2006 AASL national institute focuses on student assessment
Contact: Kathy Agarwal
Communications Specialist
312-280-4381
kagarwal@ala.org
For Immediate Release
January 9, 2006
2006 AASL national institute focuses on student assessment
CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is pleased to announce the 2006 Fall Forum, “Assessing Student Learning in the School Library Media Center.” The Fall Forum will be held at the Crowne Plaza at the Crossings in Warwick, Rhode Island on October 13–15, 2006.
The 2006 AASL Fall Forum will be a focused one-and-a-half day institute exploring the role of the school library media specialist in assessment of student learning. Nationally recognized experts in the field of school library media and student assessment will present and facilitate small group sessions geared for understanding of student assessment as it applies to the library media specialist.
Violet Harada, professor of library and information science at the University of Hawaii, will launch the 2006 Fall Forum as the keynote speaker, posing critical questions about what school librarians teach and how they can determine the impact of their teaching on demonstrated student performance. Barbara Stripling, past president of AASL and director of library services for the New York City Department of Education, will discuss how library media specialists can consider both formative and summative assessments as they develop units and lesson plans with classroom teachers. Marjorie Pappas, writer, consultant, and virtual professor of library science, will demonstrate the use of assessment tools for information literacy and inquiry learning, which include checklists, rubrics, journals, logs, and organizers within the context of lessons, and show participants examples of these tools available on the Web. Allison Zmuda, senior education specialist for the Capitol Regional Education Council (CREC) in Hartford, Conn., will explore the reasons why the library media center is at the heart of a school's mission to help all students achieve at high levels and how to define, redefine, and communicate to school staff that collaboration is essential to student success. Upon the conclusion of presentations, attendees will have the opportunity to join discussions in breakout sessions and explore specific issues for their grade-level.
The goal of the 2006 AASL Fall Forum is to emphasize the role of the school library media specialist as a teaching partner in student assessment. Participants will have discussed how to measure the effectiveness of instructional practices and have learned specific assessment tools and techniques and how to use them to improve student learning.
The institute will open with a dessert reception on Friday evening and also will feature a networking reception on Saturday night, which will provide an informal setting for the attendees and presenters to meet and socialize. The institute's sponsors include Libraries Unlimited, Walden Media and Coughlan Publishing, whose imprints include Capstone Press, Compass Point Books and Picture Window Books.
For more information about the AASL Fall Forum and most current updates, go to
www.ala.org/aasl/fallforum. Registration prices are as follows: AASL Member, $199; ALA Member, $239; Non-Member, $289 (Includes a one-year membership to ALA/AASL for first-time members only).
The American Association of School Librarians,
www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library media 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 media field.
