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Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist

Math Blogs = Teaching Tips

Math Dance. Image by Dylan231. Retrieved on Flickr. Used under Creative Common License.
Math Dance. Image by Dylan231. Retrieved on Flickr. Used under Creative Common License.

Do you often have teachers requesting new tools to help teach math? Richard Byrne, a blog guru, showcases his top five blogs for math teachers looking to make their curriculum stick!  Meeting challenges to how traditional math instruction can be delivered electronically to students is not easy.  This 1 site adds 5 possibilities for teachers. CMLE is giving it five stars-it just adds up! Each day this week he will highlight a different subject area for interested teachers. For a complete list of his top blogs go to http://tinyurl.com/b85mb99.

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

College Grads and Problem Solving on the Job

workplaceA report from Project Information Literacy – Learning Curve: How College Graduates Solve Information Problems Once They Join the Workplace is online  and worthy of a thoughtful read (only 38 pages, well organized). Twenty three in-depth interviews were conducted with employers about their expectations and evaluations of newly graduated hires and their ability to solve information problems in the workplace. Five focus group sessions with 33 recent graduates were also conducted focusing on the challenges they encounter and the informaton-seeking preactices they use as they make the transition from college to workplace. For a complete understanding read the full report; if you only want the major findings, I include them here:

“All in all, our findings reveal two sides of the same coin. The basic online search skills new college graduates bring with them are attractive enough to help them get hired. Yet, employers found that
once on the job, these educated young workers seemed tethered to their computers. They failed to incorporate more fundamental, low-tech research methods that are as essential as ever in the
contemporary workplace.The major findings from our interviews and focus groups are as follows:

 
1. When it was hiring time, the employers in our sample said they sought similar information proficiencies from the college graduates they recruited. They placed a high premium on graduates’ abilities for searching online, finding information with tools other than search engines, and identifying the best solution from all the information they had gathered.

2. Once they joined the workplace, many college hires demonstrated computer know-how that exceeded both the expectations and abilities of many of their employers. Yet we found these proficiencies also obscured the research techniques needed for solving information problems, according to our employer interviews.

3. Most college hires were prone to deliver the quickest answer they could find using a search engine, entering a few keywords, and scanning the first couple of pages of results, employers said, even though they needed newcomers to apply patience and persistence when solving information problems in the workplace.

4. A majority of employers said they were surprised that new hires rarely used any of the more traditional forms of research, such as picking up the phone or thumbing through an annual report for informational nuggets. Instead, they found many college hires—though not all—relied heavily on what  they found online and many rarely looked beyond their screens.

5. At the same time, graduates in our focus groups said they leveraged essential information competencies from college to help them gain an edge and save time at work when solving workplace information problems. Many of them applied techniques for evaluating the quality of content, close reading of texts, and synthesizing large quantities of content, usually found online.

6. To compensate for the gaps in their skills sets, graduates said they developed adaptive strategies for solving information problems in the workplace, often on a trial-and-error basis. Most of these strategies involved cultivating relationships with a trusted co-worker who could help them find quick answers, save time, and learn work processes.”

As information professionals, what does this mean in our information literacy work? Do we still stress the value of picking up a phone or paging through a print resource? The full report is available at http://tinyurl.com/8jpcqvs

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

MN Book Awards Announces Finalists

The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library is pleased to announce the finalists in all eight categories for the 25th Annual Minnesota Book Awards, sponsored by Marvin Windows and Doors. Chosen on Saturday, January 26, by 24 judges from around the state – writers, teachers, librarians, booksellers, and others from the literary community – the finalists for each category are:

Children’s Literature, sponsored by Books For Africa: A Leaf Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas, illustrated by Violeta Dabija (Millbrook Press/Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.)
It’s a Tiger! by David LaRochelle, illustrated by Jeremy Tankard (Chronicle Books)
Tell Me About Your Day Today by Mem Fox, illustrated by Lauren Stringer (Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster, Inc.)
Waking Dragons by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Derek Anderson (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster, Inc.)

General Nonfiction, sponsored by Minnesota AFL-CIO:

Debating the End of History: The Marketplace, Utopia, and the Fragmentation of Intellectual Life by David W. Noble (University of Minnesota Press)
Forward: The First American Unsupported Expedition to the North Pole by John Huston and Tyler Fish (Octane Press)
Holding Our World Together: Ojibwe Women and the Survival of Community by Brenda J. Child (Viking/Penguin Group)
Rez Life: An Indian’s Journey Through Reservation Life by David Treuer (Atlantic Monthly Press/Grove/Atlantic, Inc.)

Genre Fiction, sponsored by Marvin Windows & Doors:

Curse of the Jade Lily by David Housewright (Minotaur Books/St. Martin’s Press)
The Devil and the Diva by David Housewright and Renee Valois (Down and Out Books)
Ruth3:5 by Michael Fridgen
The Tutor’s Daughter by Julie Klassen (Bethany House/Baker Publishing Group)

Memoir & Creative Nonfiction, sponsored by Leonard, Street and Deinard:

Letters to a Young Madman by Paul Gruchow (Levins Publishing)
Life on Ice: 25 Years of Arctic Exploration by Lonnie Dupre (Keen Editions)
My Mother Is Now Earth by Mark Anthony Rolo (Borealis Books/Minnesota Historical Society Press)
Turn Here Sweet Corn: Organic Farming Works by Atina Diffley (University of Minnesota Press)

Minnesota, sponsored by Meyer, Sherer & Rockcastle (MS&R):

Every Man Did His Duty: Pictures & Stories of the Men of the First Minnesota by Wayne D. Jorgenson (Tasora Books)
Lost Duluth: Landmarks, Industries, Buildings, Homes, and the Neighborhoods in Which They Stood by Tony Dierckins and Maryanne C. Norton (Zenith City Press/X-Communication)
The Minnesota Book of Skills: Your Guide to Smoking Whitefish, Sauna Etiquette, Tick Extraction, and More by Chris Niskanen (Minnesota Historical Society Press)
Mni Sota Makoce: The Land of the Dakota by Gwen Westerman and Bruce White (Minnesota Historical Society Press)

Novel & Short Story:

The Healing by Jonathan Odell (Nan A. Talese/Random House, Inc.)
It Takes You Over by Nick Healy (New Rivers Press)
The Round House by Louise Erdrich (Harper/HarperCollins Publishers)
Vladimir’s Mustache and Other Stories by Stephan Eirik Clark (Russian Life Books)

Poetry, sponsored by Wellington Management, Inc.:

The First Day of Spring in Northern Minnesota by Jim Johnson (Red Dragonfly Press)
Odessa by Patricia Kirkpatrick (Milkweed Editions)
Pitch by Todd Boss (W. W. Norton & Company)
Salt Pier by Dore Kiesselbach (University of Pittsburgh Press)

Young People’s Literature, sponsored by Sit Investment Associates:


Goblin Secrets by William Alexander (Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, Inc.)
Nothing Special by Geoff Herbach (Sourcebooks Fire/Sourcebooks, Inc.)
Shadow on the Mountain by Margi Preus (Amulet Books/Abrams)
Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin (Milkweed Editions)

Award winners will be announced at the 25th Annual Minnesota Book Awards Gala on Saturday, April 13, at the Hilton Hotel, in downtown Minneapolis.  The opening reception begins at 7 p.m., followed by the awards ceremony at 8 p.m.  Tickets are $45 and are available by calling 651-222-3242 or click here for more information.

Two special awards for contributions to Minnesota’s literary and artistic community will be given on April 13, as well.  Jana Pullman will receive the sixth annual Book Artist Award, sponsored by Lerner Publishing Group and presented with the Minnesota Center for Book Arts (MCBA). Pullman’s primary artistic work in the book arts is in the area of design bindings. An exhibit and free reception featuring her work will be held on Friday, February 8, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the Cowles Literary Commons at Open Book.

The Kay Sexton Award, sponsored by Common Good Books, honors a lifetime contribution to the literary community, and the 2013 winner will be announced in late February. The Award is presented annually to an individual or organization in recognition of long-standing dedication and outstanding work in fostering books, reading and literary activity in Minnesota. It is named for Kay Sexton, a book buyer for many years at Dayton’s and B. Dalton Bookstores in the Twin Cities.

Count down to the Gala Awards Presentation and learn more about the finalists on our 32 Books in 32 Days blog, beginning March 12 for this year’s finalists.

Take a trip back through the 25 years since the Minnesota Book Awards began on our 25 Years in 26 Weeks blog.

Meet the Finalists, Friday, March 15, 2013, 7 p.m. at Open Book, 1011 Washington Ave. S, Minneapolis. The Minnesota Book Awards partners with the Loft Literary Center to present the 2013 finalists. Each participating author will conduct a brief presentation on their nominated title. Reception with refreshments to follow. Free and open to the public.

For additional information on the 25th Annual Minnesota Book Awards or the Gala, please call 651-366-6497.  The Minnesota Book Awards is sponsored by Marvin Windows and Doors and presented by The Friends of the Saint Paul Public Library.  Generous support for the Book Awards has been provided by the Harlan Boss Foundation for the Arts; Huss Foundation; Katherine B. Andersen Fund of The Saint Paul Foundation; and The McKnight Foundation, as well as the City of St. Paul’s Cultural STAR program. Outreach partners and supporting organizations include: The Loft Literary Center; Metropolitan Library Services Agency (MELSA); Minnesota Center for Book Arts; Minnesota Department of Education—State Library Services; Minnesota Educational Media Organization; Minnesota Library Foundation; and Saint Paul Almanac.  Media sponsors include the Pioneer Press and TwinCities.com; MPR ; Saint Paul Neighborhood Network (SPNN); and TPT–Minnesota Channel.

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Recommended Ed Tech Tool: Creaza

creazaCreaza made the list of 20 Education Technology Tools Every Teacher Should Know About! It is used by students and teachers and comes in a free demo version, and a premium version. This tool is web-based, and you use it through your browser.

According to the Creaza site, this tool  offers you an integrated, web-based toolbox for creative work, both at school and in your spare time.  You can use the toolbox along with various fully developed thematic universes:  historical periods, fairy-tales, fantasy worlds, and current challenges, such as climate change/environmental issues. You can combine these themes with your own uploaded content.

Creaza integrates professional and user generated content, creative tools and a social network in a new and clever way. Are you already using Creaza? Share the how and why with us in the comments area!

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist

Free Places Online to Learn

Top 10Have you noticed the increase in online resources that are readily available and free to use? The offerings seem to be literally exploding. It is hard to keep track of all of the sites, but if you are looking for a handy little list of 10, The CEO Under Thirty site has done a good job of pulling a list together. The list starts with Khan Academy and iTunes U, but can you guess the other eight? Check out 10 Places to Learn for Free and let us know in the comments which are your favorites. Were there any surprises for you?