IMC News Blog

U.S. education secretary calls for overhaul of No Child Left Behind

2011-04-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

U.S. education secretary calls for overhaul of No Child Left Behind

Teachers, educators rally in support of pink-slipped LAUSD employees - The Daily Breeze

2011-04-05T15:59:00.000-05:00

Teachers, educators rally in support of pink-slipped LAUSD employees - The Daily Breeze

California Hands Out Scores of Pink Slips to School Librarians

2011-03-17T16:15:00.000-05:00

California Hands Out Scores of Pink Slips to School Librarians

2011-03-15T15:51:00.000-05:00

California Hands Out Scores of Pink Slips to School Librarians

Budget Cuts Eliminate Librarians

2011-03-08T14:19:00.000-06:00

Celebrate World Read Aloud Day!

2011-03-08T14:18:00.000-06:00

World Read Aloud Day is March 9th. To find more information and activities, click here:

http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/slj/newslettersnewsletterbucketextrahelping2/889499-477/celebrate_world_read_aloud_day.html.csp

LD OnLine :: What Are Classrooms Like for Students with Learning Disabilities?

2010-12-09T15:30:00.000-06:00

Ideas on how to create productive learning atmosphere for a diverse classroom. Click on the link

LD OnLine :: What Are Classrooms Like for Students with Learning Disabilities?

Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón on Anne Frank and working together in comics, and reading

2010-12-02T14:07:00.000-06:00

Anne Frank's story told in the style of a graphic novel. Check it out!

Sid Jacobson and Ernie Colón on Anne Frank and working together in comics, and reading

Study: Many U.K. Kids Witness Bullying, But Fail to Report It

2010-11-16T16:59:00.000-06:00

Study: Many U.K. Kids Witness Bullying, But Fail to Report It

Court: Teachers' First Amendment Rights Stop at the School Door

2010-11-04T14:43:00.000-05:00

Teacher lost her job over a challenged book. Read about it here. Court: Teachers' First Amendment Rights Stop at the School Door

What Are They Reading for Fun?

2010-10-21T14:01:00.000-05:00

To find out which new books are most popular in schools, click here: What Are They Reading for Fun?

New Hampshire Parent Challenges 'The Hunger Games'

2010-10-21T14:00:00.001-05:00

New Hampshire Parent Challenges 'The Hunger Games'

Gates Boosting Ed-Tech with $20 Million in Grants

2010-10-21T14:00:00.000-05:00

As part of the Next Generation Learning Challenges, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated $20 million dollars towards technology education. To read specifically about what the money will do, go here: Gates Boosting Ed-Tech with $20 Million in Grants

Free DVD!!

2010-10-21T13:58:00.001-05:00

Get a free DVD about animal conservation by following this link: Media Mix

Lane Smith's Use of the Word 'Jackass' Stirs Controversy

2010-10-21T13:58:00.000-05:00

Lane Smith's It's a Book is a tongue in cheek book about three animals in the digital age. However, it is gathering some controversy because of the proper name it assigns to a male donkey. Read about it here:
Lane Smith's Use of the Word 'Jackass' Stirs Controversy

The Fab Five

2010-10-21T13:55:00.000-05:00

How does it feel to be among the five finalists for the National Book Award in the young people's literature category. School Library Journal caught up with all five authors. The interview is linked here:
The Fab Five

October is National Cyber Safety Month Awareness Month – October, 2010 - National Cyber Safety | Examiner.com

2010-10-12T13:02:00.000-05:00

National Cyber Safety Month Awareness Month – October, 2010 - National Cyber Safety Examiner.com

List link provides many resources for teachers to prevent bullying in the classroom.

ALA | A Planning Guide For Empowering Learners

2010-10-12T12:59:00.000-05:00

ALA A Planning Guide For Empowering Learners

The American Library Association has issued a new program to help school librarians implement the AASL (American Association of School Libraries) standards. Available on this link are lesson plans, and step by step instructions on implementing them.

Plugged or Unplugged, Reading Is Key

2010-10-07T12:21:00.000-05:00

Plugged or Unplugged, Reading Is Key

Join the e-book debate! This article presents both sides, as well as a very active message board.

Learning from a Pro: Best Practices for Facebook and Twitter

2010-10-07T12:20:00.000-05:00

Learning from a Pro: Best Practices for Facebook and Twitter

Should teachers "friend" students or parents? What about co-workers? Just how much information is a little too much? How should a teacher handle that situation?

This article goes in depth to uncover the answers to those questions, along with more.

Care and Feeding of a High School Book Club

2010-10-07T12:19:00.000-05:00

Care and Feeding of a High School Book Club

This article gives new and exciting ideas on starting, running, and maintaining a high school book club. This article is a great resource for both teachers and librarians.

Your Favorite Authors: What Are They Reading?

2010-10-05T13:51:00.000-05:00

Your Favorite Authors: What Are They Reading?
School Library Journal tracked down many young adult and children's authors to find out what they are reading. This would be a great bit of information to share with your students, particularly if you are studying a particular author. The website allows for suggestions on which author to interview next.

What Are They Reading for Fun?

2010-10-05T13:49:00.000-05:00

What Are They Reading for Fun?
This is a link to several reviews of new and soon to be released books. Lesson plan links are often available within the reviews.

Beginning Reader Bonanza: Brown Bear and Polar Bear Go Back to Basics

2010-10-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

Beginning Reader Bonanza: Brown Bear and Polar Bear Go Back to Basics

This article is introducing many of the popular picture books that children enjoyed in an easy reader format. This is to allow for independent reading and the expansion of their language and reading skills.

Bill Martin Jr.'s "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do you See?" Book Banned in a Texas School District

2010-02-01T13:56:00.001-06:00

By TRACI SHURLEY
The Associated Press

Updated: 12:05 a.m. Monday, Jan. 25, 2010
Published: 2:06 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010

What do the authors of the children's book "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" and a 2008 book called "Ethical Marxism: The Categorical Imperative of Liberation" have in common?
Both are named Bill Martin and, for now, neither is being added to Texas schoolbooks.

In their haste to sort out the state's social studies curriculum standards last week, the State Board of Education tossed children's author Martin, who died in 2004, from a proposal for the third-grade section. Board member Pat Hardy, who made the motion, cited books he had written for adults that contain "very strong critiques of capitalism and the American system."

Trouble is, the Bill Martin Jr. who wrote the "Brown Bear" series never wrote anything political, unless you count a book that taught kids how to say the Pledge of Allegiance, his friends said this week. The book on Marxism was written by Bill Martin, a philosophy professor at DePaul University in Chicago.

Bill Martin Jr.'s name would have been included on a list with author Laura Ingalls Wilder and artist Carmen Lomas Garza as examples of individuals who would be studied for their cultural contributions.

Hardy said she was trusting the research of another board member, Terri Leo, when she made her motion and comments about Martin's writing. Leo had sent her an e-mail earlier in the week, alerting her to Bill Martin Jr.'s listing on the Borders.com Web site as the author of "Ethical Marxism." Leo's note, however, also said she hadn't read the book.

"She said that that was what he wrote, and I said: 'Fine with me. It's a good enough reason for me to get rid of someone,'" said Hardy, who has complained vehemently about the volume of names being added to the curriculum standards.

In an e-mail exchange, Leo said she planned to make a motion to replace Bill Martin and sent Hardy a list of possible alternatives. Hardy said she thought she was doing what Leo wanted when she made the motion.

Leo, however, said she wasn't asking Hardy to make any motions. She said she didn't do any "research."

"Since I didn't check it out, I wasn't about to make the motion," Leo said, adding that she never meant for her "FYI" e-mail to Hardy to be spoken about in a public forum.
Hardy said that her interest was in paring down that list and that she didn't mean to offend anyone.

For some, however, the mix-up is an indicator of a larger problem with the way the elected board members have approached the update of state curriculum standards, also known as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills.

Board members will take up social studies standards again in March. They plan to take a final vote on updates in May.

Hardy's motion is "a new low in terms of the group that's supposed to represent education having such faulty research and making such a false leap without substantiating what they're doing," said Michael Sampson, Martin's co-author on 30 children's books.

Sampson is a professor of early childhood education at the University of South Florida at St. Petersburg, Fla., but he used to work in Texas. He and Martin also traveled the country putting on educational conferences for teachers and children.

The social studies standards update, which started last spring when groups of educators met to suggest revisions, has brought criticism from the right and the left about politicizing the process. As trustees worked their way through a draft last week, political ideas like imperialism, communism and free enterprise were at the heart of some of the changes.

For example, member Don McLeroy, the board's conservative former chairman, suggested taking out mention of the first Red Scare, an anti-communism movement after World War I. He argued that it was short-lived, but Hardy appealed to him to realize the importance of the event, and it was kept in.

Hardy, who represents part of Tarrant County and Ellis, Johnson and Parker counties, clashed with her Republican colleagues in several areas. But she said she had never heard of Bill Martin Jr.'s work before receiving an e-mail from Leo.

A quick look on the Internet might add to the confusion.

The online bookseller Amazon.com links the names of the authors. However, a quick scroll down on the Ethical Marxism page on Amazon gives a brief description of the philosophy professor.
That Bill Martin was surprised to hear that his name had come up at the meeting in Austin.
"My own books don't seem to get out there in the world nearly as much as I'd like, so it is amusing that a trustee involved in this discussion in the Texas State Board of Education would even be aware of them," he said in an e-mail.

"But I imagine this trustee applied the same level of care in her inquiry on this question as she brings to the idea that young people cannot be exposed to criticisms of the capitalist system. So, a fine example for our youth," he wrote.

Tommy Thomason, director of the Texas Center for Community Journalism at Texas Christian University, also wasn't pleased. He read about Hardy's discussion in the Star-Telegram and contacted the paper for clarification. He also worked with Martin and considers it a tragedy his friend's name is being "besmirched."

He said Martin's only political agenda would be "supporting children and giving them wonderful literature they love to read."

Video Games in the Library?

2009-12-18T09:15:00.001-06:00

Sarah Wethern -- School Library Journal, 12/16/2009

In Colorado, as in other parts of the country, video game collections are hot. Although the John C. Fremont Library District in Florence, CO circulates everything from the Gamecube to the Nintendo DS, most of our library systems stick to the three most popular video game consoles—the Wii, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 2 (PS2). (At the moment, PS2 is more popular than its more recently released sibling, PS3, but if the latter’s prize plunges, things may change.)

If you’re thinking of creating a video game collection, you may be worried about theft. Although it’s a valid concern, several libraries say that video games aren’t any more at risk than DVDs. (Since video games are often circulating and rarely on the shelf, they may actually be in less danger of disappearing than DVDs.) In fact, when it comes to maintaining video game collections, the biggest challenge confronting many libraries isn’t theft—it’s replacing worn out or scratched items. Still, just to be on the safe side, some libraries, including the Bemis Public Library in Littleton, CO, and the Laramie County Library in Wyoming, have created displays with empty video game cases, which means that patrons must bring the cases to the circulation desk to receive the games.

How do most libraries purchase their video games? It varies. Some of the bigger systems like Pikes Peak Library District in Colorado Springs and the Douglas County Libraries purchase video games from vendors such as Baker & Taylor. Smaller libraries, many with just one location, are more willing to buy used video games from local game stores or even accept patrons’ donations. While these low-budget options may result in more work, they’re a great way for smaller libraries to increase their video game collections without emptying their wallets.Word spreads quickly about circulating video game collections. While one library marketed the service with posters, most said the best advertisement of the new collection was the fact that there were hardly any games on the shelf. Video games in libraries seem to promote themselves.
Gaming in libraries has grown to epic proportions and it’s bound to get bigger. So why not take the next step and circulate your video games? Your teens will be glad you did.—Sarah Wethern, teen librarian, Pueblo (CO) City-County Library District

Morris Award Finalists Announced

2009-12-18T09:09:00.002-06:00

True to its name, the William C. Morris YA Debut Award honors young adult books written by first-time authors. Started in 2009, the award aims to promote titles that appeal to a wide range of teens. The five finalists for the 2010 award are Ash by Malinda Lo, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, The Everafter by Amy Huntley, Flash Burnout by L. K. Madigan, and hold still by Nina LaCour. To learn more about the award (and to get a free customizable bookmark), visit the Young Adult Library Services Association’s Web site. And be sure to stay tuned: the winner will be announced on Monday, January 18, 2010, at the American Library Association’s midwinter meeting in Boston.

• Wikipedia Co-Founder Launches Web Site for PreK-12

2009-12-03T16:26:00.000-06:00

Larry Sanger, co-founder of Wikipedia, has launched a new Web site designed to gather and organize educational videos for students ages 3 to 18. The site, WatchKnow.org, currently features more than 11,000 videos across 2,000 categories on subjects such as math, science, and history. The nonprofit site features new software that allows wiki-style collaboration among users. "Think of it as YouTube meets Wikipedia, filtering out everything but quality educational videos," Sanger said. (From AASL Hotlinks, 12/09)

Policy Brief Calls for a Reform of Teacher Preparation

2009-12-03T16:24:00.000-06:00

A policy brief from the Alliance for Excellent Education makes the case that too many teachers arrive to their first day of teaching unprepared for the challenges of a diverse set of learners. The brief lays out five critical areas where teachers must develop competency before entering the classroom. The brief recommends that the federal government encourage the creation of performance-based assessments that fairly and accurately measure the effectiveness of individual teacher candidates and preparation programs, and introduce a common set of standards for a candidate's performance before he or she becomes a full-fledged teacher. (from AASL Hotlinks, 12/09)

What's the point of having a media specialist if they aren't specialists in the media forms of the day?

2009-04-30T14:26:00.002-05:00

A student posted this on his school librarian's Twitter account. The conversation that began with that question proved to redefine every one's ideas about what libraries and librarians should be. To read their conversation and thoughts go to: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1340000334/post/1860043986.html?nid=2413&rid=#reg_visitor_id

Educational Computer Games

2009-04-30T14:20:00.001-05:00

Spring is here! It's warming up, and kids are enjoying playing outdoors. This season, however, also brings rain, and kids often get stuck inside instead. Next time that happens, show them this super online indoor playground. There are two dozen games that will keep them amused, fascinated, and learning, for a long time. All of the games and activities are fun, but also challenging.

http://www.funbrain.com/brain/SweepsBrain/sweepsbrain.html

Nation’s Report Card: 17-Year-Olds See Few Reading and Math Gains

2009-04-30T14:17:00.000-05:00

The average test scores of 17-year-olds in reading and math haven’t changed much since the early 1970s, but kids ages 9 and 13 have seen significant gains in both areas, says the lastest report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Gaps in reading scores between white and black students have narrowed for all three age groups since 1971, though those gaps did not change significantly from 2004 to 2008. Reading score gaps between white and Hispanic students were smaller in 2008 than in 1975 at ages 9 and 17, though there were no significant changes from 2004 to 2008. To read the report in full, go to: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6655327.html?nid=2413&source=link&rid=765062269

What do noodles, art, frozen food and the American Red Cross all have in common?

2009-03-03T13:01:00.002-06:00

Give up? They all have a celebration in March. March is National Noodle Month, Youth Art Month, National Frozen Food Month, and American Red Cross month. For a complete list of all of the reasons to celebrate March visit http://www.theteacherscorner.net/calendars/march.php

DOE Report Praises Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program

2009-02-24T13:38:00.002-06:00

Students attending schools that received grant money from the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries (LSL) program perform higher on state reading tests than those in schools that didn’t participate in the program, says a recent report by the Department of Education. The program, originally created by Wisconsin educators to avoid losing funding as the result of low test scores related to the No Child Left Behind Act requirements, is now in its sixth successful year. Overall, the goal is to increase instruction related to literacy skills, specifically research skills. The full report can be read at: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6638887.html

Friend no more?

2009-02-24T13:23:00.003-06:00

Forgot what is due the next day and want to call the teacher to double check. No problem. Want to "friend" your teacher on Facebook. Banned. The School District of Elmbrook, in Brookfield, WI, has recently created a policy banning communication on instant messaging or social networking applications not sponsored by the school district.
The policy, approved by the school board on February 10, stipulated a range of “practices considered irresponsible,” including personal communication between staff and students via social networking and IM.
During the school day, accessing sites deemed problematic is less of a problem as many schools have filters in place that prevent anyone, staff or students, from logging on to Facebook, MySpace, and even select email servers. But policing this new ban during a teacher’s off-hours may prove tricky. While the restricted sites aren’t named, it’s understood that these popular applications, perhaps even Twitter, are included.
Still, Elmbrook does allow students to communicate with teachers and other staff through email and other district-sponsored applications. The district reportedly plans to add other social networking sites that have an educational component in coming years. For now, though, writing a note on a teacher’s MySpace profile or transmitting content to students through Facebook is off limits.
The full article, as well as more information, may be viewed in the February 2009 Edition of School Library Journal.

Apply Now for the Library Diversity Internship

2009-02-20T12:53:00.001-06:00

McIntyre Library seeks a junior or senior UW – Eau Claire student with an interest in librarianship and the ability to bring a diverse perspective to our library and our profession. The McIntyre Library Diversity Internship provides 10 hours per week of professional library work under the direction of a mentor librarian, and the intern will be paid $12.00 per hour.* The internship begins September 1, 2009 and ends May 14, 2010, with time off during the winter and spring breaks. The intern may choose to focus on one of the following areas of librarianship: Reference and Instruction, Collection Development, Education / Curricular Materials / School Librarianship, or Special Collections & Archives. The internship also offers the following benefits:

**Travel, room, board, and registration fee for a state or regional librarian conference.

**Travel, room, and board for visiting the UW – Madison and/or UW- Milwaukee Graduate Schools of Library and Information Science as a prospective student.

You are warmly invited to apply if you:

**Are a junior or senior enrolled at UW – Eau Claire
**Have a interest in a career in librarianship
**Can bring diverse perspective to McIntyre Library
**Have experience working with diverse communities

Application procedure:

**Write a brief essay (no more than 500 words) addressing your interest in a career in librarianship, the area of librarianship that most interests you, and your ability to enhance the diversity of McIntyre Library.

**Submit the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of two references: one UW – Eau Claire faculty member, and one work or volunteer supervisor.

Please submit applications to Colleen McFarland, Head of Special Collections & University Archivist, McIntyre Library (mcfarlcd@uwec.edu). Application due date is April 1, 2009. Decisions will be announced no later than April 30.

African American Read-In, February 10 @ 10:00

2009-02-09T09:37:00.001-06:00

Help celebrate Black History Month when the Office of Multicultural Affairs and McIntyre Library co-host the 5th Annual African American Read-In for the UW-Eau Claire Children's Center on Tuesday at 10:00.

The event will feature a short story presentation by Dwight Watson and Kati Tvaruzka in the 2nd floor Breezeway. Each child attending will take home a commemorative bookmark and a book by an African American author.

More information about the African American Read-In's 20th anniversary can be found at http://www.ncte.org/action/aari.

Walter Dean Myer's Newest Book Available for Free Online!

2009-02-05T14:01:00.001-06:00

Coinciding with the February 10 release of Dope Sick, Walter Dean Myers’s latest title, the entire book will be available online for free reading at AdLit.org. An entire section devoted to writing endeavors, related activities and online resources for teachers, parents and students is also available. The section includes a video interview with Myers about his work and a reading guide.
Myers has made this generous opportunity available to AdLit.org to reach teachers, parents, mentors, and anyone who can help positively influence the choices young people make. He believes that teens that read can make better decisions, and through this effort, more at-risk teens can be reached. (Library School Journal)

YALSA Quick Picks For Teen Detainees

2009-02-05T13:54:00.002-06:00

YALSA has added a new category to their recommended book lists- "Quick Picks for Detainees". The books are selected for teens ages 14-19 and were specifically chosen for incarcerated teens. Since many librarians serving detention centers can’t all bring in hardbacks and purchase everything on the list, incoming committee chair Amy Chaney from Alameda County Library, Fremont, California, has created a subgroup of titles that will work best in juvenile detention centers, broken down by paperback and hardback. To access this list along with YALSA's many other lists visit: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/quickpicks/qphome.cfm

Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners

2009-02-04T09:40:00.001-06:00

This THEJournal.com article gives a brief description of the top ten most important, quickly growing, or useful Web 2.0 tools. The user friendly guide is an excellent resource for teachers, parents, or students looking for an easy definition of a new tool. The article can be viewed in its entirety at: http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23898/

2009 Newbery Award Honor Books Chosen

2009-01-28T11:03:00.005-06:00

Savvy by Ingrid Law

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a “savvy”—a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it’s the eve of Mibs’s big day. As if waiting weren’t hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs’s birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman’s bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up—and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.

The day D Foster enters Neeka and her best friend’s lives, the world opens up for them. D comes from a world vastly different from their safe Queens neighborhood, and through her, the girls see another side of life that includes loss, foster families and an amount of freedom that makes the girls envious. Although all of them are crazy about Tupac Shakur’s rap music, D is the one who truly understands the place where he’s coming from, and through knowing D, Tupac’s lyrics become more personal for all of them. The girls are thirteen when D’s mom swoops in to reclaim D—and as magically as she appeared, she now disappears from their lives. Tupac is gone, too, after another shooting; this time fatal. As the narrator looks back, she sees lives suspended in time, and realizes that even all-too-brief connections can touch deeply.

A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chained-up hound deep in the backwaters of the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate. They are an unlikely pair, about to become an unlikely family. Ranger urges the cat to hide underneath the porch, to raise her kittens there because Gar-Face, the man living inside the house, will surely use them as alligator bait should he find them. But they are safe in the Underneath...as long as they stay in the Underneath. Kittens, however, are notoriously curious creatures. And one kitten's one moment of curiosity sets off a chain of events that is astonishing, remarkable, and enormous in its meaning. For everyone who loves Sounder, Shiloh, and The Yearling, for everyone who loves the haunting beauty of writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Flannery O'Connor, and Carson McCullers, Kathi Appelt spins a harrowing yet keenly sweet tale about the power of love -- and its opposite, hate -- the fragility of happiness and the importance of making good on your promises.

It is 1896. Cuba has fought three wars for independence and still is not tree. People have been rounded up in reconcentration camps with too little food and too much illness. Rosa is a nurse, but she dares not go to the camps. So she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her. Black, white, Cuban, Spanish—Rosa does her best for everyone. Yet who can heal a country so torn apart by war? Acclaimed poet Margarita Engle has created another breathtaking portrait of Cuba.

2009 Newbery Award Winner

2009-01-28T09:41:00.004-06:00

2009 Newbery Award Winner

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.
He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . . Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, the graveyard book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

Caldecott Award Winner and Honor Books Announced!

2009-01-28T09:14:00.005-06:00

2009 Caldecott Award Winner

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, pictures by Beth Krommes

A spare, patterned text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home in this bedtime book for young children. Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to preschoolers—a key, a bed, the moon—this timeless book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe.

Honor Books

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever written and illustrated by Marla Frazee

When James and Eamon go to a week of Nature Camp and stay at Eamon's grandparents' house, it turns out that their free time spent staying inside, eating waffles, and playing video games is way more interesting than nature. But sometimes things work out best when they don't go exactly as planned. In this moving and hilarious celebration of young boys, childhood friendships, and the power of the imagination, Marla Frazee captures the very essence of summer vacation and what it means to be a kid.

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
In this picture book biography of William Carlos Williams, Bryant's engaging prose and Sweet's stunning mixed-media illustrations celebrate the amazing man who found a way to earn a living and to honor his calling to be a poet.

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz

Having fled from war in their troubled homeland, a boy and his family are living in poverty in a strange country. Food is scarce, so when the boy’s father brings home a map instead of bread for supper, at first the boy is furious. But when the map is hung on the wall, it floods their cheerless room with color. As the boy studies its every detail, he is transported to exotic places without ever leaving the room, and he eventually comes to realize that the map feeds him in a way that bread never could.

Find Solutions for Helping English Language Learners

2008-12-08T13:05:00.001-06:00

Sign up at The Big Deal Book Web site for hELLo!, a free monthly ELL e-newsletter that
includes information about new grants, upcoming contests, the latest educational research and
a wealth of information on interactive print and online resources for students, teachers,
librarians, principals and others involved in the education of English language learners.

http://www.bigdealbook.com/newsletter_signup.aspx

Confused about Copyright and Fair Use?

2008-11-19T13:43:00.002-06:00

Visit the Center for Social Media's website http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/fair_use_and_teaching for information about Fair Use and Copyright as it relates to school libraries. A new report was recently released (and available on the site) relating to Media Literacy Education and includes valuable information for librarians and teachers alike.

Gay America For Teens

2008-11-19T13:33:00.002-06:00

In Gay America: Struggle for Equality (Abrams/Amulet, 2008)—the first comprehensive history on this subject for teens—Linas Alsenas chronicles how gay men and women have lived, worked, and loved for the past 125 years. Using archival images, illustrations, and full-color photos, Alsenas, a U.S. citizen who lives in Sweden with his partner, takes us from Colonial times to the present debate over gay marriage. First reviewed in SLJ, this book has opened up more resources for gay and questioning young adults. To read a full interview with Linas Alsenas, visit http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6613800.html?nid=2413&rid=reg_visitor_id&source=link.

Alliance Creates New Approach for Federal Education Standards

2008-11-05T13:56:00.002-06:00

To improve the relationship between states and school districts and the federal government, the Learning First Alliance -- a partnership of 18 major national education associations -- has put forth six principles for "appropriate and constructive federal involvement in education." These principles recommend modification to recent federal education involvement, including the No Child Left Behind Act. To view the recommendations: http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/resources.dyn/LFAFederalRoleFINAL.pdf

New Study Supports Collaboration in the Classroom

2008-11-05T13:47:00.002-06:00

Edutopia has published a new study by Linda Darling-Hammond. Darling-Hammond's study involved classrooms and collaborative learning. She found that students who were a part of collaborative learning for the majority of the day scored better on tests, had fewer behavioral issues, and were overall more enthusiastic about learning in general. The full article can be viewed at:

http://www.edutopia.org/inquiry-project-learning-research

Story Time with International Flair on Tuesday!

2008-10-27T14:33:00.001-05:00

Nine foreign exchange students enrolled in the English as a Second Language class "Integrated Skills" will read during a story time session held in McIntyre Library. Youth from the Children's Center will gather for story time at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, in the Instructional Media Center on the lower level of the library. The international students will each read a book they've selected and help education reference librarian Kati Tvaruzka lead activities, songs and dances. International students participating are from South Korea, Japan, China and Thailand. Click here for more information.

AASL Has New Website

2008-10-02T11:53:00.002-05:00

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has a new website:

http://www.aasl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/index.cfm

This website offers numerous resources, suggestions, and ways to connect for school librarians.

Another Celebration Week in October...

2008-10-01T15:05:00.001-05:00

Teen Read Week, a literacy campaign targeting teenagers, will be celebrated on October
12–18, 2008, at thousands of public and school libraries, classrooms and bookstores across
the country. This year’s theme is “Books with Bite @ your library,” promoting a variety of
books—from vampire stories to cooking to technology (byte)—as a tool for getting young
adults to read. Teen Read Week is sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services
Association (YALSA).

Teens’ Top Ten is a “teen choice” list, where teens nominate and choose their
favorite books of the previous year. Nominators are members of teen book groups in 15 school
and public libraries around the country. Students aged 12 to 18 can vote for their favorites
online, anytime during Teen Read Week. Ballots can be cast by going to: www.ala.org

Jump-start Children’s Literacy

2008-10-01T15:04:00.001-05:00

Jumpstart’s Read for the Record is a campaign designed to bring attention to the
importance of early education. By encouraging hundreds of thousands of children and adults to
read the same book on the same day, Jumpstart aims to break a world record and to make
early education a national priority. This year, on October 2, children and adults will read the
children’s classic Corduroy in schools, libraries, stores, hotels, playgrounds, offices and
homes. The custom limited edition of the Viking children’s classic has been published and
distributed by Pearson, ensuring that 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of this book
directly support Jumpstart’s work with children from low-income communities across America.
Pearson and its people across the United States and around the world are taking part in
Jumpstart’s Read for the Record celebrations and working with governors, mayors, PTAs,
schools, libraries and local organizations to spread the word and highlight the importance and
the power of reading. The Pearson Foundation is also providing more than 100,000 copies of
Corduroy to at-risk children in school districts and community organizations worldwide.

Storytime Tuesday!

2008-09-29T13:13:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 30th is the first story time of the new semester!

Education reference librarian Kati Tvaruzka leads a free monthly story time session for children attending UW-Eau Claire Children's Center, but the children and grandchildren of faculty, staff, students and the general public are also invited.

The 30-minute sessions are held at 10 a.m. on the last Tuesday of every month (September through April) in the Instructional Media Center.

Any UW-Eau Claire student interested in children's literature or reading aloud to young children, or anyone who would like to participate in this program, should contact Kati Tvaruzka at tvaruzke@uwec.edu or 715-836-4522.

Also, to learn more about this program or others offered in the IMC visit: http://www.uwec.edu/library/imc/programs.htm

Banned Books Week

2008-09-29T13:08:00.001-05:00

McIntyre Library at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire will display "Censorship in Schools and Libraries," a new exhibit opening Sept. 29.

The exhibit will be displayed in the Instructional Media Center on the lower level of McIntyre Library in observance of the American Library Association's Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read.

Banned Books Week (Sept. 27-Oct. 4) is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual event reminds Americans not to take democratic freedom for granted.

The exhibit, which will be on display through Dec. 19, was developed by the Long Island Coalition Against Censorship. Through narratives and illustrations, it chronicles incidents of censorship dating back to the 19th century, as well as frequently challenged books and creative works. Included are descriptions of the censorship of "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," "In the Night Kitchen," "The Catcher in the Rye," "The Color Purple," the novels of Judy Blume and Chris Crutcher, and most recently, the 2007 Newbery Prize winning novel "The Higher Power of Lucky" by Susan Patron.

Information on U.S. Supreme Court and lower court decisions is an integral part of the exhibit, including efforts to censor the popular Harry Potter children's books (Harry Potter books were burned in Alamagordo, N.M.) and the 2003 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the Children's Internet Protection Act.

For more information, contact Kati Tvaruzka, education reference librarian in McIntyre Library, at 715-836-4522 or tvaruzke@uwec.edu.

Banned Books Week

2008-09-03T13:41:00.002-05:00

The American Library Association is set to hold it's 27th annual Banned Books Week, the week of September 27th. This year's theme is "Closing Books Shuts Out Ideas". For free materials, including lesson plans visit the ALA website. http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6591649.html?nid=4302&rid=765062269&source=link

Creative Detention Activity!

2008-09-03T13:31:00.002-05:00

Kay Skipper, a media specialist at a North Carolina middle school, has turned all day weekend detention into an educational experience for the offenders. All students required to come to detention read a book together and discuss it. Discussions have been lively and some students even come on weekends they are not forced to just to participate! To read the full article, in School Library Journal, go to: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6591647.html?nid=4302&rid=765062269&source=link

Civic Index Reveals Public Views on Education

2008-08-11T15:45:00.000-05:00

A national poll and a groundbreaking "Civic Index for Quality Public Education" shed new light on the public's views on school progress, politicians' commitment to education, and the strength of community commitment to helping improve education. Launched by Public Education Network (PEN) and funded by MetLife Foundation, the online Civic Index measures public attitudes toward education and assesses ten categories of community support determined by the public and experts to be critical factors outside the school to support and sustain quality public schools. The poll reveals that even when other issues seem at the forefront of news, Americans still care deeply about education.

Find out more about the Civic Index at: http://civicindex4education.org

(from AASL Hotlinks - August 2008)

P21 Offers Educator Social Studies Map to Aid in Teaching

2008-08-11T15:44:00.000-05:00

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills (P21) and National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) have developed a 21st Century Skills and Social Studies Map, which details how to align teaching and learning to the demands of the 21st century. Suggested lesson plans combine core skills like critical thinking, creativity, and innovation with interdisciplinary themes (civic, economic and entrepreneurial literacy, and global awareness) and allow teachers to easily integrate the map into their curriculum.

The map is available at: http://www.21stcenturyskills.org

(from AASL Hotlinks, August 2008)

The 2008 Kids & Family Reading Report

2008-08-11T15:42:00.001-05:00

A new study released today finds that 75% of kids age 5-17 agree with the statement, "No matter what I can do online, I'll always want to read books printed on paper," and 62% of kids surveyed say they prefer to read books printed on paper rather than on a computer or a handheld device. The Kids & Family Reading Report™, a national survey of children age 5-17 and their parents, also found that kids who go online to extend the reading experience – by going to book or author Web sites or connecting with other readers -- are more likely to read books for fun every day. Read the full report at: http://www.scholastic.com/aboutscholastic/news/kfrr08web.pdf

(from AASL Hotlinks - August 2008)

Blog for Teachers Who Blog!

2008-07-24T15:17:00.001-05:00

TeacherLingo.com is a teacher friendly, safe community dedicated to teachers, as teachers like to share ideas and experiences and having a family of teachers in similar teaching situations can make it easier to get through the week. This is a rewarding blog community where you can come to share and publish your thoughts and concerns about education. TeacherLingo was started by a retired middle school teacher and a software programmer looking to bring all of the independent blogs together into one single community. TeacherLingo features blog articles on hot-button issues, teaching ideas, book reviews, and lesson plans. The site allows users to sign up for an account, create their own blogs, and connect their blogs to others in this community.

New titles in IMC Professional Collection

2008-07-24T10:54:00.033-05:00

New titles for the IMC Professional Collection have arrived! See if any of these new additions catch your interest:

Teen Girls and Technology : What’s the Problem, What’s the Solution? by Lesley Farmer

Call Number: IMC Professional Collection HQ798 .F37 2008
Provides a framework that teachers, librarians, youth workers, and parents can use to empower girls to succeed in today’s technology-rich world.

Whole-Class Teaching : Minilessons and More

by Janet Angelillo
Call Number: IMC Professional Collection LB1025.3 .A54 2008
Studies have shown that no matter your style of teaching, it's most effective to teach everyone at once. This book offers learning-centered ways to maximize entire-class instruction by creating energizing, engaging teaching that everyone will benefit from.

Teaching Visual Literacy : Using Comic Books, Graphic Novels, Anime, Cartoons, and More to Develop Comprehension and Thinking Skills

by Nancy Frey, Douglas Fisher, editors
Call Number: IMC Professional Collection LB1068 .T43 2008
Today's students live in an increasingly visual world where they are engaged not only by words, but also by images. This collection of innovative articles shows classroom teachers and literacy specialists how to use students' interest in picture books, comics, graphic novels, film, anime, and other visual media to motivate and engage readers in Grades K12.

Tools for Matching Readers to Texts : Research-Based Practices
by Heidi Anne E. Mesmer
Call Number: IMC Professional Collection LB1573 .M452 2008
Selecting reading materials at the appropriate level for each student is an essential component of promoting literacy, and a number of tools for determining text difficulty are now available. This unique, much-needed reference helps teachers choose from a wide array of approaches and implement them effectively. Provided is a thorough, integrative review of recently developed applications such as Lexiles, as well as traditional readability formulas and systems for beginning readers.

Creating Robust Vocabulary : Frequently Asked Questions and Extended Examples
by Isabel L. Beck, Margaret G. McKeown and Linda Kucan
Call Number: IMC Professional Collection LB1574.5 .B44 2008
Responding to readers' success stories, practical questions, and requests for extended examples, this ideal complementary volume picks up where Bringing Words to Life left off. The authors present additional tools, tips, and detailed explanations of such questions as which words to teach, when and how to teach them, and how to adapt instruction for English language learners. They provide specific instructional sequences, including assessments, for grades K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12, as well as interactive lesson planning resources.

Science Formative Assessment : 75 Practical Strategies for Linking Assessment, Instruction, and Learning

by Page Keeley
Call Number: IMC Professional Collection Q181 .K247 2008
Formative assessment allows educators to discover the varied ideas that students bring to the classroom, determine students' understanding of key concepts, and design learning opportunities that will deepen students' mastery of content and standards. A nationally known expert in science education, Page Keeley provides a rich repertoire of purposeful methods that weave assessment into the process of instruction and learning.

Recent Additions to IMC CBC

2008-07-23T14:07:00.043-05:00

Keep up with the IMC collection by looking over these new additions to our children's book collection:

Math at the Store
by Ellen Weiss
Call Number: 510 W4362m 2008
An exploration of a grocery store presents young learners with several situations in which to build their matamatic skills.

Cows Sweat Through Their Noses: and Other Freaky Facts About Animal Habits, Characteristics, and Homes
by Barbara Seuling
Call Number: 590 Se812c 2008
If you have ever wondered why elephants can't jump or if you never knew they couldn't in the first place this book is a must read. Strange but true facts about how animals eat, sleep, move, and much more fill this fascinating book.

What's Inside Your Tummy, Mommy?
by Abby Cocovini
Call Number: 612.63 C6476w 2008
This is the perfect book for introducing a young child to the concept of how babies grow. Every month the life-size drawings give parent and child a fantastic opportunity to explore how big the baby is in comparison to everyday objects, along with providing information about the umbilical cord, the womb, and the baby’s developments each month.

Don’t Bump the Glump! : and Other Fantasies
by Shel Silverstein
Call Number: 811.54 Si397d 2008

It's a zoo in here!
Have you ever . . .
Seen a Gritchen in your kitchen?
Dared to dance with the One-Legged Zantz?
Declined to dine with the Glub-Toothed Sline?
You haven't? Well then, step inside—but only if you are ready to be amazed, tickled, astonished and entertained by this most unusual bestiary of silly and scary creatures.

What to do About Alice? : How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove Her Father Teddy Crazy!
by Barbara Kerley
Call Number: 921 R6771k 2008
Theodore Roosevelt had a small problem. Her name was Alice. Alice Lee Roosevelt was hungry to go places, meet people, do things. Father called it running riot. Alice called it eating up the world. Brimming with affection and wit, this spirited biography gives readers a peek at family life inside the White House.

Red Truck

by Kersten Hamilton
Call Number: E H1805r 2008
When a school bus gets stuck in the mud, Red Truck the tow truck saves the day by pulling it out.

Skunkdog
by Emily Jenkins
Call Number: E J4158s 2008
Dumpling, a lonely dog with no sense of smell, moves with his family to the country and makes a new friend who takes some getting used to.

Rex Zero, the King of Nothing
by Tim Wynne-Jones
Call Number: Fic W9924rk 2008
In 1962 Ottawa, eleven-year-old Rex Norton-Norton faces several confusing mysteries, including his father’s troubling secrets from World War II, the problems of a beautiful but unhappy woman named Natasha, what to do about his mean and vindictive teacher, and whether or not he should even be concerned about these things.

The Dragon's Child : a Story of Angel Island

by Laurence Yep
Call Number: Fic Y4304dc 2008
Ten-year-old Gim Lew leaves his village in China to accompany his father to America, but before they go he must prepare for a grueling test that he must pass--without stuttering--at California’s Angel Island, where officials strive to keep out unwanted immigrants. Includes facts about immigration from China and the experiences of the author’s family.

Advertise Your Cause

2008-06-18T14:08:00.003-05:00

The By Kids For Kids youth empowerment company and DoSomething.org have announced the Advertise Your Cause Media Challenge, which encourages young people to discover what cause matters most to them and then to “Do Something” to propel their cause into the public eye. The competition will reward the cleverest and most powerful new Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign idea that will also have the broadest impact. U.S. residents, aged 5 to 19, who have not graduated from high school at the time of the competition, are eligible for the $10,000 award.

(from WEMTA Big Deal Book e-Newsletter, June 16, 2008)

Draw Students to Ecology with PowerUp

2008-06-18T13:57:00.003-05:00

Students can save the planet Helios from ecological disaster and SmogGobs in PowerUp, a free online game that draws an emotional connection to ecological awareness. The three-dimensional game, from IBM’s TryScience initiative, is designed to engage students in learning about engineering and energy while trying to supply solar, wind and water power before an ecological disaster hits. PowerUp offers classroom lesson plans that cover energy transformation, as well as an interactive module so students learn about the technologies required to build virtual worlds.

(from WEMTA Big Deal Book e-Newsletter, June 16, 2008)

My First Garden Website

2008-06-16T14:23:00.003-05:00

My First Garden helps teachers plan how to teach about gardens, flowers, vegetables and the principles of horticulture. The University of Illinois’s My First Garden Web site is intended for elementary students to learn about the beauty of gardens and the care involved in planning, nurturing and enjoying the benefits of gardening in a variety of spaces and places. As students go through the basics, the FUNdamentals and the process of planning a garden, they will be acquiring skills that will last a lifetime. The site is accessible in English and Spanish.

(From the WEMTA Big Deal Book eNewsletter, June 2, 2008)

Cool School Interactive Computer Game

2008-06-16T12:57:00.003-05:00

COOL SCHOOL: Where Peace Rules! is an interactive computer game designed to teach children about conflict resolution in a lively, entertaining and developmentally appropriate context. The game features animated school characters in situations that ask youngsters, aged 5 to 7, to select an action for resolving a potential conflict, such as others crowding in line, refusing to share or treating playmates disrespectfully. COOL SCHOOL was developed by the U.S. Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS) in cooperation with child-development programs at the University of Maryland, the University of Southern California and the University of North Texas. The game is available for free downloading to teachers and families via the Curriki Web site.

(from the WEMTA Big Deal Book eNewsletter, June 2, 2008)

May is Get Caught Reading Month!!

2008-05-07T12:00:00.002-05:00

Get great lesson plans, posters, and activity ideas at: http://www.readwritethink.org/calendar/calendar_day.asp?id=650. Celebrate all month!

Is Google Really Helpful?

2008-05-07T11:53:00.002-05:00

Do your students frequently site Google as their main source? Frustrated that students think that Wikipedia is reliable and accurate for an indepth project? Read the updated article "The Google Game" at: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6555545.html?nid=2413&rid=765062269 to learn about what teachers and librarians can do to bring research back to the library and how to reach out to impatient students and teach them more effective and accurate ways to research.

April 17th is Put A Poem in Your Pocket Day

2008-04-16T10:31:00.001-05:00

For great ideas for planning your poem in your pocket day celebration visit: http://www.readwritethink.org/calendar/calendar_day.asp?id=720 for ideas and lesson plans.

New Project Idea!

2008-04-16T10:22:00.000-05:00

MakeBeliefsComix is an online educational comic generator for all ages. You can use it to help children and adults share their ideas or as a therapy tool to help the deaf and the autistic communicate. You can also use it as a resource to encourage writing skills and to practice vocabulary or storytelling skills. The comic strip comes together at this site, where children choose a human or animal character, pick a mood and then fill in a talk or thought balloon (in English or Spanish).
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/

Give Your Brain a Workout!

2008-04-16T10:16:00.000-05:00

If you think your brain and memory are dulling down, head to SharpBrain’s teasers and challenge yourself. This free site offers 50 fun ways to give your brain an entertaining workout. And as a bonus, you can read all about what actually makes your brain work. http://www.sharpbrains.com/teasers/

Scared to use Google Docs?

2008-04-04T09:59:00.001-05:00

Atomic Learning recently announced a free tutorial series on Google Docs, the free Web-based word-processing program that allows users to keep documents up to date and allows selected individuals to update files from their personal computers. The Atomic Learning series, titled “Google Docs—A Focus on Docs,” includes more that 60 short, show-and-tell movies that guide users through the creation, implementation and use of Google Docs. Topics include working with documents, organizing files, document options, sharing and publishing, working with collaboration, and utilizing the edit, insert and revision tab options. The series is being offered, free of charge, through May 1, 2008 and can be accessed at: http://movies.atomiclearning.com/k12/google_docs/

Celebrate Día!

2008-04-04T09:56:00.002-05:00

Celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day), also known as Día, in your classrooms and communities on April 30, 2008 with brochures, posters and bookmarks featuring Dora the ExplorerTM. Día, which emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds, is sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA). More information, including the materials, is available at: http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/diadelosninos/diadelosninos.cfm

April is National Poetry Month

2008-03-26T10:09:00.002-05:00

To help get a head start for April poetry month, the following website offers lesson plans, activities, projects and resources about poetry for teachers and students. The website also features a wide variety of resources for just about every holiday. It can be accessed at:
http://www.educationworld.com/a_special/poetrymonth.shtml

Need Math Lesson Plans or Help With Math?

2008-03-26T10:05:00.001-05:00

Purplemath, a website created by math teachers with hundreds of years of experience between them, offers free math worksheets, problems, and lesson plans. They also offer an easy to follow tutorial on every subject ranging from counting to precalculus, for additonal help teaching students.
The website can be accessed at:
www.purplemath.com

Don't Miss Story Time on Wednesday!

2008-03-24T15:36:00.001-05:00

Join Kati and kids from the Children's Center in the IMC for a 30 minute story program at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 26. In addition to fun movement activities, rhymes and songs, this month will feature great picture books that have all won awards for writing or illustration. Students, faculty, staff and community members are also invited to bring in their children. The storytime is geared for ages 2-5.

These storytime sessions are held the last Wednesday of each month (September through April). The IMC will still be open, but students should be aware that it will get quite loud. For more information contact Kati Tvaruzka at tvaruzke@uwec.edu.

Predictions for Key Education Statistics

2008-03-03T10:27:00.002-06:00

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has released a publication that provides
projections for key education statistics, including enrollment, graduates, teachers and
expenditures in elementary and secondary schools. Included in the report are national data on
enrollment and graduates for the past 15 years and projections to the year 2016, as well as state level data on enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools and public high school graduates to the year 2016.
Click Here to Access Free Report
http://nces.ed.gov/programs/projections/projections2016/index.asp

Free Online Stories About Social Issues

2008-03-03T10:25:00.001-06:00

A set of illustrated stories from MyYoungChild.org attempts to address issues (sharing, dealing
with bullies, respecting others and taking responsibility for actions) that children face every day.
The free online stories are intended to be an enjoyable and playful tool that can be used to
teach social values. Accompanying each story are discussion questions and activities as well
as tips designed to complement the story’s message and reinforce the impact. The nine
stories include “Rosa the Rabbit Learns to Be Fair,” “Ramon Sticks Up for Himself” and “Gilbert
the Goat Learns Respect.”
http://www.myyoungchild.org/stories/index.htm

Help Save a Plant from Ecological Disaster

2008-03-03T10:23:00.001-06:00

The free 3-D video game PowerUp is intended to supplement science education by asking
players to work in small teams or individually to save a planet approaching ecological disaster.
The downloadable game and accompanying lesson plans are being offered, at no charge, by
IBM and the TryScience/NY Hall of Science. The website is:
http://www.powerupthegame.org/

There's a Poem in my Pocket!

2008-03-03T10:20:00.001-06:00

Invite students and colleagues to choose a favorite poem and carry it in their pockets to
celebrate the first national Poem in Your Pocket Day on April 17, sponsored by the Academy
of American Poets. During the day, encourage readers to unfold and read their pocketed
poems in celebration of the visions of poets. To share your ideas or receive more information
about Poem in Your Pocket Day, contact Elaine Bleakney at ebleakney@poets.org.

Celebrate Teen Tech Week!

2008-03-03T10:15:00.002-06:00

The Young Adult Library Services Association sponsors Teen Tech Week to draw attention to the importance and availability of various technologies in libraries. Besides offering technologies such as audiobooks, DVDs, electronic games, computers with Internet access, and more, libraries also have librarians with expertise in using many of these resources effectively. This year, Teen Tech Week (March 2–8) celebrates the teen-selected theme: Tune In @ Your Library.

Design Google's Logo!

2008-03-03T10:06:00.001-06:00

Google has announced the launch of Doodle 4 Google, a competition that invites schoolchildren
to design a Google logo inspired by the question, “What If ...?” The winning student’s doodle will
be displayed on the Google homepage on May 22, 2008; the champion “doodler” will also win a
$10,000 college scholarship and a $25,000 technology grant for his or her school. The Doodle 4
Google competition is open to all K–12 students in the United States.
Deadline: Registration closes March 28, 2008; all entries must be received by April 12, 2008.
Registration is online at http://www.google.com/doodle4google/

Higher Test Scores Linked to Certified Media Specialists

2008-02-13T10:30:00.000-06:00

Here’s some more evidence that school librarians are essential to student learning: researchers at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies (iSchool) have found that students who attend New York schools with certified media specialists have higher scores on their fourth grade English Language Arts (ELA) test. The tests showed an almost 10-point difference in the ELA test scores of fourth graders whose schools had certified librarians.
“We believe these findings are important to consider, not only because of the higher ELA test scores,” says Small, who directs the school library media program at the iSchool. “Although we’re still analyzing the data, our preliminary results show that certified librarians are also more likely to provide students with materials that present more diverse points of view and that better support the curriculum than noncertified librarians.”
There are currently 568,924 K-12 students in the state without access to a certified librarian.
The researchers are currently analyzing the specific information gathered from surveys and focus groups involving school librarians, students, principals, and teachers from 48 elementary, middle, and high schools across New York State. Small hopes to better understand the impact of certified librarians on motivating students to learn, influencing the adoption and use of technology, and servicing students with disabilities and special needs.
“This study confirms the direct impact of certified school librarians on the educational success of our children. That is why I am sponsoring legislation (S.1686) to ensure that every school in the state has a library and a school librarian,” says State Senator HughT. Farley, Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Libraries.
New York Governor Elliott Spitzer, in his proposed 2008-09 Executive Budget, left out $5 million in funding for libraries and held School Library Materials Aid at $6.25 per pupil despite proposing a $1.4 billion increase in school aid.
The research, which is being funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Studies, included survey responses from 1,612 schools in New York City and other cities such as Syracuse, Buffalo, and Rochester. A copy of the preliminary report can be found online.

Federal Court: No Parent Notification on Gay-Themed Books OK

2008-02-08T12:02:00.000-06:00

A federal appeals court in Massachusetts has ruled that an elementary school may use children's books that encourage tolerance for gays without notifying caretakers in advance.
The parents of three children in Lexington, MA, had argued that such notification was justified under the U.S. Constitution's Free Exercise Clause and their parental and privacy due-process rights.
At issue were the books King and King by Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland; Who's in a Family? by Robert Skutch and Laura Nienhaus; and Molly's Family by Nancy Garden and Sharon Wooding.
Two couples, David and Tonia Parker, and Joseph and Robin Wirthlin, who have children attending Estabrook Elementary School, argued in U.S. District Court that their families' religious views had been undercut. Their objection centered on the lack of notification, not the issue of using the books as part of a nondiscrimination curriculum.
The court's Jan. 31 decision in Parker v. Hurley rejected the notification argument, finding no precedent for a constitutional right to exempt children in public schools from exposure to books about gays. "There is no free-exercise right to be free from any reference in public elementary schools to the existence of families in which the parents are of different gender combinations," the court wrote.
Sarah Wunsch, staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, which filed an amicus brief in the case, said in various interviews that school administrators and teachers might "take heart from the decision and not be afraid in the future to use materials showing diverse families."

Bush Freezes School Library Funding

2008-02-08T11:59:00.000-06:00

President Bush’s farewell message to school libraries was very clear this year: no extra money for you. In his just-released 2009 budget, Bush proposed a funding hike for public libraries through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)—but he kept monies for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program at $19.1 million, the same level as 2008.
“We’re very disappointed in [Bush’s] decision, and we’re trying to work hard at the grassroots level to get that figure raised,” says Melanie Anderson, the American Library Association’s (ALA) assistant director of the Office of Government Relations.
Anderson doesn’t expect Congress to approve the President’s budget before the 2009 fiscal year, which begins on October 1—and that means ALA will be working hard between now and then to convince members of the House and Senate appropriations committees about the importance of school libraries, says Anderson.
Although the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program was authorized at $250 million in 2001, funding has never been appropriated at that level. Ideally, ALA would like to see the program funded at $100 million, which would transform it from a competitive grant to one in which each state department of education would allocate funds to individual districts as needed, Anderson says.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the federal program provides funding to public school libraries to update collections, expand Internet connections, buy new technology, provide professional development for media specialists, and extend library hours. The program was funded at $19.5 million in FY 2006 and 2007, slightly more than its current level.
Meanwhile, libraries across the country can expect another year of generous funding, thanks to a proposed 2009 increase in LSTA monies by President Bush.
The news—which comes at a time when domestic discretionary spending is severely restricted and funding for 151 programs is being cut or eliminated—will mean that many libraries across the country can continue providing key programs and services to their communities, such as bookmobiles and public access to the Internet.

IMC Story Time for February Rescheduled

2008-02-06T14:43:00.001-06:00

The IMC story time session reguarly scheduled for Wednesday, February 27 has been rescheduled and will instead be held on Tuesday, February 19th. For more information contact Kati at tvaruzke@uwec.edu.

Celebrate ALA 2008 Winners

2008-02-04T11:59:00.000-06:00

To help everyone celebrate the recently announced ALA Awards (Newbery, Caldecott, Coretta Scott King and others), Teachingbooks.net is offering free access to original short movies and readings by the award winners. The selected interviews, discussion guides, book readings and audio files help readers relate to the authors and award-winning books in memorable, personal ways.

Simon and Schuster Launches YA Author Blogfest

2008-02-01T10:04:00.000-06:00

About 100 young adult authors will be ready and waiting for young readers' questions as part of a two-week "Pulse Blogfest" taking place March 14–27.
Sponsored by Simon & Schuster, the blogfest will feature Scott Westerfeld, author of the "Uglies" series; Kate Brian, author of the "Private" series; Ellen Hopkins, author of the novels Glass (2007) and Burned (2006); and Holly Black, author of the teen novels Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale (2002) and Ironside: A Modern Faery's Tale (2007), and coauthor of the middle-school series Spiderwick Chronicles.
Each of the 14 days will be devoted to a separate question addressed to all authors—queries along the lines of how they got into writing, where they seek inspiration, and whether their stories come from real life.
The blogfest, which Simon & Shuster describes as a first, is being promoted to librarians and other educators through the publisher's newsletter and website.
Source: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6527154.html?nid=2413

Students Confused About the Math Behind Voting?

2008-01-23T10:40:00.000-06:00

Visit the website Cast Your Vote! to get a simple breakdown of why and how American presidential elections work. In Cast Your Vote!, students follow a year in a fictitious election campaign for an inside look at the mathematics behind the polls and the news they hear everyday. The website is free and is http://www.learner.org/interactives/statistics/

Visit the Museum Online!

2008-01-23T10:33:00.000-06:00

San Francisco’s Exploratorium was one of the first science museums to build a site on the World Wide Web. The site features dozens of online learning activities and exhibits. Students can make a mold terrarium, pinhole projector, telescope or hair hygrometer. They can explore the brain, biodiversity, Antarctica, DNA, frogs, structures or illusions. They can learn about magnetism, electricity, motors, eyeballs, perception, Mars, chocolate, seasonings or the science of cooking, sports and music. And they can search more than 3,000 photos and movies and watch Webcasts of science demonstrations by teachers. The website is http://www.exploratorium.edu/

Virtual Manipulatives in the Classroom

2008-01-23T10:32:00.001-06:00

More than 60 virtual manipulatives and activities are availabe at no cost from the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM) . The website functions as a concept tutorial. The virtual manipulatives are designed to facilitate mathematics learning at PreK–2, 3–5, 6–8 and 9–12. By encouraging active exploration with computers, the virtual manipulatives help students visualize mathematical relationships. The manipulatives are organized into five categories based on the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards: Number & Operations; Algebra; Geometry; Measurement; and Data Analysis & Probability. The site is also accessible in Spanish. The website is: http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

New Study Finds That Kids Are Computer Savvy But Not Good Researchers

2008-01-23T10:23:00.000-06:00

Just because today’s kids grew up using the Internet doesn’t mean they’re adept at using the Web, says a new British study.
"Information Behaviour of the Researcher of the Future” says that although there’s only patchy knowledge about how children and young adults become competent using the Internet, some clear news has emerged. Most notably, the information literacy of young people hasn’t improved with the growing access to technology.
For instance, the speed with which students search the Web means that “little time is spent in evaluating information, either for relevance, accuracy or authority,” says the report, commissioned by the British Library and the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) [http://www.jisc.ac.uk]. JISC is an oganization that supports education and research by promoting innovative technologies.
The report goes on to say that young people have a poor understanding of their information needs and, therefore, find it difficult to develop effective search strategies. As a result, when students conduct Web searches, they tend to type in phrases using “natural language rather than analyzing which key words might be more effective.”
Since kids are typically unfamiliar with library databases, they prefer to stick to more familiar search engines, such as Yahoo! and Google, for their research needs “[So] there is little direct evidence that young people’s information literacy is any better or worse than before,” the report says.
The main message of the report is for research libraries to realize “that the future is now, not 10 years away, and that they have no option but to understand and design systems around the actual behavior of today’s virtual scholar.”

Examining Education Around the World

2008-01-07T10:30:00.000-06:00

The ED in ’08 people have forged a partnership with Broken Pencil Productions to promote the documentary Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination, which tracks two high school students each from India, China and the United States. The film attempts to underscore the different direction the U.S. education system is going in relation to those in India and China (combined the two countries have more than 400 million students in K–12 education). The film’s trailer provides a vivid, compelling and almost frightening account.

View Trailer
More Information

(WEMTA Big Deal Book eNewsletter Jan 4, 2008)

Build Vocabulary, Send Rice

2007-12-17T10:21:00.000-06:00

Do you wish you had a better vocabulary? Do you wish you could do more to end world hunger? Well, have we got the site for you! www.freerice.com is a site that gives you a multiple choice vocabulary quiz, with tiny banner advertisements running along the bottom of the screen. The advertisers pay for 20 grains of rice to be sent to the United Nations World Food Program. The vocabulary is rated, and if you answer correctly you are given more challenging words. Good practice for the SAT, recommend it to home schoolers, and rather addictive if you try it yourself!

New in the IMC

2007-12-14T13:42:00.000-06:00

Mother Goose's Little Treasures

By Iona Opie

(IMC CBC) 398.8 M8560 2007

A collection of nursery rhymes featuring such little-known characters as the wee melodie man and Handy Spandy, Mrs. Whirly and little bonny Button-cap.

Help!: A Story of Friendship

By Holly Keller

(IMC CBC) E K2826h 2007

Mouse hears a rumor that snakes do not like mice and while trying to avoid his former friend, Snake, he falls into a hole from which neither Hedgehog, Squirrel, nor Rabbit can help him out.

Schooled

By Gordon Korman

(IMC CBC) Fic K8424s 2007

Homeschooled by his hippie grandmother, Capricorn (Cap) Anderson has never watched television, tasted a pizza, or even heard of a wedgie. But when his grandmother lands in the hospital, Cap is forced to move in with a guidance counselor and attend the local middle school. While Cap knows a lot about tie-dyeing and Zen Buddhism, no education could prepare him for the politics of public school.

Wisconsin Ranked 38th in Reading to Children

2007-12-14T12:36:00.000-06:00

Reach Out and Read has published the results of a study of reading to children, below are the results of the study.

In Wisconsin, 46.1% of young children are reported to be read to daily, below the national average and ranking 38th in the nation. Young children in Wisconsin are predominatly White (78.2%), with 8.3% Black, and 7.5% Hispanic. Only 30.5% of non-White children are read to daily compared with 50.8% of White children. Thirty-three percent of Wisconsin fourth graders are proficient or above in reading, just above the national average and ranking 19th in the nation.

To see the complete report go to:
http://www.reachoutandread.org/downloads/RORChartbook_StatebyStateNarratives.pdf

Who Were the Pilgrims?

2007-11-07T15:31:00.000-06:00

Kids make art projects of turkeys, pumpkins, Indians, and Pilgrims every Thanksgiving, but when asked who the Pilgrims were, most have no idea. This nifty site is chock-full of information that will teach kids (and their parents) exactly who the Pilgrims were and why they came to Massachusetts to establish a settlement. "The Pilgrim Story" provides a detailed history. Click on "Thanksgiving" to learn about the holiday and check out 14 online exhibits. Also worth a look are the "New Exhibits," which provide insights into life around the Plymouth colony.
www.pilgrimhall.org/
(from School Library Journal Extra Helping)

Turn Information into Knowledge

2007-10-31T10:03:00.000-05:00

Infinite Thinking Machine is a vast new site with ideas to help innovative teachers and students to thrive in the 21st century. The site offers a blog, an Internet TV show, a number of videos and more—all with the idea of turning the “universe of information” into knowledge. http://www.infinitethinking.org/
(from WEMTA Big Deal Book eNewsletter, Oct 22, 2007)

Teaching and Learning Real-Life Economic Skills

2007-10-31T10:00:00.000-05:00

A Report Card from the National Council on Economic Education (NCEE), The Current State of Economic, Personal Finance, and Entrepreneurship Education in Our Nation’s Schools in 2007, provides the only national set of data that track the progress of economic and personal finance education via detailed state-by-state “snapshots.” According to the NCEE Report Card, states haven’t made enough progress on their commitment to offer or require economic and finance education in our nation’s schools. Consequently, the majority of students aren’t receiving the essential real-life economic skills they need in order to become knowledgeable consumers, prudent savers and investors, and productive members of the workforce.
http://www.ncee.net/news/story.php?story_id=108
(from WEMTA Big Deal Book eNewsletter, Oct 22, 2007)

Promote Understanding of Diversity

2007-10-31T09:58:00.000-05:00

A set of four lesson plans on race and diversity can now be downloaded by educators at no cost. Designed for high school teachers, and suitable for youth leaders in non-school settings, the lessons are intended to promote greater understanding of differences among high school students. The lessons were developed over several years by the nonprofit, nonsectarian RaceBridges Web Project. http://racebridges.net/
(from WEMTA Big Deal Book eNewsletter, Oct 22, 2007)