Tag Archives: 21st Century Learning

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Do you work in a learning organization?

photo-1459623837994-06d03aa27b9bA recent article in American Libraries Magazine caught my eye, and reflects what I believe about continuing education for ALL library staff. With change happening so fast, all library staff need to feel confident in their skill set,  and engaged in staying current in order to be relevant to library users.

The conclusion to the full article by Meredith Farkas nails it….”Professional development doesn’t have to cost a fortune, but it does require time. And library administrators must consciously choose to make this investment. It benefits individuals and connects them more to the profession, and all that learning comes back to enrich the organization. A learning organization is always improving, and that can’t happen without an intentional investment in professional development.”

CMLE provides low or no-cost events and also offers scholarships to attend events other than what CMLE offers. Need a substitute so you can attend an event? No problem….this is an allowable scholarship expense. Take a look to see how easy it is to apply for a scholarship now in order to keep sharpening your skill set!

Patricia-

Image credit: https://unsplash.com/photos/a7HJsX8HiuM (Josh Felise), licensed under CC0 1.0
General, Public, School Media Specialist

Michigan State Board of Education supports school libraries

More fall leaves...I am pleased to report that the Michigan State Board of Education passed a resolution at its October 14, 2014 board meeting in support of school libraries. What I really like is the focus of the resolution, which reaches far beyond the dated stereotype of a school library. Indeed, the resolution specifically cites  certified school librarians as an important way to achieve 21st century learning and teaching goals, then elaborates about how they do so! Although there is no money tied to the resolution, it is believed to be a good step forward in advocating for strong media programs, and the educational civil rights of students.

The Resolution is short, to the point, worthy of a quick read.

But wait….there is more!

What is also interesting to me, is that the Library of Michigan, an office of the Michigan Department of Education, has developed benchmarks for school libraries. These benchmarks allow a school administrator and school librarian (working together)  to evaluate the school library program across the areas of :

  • Building the Learning Environment
  • Teaching for 21st Century Learning
  • Leading the Way to 21st Century Learning

What a breath of fresh air! Administrators can better visualize what is possible in a school library program if they have specific benchmarks to consider! And by working through the benchmarks together, there is an opportunity for much needed conversation too. Do you think a resolution or benchmarks could help with Minnesota school library staffing issues?

School Library 21 (SL21): Measurement Benchmarks for Michigan School Libraries for 21st Century Schools

Update 2/3/2015: Oregon adopts School Library Standards

Please send questions, comments or ideas to me, Patricia Post, Director of CMLE, one of the seven MN multitype library systems, at papost@cmle.org

 

 

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Advice for Schools on Technology, BYOD, and 21st Century Learning

BoylaptopEdTech’s recent article What Districts Should Know About BYOD and Digital Learning by Jonathan P. Costa Sr. delves into a topic of interest to so many of us. Costa writes about the challenges most schools face as they move towards BYOD and 21st century learning environments. To combat common difficulties, Costa provides five pieces of advice to schools. The advice ranges from “Don’t sweat the small stuff”, to getting the proper infrastructure in place, to doing your homework in order to thoroughly understand upcoming changes/challenges.

Public, School Media Specialist

Report: Schools Should Go Digital Within 5 Years

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A report released recently by the State Educational Technology Directors Association suggests states and school districts should completely shift from print to digital resources in the next five years. In pointing out the benefits of digital educational resources, the association finds there are 22 states that already have adopted such resources. The association finds that digital resources will help districts cut costs and improve education. Read the full article  at T.H.E. Journal (9/24)

The  52 pg. report mentioned in this article is titled,  Out of Print: Reimagining the K-12 Textbook in a Digital Age