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Dispositions: Getting Beyond "Whatever"

Posted by Sarah Applegate on June 3, 2009 at 6:20am
From: ProQuest [noreply@proquest.com]Sent: Tuesday, May 26, 2009 7:47 AMTo: Applegate, SarahSubject:[http://proquest.umi.com/images/common/logo_proquest.gif]________________________________The following document has been sent by sarah at NORTH THURSTON SCHOOL DISTRICT via ProQuest, an information service of ProQuest LLC. Please do not reply directly to this email.________________________________Documents*Dispositions: Getting Beyond "Whatever"Barbara Stripling. School Library Media Activities Monthly. Baltimore:Oct 2008. Vol. 25, Iss. 2, p. 47-50 (4 pp.)! All documents are reproduced with the permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.________________________________Citation style: ProQuest StandardDocument 1 of 1Dispositions: Getting Beyond "Whatever"Barbara Stripling. School Library Media Activities Monthly. Baltimore:Oct 2008. Vol. 25, Iss. 2, p. 47-50 (4 pp.) Abstract (Summary)The habits of mind identified in the study coincide with many of the thinking skills and dispositions in the AASL Standards, including critical thinking, analytic thinking, problem solving, inquisitive nature, ability to deal with frustrating and ill-formed problems, drawing inferences and conclusions, and using technology to assist in learning (2005, 173). Over time, through a series of experiences that reinforce the targeted attitudes and behaviors, students can adopt the dispositions as their own personal habits of mind.\n By making a book display of biographies and photographs of famous people with a challenging question like "What makes a hero?," library media specialists can provoke curiosity and motivation to seek information.Full Text (2271 words)Copyright Libraries Unlimited, Inc. Oct 2008"Whatever." This one word characterizes the public attitude of far too many students today. Many young people have developed an armor of nonchalance or "whatever" to counter the increasing pressures of testing-based accountability and classroom cultures of teacherin-charge and students-instep. This public attitude, however, does not accurately portray the private hopes and dreams of our young people. Most want to be successful, make choices, and be empowered to learn on their own. Our young people do not really think that "whatever" is an acceptable response, but they feel powerless to change the situation so that they can successfully pursue their own way.One approach to countering this "whatever" attitude among youth today has been taken by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). This association has taken a bold stance on the importance of attitudes and learning behaviors (also called dispositions) in its new national standards, Standards for the 21st-century Learner (AASL, 2007). These standards go beyond a delineation of skills to include dispositions, responsibilities, and self-assessment strategies. All of these strands work together to enable learners to gain knowledge, solve problems, make decisions, create new knowledge, connect to others, pursue personal growth, and behave ethically and productively as members of our society.What are dispositions?The word, "disposition" is easily denned: "prevailing tendency, mood, or inclination; the tendency of something to act in a certain manner under given circumstances" ( Webster's Ninth Edition s.v. "disposition"). Dispositions, then, are the emotions and attitudes that make us behave in a certain way. AASL recognized that even students with a high level of 21st-century skills are not successful in their learning unless they also have the dispositions to use those skills appropriately. As a concept beyond the denotation, "disposition" represents a complex interweaving of students' background and educational history, the environment of the classroom and school, the students' content knowledge and skill levels, and the teacher's ability to make the learning meaningful and engaging. Educators must, therefore, ensure that the context of school is conducive to the formation of positive learning dispositions.The dispositions included in Standards for the 21st-century Learner are assigned to the four learning standards according to the attitudes and behaviors most important for different phases of learning (AASL 2007). While learners are investigating and gaining knowledge (Standard 1), they must have the attitudes that propel them toward exploration (confidence, initiative), attitudes that enable them to be successful along the way despite the challenges of any inquiry process (adaptability, emotional resilience, persistence), and the behaviors that will enable them to respond both creatively and critically (creativity, critical stance). As learners move from gaining knowledge to drawing conclusions and applying knowledge (Standard 2), different learning behaviors become important-learners must be willing to figure out how to approach their knowledge from different directions (flexibility, divergent and convergent thinking, critical stance) in order to use it in new situations (personal productivity).The expectation that learners will share their knowledge and participate ethically in groups is established in Standard 3. The dispositions required are related to the learners' willingness to demonstrate leadership, social responsibility, and teamwork. Learners who are pursuing personal and aesthetic growth (Standard 4) are more successful if they demonstrate the dispositions of active and engaged learners: curiosity, motivation, openness to new ideas, and the choice to read for pleasure and interest.Why are dispositions important?The dispositions outlined in the AASL Standards provide the catalyst needed for successful learning because just the acquisition of skills is not enough. Students may learn the skill of evaluating Web sites, for example, but they must also develop a critical stance and be disposed to use the evaluation skill each time they look at a Web site in order to consistently find good information. Students who are pursuing research and suffer predictable times of uncertainty and emotional lows will be able to push through to reach the next phase of their research successfully if they have developed emotional resilience (Kuhlthau 2005).A number of educational researchers and writers have written about the importance of dispositions for learning. Art Costa and Bena Kallick have looked at successful learning behaviors and identified what they call "habits of mind" that lead to successful learning. Costa has defined habits of mind as "having a disposition towards solving a problem to which the solution is not readily apparent" (Project Q.E. 2001,2). John Barell has listed the characteristics of thoughtful persons in his book Teaching for Thoughtfulness. These characteristics include many of the dispositions outlined in the AASL Standards, including confidence, persistence, and openness to others' ideas, curiosity, and cooperation with others in solving a problem (1995, 47).A research study designed by David Conley to identify the knowledge and skills essential for success in the first year of college found that habits of mind are extremely important for students to bring to their university work; in fact, many of the university faculty participating in the study deemed habits of mind even more important than content knowledge. The habits of mind identified in the study coincide with many of the thinking skills and dispositions in the AASL Standards, including critical thinking, analytic thinking, problem solving, inquisitive nature, ability to deal with frustrating and ill-formed problems, drawing inferences and conclusions, and using technology to assist in learning (2005, 173). Deborah Meier summarized the power of dispositions by stating, "Educating kids for the 21st century means teaching them the habits of mind that will help them benefit from-and be benefits to-the world" (2003, 16).Can dispositions be taught?Dispositions are not taught explicitly. Instead, teachers structure learning experiences so that students practice the behavior that is an expression of the disposition. Over time, through a series of experiences that reinforce the targeted attitudes and behaviors, students can adopt the dispositions as their own personal habits of mind. For example, confidence and self-direction cannot be taught directly, but if students have a number of opportunities to determine their next steps and the teacher scaffolds these situations so that the next steps lead to success, then the students can develop attitudes of self-confidence and self-direction.Dispositions are not grade-level specific, although some will be more appropriate at younger ages than others because of the natural development of emotional maturity. Teachers of primary-age children can focus on curiosity, while developing a critical stance may be introduced in late elementary/ middle school. Unlike thinking skills (note Bloom's Taxonomy), dispositions are not taxonomically organized. Students do not have to become confident before they can be curious. There is, however, coherence to the development of dispositions because dispositions cannot be addressed in a one-time-only fashion. They must be introduced when appropriate and reinforced throughout the years of schooling so that they truly become embedded habits of mind for all students.Dispositions are not observable until learners display behavior that expresses the underlying attitude. The dispositions in the AASL Standards are described as "Dispositions in Action" because for each disposition, a student behavior is defined that illustrates what that disposition might look like. For example, one way students can demonstrate initiative is by "posing questions and investigating the answers beyond the collection of superficial facts" (2007). Although students can display initiative in many other ways, the example given in the standards provides a clear model for teachers and library media specialists to understand how the disposition can be applied to a learning situation.By expecting dispositions to be translated into action, teachers and library media specialists can assess students' development of these attitudes and learning behaviors. For example, students' self-direction, as well as their developing skills of investigation, can be assessed through a research log where students indicate the choices they have made with their reasons for making those choices and their plans for next steps.What is the library media specialist's role in dispositions?Library media specialists have a strong role in the development of dispositions through collaborative planning and teaching, building a supportive environment in the library media center, and facilitating a schoolwide culture of empowering learners.Integrating Dispositions into Collaborative Planning and TeachingThe essential first step in integrating dispositions into instructional planning and teaching begins with the library media specialist and classroom teacher discussing dispositions, why they are necessary for successful learning, and which dispositions are most important for a particular group of students. Just as the number of skills taught within each unit of study is limited, so too must dispositions be focused within each unit.In fact, based on the needs of a particular group of students, the library media specialist and teacher may decide to address one disposition for the whole year. For example, if they see that the students have a hard time adjusting when something goes wrong in their investigations, they may decide to focus the year on developing the disposition of adaptability. Early in the year, the library media specialist can model and students can practice adaptability through a process of revising research questions to take advantage of available resources. Later in the year, the library media specialist or classroom teacher can teach a decisionmaking model for drawing conclusions where students can adapt their tentative conclusions as new information is acquired. Throughout the year, every time students are faced with challenges to their success in learning, they are reminded of adaptation strategies that can help them overcome or go around the barriers. By the end of the year, students will be mindful of the disposition of adaptability and some will have adopted it as a habit of mind.The key to successful teaching for dispositions is that the library media specialist and teacher assess the needs of the students, focus on the appropriate disposition, decide the learning behaviors that would result from the disposition, and structure the unit and lessons so that students are taught strategies and given supports to succeed.Strengthening Dispositions through the Library EnvironmentThe library media specialist can carefully arrange the intellectual and physical environment of the library media center to reinforce the acquisition of dispositions. By offering opportunities for students to share book reviews with their peers, library media specialists help students demonstrate leadership and an appreciation for literature. By making a book display of biographies and photographs of famous people with a challenging question like "What makes a hero?," library media specialists can provoke curiosity and motivation to seek information. Library media specialists may also sponsor a public debate or open discussion in the library media center for students after they have completed their science projects on contemporary scientific issues. All students are, thus, encouraged to maintain openness to new ideas and diverse perspectives.The library collection can also be developed with dispositions in mind. Books, media, and databases can be purchased to provoke curiosity, a critical stance, divergent thinking, creativity, social responsibility, reading motivation, and choice. One principal, for example, who wanted all her students to develop intellectual curiosity, said she would prefer that the library media center had one book entirely about hair styles than five books with generic overviews of fashion or grooming. The principal knew that students would be much more likely to catch the excitement of learning from an in-depth treatment of one topic than from short, non-specific paragraphs on various topics.The arrangement of the physical facility can also foster the development of dispositions through spaces for conversation with classmates and other spaces designated for thinking and quiet study. Even signage and display spaces can lead students to be open to new ideas, confident that they can locate resources on their own, motivated to read further about the display topics, and empowered to choose books that interest them.Facilitating a Schoolwide CultureStudents will be more successful in developing dispositions for learning if the culture throughout the school emphasizes these dispositions. Library media specialists are in a position to impact the schoolwide culture because they can reach every teacher and every student. The first step for the library media specialist is to have a conversation with the principal, with examples ready to illustrate that teaching for dispositions can be integrated seamlessly into current instructional units-it's not "one more thing" for teachers to handle. Showing research about the impact of habits of mind and dispositions on learning and the necessity for students to acquire these learning behaviors before college will help the administrator buy in to a schoolwide effort.The next step is to provide professional development and facilitate conversations with teachers. Teachers may be convinced of the importance of teaching for disposition development if they recall their own stories-what triggered their own development and how that impacted their choices in school, college, career, and personal life. As a group, the teachers can then determine a coherent, schoolwide plan for the development of dispositions.Moving from "Whatever" to "Yes, I can"Students who have acquired the dispositions for learning outlined in Standards for the 21st-century Learner can move from "Whatever" to "Yes, I can" and can be motivated to continue learning for academic and personal success. Through dispositions, all of our students can become self-aware, motivated, and self-confident learners in the 21st century.[Reference]References::American Association of School Librarians. Standards for the 21st-century Learner. ALA, 2007.Barell, John. Teaching for lhoughtfulness. Longman, 1995.Conley, David T. College Knowledge. Jossey-Bass, 2005.Kuhlthau, Carol Collier. Seeking Meaning: A Process Approach to Library and Information Services. Libraries Unlimited, 2004.Meier, Deborah W. "Becoming Educated: The Power of Ideas." Principal Leadership 3, no. 7 (March 2003): 16-19."Project Q. E.: Encouraging Habits of Mind - Phase I." June 2001. http://www.mcdowellfoundation.ca/main_mcdowell/projects/ research_rep/64_project_qe.pdf (accessed July 17,2008).[Author Affiliation]Barbara Stripling is the Director of Library Services for the New York City Department of Education. Email: bstripling@schools. nyc.govIndexing (document details)Subjects: Learning, School libraries, Social responsibility, Research, Library collections, Colleges & universities, College students, Books, Behavior, Attitudes, Academic libraries, Critical thinkingAuthor(s): Barbara StriplingAuthor Affiliation: Barbara Stripling is the Director of Library Services for the New York City Department of Education. Email: bstripling@schools. nyc.govDocument types: FeatureDocument features: Photographs, ReferencesSection: Key Words in IntructionPublication title: School Library Media Activities Monthly. Baltimore: Oct 2008. Vol. 25, Iss. 2; pg. 47, 4 pgsSource type: PeriodicalISSN: 08899371ProQuest document ID: 1559984121Text Word Count 2271Document URL: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1559984121&Fmt=3&clientId=27057&RQT=309&VName=PQD________________________________Copyright (c) 2009 ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. Terms & Conditions[http://proquest.umi.com/images/common/logo_frompq.gif]Please do not reply directly to this email. Use the following link to con
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Hollywood theme

Posted by Susan Fuentes on May 27, 2009 at 4:23am
Hi I am new to the field and would verymuch like to make a great first impression!!! Are there any tips for new ms for their first year? Also, I am thinking of doing a Hollywood theme.....any tips or suggestions???
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Cuts don't reflect words

Posted by Richard Beaudry on May 20, 2009 at 7:33am
We just had a provincial election in BC and, one of the issues that was front and centre, was funding cuts to school districts. While cutbacks in my own district were not as drastic as in Bellevue, Washington, they are serious for our school libraries. Starting next fall, there will be no full time teacher librarians in any of the elementary or middle schools in the district and we are losing our district librarian. I wrote a letter to the editor of a local paper in response to a statement of the Minister of Education in BC. Election: Cuts don't reflect words Langley Advance Published: Friday, May 08, 2009 Dear Editor, In 2005, Premier Gordon Campbell unveiled the Five Great Goals for a Golden Decade. The most important of those goals was that B.C. was to become the best-educated, most literate place in North America. As a librarian, I certainly applaud such a goal and certainly hope that it does succeed. Later, in a report on public libraries, he stated that: "Our libraries are a great investment in community, learning and literacy. They open doors of opportunity for minds hungry for knowledge and adventure. They are the front lines of the effort to make British Columbia the most literate place in the world." Another goal I can agree with. On Oct. 1, 2008, BC Education Minister Shirley Bond proclaimed October 2008 as Library Month in British Columbia. She thanked the B.C. Library Trustees' Association, the Public Library Services Branch, the B.C. Library Association, the B.C. Teacher Librarians' Association, as well as all of the library staff and information professionals from across the province for their services. Considering the importance the government and Ministry of Education put on libraries and their stated goals, I am perplexed by the cutbacks to teacher librarians and school library budgets in B.C. Teacher librarians are part of the vast network of non-enrolling teachers who offer educational services to students and staff in schools. When budgets need to be cut, teacher librarians, like resource room teachers and other special programs, are the first to feel the cuts in budget and staff. Langley is not immune to such cutbacks. Some position cuts have already been announced for the next school year. Most importantly, we will be losing our district teacher librarian in Langley. She was a dedicated resource person who has been helping teacher librarians across the district and has guided us through the transition from the stand-alone cataloguing systems in our school libraries to a web-based cataloguing system that will be accessible throughout each school for students and staff. Sadly, just as we are about to start up our new catalogues next fall, the district has had to eliminate her position, and we find ourselves without a qualified resource person for school libraries. I was part of a group of teacher librarians last month that made a presentation to the school board that was well received. There is recognition of the importance of teacher librarians in the teaching of literacy skills in this district. But the financial realities are such that Langley School District is put in a position to make cutbacks, like many other districts in the province. We have an excellent group of teacher librarians working in Langley, some of whom have received national recognition for the work that they have done locally, and yet the district is left with little alternative than to cut positions from a lack of adequate funding. In B.C., Minister Bond may recite the mantra that the government is funding public education adequately, but in this district, it does not reflect that reality. Teacher librarians, the literary specialists in Langley schools, are prepared to teach the multiple literacies that are necessary for students in B.C. to be lifelong learners and live in the best-educated, most literate place in North America. All we need is the right funding from the Ministry of Education in B.C. for our district to support us. 
Sadly, they have not been willing to financially commit to their own stated goals for literacy in B.C. Richard Beaudry, Langley
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School district criticized for reassigning librarians

Posted by Richard Beaudry on May 20, 2009 at 7:17am
This article resonates home with me. This is a process that we have often seen in school districts across Canada. Bellevue District is a suburb of Seattle, Washington. It is regrettable that such drastic cuts are finding there way in Washington State. School district criticized for reassigning librarians By LINDSAY LARIN Bellevue Reporter Staff Writer May 19 2009, 11:14 AM http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/east_king/bel/news/45412547.html
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Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography

Posted by Richard Beaudry on May 20, 2009 at 7:04am
For those us doing research comes the following source: Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography by Charles W. Bailey, Jr. is up to version 75 - Posted May 12th, 2009. From the website: The Scholarly Electronic Publishing Bibliography (SEPB) presents selected English-language articles, books, and other printed and electronic sources that are useful in understanding scholarly electronic publishing efforts on the Internet. Most sources have been published between 1990 and the present; however, a limited number of key sources published prior to 1990 are also included. Where possible, links are provided to works that are freely available on the Internet, including e-prints in disciplinary archives and institutional repositories. Note that e-prints and published articles may not be identical. In cases where the publisher frequently changes journal URLs with providing public notification or URL redirection, included URLs are to the publisher's domain, not to individual articles.
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Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Posted by bj neary on May 17, 2009 at 12:20pm
This new book, in what I hope is a series, was fantastic! Chapters are alternated by Grace, a human child who is dragged from her swing into the woods by a pack of wolves. And Sam, a wolf who was human and bitten, and goes between human and wolf form. Sam is one of the wolves present when Grace is attacked. But something happens when he smells her and looks into her eyes;she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen and he couldn't let their mauling continue and he stops it. So begins the haunting attraction between the two for a period of six years. Grace waiting and watching the woods to catch a glimpse of "her wolf" and Sam alternating between human form and wolf aching to know Grace from afar. Grace's parents are into their own world and when forces collide to bring Grace and Sam together, her parents are blissfully unaware Sam is being protected and hidden by Grace in her room. The author's way of keeping these two hearts beating as one, kept me turning the pages. There is suspense but her description of Sam and Grace's romance, longing, and their total enjoyment of each other made me shiver. I also liked the characters of Grace and Sam, they were deep, honest and abiding in their commitment to each other. Bring on the sequel, I can't wait.
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The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Posted by bj neary on May 17, 2009 at 12:16pm
The Hunger Games is such a great read and it is science fiction, survival, violence, but so much more! Peeta and Katniss Everdeen are chosen to represent District 12 --- they must fight to the death with all the other participants of the other 11 districts in Panem (used to be Earth). Peeta has always been in love with Katniss but the powers that be have them act like star crossed lovers and the audience who watches by TV the whole time, JUST LOVE IT!!! The story involves psychological suspense and torture-- you root for them especially when the deaths of others, like Rue and Thresh, are so horrific. Collins' attention to detail and her portrayal of Katniss as tortured in love and life is total agonizing suspense. I can't wait for the next installment!
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Field Trip!

Posted by Marianne Hunter on May 8, 2009 at 9:09am
I spoke with CK this morning, and she said that we're good to go on our "field trip."8:30 to 3:30ish at my school:Timberline High School, 6120 Mullen Rd SE, Lacey 98513.You can map quest it, or follow these directions:From NorthGo South on I-5Take the Marvin Rd Exit (up the hill from Nisqually)TL over the freewayStay on Marvin Rd for approx 4 miles (you’ll go thru 1 roundabout, but just stay on Marvin)Marvin Rd ends at a T at Mullen Rd (power substation on rt side of intersection)TR on MullenGo approx 2 miles on MullenSchool is on rt hand side of Mullen, just across the street from Lakes ElementaryTurn into the 2nd parking lot (Staff and Busses) and enter thru that doorThe Library is just up the first staircaseFrom SouthTake Marvin Rd ExitTurn Right at top of off RampFollow directions aboveMy # at school is 360 412-4869.Thanks for being flexible! I will try to make it a fun field trip!
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LIBM 602 - Reminders for 5/6/09

Posted by Marianne Hunter on May 6, 2009 at 3:42pm
Looking forward to hearing your book challenge role plays tomorrow night. I sense some provocative testimony coming. I wanted to give you a quick reminder to check the rubric. Please make sure that you have all the written stuff (testimony and reconsideration form [for the "concerned parents"]) ready to hand in.In addition, we're going to spend time talking about leadership and influence. Please bring your textbook, because we're going to be reading one of the articles in it and discussing some of the key points.You'll also have some time to meet with your in-service partner and coordinate that for Saturday's class.I NEED TO KNOW WHAT, IF ANY, WEBSITES YOU'LL NEED ACCESS TO ON SATURDAY. Rather than turning off the entire filter during our class time, the IT folks want to do exceptions on the specific websites we need.PLEASE be prepped to give me that info tomorrow.Also, if there is time (perhaps while we're awaiting the late arrivers), I want us to do a little bit with weeding. Just a quick activity so that our wait time is not wasted.OK, think that's it. See you tomorrow!
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Querious Queries--Please continue to participate in Pullman High School Library/Current World Problems weekly poll (until June 1st)

Posted by Julie Udy on May 4, 2009 at 5:07am
Pullman High School Library has been awarded a $4,000.00 grant from the Office of the Secretary of State, Washington State Library Division, funded by the Library Services and Technology Act (LTSA) through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)."Querious Queries" is the title of the project developed for the grant. Our Current World Problems (CWP) students are generating a "Querious Querie" to be posted each week via our school's website and our local library's website.The results of the poll will be tallied every Friday and then shared with the CWP students through class discussions over the course of the rest of the school year.If you have 30 seconds each week, I would ask that you participate by going to one of the following websites and then click on the "Querious Queries' banner.PHS website http://www.psd267.wednet.edu/Schools/PHS/default.asp?PageID=11Neill Public Library website http://neill-lib.org/Departments/Library/Default.aspxThe results of each "Querious Querie" will be posted each week at http://phs-library.blogspot.com/We are now on week 8.Thanks to those who have taken the time to participate. The more varied the respondents, the better the survey results.
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How Do You Get Those Books Back~!~???

Posted by gwyneth jones on April 27, 2009 at 8:30am
I need help writing a new newsletter request to parents for end of the year help getting Media books back...i'm tapped out of ideas and don't like my old newsletter messages.. what do you say? also, along those same lines last year, i also go this from a Media Specialist friend of mine about end of year getting books back: "Hey Gwyneth. I was wondering how you handled getting overdue books back at the end of the year. Any ideas for rewards/incentives? Thanks." my response: hi sweetie!" all books are due back by memorial day then i start on the TV show announcing the numbers of each grade's overdue books... to start a bit of competition, i do that for a week or more - announcing all books are now overdue and please GET THEM IN or ms. jones will come looking for you! muwwaaaaa! (this message is repeated in different ways also in conjunction with giving english teachers a list of kids who have overdue books so they can nag them, too....) then the last few weeks i go personally to each english class and i pull the kids out that still have overdue books and and i ask with mock fierceness like an interrogation: where's the book? (if it's in the locker - go get it now!) if it's at home - where is it at home? did you check under your bed? in the closet? bring it tomorrow! do i need to call home? (put on your list what the answer was H=home, C=call, T=tomorrow etc.) next day, follow up....same questions...this usually brings in like half of the books at least. after that...giving them some chances to bring it in....i have a handful left....THEN i call EVERY kid's parent/guardian on the remaining list and ask for help getting the book back also telling the price in case they need to pay for it but i emphasize and always say "i'd rather have the book than the money" in the end, i usually end up losing about 20- 30 books a year :-( but that's my population/kids..i've made peace with that...some of them keep favorite books because they can't own them any other way....and really, don't tell them i'm sorta cool with that.... oh and if a kid returns a book within a year, i give him/her the money back i don't like to give prizes for getting books back, because that's what they're sposed to do anyway...though i have tried giving a prize to the first english class of each grade to have NO overdue books...but that hasn't made much of a difference sadly..... it's a LOT of work, but i do like to get our books back..... in the end, i re-order the books that don't come back if they're popular, not dupes or needed... those are some of my tricks, what are yours?
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A reminder about work for 4/30/09

Posted by Marianne Hunter on April 27, 2009 at 4:16am
Work for this week:One article review? (all 4 are due on or before 6/18)2 Blog Posts – forward me the linkMonitor “ning” – network with all class members (options: Enhance your Page? Start your own Blog?)“First Steps” NarrativeAlso, 7 of you have joined ning -- I'm waiting for 3 more!See you on Thursday.
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Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS)

Posted by Richard Beaudry on April 25, 2009 at 5:00pm
Hello everyone, Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS) has a great website for teaching Information Literacy skills. Information Literacy: Learn how to identify, locate, evaluate, organise and effectively use information 1. About Information Literacy 2. Ages 9-11 3. Ages 12-14 4. Ages 14-18 http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/informationliteracy/ An added source of information that is useful is Sharing Practice 1. Supporting Information Literacy development 2. Developing note making skills 3. Family history project 4. Researching world religions 5. Helping senior pupils with research 6. Information Literacy using the ExPLORE Model 7. Developing S1 information literacy http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/informationliteracy/sharingpractice/index.asp And finally Study Skills: Learn how to become an effective learner and how to manage your own learning 1. Ages 5-9 2. Ages 10-14 3 Ages 15-18 http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/studyskills/
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