An interesting thing happened on the way to the office …. Recently, on two occasions and in two separate environments, I heard the reference to teacher librarians as being thought leaders. Was this coincidence or something I should take notice of? I decided the latter and shared a few brief thoughts in several minutes at the opening of the K-12…read more →
Before starting to talk about Web 2.0 tools it is important to begin with the Web 1.0 environment, especially within the context of a school community. Web 1.0 reflection It is imperative that a school library has, at least, a school library web page within the school web site. This page provides a context and a connection. The context is…read more →
“On one hand, budget and testing pressures have led to decisions to eliminate or de-professionalize school libraries. On the other hand, the increased emphasis on college and career readiness and the integration of technology have opened an unprecedented door to school librarian leadership” (Stripling 2014). At the end of May 2014 I stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer of…read more →
The NMC Horizon Report: 2014 Library Edition, examines key trends, significant challenges, and emerging technologies for their potential impact on academic and research libraries worldwide. Following the publication of the report, the New Media Consortium hosted a virtual symposium on The Future of Libraries which includes 4 videos on the following topics: Emphasis on mobile Content management & technical infrastructure…read more →
There are an increasing number of resources, many developed by subject associations, freely available on the web to support the delivery of content in the Australian Curriculum. In this presentation, Dr Jennie Bales introduces a selection of quality web sites where exemplary lessons and units of work have been developed to directly address content outlined in Humanities and Social Sciences…read more →
June Wall and Karen Bonanno provide an introduction to the research base behind the need for students and teachers to develop new learning skills, formerly known as 21st century learning skills. An outcome of this research has been the recognition of the need for teachers to upskill in these new areas. It presents the argument for, and research about, the…read more →
There has been a reasonable amount of discussion about student engagement and the belief that learning improves when students are curious and inquisitive about the content, or interested in what they may learn, or inspired by the learning experience. Engaging students in innovative learning activities can be one pathway. In this 40 minutes video I explore 18 activities that teachers…read more →
In this webinar Karen shares background research, design elements and examples of how classrooms and libraries have been designed to improve student engagement and learning outcomes. The second segment introduces the Digital Technologies Moodle provided by QSITE. This moodle is designed to provide resources to support the Digital Technologies Australian Curriculum implementation. Read More …
It was an interesting and exciting experience being the chairperson for the K-12 Library Managers Congress. Day two got off to a cracking start with Joyce Valenza’s keynote on The Flipping Librarian. The pace was frantic as Joyce worked her way through a smorgasbord of tools and resources to support the flipped learning approach. Check out her presentation below. Read…read more →
At EduTECH 2014 I had the opportunity to present the opening address, on behalf of the Australian School Library Association, at the K-12 Library Manager Congress. Here are some of my reflections from the first day. Our past is just as important as our future. It helps to inspire and guide. Sugata Mitra opened the conference and made reference to…read more →