The School Library Media Specialist: Course Materials: Email Archives

Welcome to e-class!

Get acquainted with the Syllabus, Calendar, Requirements and Checklist for this course. The Course Guide will take you step-by-step through the course materials and assignments. As you move through this Course Guide, you'll work your way through five sections of online readings:

Use the navigation on the left side of the screen to locate particular topics. If you think you may have missed class email communications, the email archives are located BELOW. Questions or concerns? Contact Larry Johnson.

Class Email Archives

23 Sept Update
Hello gang,
We are moving along, and in a few more weeks, we will be at the mid-point. Next week will bring the start-up of our discussions / interactions with the blog-guest practitioners in-the-field. These people are out there working and will generally tell us like it is! Hope that you enjoy these discussions and take full advantage of the opportunity to pick their brains, gather their varied insights.

The schedule is complete; we have a total of seven stellar guests over the next few weeks. It will go fast. There is only one person scheduled next week, but after that two or three people's sessions will be each week; their sessions will overlap during the five weekdays. You can then be interacting with more than one at a time; just have to keep your conversations straight (8-). A gentle reminder to not pile on multiple messages, rather compose one posting and then wait for the reply before following with another. Establish a natural dialogue and let it evolve. That means that in order to complete a series of interactions, to develop the virtual discussions, you need to start the process on the first day of a session.

And hopefully we can spread out (So far, it has worked great - no one has been overloaded). That means if you see one person has lots of traffic or another has little - - then adjust so that we have good discussions with everyone. My experience from previous classes, this generally happens but just want you to be aware.

Each of our guests is unique; some have a few decades of work experiences and others are relatively new to the school library profession(s). One guest has extended their career path out of the school library and into distance learning. All of them have varied interests and focus in their work. Together they provide a wealth of information and ideas; hope you agree. Have fun with these discussions.

Scores for your DP2 Evidence-based Decisionmaking have been posted to the Oncourse Gradebook.

ASSIGNMENTS
Again this year I shifted some of the assigned reading and purposefully gave a period here in the course to allow a few things to happen (hopefully). The aim is to allow time for you to plan and begin participatimg fully in the Blog Interactions and also to give more built in time for work on the Reality Check (virtual and physical visits to school library(ies) and your Toolkit items (First one due early in October). Hope this works for you, and I welcome any feedback as to further tweaking that you see would improve the schedule even more. If you have ideas about that, email me and it will help future classes.

This weeks online readings:
Information Access and Delivery: Introduction http://eduscapes.com/sms/access/index.htm
The Teacher Librarian as Collection Developer http://eduscapes.com/sms/access/cdoverview.html
Policies and Procedures http://eduscapes.com/sms/access/policies.html
Issues http://eduscapes.com/sms/access/issues.html
Intellectual Property & Copyright http://eduscapes.com/sms/access/copyright.html

FREE E-BOOK
Check out the free e-book from the Syracuse University Center for Digital Literacy (CDL) e-book project: From the Creative Minds of 21st Century Librarians. It's available to everyone as a free download! http://digital-literacy.syr.edu/projects/view/83

This is CDL's first e-book project made possible in part through an IMLS grant awarded to CDL in 2008 to update the AASL standards in the S.O.S. for Information Literacy database. This is free downloadable resource contains dozens of lesson plans that implement AASL's Standards for the 21st-Century Learner in the context of the curriculum. Contributing authors include more than 30 teacher-librarians. The book, edited by Marilyn P. Arnone, Ruth V. Small, and Barbara K. Stripling, was more than a year in the making and features a foreword by Barbara Stripling and graphic design by Marguerite Chadwick-Juner. If you are looking for creative ideas that target the standards to implement in your school library, this book will help you jumpstart the process.

UWARE
As an IU system student, you can download (for free) new versions of all the Microsoft software, the entire Adobe Creative Suite (Includes Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Photoshop, Flash, and more), and many more software programs. In some instances you can purchase the software on discs for a very low price. Connect to IUWare and use your login to gain access http://iuware.iu.edu

AVOID USING MS PUBLISHER
While we are focused on software; you may not be aware that MS Publisher documents are not able to be viewed by persons using a Mac computer platform (My preferred computer). If you want to create a MS Publisher document for this or other classes, then also provide a PDF file of the same work. The nice thing about a pdf is that your document will retain all formatting including margins and fonts. It will look the same, regardless of the computing platform.

Specific directions for blogging will be sent out next week. Have a good weekend back with you soon.
Dr. J

15 Sept Update
Hello Gang,
Pardon me, I should have gotten this out a day or two earlier . . . time is flying and we are heading toward the weekend!

THIS WEEK'S READING ASSIGNMENTS
Read Empowering Learners Appendices B, C, & D + G

Also this week, the following web materials are assigned:
Approaches to Data Collection http://eduscapes.com/sms/program/datacollect.html
Collection Mapping http://eduscapes.com/sms/program/mapping.html
Inventory http://eduscapes.com/sms/program/inventory.html
Data Sources http://eduscapes.com/sms/program/data.html
Surveys http://eduscapes.com/sms/program/survey.html
Evaluation http://eduscapes.com/sms/program/evaluation.html
Accountability http://eduscapes.com/sms/program/accountability.html

Notice also that during these next few weeks at the end of September, the course calendar has some built-in work time without a DP being due. You can complete them ahead, but this is also meant to allow more time for scheduling and completing visits (Reality Check) and working of your Toolkit items and focusing on the Blog Interactions (More about that below) . . . that is making some progress with those every week.

BLOG INTERACTIONS - LEARN FROM EXPERTS IN THE FIELD
Some instructions regarding the Toolkit assignment - specifically for the blog interactions with expert guests. Take a look at this year's schedule: http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/slms.html

Directions for this activity http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/toolkit.htm#2

That's a great lineup and these 3-day interactions opportunities start off on Wed Sept. 28th. Before posting comments at the blogsite, wait until you see a posting there from the guest participants. You can prepare ahead of time. Select those who you wish to interact with; remember each person will only be with us three days. In the next week, I will be updating each guest's personal information page.

These people have a wealth of experiences and successes in administering strong school library media programs. After looking over their brief introductions, compose your initial questions based upon your professional interests and their interests and backgrounds.

Interaction means more than a one question, more than one blog posting for each discussion interaction. That is, try to engage guest experts with more than a one question - one answer discussion. Avoid long run-on questions; a deluge of multiple / extended questions in one posting. Make your interactions with the expert guests as meaningful as possible. Carefully construct your posted comments and focus them to your and your guest's interest and expertise. Provide enough explanation and concrete information so that a mutual understanding of the concept and issue is gained. Extend your conversations with followup discussion to gain more deep and richer understandings. You have access to "pick these people's brains," so make the best of that opportunity.

They will not be online all of the time but will be online one, two or more times a day. They are busy, working people and may not attend to your messages until late in the evening or early the next day. Be patient and plan your use of their time well.

You are to interact, discuss issues and ideas with a minimum of three different guests; but you are not limited to only that number. Make the best use of these opportunities.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR BLOGGING
The blogsite for these interactions are at http://slmsbridge.blogspot.com/

If you have a blogger account at Blogger, you can use that or carefully follow these instructions:
1) At the blogsite, click on the '(number) comments' link (next to the pencil icon) at the bottom of the introductory posting for session.

2) Then keyboard in your message in the "Leave your comment window." You should add your first name (full name if you want) at the end of your message (identify yourself); also can put any information here that you want displayed publicly.

3) When you have a message as you want it, click on the "Anonymous" button under "Choose and Identity." Next, click on the light blue "Login and Publish" Bar.

This schedule for blogging is compact and over entirely in a few weeks. Make sure that you mark it on the calendar. Suggest that you be ready to post your first comment / question to selected blog guest on the first day so that you have all three days to continue the dialogue. Avoid posting your first comment on their third / final day of interactions. Blog interactions will be done after Friday, October 14th.

If any of this is confusing, email me . . .

BLOG POST ABOUT ADVOCACY
Doug Johnson recently posted "4 Rules of Library Advocacy" at his Blue Skunk Blog (Sept 2011).
http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2011/9/12/4-rules-of-library-advocacy.html
With regard to evidence-based practices and school library advocacy, I couldn't say it better.

I will be around and online most days; don't hesitate to email with questions or concerns. Be sure to email anytime that you are not able to meet an assignment due date. Please do that before hand not afterwards (8-). All of you have a great fall weekend.
Larry

7 Sept Update
Hi gang,
We are moving along in the course. I enjoyed reading your discussions and responses for Decision Point 1. Generally I try and 'remove' myself from these discussions; as soon as I post a viewpoint as the instructor, my expressions influence the ongoing conversations. The collective information (All the discussions as a whole) are impacted. But occasionally, I sometimes followup with a few observations:

With regard to the scenario in DP1; it is not all that far-fetched. I've known schools and library centers to suffer catastrophic destruction. Most large libraries have disaster plans in place and often different versions for different types of impact. Collectively you came up with some of needed ideas; i.e., taking the program outside the center, utilizing portable computer labs, collaborating with teachers & students, ramping up the virtual aspects of the library. Did anyone mention partnering with nearby school & public libraries? I would just point out that in order to be successful, much of your library program and collaboration would need to be started or in-place before the disaster. Administrators, teachers, students, and many parents have a general impression of the library program. That impression needs to match the plan.

Moreover if a facilities disaster situation were to occur, a teacher librarian would need to take a large part of their library program directly into the classrooms; be an integral part of the teaching / learning process. It's got to be more than library orientation sessions and instruction on how to use the library resources. Such instruction needs to be integrated into the classroom curricula and delivered in as real of context as possible; that is, introduced / taught when students need it for their learning. That means being ready with news and information after the earthquake / fire etc., jumping into a collaboration (example: working with a math teacher and using digital cameras with students to examine patterns in nature), and nurturing ongoing relationships with teachers across the curricula. It's sometimes a one-shot opportunity that you don't want to let pass by or it's a longer ongoing curricular project that involves you directly with teachers and students. It's what makes our jobs exciting and challenging . . . takes a lot of energy. That's why I always discourage someone who is looking to switch careers to school library media when they mention that it will be easier than classroom teaching. I've done both, and if one does the job right, being a school librarian / teacher librarian, school media specialist (whatever the title) is not easier. It's different, but you still are a teacher. You may lose your prep period (you are lucky if you can grab a few minutes for a quiet lunchtime), and you're usually there before and after school. But you impact many more students and their teachers and their learning.

The scores for DP1 postings and replies have been entered on the Gradebook at Oncourse.

HOW HAVE LIBRARY CUTS HURT LEARNERS?
A recent study asserts that States that have cut school librarian jobs have experienced negative results on kids' reading scores. Read the entire article:
Lance, Keith C. and Hofschire, Linda (Sept 2011). Something to Shout About: New Research Shows that More Librarians means Higher Reading Scores. School Library Journal
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/home/891612-312/something_to_shout_about_new.html.csp

Textbook:
Read Empowering Learners, Chapters 3 & 4
Read Empowering Learners, Appendices A & F

Decision Point 2 - Evidence-based Decisionmaking is due next Monday.

Reminder to be aware of the grading scale for the course. http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/syllabus.htm
Also a good idea to use the checklist and make sure that you complete all assignments. http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/checklist.htm

FEW CONCERNS REGARDING ASSIGNED TOOLKITS & REALITY CHECK ACTIVITY
These are big assignments, be sure to read the directions carefully. Ask if you are not certain. Meet and exceed all the requirements.

You should begin work on Toolkit Item(s) this week; first one is due October 10th. In the course, you are to complete three Toolkits and for purposes of your own schedule, they can be completed in any order (Conference schedules, etc. may nudge you to choose option of completing the Toolkit B or C before Toolkit A?). Hopefully the 'lesson planning' material will be helpful in your process for some options (Toolkit C).

Reminder also that when you are submitting an assignment activity (Forum posting, Toolkit) which has choice options (complete A or B, sometimes A and B, this or that), it is very helpful if you identify the option that you have completed. Do not submit a partial assignment; i.e., complete all required segments / parts of each Toolkit and then post it to Oncourse. Thanks.

Also review the Reality Check assignment, another large item that is due in early November. This time span is intended to give you plenty of time to arrange and complete your visits, then put together your report. Most components can not be slammed together in a few days before it's due; plan for unexpected roadblocks and schedule your visits with enough time to re-schedule if necessary.

BLOGGING WITH VIRTUAL GUESTS - TOOLKIT COMPONENT
One component of the of Toolkit A - Professional Connections http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/toolkit.htm#1 will have you interacting online with expert 'guests' at a blogsite. The scheduled 3-day interaction sessions are scheduled to begin in a few weeks. This year's participant list is being worked on - - that is, I'm waiting to hear from a couple of people. Then I will get the schedule updated and send you all the information.

Each year highly qualified guests give of their time and expertise to interact with you. Before the first scheduled blog guest, I will provide added guidance about the specific process for posting questions and comments and provide a few suggestions. This has always been a fun and rewarding activity in past classes; it's has been a good way to bring in outside guests to our class. You will gain some candid insights from persons out their doing the job of school librarian.

But once the blog guest schedule is completed and begins, the guests will only be available for the 3 days and all will be completed in 3 or 4 weeks.

BANNED BOOKS CELEBRATION & HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH
Throughout the school year, most school library media centers hold special observances and events. Later in the course, you will read and explore more about some of these programs.

Coming up is Banned Books Week - Sept. 24 to Oct. 1.
http://www.bannedbooksweek.org/
http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm

Banned Websites Awareness Day is part of Banned Books Week.
Earlier this month the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) designated September 28th, 2011 as Banned Websites Awareness Day.
http://ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pr.cfm?id=7873
Banned Websites Awareness Day is embedded in ALA's long-standing censorship awareness campaign, Banned Books Week (September 24 – October 1) http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm
The new initiative formally directs national attention to a percolating conversation about the impact of Internet filtering on teaching and learning in K-12 education.

A new term being used with in school library media and school libraries is "free-range media" schools that advocate use of a variety of technology platforms and formats; i.e., online course management system, a library management system, blogs, microblogs, and social networks. Michelle Luhtala posted at the AASL Blog, "Digital citizenship is part of our school culture. We trust teachers and students, and with trust comes responsibility. We refuse to penalize everyone for the potential transgressions of a handful of offenders."

September 15 marks the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month (Sept. 15 to Oct. 15).
http://hispanicheritagemonth.gov

LIBRARY 2.011 VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
An upcoming conference, the Library 2.011 Worldwide Virtual Conference, is scheduled for November 2 – 3, 2011. The conference will be held online, in multiple time zones over the course of two days, and will be free to attend. Learn more:
http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/neverendingsearch/2011/07/14/library-2-011-virtual-conference-a-global-conversation-on-the-future-of-libraries/

These days, most of you have experienced other Web classes. The course environment is somewhat familiar, and a few find your own 'shortcuts.' Follow the Course Guide and the Calendar http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/courseguide.htm Read the online and text materials. Those articles and resources in the mainline of the webpage materials that have the 'eye' icon are generally to be read completely, some are designated to be explored or skimmed. Many webpages have a list of supplemental resources at the bottom (these are optional resources provided for people who would like added depth and further understanding; you can decide which ones if any that you wish to pursue). Late in the course, one of the final DP activities will emphasize your command of several concepts presented within the course readings.

Hope that today you are on-track with the course. Remember if you have a question, do not understand something about the course, confused about anything, or just want to communicate - email me.

Until next time.
Larry

31 Aug Update
Hey everybody,
Hope that you are caught up with the readings and getting started with your personal planning for the course.

Enjoyed reading your introductions at Oncourse, but those were not primarily for me. They were meant to add to the process of establishing a feeling of community among students in this course. I'm serious when I say that it is you, the students that will make this class an outstanding one. By sharing ideas, discussing issues, and explaining your thoughts, the content of this course can far exceed what is at the website or within any textbook or articles.

DP ONE
The first Decision Point assignment was due yesterday. This activity was to be posted in the Oncourse Forum section. Remember to focus on the task assigned for these discussions; make sure you cover the topic(s). There is not a certain length for a posting; the guidelines are meant to hint at a minimum. Looking for you to succinctly discuss the given situation, include your ideas, insights, experiences, and examples. But looking for quality rather than quantity, and organization rather than a ramble.

Once you have posted your DP discussion at Oncourse, you have several days to skim and scan through others comments and post a reply / response to one or as many as you wish. To gain the added score for a reply, your comments need to expand the conversation with added information, ideas, relevant examples, etc. However that is not meant to limit your postings, just meant to ensure that at least one or more gain you the added point. They need to be more than good, positive feedback; they have to extend added ideas, examples, information to the discussion topic. Post your reply within the week following the initial discussions. I will be scoring your DP1 postings (initial discussion and the followup replies) after next Monday.

ASSIGNMENTS
So with that in mind, a little about the current reading assignments for this week (Listed on the course Calendar, assigned reading last Monday for the week).

Web Read:
The School Library Media Specialist http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/specialist.html
Your Role as a Professional http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/professional.html

SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND LIBRARIANS
Throughout the course you may hear my tone of concern that school library media specialists must make themselves indispensable in their school media jobs - - for me that means that teacher librarians (slms) should be an integral part of instruction - - directly involved in much of the the teaching and learning that is occurring. And by that, I am not thinking about the standard types of library instruction; orientation, how to use the library, and similar types of endeavors. All too often these type lessons are conducted not when the student needs the information or the instruction is given without practical application at hand and done in sort of a factory training model approach - line'em up and run them through. These sessions can be an interest killer. Rather I'm pushing for the slms to be centrally involved with the curriculum; maintaining a high level of collaboration with teachers, students, administrators, and the community that positively impacts learning. Collaboration is a tough task and many colleagues 'let themselves off the hook' and just give up for the most part.

It's not easy to make the needed changes and things rarely go as planned. But those who keep striving are often more successful than not, and I believe that they sometimes save their centers and positions. Teacher librarians must be seen as more than just the managers of school libraries and media centers. Given ongoing changes in funding and shifts in priorities, its imperative the teacher librarians build their programs to become integral to the school and learning in the classrooms.

ELIMINATING UNWANTED CODING / TAGS IN YOUR ONCOURSE POSTINGS
First a reminder of the 'Practice Posting' area in the Oncourse Forums; please use that space if needed - - to help ensure that you have the process down for creating clean postings. Most often a problem is caused by hidden, proprietary coding that is built-in to MS Word and other MS software packages. If you copy text from MSWord, you bring along this code to the Oncourse Forum and it messes up your messages.

It can be cleaned up by taking your text into a simple text editor such as Notepad on a PC (Usually found in the Accessories folder) or TextEdit on the Mac. There you select all the text and convert to "Plain Text", then format to look as you wish, and copy / paste into Oncourse.

POSSIBLE ONLINE CONFERENCES
For those of you unable to attend a traditional conference / workshop / meeting, there are numerous online conferences that you can 'attend.' One possibility is the K12 Online Conference 2011. You would need to find sessions / programs that fit school library programs? The conference is taking place during the weeks of Oct 17th and 24th. Learn more about the possibilities at
http://k12onlineconference.org/
You may also include archived programs from previous conferences (Connect to those via links on the bottom right of the webpage).

Here are a few more examples of suitable online workshops that might be used for the Toolkit component (there are lots of others, some may require fees whiles others are free, find ones that fit your learning needs):
Thinkfinity http://www.thinkfinity.org/pd/national_training.aspx
Webjunction Events & Webinars http://www.webjunction.org/events/webinars (Check the Archives)
Techsoup http://www.techsoup.org/hsc/webinars/index.cfm
Infopeople http://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar Archived Webcasts & Webinars http://infopeople.org/training/webcasts/list/archived
Five Weeks to a Social Library http://www.sociallibraries.com/course/

Check out these and similar locations for programs that would serve your needs for school media. And yes, you can pick sessions / combine ones from different locations - - kind of a build your own virtual conference sort of thing.

NATIONAL BOOK FESTIVAL
The 2010 National Book Festival, organized and sponsored by the Library of Congress, will be held on Saturday, September 25, on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The podcasts by Festival authors in former years are online:
http://www.loc.gov/bookfest/

Meanwhile, I check my email everyday; do not hesitate to contact me with questions, concerns, or need for clarification. Have a good week and into the weekend (Enjoy the holiday); back with you soon.
Larry

26 Aug Update
Hi there,
Don't delay getting started and staying on top of the course. Once you get through the first few weeks of readings, the assignments begin to shift to activities and tasks such as the Professional Toolkit components and Reality Check assignments, plus the Decision Point postings.

Continue reading these update messages carefully. If you are new to a web-based course such as this, it will probably take a little time to get acquainted and comfortable with the course 'environment.'

ASSIGNMENTS
Assignments are on the Courseguide and listed on the course Calendar but this first week, I will remind everyone:

Read the Preface of the textbook, Empowering Learners, plus Chapters 1, 2 and Appendix E

Read the following sections online (course website):
Overview: Introduction http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/index.htm
Leads to following sections-
The Vision http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/overview.html
Learning Community http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/theme.html
Collaboration & The Learning Community http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/collaboration.html
Leadership & The Learning Community http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/leadership.html
Technology & The Learning Community http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/technology.html

The online reading about collaboration and technology is relatively extensive. Note that some assigned readings are to 'Explore' (that means skim and scan). Collaboration is an important concept, means a lot of different things to different people, and one that should receive a large chunk of attention here early in the course.

Note: The articles in the "Read More About It" sections at the bottom of the webpages are not assigned reading. They are supplemental articles that may be of interest or that can provide additional insights and understandings. You decide if you want to skim / scan or read.

CORRECTION / CHANGE
Thanks to J. Hinman and others for pointing me to 'dead links' on the Overview: The Vision page in the reading materials http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/overview.html
I've made changes / corrections as follows:

Eliminated the article from the White House Conference (broken link); left the K. Smith article because it has useful summary and is still available from the Laura Bush Foundation's site.

Added some of the written content from the previously emailed Update message, Aug 17 (Prior to course officially starting; available in Email Archives http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/archives.htm) regarding the State Studies and article by Keith Curry Lance and Danny Callison.

Below are the main changes or you can revisit the Overview: The Vision http://eduscapes.com/sms/overview/overview.html

Thanks for your assistance pointing me to the errors:

Examine What Research Tells Us About the Importance of School Libraries (Access requires login) by Keith Curry Lance (Sept Oct 2002),Teacher Librarian; 30(1), 76-8. Retrieved from Library Lit & Inf Full Text database.
http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy2.ulib.iupui.edu/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?recid=0bc0 . . . fmt=H

Compare the above article's ideas to the author's remarks to Daniel Callison in the interview: Enough Already?: Blazing New Trails for SchoolLibrary Research (2005).
http://www.ala.org/ala//mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/editorschoiceb/lance/interviewlance.cfm

Also skim the address made by Kathleen Smith to the White House Conference on School Libraries (2002): Building Student Learning through School Libraries (pdf document).
http://www.laurabushfoundation.org/Smith.pdf

ABOUT REFERENCE TEXTS
Many states have retooled, changed their testing programs and websites to take into account the new AASL standards. In the past, the Praxis exam focused heavily on the Information Power textbook. Now states are moving to incorporate the content of the Empowering Learners text (replacing Information Power; however there is a strong evolutionary connection between them).

PROFESSIONAL TOOLKIT & REALITY CHECK
Even though it is early in the course, you may have examined the requirements for the Toolkit and Reality Check assignments. Notice that one of the options in the Professional Connections section of the Toolkit is to attend a professional conference or meeting (Option of attending live conference / meeting or the alternative of a virtual / online meeting). If you have never attended the ILF / IAME conference, I recommend that you attend the Indiana Library Federation (This is also the conference of IAME - Indiana Association for Media Educators). But if that is not possible there is no penalty for anyone who completes the alternative. There are a number of possibilities for this (Some that I am aware of, others that you may know about). But at this stage, I want you to be aware and start planning / scheduling for these tasks.

More information about the ILF / AIME Conference (Nov 14-16 in Fort Wayne) at
http://www.ilfonline.org/events/2011-ilf-annual-conference/
One-day participation will meet the course requirement. This can also be a meeting or workshop that you believe would be beneficial to a teacher librarian.

Getting involved in the school library field by participating in a professional organization is a great way to 'jump start' one's career. After attending the conference, the next steps are to submit a presentation proposal and get on the next year's program as a speaker/ presenter or get involved in the governance of the association by volunteering to serve on a committee, task group, or get involved with conference planning and facilitation.

Do not worry If you are not able to attend the ILF meeting this year. Other state and regional, other professional meetings / workshops, etc. are acceptable if you beleive they are related to school libraries and SL programs. Select a workshop, meeting, conference that you have never been involved, with / never attended before. I will accept any professional meeting that can be related to the work of a school library media specialist. I just wanted to mention this early in the class so that you can begin to consider and look for various opportunities. For those who cannot get away from work during the week, look for weekend or after-school / work events. An though I recommend attending a professional meeting of some sort for this assignment, I understand completely if someone is unable to arrange that this semester. There is no penalty for completing the alternate activity of attending a virtual conference / meeting. Make the best choice that fits your current needs in the course.

If you are on the SLIS-INDY listserv, there are sometimes announcements of possible meetings posted there. If you are not on the list, you can subscribe at http://www.slis.iupui.edu/student/current/list.asp

Read the directions for the Toolkit and Reality Check activities carefully; revisit them as often as needed:
Professional Toolkit http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/toolkit.htm (Connect to 3 separate components - A, B, & C)
Reality Check http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/realitycheck.htm (Requires visits to school libraries) - Note that one of those visits may be virtual and / or can (for those of you working in a school) be your school's library / media center.

I'll close with my oft-repeated phrase: "If you are having difficulty with the course or need a little extra information, some added help - - don't panic, communicate directly with me.." That's my job! I am happy to do what I can . . . . And if I don't answer your questions or clear up understanding the first time, come back again.

(8-)
Larry

22 Aug - Ready . . . S671 School Media
Hi everyone,
Summer is over here in the mountains of southern Utah. We have beautiful days and cool nights and highs of 90 degree weather are almost a memory . . . until next year.

You don't wanna hear about it; not ready for that (8-). But we are ready to rumble; it is time to get started with S671 School Media.

Just a few preliminary directions (I do realize that some of you have already found these starting points, but just want to make it official). Class officially begins today . . . let's get started.

TO DO
Read the Introduce Yourself directions at http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/require.htm (Scroll down the page)
Open Oncourse https://oncourse.iu.edu/portal (Requires IU username and password) and go to Forums section.
Introduce yourself to the class.

If you are new to the Oncourse environment or have never done this before - - you should fill out your Profile (Access that on your OnCourse entry page). Consider providing a photo (not required) but it is a good startup "techie" task.

TEXTBOOK
There is only one required text:
Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs (June 2009). Chicago: American Association of School Librarians. ISBN: 978-0838985199 (paperback)

I have listed a few additional books in the syllabus. I will mention just a few I believe every school librarian should be familiar with or perhaps have a copy in their professional library. If you do not, then take time to examine them at a local library or borrow them through Interlibrary loan. Some are required in other IUPUI SLIS courses:
Information Power: Building Partnership for Learning (1998). Chicago: American Library Association. ISBN: 0-8389-3470-6 - This is the predecessor to Empowering Learners and is still very useful, was required in past classes and we concentrated on Part One, Information Literacy Standards for Student Learning.

In recent years, two main authors have published texts on administering school library media programs: Blanche Woolls and Betty Morris. Morris has the latest edition (Out last year) and would be my recommendation for a general text on school library media programs:
Morris, Betty (Fall 2010). Administering the School Library Media Center (5th Edition). Libraries Unlimited. ISBN: 978-1591586890 (paperback). The latest Woolls text is an older edition than the Morris text.

Have also used a textbook in the past that focused on collaboration of librarian and teachers:
Doll, Carol (2005). Collaboration and the School Library Media Specialist. Lanham, MD: The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-5117-2 (paperback).

Last I will menton a publication that you should also be aware of and become familiar with:
Standards for the 21st-Century Learner In Action (2009). Chicago: American Association of School Librarians. 978-0-8389-8507-6. The standards list itself, a much shorter document, is available online from ALA and is embedded within your course materials.

We will be relying heavily on the course website for many online articles, resources and other course materials.

I hope everyone has or will soon have their copy of the textbook.

COURSE MATERIALS
In addition to the textbooks, the online course materials are at http://eduscapes.com/sms/
The details on course requirements will be available within the rest of the course materials. Explore the components in the Course Materials. Become familiar with the menu bar (found on the left side of the webpage, blue background). Notice that submenus open and close if you click on some menu headings.

Explore the Course Requirements http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/require.htm
Use the Calendar for assignments, due dates http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/calendar.htm
Use the Checklist for tracking your progress http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/checklist.htm
Look at the Course Guide http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/courseguide.htm

You can use the Course Guide to begin working through the content and assignments.

THIS WEEK
You'll notice on the Calendar that your Introduce Yourself assignment is due first thing. Your next assignment isn't due until next week. But during that time, complete the required readings and make sure that you explore the course materials (above links). Look at the assigned tasks and begin to plan for those that require visits to school libraries, attendance at a meeting or conference, and think about choices (Toolkit options) and planning for those tasks.

E-mail COMMUNICATION
I have received email from some of you. But if you have not sent me a message yet, I need for you to 'check in' with a direct email to me - - letting me know if you have a preferred email address (no problem with emailing you at two locations) or preferred name / nickname, etc. Let me know your preferences. Also email me if you do not receive this message (8-). Really?

Note that I respond to email most quickly if it is sent to my main address at larrjoh@gmail.com I check and read that mail daily.

Throughout the semester, I will mail out direct communications like this to you. These periodic email updates are to keep you informed on details directly related to the class. Ask that you read each of these update messages carefully. I may also include some personal stuff once in a while (where we are, what we are doing, etc.). The Archives section will house this message and other emailed updates http://eduscapes.com/sms/course/archives.htm

YOUR INSTRUCTOR
A little background (For those few who have taken a course from me before, please excuse the repetition); this is my 'Introduce Yourself': I have been a classroom teacher, a school library media specialist at a junior and senior high school, a district wide media administrator, a media administrator at both a community college and a university, and have taught at a couple of universities. My wife, Annette Lamb, and I maintain a website for educators http://eduscapes.com that normally receives over ten million hits a month. We also co-author the Info-Tech column in Teacher Librarian.

I enjoy teaching web-based / online courses and exploring and learning new things. I'm a relatively new kind of professor - - I teach classes for IUPUI, but do not live in Indiana. I did live in IN for several years. Unusual personal experience - for a decade my wife, Annette Lamb, and I lived, traveled, and worked in our motorhome (RV) - - have traveled throughout the U.S. and parts of Canada. Only state we have not visited is Alaska (some day). You can more about our lives and lifestyle at http://www.eduscapes.com/lamb/

We have three children (daughter and two sons) who grew up and completed college in the Midwest. Brooke lives in Chicago and is the web editor for the American Osteopathic Association. Blake is the office manager for an electronics firm in Barcelona, Spain. Benjamin taught high school Spanish a few years and today builds and sells dulcimers, guitars and is a bluegrass musician living in Manitou Springs, CO.

A few years back, Annette and I purchased land and built our home on Boulder Mountain in southern Utah. The homesite is a high desert location at 7,300' elevation and adjacent to the Dixie National Forest. Boulder Mountain is an ancient volcanic uplift that climbs to over 11,000 feet above us and has several dozen lakes and lots of open space. We like to hike, camp, fish, travel, and are still getting acquainted with the varied landscapes nearby - - think mountain forests (Aspens and Ponderosa pines up above, pinion and juniper dominate at our level) and red rock canyons and deserts at lower elevations. Capitol Reef National Park is within twenty miles and southern UT has a sweeping string of national parks, national monuments, and wilderness areas. We are located near the center of those between Moab and Zion NP. If you saw the movie 127 hours http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1542344/ the actual event and location of Aron Ralston's accident, Blue John Canyon is on the eastern side of our County. One glaring error in the movie was the slide / plunge down into a slot canyon into a blue pool of water; everyone here knows that any water left inside flood-prone slot canyons would be shallow, red-brown and mucky grungy. Otherwise the film was accurate; much of the footage was shot on location here.

You can see a few photos and learn a little more about this country at http://offtrack-jumpintherails.blogspot.com/ (another one of our websites).

I recognize that our backgrounds and academic preparation widely vary. Together we can bring different perspectives into the online class discussions and our learning about school libraries, school library programs and the activities of being a school media specialist / school librarian / teacher librarian. I look forward to getting better acquainted and learning more about you during the semester.

Back with you shortly with specific assignments for this week and added information. If you have questions and or concerns, do not hesitate to get back in touch.

Let's have some fun while learning together and from each other,
Larry

17 Aug - Ready . . . S671 School Media
Hello everyone,
Just about ready to kickoff this fall's edition of S671 School Media; touching base before our official startup next Monday.

I am presently working on revising some sections of the course website, consolidating other items, and putting needed improvements into place. Therefore keep in mind that a few small changes may occur within the course materials during the time before class officially begins.

Some pre-class information:
If you have another email address that you would prefer me to use, just let me know.

During the course, I will be sending out periodic 'update' email messages, and it's important that you receive and read those promptly. Other than email, the remainder of the course is spent either at the course website or at Oncourse.

The course materials entry page is at http://eduscapes.com/sms/
Recognize that the course materials are being edited / revised and will be ready-to-go by the startup date (few last changes, nothing large). The syllabus and calendar are current (If they do not look right, try hitting your browser reload / refresh to make sure that you are viewing current page and not pulling page up from memory).

The only required textbook for the course:
Empowering Learners: Guidelines for School Library Media Programs (June 2009). Chicago: American Association of School Librarians. ISBN: 978-0838985199 (paperback).

LEAD OFF ACTIVITY - NOT REQUIRED
If you have the time, skim through / watch the recently posted video: Conversations (Jul 2011) from Mansfield University Library Program (Length: 33.30 min)
http://youtu.be/ftKEjsUJd9M
In this edition of Conversations, Dennis Miller talks with Mansfield University Professor, Debra Kachel, about the role and increasing importance of school libraries in the 21st century. Kachel talks about the trend of decreased library funding and the dangers it poses to society and future generations.
Note: Although largely a 'talking head' type of video and a bit behind the times in terms of technology (Flip cameras have been around for 4 years, digital editing is a few decades old and online editing tools are widely available - don't need mixers etc. that are mentioned and discussion of merits of Wikipedia also seems dated) the conversation does provide useful information about the current situation with school libraries. libraries and school library professionals.

One problem in arguments that advocate the importance of SLM programs is the overwhelming reliance within our field on the many state studies across the nation that correlate student achievement and SLM programs (Included in the above video) . Several years ago Danny Callison and others pointed out that the positive correlation in these type studies is more likely due to socioeconomic factors (Income, local interest / support of schools, etc. ) within school communities. Much as I would like to say that a SLM program is directly linked to student achievement and academic success, making that connection from the research is a fallacy. It is not based in scientific study. As teacher librarians, you should be aware that the relationship between school libraries and / or school library media specialists and test scores can NOT be characterized as causal - -
"In every Colorado-style study, the strongest available predictor of test scores has been socio-economic conditions, as indicated by the percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program. This single variable has explained half to two-thirds of the variation in test scores in states where studies have been conducted. Further, the strength of this lone variable is the likeliest explanation for the failure of other school and community variables (e.g., teacher-pupil ratio, per-pupil school spending, adult educational attainment) to demonstrate the impact that conventional wisdom and other research attributes to them.

In other words, because the economic variable is so strong, and because it confounds the effects of so many other variables of interest, it is time to explore new methodological options. In some states, at some grade levels, these confounding effects have actually precluded performing the type of analysis (i.e., regression) that separates and measures the impact of multiple variables simultaneously."
Excerpted from Callison, D. (2005). Enough Already?: Blazing New Trails for School Library Research: An Interview with Keith Curry Lance, Director, Library Research Service, Colorado State Library & University of Denver [computer file]. School Library Media Research; 8,1.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/aaslpubsandjournals/slmrb/editorschoiceb/lance/interviewlance.cfm

Consider these as you continue through the course, encounter more about the state studies and touch on other related ideas. And if you are still on summer vacation or just not ready to start looking at course content, that's fine too.

I notice some familiar names on the roster as well as some for the first time. I'm looking forward to getting better acquainted and will include some personal information in next 'startup' message. Back to you with startup directions in a few days and I look forward to working together this semester.

If this is your first IUPUI course, you do need to have a IUPUI network account to use Oncourse.

If you have questions or other concerns, do not hesitate to get back in touch. I'll be e-seeing you again next Monday with intro information and startup instructions for the course.
Dr. J

Course Materials: S671 Email Archives

Class Email Archives