[Tasl] FW: AASL Hotlinks - November 2007

Wed Nov 7 17:08:15 EST 2007

Check out this great information - from AASL -

Hope to see everyone at TASL next week in Franklin!

Margaret Hausauer, 2007 TASL President

------ Forwarded Message
From: Kathy Agarwal <kagarwal at ala.org>
Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2007 12:31:22 -0600
To: <margaret.hausauer at cmcss.net>
Subject: AASL Hotlinks - November 2007

To:  Margaret P. Hausauer

************************************************************
AASL HOTLINKS
The Official Monthly E-mail Newsletter of the
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)
Vol. 6, No. 8
November 2007
************************************************************

     Happy November!

     AASL Hotlinks is a bit late this month because of the
     AASL National Conference in Reno, which took place
     October 25-28. This largest national gathering of
     school library media specialists in the country was
     very well attended this year - more than 3,000 people
     took part in the conference. If you missed it, you can
     get access to conference sessions through the
     AASL e-Academy. Get the details at
     http://www.ala.org/aasl/eAcademy

     This issue brings you some interesting resources to
     share with your students and teachers, so grab a cup
     of steaming hot cocoa (it's cold in Chicago) and...

     ... Read on!

************************************************************

IN THIS ISSUE: 

AASL NEWS:

1.  AASL 13th National Conference plots course for the
    future of school libraries
2.  Missed the National Conference? See the AASL e-Academy!
3.  AASL offers its first Digital Institute
4.  Four Spectrum scholars attended AASL National Conference
5.  AASL launches collaboration with PBS
6.  National test scores prove need for School Librarians

ALA NEWS & NOTES: 

7.  Alire, Williams seek 2009 - 2010 ALA presidency
8.  Nominations sought for annual ALA Recognition Awards
    and Grants
9.  ALA announces Emerging Leaders participants
10. Two advocacy programs available at 2008 ALA Midwinter
    Conference
11. Teens choose the winners with YALSA this Teen Read Week
12. Spectrum Scholarship winners announced
13. St. Louis student wins grand prize trip to the Baseball
    Hall of Fame in ALA's "Step Up to the Plate" contest

PARTNERSHIP FOR 21ST CENTURY SKILLS NEWS:

14. Americans concerned schools leave students unprepared
    to succeed in the global marketplace
15. First online resource dedicated to 21st-Century skills
    teaching and learning is launched

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

16. Travel grants for attending ALA Annual Conference

TECHNOLOGY & LEARNING:

17. National Speak Up 2007

RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS:

18. NASA Engineering Design Challenge
19. "Littlest Volunteers" contest
20. "Highlights" fiction contest 2008
21.  New high school video contest
22.  NCTE releases report on adolescent literacy

... AND: 

23. The AASL Hotlist

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AASL NEWS:

1.  AASL 13th National Conference plots course for the
    future of school libraries

Omar Wasow, co-founder of BlackPlanet.com and on-air
technology analyst, brought to a close the AASL 13th
National Conference in Reno, Nev. More than 3,000
librarians, exhibitors and guests gathered at the
Reno-Sparks Convention Center from October 24 to 28 to
discuss the challenges that face U.S. school libraries.

"School libraries are changing and dynamic places," said
AASL president Sara Kelly Johns. "As students are turning
to more technology-driven methods of learning, the need
to have highly trained library media specialists in every
school continues to increase. Reno has provided us with a
national platform to strengthen our abilities to serve the
21st-Century learner."

The conference featured three full-day and five half-day
preconference workshops, several school and educational
tours, more than 100 educational sessions, author events
and more than 200 exhibiting companies.

Read the full news release at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/aaslwr07.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------

2.  Missed the National Conference? See the AASL e-Academy!

Go to http://www.ala.org/aasl/eAcademy to find out how to
get what you missed!

-----------------------------------------------------------

3.  AASL offers its first Digital Institute

AASL has just launched its first ever Digital Institute.
Available as part of the AASL e-Academy online offerings,
the "Minding Your Students' Future" institute offers a rich
continuing education experience through multiple media,
including podcasts, vodcasts, and video.

Focusing on the future of learning in school library media
programs, the institute pulls together a variety of digital
sessions captured during the AASL 13th National Conference
& Exhibition in Reno, Nevada, October 25-28. Highlights
include clips from the Opening General Session with Dan
Pink in a montage with the One Book, One Conference
discussion session of his best-selling book "A Whole New
Mind." Another main attraction is a session on the
"Standards for the 21st-Century Learner," presented by
Cassandra Barnett and Barbara Stripling. Other topics
explored in the digital sessions include teaching
information literacy, research, podcasting, book
challenges and more. A complete list of Digital Institute
offerings can be found at
http://www.ala.org/aasl/eAcademy

Read more at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/diginstitute07.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------

4.  Four Spectrum scholars attended AASL National Conference

AASL sponsored the attendance of four Spectrum scholars at
its 13th National Conference & Exhibition in Reno, Nev.,
October 25-28.

AASL sponsored the following Spectrum scholars in Reno:

 - Lori Rosales Curry, a school library media specialist at
   Austin High School in El Paso, Texas.

 - Teresa Maria Mares, a librarian at Noli Indian School,
   a Native American Middle/High School serving more than
   22 tribes in Hemet, Calif.; working toward an MLIS
   degree at San Jose State University.

 - Alma Ramos-McDermott, an MLS student at Simmons College,
   Boston, Mass., with a focus on school library media.

 - Kelvin Watson, MLS student at North Carolina Central
   University, planning to become a school library media
   specialist.

Each of the four selected Spectrum scholars received
complimentary full National Conference registration and
a $750 travel stipend, underwritten by Stone Arch Books.
Spectrum scholars were paired with a mentor for the
duration of the conference and will receive special
recognition at key events.

Read more at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/spectrum07.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------

5.  AASL launches collaboration with PBS

AASL is collaborating with the Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) to feature select articles from "Knowledge Quest,"
AASL's official journal, on the PBS Teachers Web site,
http://www.pbs.org/teachers.

Starting with the September/October 2008 issue of
"Knowledge Quest," a chosen article will be featured as a
part of PBS's resources for school library media
specialists and technology integration specialists.

Get the details at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/PBS07.htm

Read AASL "Knowledge Quest" at
http://www.ala.org/aasl/kqweb

-----------------------------------------------------------

6.  National test scores prove need for School Librarians

The U.S. Department of Education's recently released
national test scores further confirm the need for a
library in every school staffed by a state-certified school
library media specialist.

According to the results of the test - the National
Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) - with only a few
exceptions, reading and math scores have remained flat for
the years under No Child Left Behind, 2002-2007.

"This news comes as no surprise to school librarians, who
know from both experience and from concrete data just how
vital school libraries and librarians are to academic
achievement," said ALA President Loriene Roy. "More than 19
state studies show that school libraries that are
well-stocked and well-staffed can and do raise test scores,
especially reading test scores. That's why the SKILLs Act
is so important."

The SKILLs Act would require that each school have a school
library staffed by a state-certified school library media
specialist. Introduced in June, the bill is vital to the
future of today's school libraries and, therefore, student
achievement.

Read the full news release at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/naep2007.htm

See the NAEP report at
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard

Get more information about the SKILLs Act at
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslissues/SKILLS_Act.cfm

************************************************************

ALA NEWS & NOTES:

7.  Alire, Williams seek 2009 - 2010 ALA presidency

Camila Alire, dean emerita at the University of New Mexico
and Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colo., and
J. Linda Williams, coordinator of library media services
for Anne Arundel County public schools in Annapolis, Md.,
are candidates for the 2009-2010 presidency of the
American Library Association (ALA).

Read more at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/pc07.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------

8.  Nominations sought for annual ALA Recognition Awards
    and Grants

Nominations are being sought for the 2008 ALA Recognition
Awards and Grants. Unless otherwise noted, the deadline
for awards is December 1.

Get ALA awards details at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/nom07.htm

ALA Scholarship application is now available at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/scholarship07.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------

9.  ALA announces Emerging Leaders participants

ALA is pleased to announce the librarians who will
participate in the Emerging Leaders (EL) 2008 program.

An initiative of ALA immediate past president Leslie Burger,
the EL program will enable 124 librarians from across the
country to participate in problem-solving workgroups,
network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure
and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a
leadership capacity.

The complete list of the selected participants and
sponsoring organizations is available online at
http://wikis.ala.org/emergingleaders/images/8/87/Emerging_Leaders_2008_Parti
cipants.pdf

Read the full announcement at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/elp07.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------

10. Two advocacy programs available at 2008 ALA Midwinter
    Conference

Looking to improve your advocacy skills? Want to meet
fellow library supporters from across the country? Get the
tools to become an effective library advocate by taking
advantage of the two advocacy programs offered during the
ALA 2008 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia.

Get the details at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/amwc07.htm

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11. Teens choose the winners with YALSA this Teen Read Week

The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA)
invited all teens to get out the vote for Teen Read Week,
October 1420, 2007. Teens voted for their favorite books
in the annual Teens' Top Ten poll at
http://www.ala.org/teenstopten

Visit http://www.ala.org/teenread to vote for next year's
Teen Read Week theme.

Teens' Top Ten, an initiative of YALSA¹s Young Adult (YA)
Galley project, is a "teen choice" list‹the only reading
list with titles nominated and voted on by teens. Voting
took place through October 20. This year, twenty-five
titles from this year and last made the list, which can
be viewed at http://www.ala.org/teenstopten.
The final 2007 Teens¹ Top Ten list will be posted in
November.

Find out more at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/yalsaw07.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------

12. Spectrum Scholarship winners announced

ALA Office for Diversity is pleased to announce the 10th
cohort of Spectrum Scholarships. The Spectrum Scholarship
Program's major drive is to recruit applicants and award
scholarships to American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian,
Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native
Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander students for graduate
programs in library and information studies.

Read the full announcement at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/ssw07.htm

-----------------------------------------------------------

13. St. Louis student wins grand prize trip to the Baseball
    Hall of Fame in ALA's "Step Up to the Plate" contest

In a random drawing at the National Baseball Hall of Fame
and Museum Saturday afternoon, Oct. 6, Hall of Famer and
"Step Up to the Plate" spokesperson Ozzie Smith chose
Hannah Cavanaugh, age 12, as the grand-prize winner of the
"Step Up to the Plate @ your library" program. Hall of
Famers Robin Roberts and Phil Niekro also took part in the
ceremony.

Read more at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2007/october2007/baseball.htm

************************************************************

PARTNERSHIP FOR 21ST CENTURY SKILLS NEWS:

14. Americans concerned schools leave students unprepared
    to succeed in the global marketplace

A nationwide poll of registered voters, released by the
Partnership for 21st Century Skills, reveals that Americans
are deeply concerned that young people are ill-prepared
to compete in the global economy. An overwhelming 80
percent of voters say that the kinds of skills students
need to learn to be prepared for the jobs of the 21st
century are different from what they needed 20 years ago,
echoing sentiments of an out-of-date education system.
Schools also need to do a better job of keeping up with
changing educational needs, say a majority of Americans.

The poll, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies and Peter
D. Hart Research Associates, finds that 66 percent of
voters say they believe students need more than just the
basics of reading, writing and math, i.e., schools also
need to incorporate a broader range of skills.

AASL has been a member of the Partnership since 2005.

Get more information at
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org

-----------------------------------------------------------

15. First online resource dedicated to 21st-Century skills
    teaching and learning is launched

Washington, DC  Nov. 7, 2007  To help education leaders
and policymakers implement 21st-Century teaching and
learning, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills launched
Route 21, an online, one-stop shop for 21st-Century
skills-related information, resources and tools.

Route 21 showcases how 21st century skills can be supported
through standards, assessments, professional development,
curriculum and instruction and learning environments. The
site represents the first comprehensive, go-to online
resource for high-quality content, best practices, relevant
reports, articles and research to assist practitioners in
implementing 21st century teaching practices and learning
outcomes.

Learn more at
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org

************************************************************

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:

16. Travel grants for attending ALA Annual Conference

It's not too early to start thinking about next year's
ALA Annual Conference  especially if you¹re seeking some
travel assistance. Thousands of dollars in travel awards
are available to ALA members through the generosity of
vendors and other benefactors.

Learn more at
http://discuss.ala.org/marginalia/2007/09/25/travel-grants-for-attending-ann
ual-conference

************************************************************

TECHNOLOGY & LEARNING:

17. National Speak Up 2007

Students, Parents, Teachers & School Leaders Speak Up!
Now in its 5th year, Speak Up is a national online survey
where students, parents, teachers and school leaders can
participate in the national, state and local dialog about
key educational topics.

Participating schools and districts will receive free,
online access to their results in January 2008. The survey
is open from October 15 through December 15, 2007.

Since its inception, the project has collected the
viewpoints of more than 850,000 K-12 students, teachers and
parents from all 50 states.

Learn more at
http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup

************************************************************

RESOURCES FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS:

18. NASA Engineering Design Challenge

As NASA plans to return to the moon, plant growth will be an
important part of space exploration. NASA scientists
anticipate that astronauts may be able to grow plants on the
moon in specialized plant growth chambers. Come participate
and build your own lunar growth chamber in the NASA
Engineering Design Challenge!

Through the NASA Engineering Design Challenge, elementary,
middle and high school students will:

 - Design, build and evaluate lunar plant growth chambers
 - Receive seeds flown on STS-118
 - Test lunar growth chambers by growing and comparing both
   space-flown and earth-based control seeds

Get more details at
http://www.nasa.gov/education/plantchallenge

-----------------------------------------------------------

19. "Littlest Volunteers" contest

"Wondertime" Magazine and The Walt Disney Company are
looking for stories about teaching young children the joys
of volunteering. They are asking that volunteers share their
story of what they and their little one have learned from
an experience.

Maximum Award: $5,000 to winner's favorite charity.
Eligibility: adults (parent, caregiver or early childhood
educator) volunteering with a child aged eight and younger.
Deadline: February 29, 2008.

Get the details at
http://wondertime.go.com/contest/littlest-volunteers/index.html

-----------------------------------------------------------

20. "Highlights" fiction contest 2008

"Highlights for Children" will accept submissions to the
publication's 29th annual fiction contest during the month
of January 2008. The contest is open to anyone (16 and over)
interested in writing for children and three winners will
receive $1,000 each. For this year's contest, "Highlights"
seeks stories set in the future.

Get more information at
http://www.highlights.com/custserv/customerservicecontent2main.jsp?iContentI
D=1584&iCategoryID=203&CCNavIDs=3,203

Know any young writers who want to be published? Send their
original work to "Highlights"!

Learn more at
http://www.highlightskids.com/Express/h11magCall.asp

-----------------------------------------------------------

21.  New high school video contest

The Innovation America Foundation
http://innovationfound.org, whose mission is to build a
national movement on the important role innovation plays in
the United States' success globally, with support from
Apple, has launched a national "Voices of Innovation"
contest for high school students.

Teams of high school students will be invited to create
45-second videos in response to the question: "How can you
improve your world through innovation?"

The Foundation is running the contest to showcase the 21st
Century skills required for today's students and to hear
directly from them about how innovation plays a role in
their lives.

Team registration is open now and must be completed by
November 9, 2007. Teams have until 5 pm PST on
November 19, 2007, to create their videos. Contest winners
will be announced the week of December 17, 2007.

Get more details at
http://edcommunity.apple.com/innovation/contest.php?display=description

-----------------------------------------------------------

22.  NCTE releases report on adolescent literacy

"Adolescent Literacy: A Policy Research Brief," released
in October by the National Council of Teachers of English
(NCTE), provides the background and research that teachers
and schools need to help adolescents achieve to their
highest abilities.

Based in current research, NCTE's new brief advocates for
the development of educational policy to shape literacy
instruction. This policy needs to recognize the dimensions
of adolescent literacy, including the shifting literacy
demands as students move from elementary school into middle
school, the multiple and social literacies students bring
with them to school, the importance of motivation, and the
value of multicultural perspectives.

Read more at
http://www.ncte.org/collections/adolescentliteracy

Download the report in pdf at
http://www.ncte.org/library/files/Publications/Newspaper/Chron0907ResearchBr
ief.pdf

************************************************************

...AND: 

23. The AASL Hotlist

AASL e-Academy
  A relaible source for professional development for school
  library media specialists, AASL e-Academy features online
  courses, a new digital institute, and session recordings
  from the AASL National Conference in Reno.
  http://www.ala.org/aasl/eAcademy

QuestBridge scholarships for high school juniors
  http://www.questbridge.org/access/collegepreptext/educators.html
  The QuestBridge College Prep Scholarships help low-income
  students with college admissions.

AASL Advocacy Tools
  Get the tools and information you need to successfully
  advocate for your school library media program. Latest
  resources include the brand new SKILLs Act legislation.
  http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslissues/issuesadvocacy.cfm

Digital library of information science and technology
  http://dlist.sir.arizona.edu
  dLIST is an open-access archive for the Information
  Sciences, is supported by the School of Information
  Resources and Library Science and Learning Technologies
  Center at the University of Arizona.

************************************************************

American Association of School Librarians
http://www.ala.org/aasl
aasl at ala.org 
50 E. Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611 
800 545 2433, ext. 4382
312 280 4382
fax 312 664 7459 

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is a
division of the American Library Association (ALA). The
mission of AASL is to advocate excellence, facilitate
change, and develop leaders in the school library media
field. 

************************************************************

Copyright (c) 2007 American Library Association

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------ End of Forwarded Message