "No Child Left Behind" legislation, which is supposed to be research based, we've seen a steady decline in the number of librarians in our schools.  I find it frustrating, but will be looking for more research and posting some of what I find here.

Lechi Lach: And now for something completely different

I wish I could be as articulate as my friend Nashira.  Please read this call for sanity and care in our political life.
Lechi Lach: And now for something completely different: "After over three weeks of protests and public dissent in Wisconsin, I can no longer conceal my extreme aggravation and truculence regarding ..."

Massive crowd protests at State Capitol on Wednesday

Ellison Bay, Wisconsin at Sunset

Back to Blogging

It's the first truly warm day of the spring, warmer in Chicago than at my home, and I am inside, online, networking. Moving around the coffee shop to snag the coveted "with electricity" space. Working on my electronic life -- blog, portfolio, twitter account. . .
I know I'm not a "digital native" but I feel as if I've lived in the country for a very long time, especially since I teach the "natives" new things every day. Time perhaps, to embrace the value of some old fashioned notions (privacy, accuracy, objectivity) instead of feeling ashamed to have values.

Your Web browser software doesn't support frames, but you can visit Select A Candidate™ at www.selectacandidate.org.

Julie goes to the Vice Presidential Debate!

My sister in law is the last interview on this video from St. Louis television news.

Point Beach State Park WI Late Afternoon

That's my friend Faith!

StoryTubes in the national news. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6576615.html?nid=2413&rid=984415493
Even if Faith wasn't my best friend from library school, I'd think this was a terrific project. Check it out -- and start planning to have your students create StoryTubes for next year!

Blog worth reading!!!!

My nephew is spending a month in Germany as a high school foreign exchange student. Check out his blog at http://rwhealey.blogspot.com

School Libraries Today

Thinking about school libraries. . . now and in the future. This video from Henrico County, West Virginia, uses clips from an old career film to show what school libraries are like today. It's a fun film to watch, and a good vision of what the best of school libraries are like today. http://www.henrico.k12.va.us/hcpstv/vv_library.html

High School Library Web Site

I've redesigned the web site for my high school. It's really designed for student use, with the subscription databases as the home page. This is the information literacy page. http://www.nhsd.k12.wi.us/hs/LIBRARY/Media%20Center%202008/Pages/information_literacy.html

StoryTubes! Do you know a creative person in Grades 1-6?

Check out this great opportunity to promote reading and have fun! Children in grades 1-6 are invited to enter a nationwide contest to make the best video about their favorite book. The project is called StoryTubes. Check it out at http://www.storytubes.info

Thinking about technology in schools

Check out this article about Teen Tech Week and school libraries. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6526727.html

Read the National Association of School Boards report on social networking mentioned in the article

and the Pew Studies on Teens and Technology

Does using technology mean that all teens are technologically literate? Or do we need them to go beyond the ability to use software and authoring tools? These are the national standards for information literacy from the American Association of School Librarians -- are we meeting those standards? http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/learningstandards/AASL_LearningStandards.pdf

At least one study says that information literacy and technology literacy are not the same thing, and our students need more information literacy instruction. What do you think? http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/article/2670/computer-literacy-doesnt-mean-information-literacy-report-says

What responsiblity do we have as teachers, parents, students, school board members? Should we be concerned that funding for technology in schools has been removed from the Federal Budget? http://www.nea.org/lac/funding/index.html Does every school have a trained teacher/librarian and an information literacy curriculum? Does every school have adequate funding for technology, and library materials, both books and databases? Does every school have policies that encourage students to use all available technology for education?

What do you think we should be doing, as a society?

Unshelved the Library Comic

Ok, this is my totally FAVORITE comic. Even people who don't work in libraries find it funny. Consider signing up for their comic AND buying their books! Or shirts. Or bumper stickers. Great holiday gifts!

Cultural Anthropology 2.0

I've been looking at a lot of Mike Wesch's work from Kansas State University. Check it out. I feel that my blog should be more interactive -- and perhaps a little more random, so I'm including some notes that are, as they say in online classes "a little off topic".

One of my favorite bands. . .

I love this band, Uncle Earl. I'm not sure how I feel about this video, but it is like nothing you've ever seen before!

For more about the band http://www.uncleearl.net/