Week 9
Evaluating School Library Instructional Programs
The site Resources for School Librarians is an excellent site for quick reference of standards from many states across the country. The site starts by marking standards on the national level, moves to the state level and even goes further to the school district level for sixteen school districts and even shows one example of an individual school’s standards. Beyond this comprehensive level of standards that the website provides, there are links to information literacy websites and pieces of research within the field of school librarianship. Due to the fact that the librarian degree is highly portable this site is an excellent reference for librarians if they find they have to change work locations. Finally, the site goes into depth by providing interventions and lessons to help guide librarians in their profession. By using the standards accessible through this site, a librarian can easily adjust her teachings to improve her lessons and better attain the standards or benchmarks set out by her particular state.
Week 8
Communicating Evidence of Student Learning
The “All Things Assessment” blog is a blog that allows teachers to relate their assessment experiences for personal and communal growth. The blog entries are very well written and revile a lot of about particular experiences that educators can immediately connect to in order to improve their teaching. In addition, according to the site, “Nationally renowned assessment experts will regularly contribute to this blog, adding their thoughts and ideas to the mix.” Having experts chime in on various topics give considerable credence to this site. The postings take a serious and introspective tone. In addition to this discussion rich blog, the site hosts links to articles and other relevant sites. Moreover, this site is free which opens the door for educators from all over the county to add their ideas without the prohibitive nature of costs associated with some sites.
Week 7
Assessment Principles and Practice in the School Library
Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators
This particular website is extremely useful for educators who are looking to improve the rubrics they are using for assessment. The site hosts close to one hundred example rubrics on a wide array of topics. Almost all of the rubrics are available to teachers from any state though a few are closed to teachers from specific states. The rubrics can be used to assess student web pages, multimedia and web 2.0 projects. In addition, there is a very comprehensive area for subject specific rubrics. Beyond this massive collection of rubrics the site holds related articles to help teachers create their own rubrics and improve their assessment skills. Another useful part of this site holds alternative and performance based assessment links, electronic portfolios information, graphic organizers links to pages that house many graphic organizers and ideas for report card comments. This site alone is a one-stop shop to help teachers increase their arsenal of assessment tools.
Week 6
Curriculum Mapping: Infusing 21st Century Standards and Academic Standards Curriculum Mapping 101
Janet Hale, a published author of two books on curriculum mapping, is a curriculum mapping consultant and trainer who travels the world helping school implement curriculum mapping. As part of her initiatives to increase the use of curriculum mapping in within and outside of the United States Hale hosts this site which is packed full of useful documents to help schools improve their curriculum maps. The site has multiple articles explaining curriculum mapping. These articles allow novices as well as individuals well versed in mapping to gain a greater understanding of what mapping is and how it works. A large area on this site is dedicated to mapping handouts. All handouts are free for the taking and allow schools the ability to begin the process of mapping without the heavy costs associated with equipping teachers with mapping textbooks. Another impressive part of this site is the Curriculum Mapping Series where Ms. Hale explains the basic aspects of curriculum mapping. Most importantly, her site has over 2,700 members who can communicate with each other through a social networking and creating question and answer blog posts. This site is truly one of the most comprehensive mapping sites on the web!
Week 5
Guided Inquiry & Inquiry Learning Models Reflections on Meta-Cognition For Educators-By-Educators
This blog is a collaborative effort by teachers from around the country to share ideas about inquiry-based learning. Started in 2008, by educational consultant Darlene M. Bassett, this blog has grown each year to include a variety of information on learning, thinking and discovery. As the blogger gets to 2010 she seems to change the focus of her work from solely meta-cognition to inquiry learning. Perfectly, pairing these two important educational concepts she goes one step further embedding best practices that match up with specific learning models. In 2011, Bassett opened up webinars on her site giving subscribers a more interactive method of understanding the information that she presents. Pictures, charts and graphs help readers learn visualize the presented information. In addition, the site provides a place for educators to engage in their own meta-cognition as they reflect on the lessons and techniques they have used.
Week 4
Collaboration: Theory into Practice School Librarian Monthly
School Librarian Monthly provides an outstanding number of articles directed to continue the professional development of school librarians. Although the primary function of this site is to promote the magazine itself, the site provides a lot of information about topics that affect school librarians. The collaboration page in particular is packed full of excerpts and articles to help librarians collaborate and understand the reluctance that some teachers may have when it comes to collaboration. Along the left-side of the homepage tabs lead the viewer to full text articles on timely library topics, sample lesson plans tied to specific curricular strands, almanacs, editorials, podcasts and even a blog written with a spunky edge. Overall, this site provides information in an organized way and has chosen exceptionally interesting pieces to engage the reading in his or her continuing education.
Week 3
21st Century Learners
Technology Tools for the 21st Century Media Center
The “Technology Tools for the 21st Century Library Media Center” website hosts a large number of interactive tools that librarians and teachers can use to engage students in classroom activities. The site is put together in collaboration with some of the biggest names in education including the NEA, American Association of School Librarians, Cengage Learning and many others. The site itself contains an up-to-date listing of professional development opportunities for educators, a framework for "21st Century" learning and characteristics of today's learner. At the bottom of the home page the user will find a large number of online tools categorized to allow for easy use. In addition, educators can view videos, tutorials and related blogs. The biggest benefit of this site is that educators can become members allowing them to receive updates on the latest information on the site.
Week 2
The Role of the School Librarian Today's Media Specialist
This site describes the role of the school librarian in detail. This includes a detailed description of what school librarians should be able to do in order to be effective educators for students and staff. The article details the key hiring points that school districts should seek out when hiring school librarians. Key hiring points are broken down into certification requirements as well as skills. Next, the article gives tips for finding the brightest and best candidates as well as suggested interview questions for administrator guidance. Finally, the article stresses the importance of funding updates to the school library in order to help the media specialist create the best educational surrounding for students.
