CHICAGO — The U.S. Department of Education has declared August Connected Educator Month (CEM) and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has signed on as a participating organization. CEM will be be celebrated with four-plus weeks of online events and activities, including forums, webinars, guided tours, open houses, contests, badges and more. Visit the Connected Educator Month website for more information and a complete schedule.
CEM is aimed at broadening and deepening educator participation in online communities and networks, while providing opportunities for education leaders to work together to move the field forward. CEM includes educators at all levels, from all disciplines, and more than 60 leading education organizations, communities and companies, all moving together toward a fully connected and collaborative profession. AASL’s national guidelines, Empowering Learners, describes the vital role that school librarians play in being both a ‘connected educator’ and assisting other educators in areas such as developing personal learning networks, bringing innovative technologies into education and facilitating the use open education resources. AASL anticipates a strong presence of school librarians in CEM activities.
Updates throughout the month will be posted to AASL Forum, Facebook, and Twitter. Educators may also sign up via the Connected Educator Month website to get the latest news and updates.
The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change and develop leaders in the school library field.
Contact:
Jennifer Habley
Manager, Web Communications
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
jhabley@ala.org800-545-2433 ext.4383
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