The CMLE Publishing Team is going on a short holiday hiatus! Publishing begins again on January 2, 2015.
Patricia Post John Meyerhofer Theresa Gilbertson
Positions at East Central Regional Library (ECRL)
Apply soon – application review begins January 5, 2015
Details at: http://www.ecrlib.org/jobs.html
TO: Minnesota Libraries
FROM: State Library Services
DATE: December 11, 2014
SUBJECT: Award for Continuous Improvement, 90sN Deadline Extended, Summer Reading Evaluation
Award for Continuous Improvement
I am delighted to announce that State Library Services has received the 2014 Governor’s Award for Continuous Improvement. Under the leadership of Jen Nelson, the State and Federal Programs Team (Jackie Blagsvedt, Emily Kissane, and Jennifer Verbrugge) was recognized for their work in streamlining state and federal grant and aid program administration over the last year. Their combined efforts to align program applications, reporting and administration with state statutes, work collaboratively with colleagues in School and Agency Finance, and incorporate plain language have led to improved processes and an increased amount of funds available for competitive grants. Specifically, State Library Services increased federal Library Services and Technology Act competitive grant awards by 58 percent in one year, resulting in more options for funding local projects.
But perhaps the most far-reaching impact of streamlining federal and state program administration has been to allow 1.25 FTE to focus on key priorities for State Library Services and the Minnesota Department of Education – achieving the goals articulated in the Governor’s Seven Point Plan for Better Schools. State Library Services staff now work with libraries across the state to improve their capacity to deliver quality early childhood learning experiences and to connect schools and libraries to foster academic success and close the achievement gap.
I hope you will join me in congratulating their recent successes and their commitment to fostering strong libraries in Minnesota. -Kevin McHenry, Assistant Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Education
Deadline for Newbery Film Festival Extended to January 16, 2015
90-Second Newbery founder James Kennedy has given kid filmmakers a holiday gift: an extra four weeks to complete and submit films. The new deadline is January 16, 2015.
Please update your promotional messages to local kids and families through your library or school. Visit the State Library Services web page to download the logo, an updated sample press release, an updated program flyer, a video invite from 90-Second Newbery founder James Kennedy, and more.
Also – mark your calendar for the first-ever Minnesota screening of the best 90-Second Newbery entries on Saturday, February 28, 2015, from 3:00 – 4:30 PM at Hennepin County Library – Minneapolis Central. Co-hosts of the event will be James Kennedy, founder and curator of the 90-Second Newbery, and Kelly Barnhill, Minneapolis author of ‘The Witch’s Boy.’ For more details, please contact Jennifer Verbrugge at jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us or 651-582-8356.
Evaluating Summer Reading: A St. Kate’s Capstone Project
On behalf of State Library Services, a trio of St. Kate’s MLIS students researched summer reading program evaluation practices in Minnesota libraries and in other states during the fall semester. The result is a comprehensive 40-page document with recommendations, the full-text of communications with a range of interviewees, and a bibliography of timely and topical resources. Please contact Jennifer Verbrugge at jennifer.verbrugge@state.mn.us or 651-582-8356 if you would like a copy of the final report.
Introducing our new monthly update – Notable Dates for your Noggin! Each month we’ll bring you a compiled list of fun national holidays, birthdays of authors, and publication dates of favorite books. You can use these for your own personal use or for some library inspiration!
Did we miss anything? Let us know if we did!
For our calendar of library events, including conferences and library days, check out our Events/Initiatives page.
And for more Notable Dates for Your Noggin, check out our Notable Dates page.
CMLE would like to wish congratulations to the following CMLE members who received awards at TIES.
You can also see a full list of tech awards and exceptional teacher awards.
The Sauk Rapids-Rice Technology Team received the Technology Leadership Team Award: Erich Martens (high school principal), Laura Mackenthun (technology integrationist), Scott McCabe (network manager), and Kim Eisenschenk (business manager).
“This honor goes to a district technology team that has significantly made a difference in the use of technology to improve education. A team consists of key leaders such as the superintendent, technology and curriculum directors, teachers, parents, students, school board members, community members and representatives of cultural entities such as museums and libraries, and state education networks.”
The Exceptional Teacher Awards:
Rachelle has been a pillar in the Media/Tech Department for the last 15 years. She has spearheaded or worked behind the scenes of every media or technology initiative the school district has pushed out in that time. She is a cognoscente of the latest technology, always exploring new and innovative possibilities and sharing them with staff and students. She uses best practices in instruction and technology integration whenever she team teaches, leads a training session for staff, or teaches students in the media center. Rachelle runs a “tight ship” in her media center and students and teachers know they can count on her to help them with whatever problem, research idea, or troubleshooting they need; while also being an authority on literacy and literature. Rachelle is the Media/Tech/Support staff for North Branch Area Public Schools.
Jesse Robertson has been instrumental in technology integration in District #2687 since his arrival last year. During his short time in our district, he has overseen the development and rollout of a high school 1-to-1 Chromebook program. His expertise and insight into technology has assisted the entire high school community to expand the walls of the classrooms beyond what we thought was possible only a few years ago. In addition to the Chromebook program, he is a “go to” expert for students and staff who need training in various areas such as Google Docs, SMARTBoard technologies, online data systems, as well as trouble-shooting our computers and Chromebooks. Jesse Robertson easily fits the profile of a TIES award winner and there is no doubt that through his skillset he will continue to grow our school community to become a leader in the use of technology in educational settings. Jesse is the Technology Teacher at Howard Lake-Waverly-Winstead (HLWW) Middle School.
Ms. Fedder has been a proponent of increasing opportunities and accessibility to student use of technology. She has been active on the district technology committee advocating for the use of 1:1 devices. Dihanna has been an advocate of first iPads and now the use of chromebooks for all students. Our school is close to a 1:1 technology environment because of her vision. Ms. Fedder has been the district leader in creating policies, procedures and training for students and parents. Her constant focus and support, help staff see the benefits of the devices’ use as opposed to roadblocks in implementation. Ms. Fedder has improved classroom instruction by being a district leader and trainer in areas such as: Google Drive components, online student management systems such as Google Classroom and Schoology, iPad apps for students and teacher efficiency apps. She has been a leader by rewarding staff for “Making a splash in the SAMR pool” using Carl Hooker’s model. Recognition for staff has included positive reinforcement, recognition at staff meetings, and tangible rewards such as t-shirts noting their utilization of technology in their classrooms. Ms. Fedder also makes annual reports to the school board and curriculum committee on technology initiatives, usage, and impact on student programming. Dihanna is the District Technology Integrationist for Pine City School District.