TASLA 2011: One More Time

Eighth year for my very favorite professional gathering!

The Texas Association of School Library Administrators conference...a small group of school library folks, about 75-100. Heard attendance is around 90 this year even in the midst of the changes and cuts. Many, many new folks on board...lead librarians were really encouraged to come this year.

Remember when you read this...it is a rough cut!!

Selecting Multicultural Materials and the Tejas Star Book Award

Good list of books from ESC Region One for the 2011-2012 award.

5th year for this award. Let's get more students involved in these books..from across the state.

These books were originally written in Spanish or true Spanish/English bilingual format.

The year's list are all in the bilingual format.

Other lists to consider when working on collection development:

Pura Belpre Award

Mildred L. Batchelder Award - published in another language and translated into English

Americas Book Award

Tomas Rivera Mexican American Book Award

more later!

Facts worthy of thinking about:

English language learners in Texas schools - involves 86 different languages...86!!! 830,713 students. Almost 91% of these 830 thousand + students are Spanish speakers learning English.

Hispanics currently make up 16% of the U.S. population but only 2% of the books published have Hispanic characters and Hispanics make up only 2% of authors publishing.

African-Americans currently make up 12% of the U.S. population but only 5.2% of the books published have Black characters and African-Americans are only 2.7% of the authors publishing.

Advocacy for School Library Leaders: A Call to Action

Advocacy Action wiki

Judy Moreillon

What ONE role of the five that we do will save us!

The group voted this way:

leader 24

instruction partner 15

info specialist 11

teacher 7

program administrator 0

her group when she initiated this study chose instructional partner as the most influential.

My personal choice is teacher...in order to survive I believe we must be seen as a teacher first and foremost because the power brokers understand that position, that term itself. The other roles are natural partners to being an effective teacher.

As is my problem often, I think instructional partner is a semantic issue...to me collaborative teacher is the same thing!

And what I have know for a VERY long time is we must be ALL FIVE all the time!

But I still stick with teacher being my primary role if I am to survive as a school librarian.

Feel free to share your own thoughts!

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

God bless her, Gloria Meraz of TLA is trying to update the legislative/school financial issues as best she can with the positive approach she always presents. I just can't capture all the ideas in my head, much less try to put it on the blog. Read the papers, go to the internet, read what you want, write to who you think can influence the issues...it is just TOO much for me at this moment...maybe I can make sense out of it later. And remember one of the best ways to tell them how you feel...whatever side you are on, whatever group you support..VOTE. The primaries in March, the general election the next November.

Questions

SB8 vote next week

SB6 / HB6

instructional materials allotments

use the money to purchase databases, technology or textbooks "super fund"

must be spent on things that related to assessments....STAR, the tests

another version...must be spent on things that cover the TEKs

remember that allotments do not always get funded!

Moving from ratings to distinctions

School can earn distinctions in

fine arts

physical fitness

acquisition of foreign language, 2nd language (ASL)

academics

21st century workforce

and the new 6th one advanced learners - high performers ...this one is still in development

it will still be a "competition"

but think about how you as a librarian can help your school achieve these distinctions!

Remember - SILENCE GETS YOU NO WHERE

Ok...I need to close out this session...more later. I am overwhelmed thinking about all of this AND all the side conversations going on both in sessions and breaks and meals!!

Sharing at TLA 2011: Librarians' Know-How!

Six terrific librarians from my district presented four sets of ideas to use in libraries during the first annual 1001 Great Ideas forum on TLA opening day 2011. We had 2 pairs of elementary librarians presenting ideas on bookclubbing using Skype and free resources and apps to use in creating student projects on Itouchs and Ipads. Two individuals, one in elementary and one in middle school, presented crazy ways to get kids hooked into books and how to make green screen movies, respectively.

It was so much fun and such a great way to start off annual conference. There were dozens and dozens of other ideas, projects, and adventures as well from school, public and academic libraries from across Texas! Can't wait to see what comes up next year!

I was so happy to be the "cheerleader" for the folks from my district. They represented a larger group of hard-working innovative people who are trying all kinds of interesting things in order for children to dream, to learn and to create. I took some photos and will share those a little later on this post when I get permission to use their names, but I also took some Flip videos just for fun.

This evening I played with the Flip Share software and in about five minutes (no kidding) created this little Quick Flip movie! I downloaded my not-so-good pieces of video and the software grabbed a few seconds of each and produced this 30 second video on its own! Similar to Animoto in a way!

More later about conference and all the good "stuff" that came from it. I'm beat...off to bed!

153 Thinking...on Many Levels

Take two minutes (and a few seconds) and watch this...



Now react...

027.8 Libraries: The 12 Steps to the Future

Some people make things SO easy...

and Doug Johnson, the Blue Skunk guy (and one of my virtual mentor heroes) does it AGAIN with his latest post where he lists 12 differences in the libraries of yesteryear and those of the future! Go there and read them for yourself...all signify the changing, transforming libraries that I am seeing around me.

He DID ask us to "join in" so here's my thoughts...

#9 regarding organizing by a set of rules vs organizing in ways that make sense to users. Makes the cataloger's compartment of my little heart skip a couple of beats...YES, I want to be good to my users, but I also want them to be successful in any library they go into and if we get "too" creative in our arrangements, I fear we will suffer from the grocery store syndrome (why can't grocery stores adopt similar arrangements---I hate hunting for canned mushrooms in some stores!) Please, please, think thorough creative arrangements c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y...especially if you want your users to be independent users who can go from the catalog, take the address (call#) and actually find what they want and need without the librarian being the traffic cop!

#8 I definitely want whole-school ownership of the library. It is fabulous where I see it in action. But I still want the professional librarian there...and in my dreams, I wish for more than one professional librarian, but unfortunately dreams aren't coming true in these economic times so I will be content with one (and extra adult hands please?) Unfortunately, administrators and powers-that-be, because they really don't understand our purpose and our contributions to student success, often think they can eliminate the professional librarian because "everyone" and "anybody" can hand out books and equipment. This one worries me a lot because of how it can be interpreted.

I will take his six descriptors and last statement and put them right here where you can read them quickly and easily

Change IS tough, but if we want to be around to take part in the excitement of the future, we must!

027.8 Libraries, Librarians & Kids: Outta the Blogs of Babes!

Super Star #4 paid homage to her Librarian and the excitement in her school library in a recent blog post

"The library is the BEST place in the history of the world!!!!!!!!!!!"

This young 5th grade girl likes everything in her library...the books, the technology, the contests, the freedom to explore what interests her. How lucky she is to have that kind of place to visit.

Her blog reflects her many interests in and out of the library and school. But I can tell that reading is a big part of her life because of all the attention paid to books in her blog posts.

Yes, she celebrated the addition of new MACs, but truly reflects the value of the technology she likes by U-S-I-N-G it to tell her stories! She makes Animotos like some of us make grocery lists...all the time! Sometimes to honor books, some times about her favorite animal--dogs, or her favorite sport--soccer.

I don't ever think she stops to wonder what she should be doing...she just does it because the opportunities are available to her...and her Librarian creates the atmosphere of choice.

But you know what jumped out at me...because of her Librarian (and other teachers involved in her learning,) this 5th grader has been telling her story for THREE school years...3rd, 4th and 5th in a blog! For one-half of her young school life, she has had a place to tell her stories to authentic audiences. She has had a place to come to experience all kinds of new experiences, be they thru a book or a keyboard. And she has had the support and safety net of the Librarian who wants her to reach for the stars in her path.

Super Star #4 is lucky indeed...and I for one can't wait to see what other adventures she shares with us!

002 Print vs. Digital: A Contest or a Matter of Choice?

Take a look: Do School Libraries Still Need Books?

Five people's thoughts. You decide for yourself.

Me...I think the advantage is being able to provide choice in this age of multiple formats.

Do some things make more sense?

A digital encyclopedia updated almost instantaneously vs. a printed version that is practically out-dated the day it comes off the press?

The multi-tasking approach of audio books vs. a spiffy little paperback that fits in a pocket?

The sterile look of sheets printed off an online file vs. the visual stimulus of beautifully photographed images or cleverly created characters?

I think it comes down to what works for you in the moment.

O, by the way...you will NEVER convince me that picture books meant to be used in a couch cuddle with parent and child or between two school buddies on the carpet in the corner will ever disappear from the school library shelves.

That 's one Librarian's opinion.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC by John-Morgan

741.6 Glogster: A Different Way to "Present"

TASLA 3rd Morning Session Google Docs, legislative Update

Google Docs
Debbie Schwarz, Mesquite ISD, talked about using Google docs. They collect their end-of-year stats on Google docs. She opened up the presentation portion which I really never have spent time with. I was glad to be reminded of it.

She showed how forms could be sent, filled out and then the spreadsheet would be populated automatically. She created one as an example. It is under New, Form. You can give help for the blanks so they would know how to answer properly. you have different types of questions...short answer, paragraph, multiple choice, check boxes, choose from a list (drop-down), scale. You can even add a theme to it to "decorate." and you can save it to different formats including MSExcel.

I see lots of uses for this new (to me) tool! It is good that others explore so I can take advantage of their ventures.

Legislative Update

Jennifer LaBoon

Key Issues for Schools that did not successfully get all the way

K12 Databases

Full time librarian on every campus using counselors standard (1 per campus of 500 or more) -- would have been unfunded mandate. The timing was just not right to push any herder this time on this.

One of the issues raised was tying it to accountability that each campus has librarian...would solve issue of exemplary campuses who have no librarian.

two opps to help --can you help? Contact Jennifer or Cindy Buchanan

PTA Summer Leadership conference in Austin, Jully 24-25

TASA/TASB Conference in Houston October2-3

Julie Todaro

the results of the public survey on libraries

http://www.txla.org/html/pr/survey.html

(FYI: If you want a source to lots of data go here)

SOME results of the survey:

strong, intense voter support

women, older and Hispanic voters, public library users most intensely support need for school libraries

essential because of opportunities to learn to read

under the funding part...concerns about cuts in hours and resources, do not want less available

the voters do see connection between student achievement and strong libraries

this the point she considers the point to use as the hook to all this info....

Question from audience: what was her perception of legislature receiving this data:

stunned looks that data exists

their curiosity was peeked..so other data was put up also

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

It was a good conference. Yes, I learned some new things...I always do. But the most important aspect of this whole thing is the opportunity to get to spend time with people I admire, enjoy, and learn from each and every time I am around them.

027.8 Library of Congress: Going Where the Users Are!

Library of Congress videos on YouTube...potential overdose for this  history & trivia dabbler! But how cool of them to take all their great stuff and put it out for all to see and use! Going where the users are instead of sitting back and waiting for them to come to them.* Aren't libraries just getting so smart these days! ;-) 

Look at the two samples I pulled up in the first five minutes I was in the new collection.

[I have requested conversions of these from Zamzar so they can be seen in district. When I get them and have a few moments to upload them...I'll add them. Even more reason for this important resource to be available at school...ALL schools!]

Enjoy!

*I intend to still  get there some day to the "real thing" and be able to stare up into that beautiful dome!

027.8 A Good List of Librarians

If you want to check out what blogging librarians are talking about these days, here's a Top 50 list...although it really is a Top 40s + 10 Tweeters...and I won't go there tonight...still trying to wrap my head around that concept. Suffice it to say, the Tweeters have plenty of important (and fun) things to say too!

I have read and follow regularly 9 out of the top 10 plus a bunch further down the line. And I am pleased to say that I have had opportunity to hear many of these fine folks in person...an extra treat! I have a feeling I'll be adding a few more once I give myself time to completely work through the list. 

There are a few missing from the list in my opinion. Among them are Blue Skunk and Library Stuff who have been teaching me a lot over several years! But it's not my list. Enjoy what is there!

Take a look...you'll learn something...all the time!

027.8 Librarians at Play: TLA Presentation about 2.0 Tools

A 23 Things friend asked me to visit her TLA presentation during TLA conference last week. I am glad because it was a great discussion of using things pre-K /12 and I saw some ideas that were new to me...and fun and exciting!

There was a group of private school librarians who were presenting 2.0  things that they had used with their students during the past year. Some of them work in schools where every student has access to a laptop and nothing on the internet is blocked. Others operate with similar roadblocks that the rest of us must endure. But everyone encouraged the audience to do what they could!

As a group, they realize that security, working within the context of existing tools, advertising issues on some sites, filters, and time are all things that have to be considered with learning new things and teaching them to students.

Some statements that stood out to me were:

"Try everything! Try a few things, but try something!"

"It is ok to fail."

"Joyce Valenza for real people" --paying homage to the queen of library 2.0 matters, while recognizing that not all of us can do it at her level!

My friend presented the project that her 2nd grade students did with Flat Stanley and tied it to a Google maps activity. They mailed Flat Stanley to long distance family members and asked them to take him along on an adventure and send pictures back. Here is a link to an Animoto about the project. 

Her 4th grade students studied about magazines and then created a magazine cover using animals and other science topics as the themes for their magazines. Here is an Animoto about them.

Another presenter uses Library Thing to advertise the new books that have been added to the school's collection. If my notes are correct, she scans the bar code on the back of the book and that pulls up a cover which she adds to other titles to make a collage. The collage is placed in emails to students and teachers and she also prints out a copy for reference when students come in. They often refer to the books by cover rather than title! I am not familiar with this procedure myself, but I'm sure it something for which there is more info. She also writes about books in her blog Print Matters.

Another librarian talked about the benefits of Google docs, especially with middle school students who can't drive themselves to collaboration opportunities. She told the group that her students come form 28 zip codes!!...and to do group projects is often impossible because the students live so far apart. But Google docs eliminated some the problems. She did mention that Google docs dow not support PPT 2007, but they found that Zoho docs does so when they need to, they use that resource as well.

A few more topics covered in the presentation included:

Creating a ning for historical people of importance. Group them according the time period. The students write profiles, etc. based on the individuals they are studying.

The Horizon Projects...a wiki with lots of things from the educational 2.0 world.

Pandora.com...radio and music for the library

LinkBunch.com...bunch links under one link to make sharing easier. 

Their TLA conference handout Get Busy: Unique Challenges in Private Schools and Web 2.0 is not active yet, but if it does become available, I will hot link it here.

027.8 School Librarians, Libraries and Administrators

Today was the first full conference day at TLA. The Strong Libraries, Strong Scores Administrators' Conference was held today. We had about 85 principals, assistant principals, central office staff and some trustees from around the state come to hear learn from, and work with a series of speakers who filled them in on the value of their school librarians, libraries, and the contributions of both to the overall school success.

The early reactions seem to be all positive. The administrators' learned and shared and went away with lots of information to use in making changes back on their campuses...OR left knowing that their programs are indeed contributing to success already!

Keith Curry Lance, Marla McGhee, Barbara Jansen and two local principal-librarian teams from Pasadena and Spring Branch shared valuable statistics, important concepts and LOTS of practical things to use and do. Both presenters and participants alike asked and answered lots questions and covered lots of concerns.

This is the 5th time that administrators have been invited to participate in this event that was conceived from the White House 2002 meeting about school libraries. And with anything worth doing, this year added to the success found during each of the preceding years. Lots of school children and teens will benefit from the gathering today. That's the best anyone can wish!


P.S. Thanks to the group responsible for the fun and games at the party earlier this evening...especially the music! I knew all the words. Needless to say, the great band that played, played lots and lots and lots of oldies, but goodies. It was hard at time to know who was having more fun---the performers or the audience!

027.8 TLA Week in Texas: LibrarySpeak 24/7

It's time for the annual conference for all the librarians in Texas to come together to learn, collaborate, and...yes, even play! Three and a half days of action packed sessions with experts on all levels about all kinds of things! Books, authors, reading incentives, everything technology-wise you can think of and everything in between that makes a library a library and THE place to be today...no matter its location or type!

Even though the event is in my hometown, I still moved downtown for the week. Why you ask? Have YOU ever driven to downtown Houston on a week day for an 8:00 a.m. anything? But more importantly, conference time has become an important time to catch up with friends and colleagues from across the state and to have lots of time and opportunities for some good old-fashioned visiting along with new fangled collaboration!

Just in my first day, I have caught up with about ten members of my Tall Texan class, had two in-depth conversations about the 2.0 library world and how to help technology and district leadership understand the importance of "open" resources, reviewed 23 Things staff development with some folks contemplating doing it in their community, and finalized details for an adminstrators' conference on the value of libraries to their schools' success! The FIRST DAY!

Made it to one formal session where two school leaders from Mesquite and Spring Branch discussed the 23 Things program in detail...and got to meet f2f some players from last summer's adventure. Lots of us got to share how we all are incorporating the 2.0 tools into our teaching and learning as we visited after the program. So much enthusiasm and excitement in the air!

I think that is one reason I enjoy conference so much. For one week at least, all things are possible...roadblocks disappear, be they the people or financial type...new ideas emerge and old ones get refreshed. All books are new and full of promise. And the day ended with the best hot-fudge sundae (complete with brownie pieces AND cherries) high up in a hotel where the view of the city lights and the lingering clouds made for a magnificent close to a very good day indeed!

Stick around this week...I have made a promise to myself to try and blog about some parts of the conference that come my way!

025.8 Adminstrators' Conference: The Value of Libraries

Are you a TEXAS SCHOOL Librarian?

If so, have you nominated your principal, your assistant principal, or other administrator to attend the 5th Annual Strong Libraries, Strong Scores Administrators Conference to be held Wednesday, April 1st during the Texas Library Association Conference in Houston? The nomination process has begun.

Nominate

Restricted to TEXAS School Administrators & Trustees

The administrators will hear how strong school library programs CAN positively effect TAKS scores. The evidence will be presented by nationally-known experts and teams of successful administrators and their librarians. There will opportunity to share experiences and ask questions on how to make current programs better!

Questions?

025.2 Library Collection Development Thoughts

Get an opportunity to share my 30+ years of education experience with a group of library students this week so I decided that I would put my collected, random (or randomly collected) thoughts on the matter here.

So if you see a nugget you can use...have at it!

Three things to remember when looking at developing any collection:
1. Curriculum--school libraries do have a limited focus (unlike public libraries, we do have parameters!)

2. Collection--know what you have BEFORE making any major decisions. A new Librarian should not weed! You should find out what teacher depends on that worn out copy of that American history title because of the map on p. 69.

3. Community--know who you serve! If you don't, you are asking for trouble.


Since all of my campus library experience has been at the secondary level, I have been directed to talk for the level...good thing!

When looking at a secondary collection that has any age to it, there are several things to watch for:
1. In high school, the 800s are going to be old...critical reviews are critical reviews. And librarians are hard-pressed to get rid of any sources that have all those valuable reviews for all the classics that continue to be studied as part of the high school curriculum.
2. Many typical reference books are now available online. That is a decision that has to be made. Print or Online. I vote online!
3. Be aware of issues in fiction. There are going to be controversial issues; there are going to be language issues; they will make you squirm a bit. Remember--what is in the kids' best interest.
4. Find things for ALL your readers...graphic novels, nonfiction, easy.


Budgets...ugly word that it is, we all have to deal with it. Be sure you are using it for the kids #1, and then for anything that helps you help the kids #2. Watch for budget pitfalls. Are you having to spend library funds on things that really should be funded out of other campus funds? If so, then use your diplomatic skills and point this out. Be willing to do the legwork....search for the source, fill out the requisitions, but let someone else pay the bill!


Do you have a set 0f tools you use in making selections?
1.The review journals..either in paper or online. And all of us could come up with reasons for having one format or the other! Yes..to see very much, you have to subscribe...even online!
School Library Journal
Booklist (awards list on the blogroll)
Horn Book
I know you can think of others!

2. Vendor resources
Follett's Titlewave
Mackin Collection analysis
and bunches more!

3. Online Bookstore resources
(Caution: For your school library...don't order from these types of sources unless circumstances are such that you must! Let the traditional vendors work for you!)
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Alibris (may be blocked...rare, out-of-print, hard to find titles)

4. Develop a relationship with a "shop around the corner" as well.
Need a way to learn your community...what better place! Need a quick source for something special or in an emergency?

5. BLOGS, BLOGS, BLOGS.
Want to find out about books? Want to know what is hot off the press? Read blogs!
(look on the right side of this blog for a longggggg list of book review blogs!)
Better yet...get yourself a blog reader and set up it up to let you know when your favorite reviewers post something!

Good cataloging helps with collection development. Good solid rules and reasons for what you do in your catalog will prevent confusion...and duplication. Especially important in a union catalog. In your library manual, be it campus or district-wide, have careful specs for your vendors and librarians to follow. Helps keep your collection tight, avoids confusion, and saves money!

Ok, readers! Anything else? Any points brought out by the class...I will add!

371.3 NECC08 SIGMS Forum: A Discussion of the New Standards

What a thrill! Doug Johnson at our table for a few minutes (mostly because I'm lucky enough to hang out with the "right people.") Joyce Valenza walking by saying good morning! It's ridiculous I know...this -struck, hero-worship feeling I have around these people...they are just people who do some of the same things I do to help kids be successful. Indulge me for a few days and I'll get back to normal.




Standards for 21st Century Learners - A Debate?


Panel made up of Doug Johnson, Joyce Valenza, Annette Lamb, Indiana University professor of Library Information, Gail Dickinson, Old Dominion University, and Marlene Woo-Lun (Linworth), moderator


Can you do the elevator speech for the standards?
Do you have idea how to use them as a tool?
Are you going to ignore and just get your work done? The moderator asked us these questions fully expecting the answers she got.

So she threw out the first question to the panel:
If everyone believes that info literacy is important, should it be graded? How else can we be respected? Do we need a high stakes exam?

JV: we are already doing them...new ways to count them to prove we are; engaging students in rich projects; standards valued in rubrics, picking right tool, resources are validated and credited; students help define rubrics...communication is what students will remember

AL: opportunity, to get hold of those teachers who need to change; what are the connections between the XXX standards and these standards...our job to show that they are already there; authenticity of collaboration, real-world connections, real things with local needs and history. Not a separate test but an infusion. Authentic projects.



Moderator: Infusion does not sound visible



AL: move from all about test scores to life-long learning, creativity...products that reflect that. The time is NOW for us to move to the front as far as leadership.



GD: we can't "bubble" in these standards...but are covered in curriculum standards...they are called standards for learners, not libraries. if we are not happy with the current way, then we need to take these standards and make the necessary changes.



DJ: authentic learning, creativity, 5% of teachers are using...95 the rest, are just happy to do what they are doing....NCLB doesn't ask our kids to do enough...he would like to see legislation that makes more requirements beyond simple reading and writing. critical thinking, problem-solving...need to be mandated.



JV: bigger than the old standards..not just reaserch process, creative member of school team instead...all the craziness (in many libraries these days) has it place and reason for being



One chance to explain:


School library needs to be the center of the party.


How do we use the standards to be the center

GD: we are already doing skills, self assessment, dispositions, ?; teachers' lesson plans do not reflect what goes on in the visit to the library...instead of teacher lesson plans...student learning plans...then what we do and are responsible for the success of, will be visible!

JV: make all plans public

DJ: students, parents, etc can see things now with all the 2.0 tool s available that allow for records, etc to be online and made "public"...plans, learning plans, individual needs plans; getting away from factory model means customization. there should not be one set of plans for a group of students.

AL: Student focus, they are talking it, but not doing....too many students in one class for individualized; we see the big picture...we know how to differentiate on larger scale...we can offer different formats ( list of book formats)

Audience: don't forget the audio version!

AL: don't shelve by format....shelve by content; change the structure of the library by doing this.

JV reads letter (graduate 1998)


Dialog search statements--think and shake things up; citing sources, thinking about problems..what are the skills, beliefs he got

Audience responses:
learning to think
problem solving
work in a team
creativity
enthusiasm
perseverance
resourcefulness

JV: what if we asked students to reflect their product? is that assessment

AL: the use of progress blogs...authentic reflection of growth, inquiry; community is built thru comments and get answers, other ideas. Tell administration" I need 2.0 to do my standards!"

JV: intellectual freedom fight to get these tools available to all...no blocking should be occurring

AL: inquiry with blogs...she makes her students use this method in her class even for personal needs, goals. this is a life-long learning skill...should I do xxx? blog the process.

JV: force students to blog the research process...it becomes transparent...can intervene when becomes problem, frustration..and cheer on success

AL: They need to be system wide, not model-based..access all the time....blog for every class! you don't have to fill out a permission slip to use a pencil...make it where blogs and wikis are the same way!

DJ: safe and appropriate environment; management skills/collaborative skills with IT to insure that parents feel are comfortable. issue of creativity....reasons for not getting their assignments...creativity is there! it's been there! how is it designed, what does it look like? no idea how to measure it. if we want the standards to go...we have to figure out a way.

collaboration in different ways....
what does community look like?

DJ: we have been doing it wrong...it is our motto tho'...we do 1-on-1 with the living...instead, we need to focus...curr commitee, building planning comm...the decision makers ..we have to be at that level.

AL: go outside the school...despite the fears involved. building model projects with outside connections ...they need interaction with community, experts out there...reasons for blogs, emails, etc. walls need to come down...community needs to see the school as part of the community...the library is the logical place to start. LibraryThing prefect safe example ...family uses; AllRecipes.com ...these are social networking places.

GD: we don't do very good job of sharing what we do, promote; ...home is not filtered, independent school often not filtered...we have get the rest unfiltered

JV: policy should be written as we are going to do in a positive form....we are going to take your student on an exciting journey.... let us know if you do not want them on this journey....

two sentences of advice

AL: do not see as another chore...see this as a positive way to get what we want...we can have fun stuff going on....teachers are tired of testing...receptive for fun again. let's have a good time again!

GD: start the conversation..people need to hear all of this...carry them around

DJ: introduced them...they saw things/tasks...comment from group--we can't do these alone, must be a bldg, a district, a state. best practices in content areas say the same things...get more familiar with content areas standards and match to ours.

JV: the year to invent everything...so many buckets and shovels in the sandbox...let the kids in with us...NETS for teachers--we do that ...reinterpret them for teacher/librarians



Questions:

Audience comment: talked about revision of standards in NC...that it is a group project....the librarians are included

Audience: standards in hands of pre-service teachers and administrators--where are we in this idea?
GD: preservice teachers must demo collaboration ...reversely we must do the same with our librarian programs
AL: find away to make student teachers, etc feel a part of the school...involve them thru the library
DJ: technology orientation of pre-service teachers...includes library services as part of the orientation...

Audience: "if we want to keep our jobs" statements disturb her...do we need more assessments for kids?
DJ: we do good things with kids in many things...that is why we need to keep our jobs...who will do what we do if we are gone?
Moderator: do it all in a positive way...how do we become more visible, viable?



Audience: how do we overlay aasl and iste
audience member spoke up: the seven core values are identical
AL:lots of examples...children in action
GD: professional develop standards so they can demonstrate what they want students to know and do
DJ: neither will be adopted as is...they will be used as guide to build a local idea of standards.

Audience: define collaboration a little more...difference between collaboration and conversation


JV: examine the end products, be an assessor as well...do the measuring ...it makes knowing if it worked....my job is to make your life easier! make connections with people who can help....grow your personal network...elephant in the is personalities, do they want to give up


AL: synergy ...give & take, thinking about the individual


DJ: professional learning communities...community norms...maybe we need those for collaboration...who is responsible for what.



The standards are different and are meant to be. They reflect the future and not the Past!



Info available at http://necc2008.ning.com/group/21stcenturyskills/

025.1 TASLA The Last Day: The State of the...

Gloria Meraz

We have foothold in two agencies...State Library & TEA. Policies about school libraries may be the next step. Encouraged by Karen Kahan's statements.The barriers are loosening...still a tough battle. Not a simple solution/

State mandated librarians on every campus is the dream, but there is a lot to do to even come close to that.

Work through the two agencies as to what is best...maybe a tiered approach to the change.

On the question of getting librarians classed as teachers..have to take the good with the "bad"..example--same assessments!

The big issue--resistance to this change...both on control and financial

The Humble ISD issue...the general attitude of the powers that be: I don't want to do this, BUT they are not manadated, yada yada...

The power of the grassroots...and the strength of these groups

She & P. Smith recently met with a regional PTA group on some topics and broached some of these topics along with the planned agenda...630,000 member strong across the state.

Advocacy happens at home...behind the scenes. One-on-one relationships.

Having TEA look at research that positions us in the mainframe is a HUGE thing! They now "recognize" something we have known all along

Different type of Legislative session...all hinges on the database program and how to prove its success. The vehicle to showcase the survey, etc. will be the key essential ingredient in making our point. " gonna take it for a spin and see how far it goes!"

Audience:Do we know the process for the writing of the report? key people from each agency plus a task force including Librarians

Report needs to become a strategic plan for next 10 yrs--audience comment

Audience: Any premlim data on which agency would be best fit for us?

Most said TEA (beyond the local entity)

Online resources are integrated into curriculum, fabic of instruction tends to make it fall under TEA. fundng issues could lean towards State library, but she doesn't feel it really matters

Audience: ELA new standards...the research piece will be a good arguement for the need for databases. description almost makes them a "mandate" so to speak.

Gloria: Is there a group connecting this group with TASL? we are essentially the same people wearing dfferent hats.

Report will be turned into Legislature in Dec. 08...prelim copies probably in October that will circulate for point and counterpoint talk.

Need for Libraries and certified Librarians issue is bigger than just us...need supt organization, principal group AND parents! Legislature needs to hear other voices than just us!

Going into the "transforming business" will be tough...some sacred cows may need to be sacrificied. Relationships with lots of groups will be necessary.

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Tejas Star Book Award 2008-2009

Region 1 ESC

Maria Elena Ovalle

The need to showcase books reflecting the culture of the area.

655,000+ students speak Spanish

Basic practices for ELL..."instruction that incorporates students' cultures and language"

Oral profiency [only] in the first language is not sufficient. Most be totally literate in the first language to be successful in the second language.

Dual language is best policy, but the problem is there are not enough qualified teachers!

So this reading program covers all these points (and others I didn't capture!)

Interesting comment she made...the books are windows to the worls, but they are mirrors as well! not a new thought, but I really haven't thought about the mirror part in awhile!

The authors do not need to be Hispanic, but must be immersed...Joe Hays is an example. Just being able to write in Spanish is not enough.

2007 winner

Juan and the Chupacabras/Juan y el Chupacabras by Xavier Garza

The newest list for 2008-2009. voting will be in February.

Cost is free. Rules and Forms

La fiesta de las tortillas ...she is going to use in a science integration...they are going to make torillas as the activity...the science behind it! article with chemical reactions oftortilla [ need to getthis information!]

Rene the boy...jumping off point for early research...researching people with your name!

025.1 TASLA Day 2, Afternoon

The SBISD team showed Student Products for the 21st Century and talked about Library2Play 23 Things. Despite the slow Internet, a fun time was had by all...we think!

Comments and ah-ha moments...stay tuned! here you go!
Thanks Dr. T T for handling this for us!

• ooh, I have to show my librarians this!
• I’ll be ready for the first of school now!
• Give kids cameras and let them go out and take pictures to use for this.
• This is way too cool.
• Where are you trying to go? Can I go there, too? How did you get there?
• Let’s GO! I figured it all out.
• It takes awhile loading, but is worth it.
• I’ve seen this before.
• SAVE IT FAST!
• This would be great for beginning of the year library orientation…If we take pictures of every point of interest, you can go back and narrate it all in this Photo Story. I begin to say less and less because I get tired.
• I could add to this every year.

Ideas you would have your students use? Things you are doing with technology in your district?

• Our senior English kids do Renaissance magazine covers. I framed some and put in the library. When Dr. Alan November did recording of kid who never would talk, they posted it on itunes and shared it with friends.
• 
  Research Vietnam War, do citations, videocast themselves as newscasters.
• I use Photostory and sent out questions and got librarians to speak and put it on google so new librarians can meet everyone.
• Best practices from veteran librarians.
• We have 5 year technology switchout and teach teachers the new downloads so they can use these in classes.
• Creating your own 23 Things
• Place in Florida has how to use and why you would use these.
• If teachers need 12 hours, we could copy and paste and create our own? YES
• This is a big, huge opportunity for those teachers who have dragged their feet.
• Christine McNew says we can offer credit in the fall. Barry will work out the details.
  

The book that Liz showed on podcasting
Podcasting at School by Kristin Fontichiaro
ISBN: 1-59158-587-2
ISBN-13: 978-1-59158-587-9
$30

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David talked about TEKSLink
It will be a community effort. We need to share our knowledge. "No one has time to do this all anymore."--a quote from David!
It is in the form a wiki making updating easy and an easy way to see who is working on what!

Then we went into the business meeting...and it was just that...business!

Of course, our day will end with a nice dinner and lots more bonding, discussions, and wonderful story-telling moments. Life is good!

025.1 TASLA Day #2 Morning

A High School Program -Engaging YAs
Northwest H.S., Justin, TX

We were shown an Animoto and a Photostory as ways to increase interest in YA books.
The presenter discussed the value of blogging...and how fun it is when authors leave you a message on your blog. We listened to some podcasts that she has done on some new titles. She showed Shelfari as a way to display your collections or genres on line. She talked about the Gale Books & Authors program...there is a free trial. [I can't seem to find info on how to "get there"...stay tuned!] Her deaprting activity... the 212 Degrees motivational video. [didn't take time to find embedded version..hopefully this comes right up]

The link at the top will take you to her library page and you can see the activities, the book lists, etc.


It's break time...guess what we are doing!
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TEA Report Karen Kahan

Karen discussed the reorganization structure of TEA and those divisions that may affect our group.

Celebrating Where We Are

• Support standards
• K-12 databases
• Good news reports...various media pieces
• School Libraries Work!
• Leaders with technology !!

Audience comment: this needs to be shown to administrators (superintendents).

Setting The Course for Where We Can Go

• TSLAC/TEA Study and the survey
• Requests to the Legislature...funding TLC resources for equity...Rider 88!
• Cooperation with State Library, Region 20
• Long range plan for technology...progress report due in Dec 2008 ...we need to help with documentation on how databases are making a difference...how are they promoted...how they have affected student achievement (success stories)...have you met the recommendation in the plan

Providing Resources to Help Us Get Where We want to Be

• Curriculum website at TEA...hotest news about the LA/Reading standards changes!
• New area is research in these new LA/Reading TEKS
• Tx Higher Ed College Readiness Standards
• Kids' House & Senate Kids
• http://www.tea.state.tx.us/list to get on the mailing list...THE "To the Administrators' list"
• Star Chart...librarians should be filling this out..we are teachers! Big discussin about this issue...amny had been told not to fill it out on themselves!
• http://www.tea.state.tx.us/communications.html new NCLB reports requirement for technology (how many computers, documentation for technology literacy, technology literacy of personnel--teachers, librarians, administrators!) She stated it is critical to get on this list!
• The Texas Virtual School Network online courses..education thru electronic resources...ESC 10 & Harris Co. Dept Ed. central operations; several entities will provide training on how to teach online ..Region 4 is one.
• Internet Safety for students, educators, parents
• Vision 2020 grant...in review at this time

Reminded us we want !00% activiation and 100% regualr usage!! of all those databases. it is critical we have the proof that they are used to be able to keep them!

New format to TEA website...starts in July...there will be portals...buttons viewable on the homepage

she finished up with more resources...will have to wait for the PPt to be sent out...I will try to update when it comes out.

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During discussion time, Dr. Bishop talked to the group about the upcoming Administrator's Conference next April during TLA 2009. Start talking to your principal, etc. about attending. The date is April 1st.

What do you wish your principal can hear? other ideas to make it better

• need to have saying this stuff...not self-promoting speakers (which they really weren't)..we clearly need more administrators
• problem with the date...we know, but we have no choice
• time format changes becasuee of adminstrators who leave
• lots of theory..need more practical stuff like today's presentation, the principal/librarian from yesterday...less theory
• stats are very important...keep Keith Curry Lance...the impact of collaboration, we are the 5th content
• a local adminstrator from local area becasue majority will be from there...TASL winners have been used before
• dynamic librarian telling principals' what they need to do (non-$ support especially!)
• think of yourself as principal.....should it be divided by grade level...group consensus, yes.
• how to take advantage of your librarian..Use, not Abuse
• the new LA/Reading standards might need to be focus; using databases as starting point
• Involving PTAs, PTOs, ...the parent influence
• the new LA/Reading standards might need to be focus; using databases as starting point
• evaluation needs to be more important...not the last day of school, may have to get a new one!
• include TEA rep, National Board Librarians
• video cnferencing or vid-cast for those who could not attend
• what did the principal say about wanting their librian to do
• need for critical thinking skills...using databases as way to accomplish this, how they are helping to them (the admin themselves)
• having a strand for non-campus administrators
• communicating to the 1/3 of the campuses that are not in this room!
• share what is being talking about with the librarians at some point...so that they can be aware what is needed...maybe a reporting or fact sheet that comes out of there...many of the speakers have sites with all their points
• pinpoint specific sessions, booths they could go to ...principals' guide to TLA...please go with your librarian
• Coordinate with TASA maybe?
• using kids' presentations

It's lunch time!!

025.1 Day 1, Part 3, The Afternoon: TexShare & Transformation

What Is TexShare? Ann Mason
Sharing resources, joint purchasing, staff expertise
1988- resource-sharing with academic libraries
1994- funding started
1997- 150 members...academic and community colleges
1997-responsibility given to TSLAC...missed some!
membership to 700+ with public libraries added as of now

Amigos, UT Austin, ESC20 are strategic partners...it is due to UT that the address is a edu

actually 8 programs...databases and 7 others, including ILL, communications (about databses mostly now), TexTreasures grant

TexShare Database Program
50 databases..EBSCO being part of that
supported through participation fees

Library of Texas
federated search tool of catalogs (125 libraries) and databases..if you are a member.
some free resources (like access to view records)

Card Program
500 libraries participate...is NOT the database program
Public library members love to be able to go to academic libraries (like UT Austin)

Education Services
train mostly public librarians how to use databases, etc.

ILL
only members may participate.
there is a protocol

TexTreasures Grant
digitization of State "treasures" so they can be viewed virtually by "virtually" everyone!
[SBISD--we have some links to some of these projects on the LRP under Texas]

K-12 Database Program Update
for little 2.2 million we get the databases and Ency Britannica for almost every (98%) school library in Texas...over 4.4 million students!

State-wide
20+ million EBSCO searches as of May 31st
2.7 EB searches (we haven't had it as long!)
ESC 20 Help desk 13,000 email messages

Outreach plans:
parents and administrators and community
some "training" videos- be on agenda for 10 minute...highlights
ESC20 instructional recipes

Information from ESC20 concerning the databases
Lesson plans etc. there are training sessions available...consult their calendar
20 minutes to 6 hours training time available to you? use these materials no matter the time!

By the way some info is available on TeacherTube--search TexShare

time to change gears!

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Transforming TX Libraries - Julie Todaro

Briefly reminded about the big meeting that occurred in January
60-65% of the attendees were to be in the business under 5 years
A slogan that came out of it..What's the Big Idea? ...ie your idea for changing libraries.

the wiki's purpose:
provide plans for transforming in general
provide plans for transforming by type (and size)
provide content to re-purposed by transformers...interactive "clearinghouse"
provide a forum to share the big ideas ...some are a literacy guru, portal for content to go thru, statewide data, marketing/PR campaign (logo), p-16 literacy curriculum--seamless!

Before You Do Anything? go learn a few things!
Check out lots of other things on the right side bar! dinner speech, elevator speech, etc.

There is a space for YOUR Big Idea for transforming Libraries?...again on the right side bar of the wiki

How should a school librarian/school library administrator begin the transforming discussion for their library/libraries?

What content do you need in order to transform and get your "big ideas" for school libraries?

Group ideas

• cards where students can give their ideas for transforming
• The Transformer movie as a theme..maybe a prize
• contest --design a transformation, either in print or as a video
• A Day in the Life... video compare with that old video
• A video from the kids' point of view...my own thought ..isn't this like what TLA speaker Joyce Valenza had her kids do...MySpace/My Library click and take a look!
• some groups saw it from the bigger picture...transforming the leadership--principals and other administrators
• the issue of small schools/districts who do not have library administrators
• need to share basic change strategies to help those who might need to start "smaller"
• problem and solution video...
• alignment and partnerships...
• data gathering...one might be a charting of the hits by month
• mapping to the TEKS, TAKS

Closing the Gaps--how do we get people in (our Libraries)... and then out (of school) successfully. I really like this statement that Julie used.

a pretty good ..for the first one!

now onto more bonding over food later and then the late night discussions in the hospitality room...if I can make it...it has been a long day