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Volume 8, Number 6
September 2009

Countdown to Charlotte!

AASL's 14th National Conference & Exhibition will rev up in just 9 weeks! Are you registered? If you haven't yet made up your mind, AASL has more than 100 excellent reasons to make this part of your professional development goals!

AASL has lined up more than 100 exciting concurrent sessions for attendees to take advantage of during the Friday and Saturday of conference.

AASL's Session Finder tool helps attendees make the most of their experience by being able to easily add sessions, exhibitors and hotel information, as well as pre- and post-event tasks to their itinerary. The planning tool gives you everything on one easy-to-read page showing where you need to be and when you need to be there.

Start your engines… and get ready for an exciting conference! We hope to see you there!

In This Issue:

A new report conducted for the U.S. Department of Education has concluded that on average, students in online learning situations learn better than those who get face-to-face instruction, the Bits blog of The New York Times reports. The study looked at the comparative research on both kinds of learning from 1996 to 2008, mainly in colleges and adult continuing-education programs, though some research pertained to K-12 education. The analysis found that the average student who did some or all of a course online tended to rank in the 59th percentile in tested performance, compared with the average classroom student who scored in the 50th percentile.

September is Library Card Sign-up Month

As parents get ready to send their children back to school, ALA's Public Information Office (PIO) would like to remind everyone that September is Library Card Sign-up Month. Observed each September since 1987, Library Card Sign-up Month is a time when the ALA and libraries across the country remind parents that a library card is the most important school supply of all and the "smartest card" in every wallet. Print and audio PSAs featuring WNBA star Candace Parker are available for download, as are other materials for libraries looking to promote Library Card Sign-up Month locally.

President Obama to Deliver Speech About the Importance Education

On September 8, President Obama will deliver a speech about the importance of persisting and succeeding in school. Parents and educators can use this opportunity to help students get focused and begin the school year strongly. The speech will broadcast live at 1:00 p.m. ET. The U.S. Department of Education has also asked a group of its Teaching Ambassador Fellows to develop some suggested classroom activities around the speech to help engage students and stimulate discussion on the importance of education. The suggested activities will be posted on the DOE Web site.

Analysis Shows U.S. Test Scores Lower Than Many Countries

According to "U.S. Performance Across International Assessments of Student Achievement: Special Supplement to 'The Condition of Education 2009,'" students in a number of countries outperformed their U.S. peers across the board in reading, math, and science on the latest international tests. This report pulls together the evidence from the international tests taken by nearly a million students from 85 nations worldwide. This includes three key exams: the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), and the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS).

Marcia Mardis Explores Digital Resources in the Library

Former school library media specialist, Marcia Mardis (AASL leader and member since 1997), is using a $400,000 grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services to explore how K-12 media centers can integrate digital resources into their collections and services as quickly and easily as they collect traditional resources. The assistant professor at Florida State University's (FSU) School of Library and Information Studies hopes to help media specialists increase their confidence with digital resources.

See What Americans Really Think About Public Schools

Join William Bushaw, executive director, PDK International, for a webinar on September 16, 7:00-8:00 p.m. EDT, as he shares valuable insights and answers questions about the results of the 2009 PDK/Gallup poll, "Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools." Many of the questions from the poll were focused on what the public thinks about President Obama's education agenda. Seats are limited, so be sure to reserve your spot today.

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Resources for School Library Media Specialists

Free accessible books and e-book readers for U.S. students with qualified print disabilities

Bookshare is a resource to find appropriate accessible books and textbooks for K-12 students with qualified print disabilities. Bookshare is a large online accessible library for individuals with print disabilities, such as blindness, low vision, a physical or reading disability that makes it difficult to read standard print. The library is free for U.S. schools and students who qualify through a $32-million award from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Bookshare offers more than 50,000 accessible books, including best sellers, textbooks, teacher-recommended reading, periodicals and children's literature along with two complimentary software applications that read digital books; Read:OutLoud Bookshare Edition from Don Johnston and Victor Reader Soft Bookshare Edition from Humanware.

Reading Rockets Offers Ideas for Back-to-School Night

Back-to-school night is a big event on the school calendar. This is a time for families and teachers to meet and connect for the first time. Reading Rockets has a "virtual" backpack of ideas and resources to help make the most of back-to-school night and set the stage for a great year together.

A New Way to Teach Students About the World

Each year, National Geographic filmmaker Karin Muller spends three months in war zones and refugee camps, filming in-depth stories of the local people. Once Muller returns to the U.S. she creates supporting documents, summaries, modules, and background information and offers the entire package free of charge to educational institutions and works with students as they use her footage to create 1-30 minute documentaries, shorts, and PSAs. Because Karin Muller travels completely on her own - living with local families, speaking their language, eating their food, and following local dress and customs – her footage offers students stories that are intimate and detailed. Karin's nonprofit organization, Take 2: The Student's Point of View, is currently inviting high schools, colleges, or universities to join the project.

Teens Top 10 Voting Ends September 18

Teens' Top Ten is a "teen choice" list that enables young adults to nominate their favorite books from the past year. Teens nationwide can vote on their favorite titles until September 18. Winners will be announced in a Webcast featuring many of World Wrestling Entertainment's superstars and divas during Teen Read Week, October 18–24.

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Grants & Awards

AASL to sponsor Spectrum scholars at AASL National Conference

AASL will offer Spectrum scholars the opportunity to attend their first national conference with a travel grant. AASL will select up to four current Spectrum scholars who are pursuing a library degree concentrating in school library media or are working as school library media specialists. They will be provided with complimentary registration and a $750 travel stipend to be applied to travel and housing expenses. Spectrum scholars will be paired with a mentor for the duration of the conference and will receive special recognition at key events. Applicants must show demonstrated interest in school librarianship through coursework and/or professional experience, be an AASL member and Spectrum scholar, and be a first-time attendee at an AASL conference. The deadline to apply is September 14.

Nominate a librarian in the 2009 I Love My Librarian Award

The Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award has started again for 2009. As last year, library users can nominate a librarian in a school, public, college, community college or university library for the award. Up to 10 librarians will win - last year 3 winners were school library media specialists (including AASL member, Margaret "Gigi" Lincoln).

NEA Offers Grants to Help Educators Encourage Critical Thinking

The NEA Foundation's Student Achievement Grants encourage kids to engage in critical thinking and problem solving that deepens their knowledge of standards-based subject matter. Grant funds may be used to purchase resource materials, supplies, equipment, transportation, and software, or hire scholars-in-residence. The maximum award is $5,000, and any U.S. public school teachers and support professionals or faculty and staff at public higher education institutions is eligible to apply. The deadline is October 15, 2009.

Lowe's Offers Up to $5,000 for School Improvement Projects

Lowe's Toolbox for Education grant program funds school improvement projects initiated by parents in recognition of the importance of parent involvement in education. K-12 schools (including charter, parochial, private, etc.) or parent groups (associated with a non-profit K-12 school) are eligible to apply for the grant. The deadline is October 16, 2009.

Magna Awards Honor School Board Supported Programs

The American School Board Journal's 16th annual Magna Awards honor outstanding programs developed or supported by school boards that showcase school district leadership, creativity, and commitment to student achievement. The maximum award given this year will be $4,000 and all local school boards are eligible to apply. The deadline is October 31, 2009.

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Professional Development

AASL Announces New Online Course

AASL will offer a four-week online course, "The Path to Collaboration: Making it Happen," this fall for school library media specialists, starting Oct. 5. Participants will have the option to earn two graduate credit hours upon completion. The course is an excellent primer for school library media specialists and library media students to learn how to effectively build partnerships according to AASL's guidelines in "Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs." Participants will learn how to identify and analyze the factors that contribute to successful collaboration with teachers.
The course will be facilitated by Marilyn Heath, the author of "Electronic Portfolios: A Guide to Professional Development and Assessment."

Resources from 2009 EduSummIT Available Online

From June 10 to 12, the EduSummIT conference was held in The Hague, The Netherlands. The conference was sponsored and hosted by Kennisnet (The Netherlands), BECTA (UK) and ISTE (USA). The major focus of this international summit was to make connections across sections and themes, on which comprehensive next steps for the integration of IT in teaching and learning can be taken. Attendance at the conference was by invitation only and a number of representatives from the school library world and ENSIL were invited. A Wiki, which contains specific information about the conference and the discussions which were held, is available for school library media specialists.

National Book Festival Plans Announced

Authors Sharon Creech, Judy Blume, Jeff Kinney, and Rick Riordan, James Patterson, Nicholas Sparks, Jodi Picoult, and John Irving are expected to be on Washington, DC's National Mall next month for the ninth annual National Book Festival. The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Saturday, September 26th from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For those unable to travel to DC for the festival, the Library of Congress will make available free podcasts of interviews with attending authors, which will be available through the Library of Congress's Web site or on iTunes.

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