As another National School Library Day goes by, once again, Dr. David Lankes has inspired me on the real mission of our profession...Above my desk at school now hangs this part of his lecture: The mission of librarians, the missions of you, whether you hold a Masters degree or not, whether this is a part-time job … Continue reading The (Real) Mission of (Teacher-) Librarians: Lankes →

This was passed along by a colleague today...This appears, to me, to be an excellent representation reason why government exams (or any standardized tests for that matter) when administered for the sole purpose of fragmenting student populations are simply ineffectual and inaccurate gauges of student learning and abilities as well as pedagogy and teaching practices.Then … Continue reading To Succeed or Not to Succeed: Are you a Monkey? →

A snapshot of the American digital education state of affairs. As far as Canadian situation goes I've yet to find anything that would indicate that our students are any better (or worse) off than their US counterparts.Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

Simply put, teaching in the twenty-first century is no longer about teaching. There is a very subtle yet ground-swelling (and essential) shift in paradigms. And the change involves a refocusing of our priorities and philosophy about 'teaching', 'learning', and 'education'.Clearly, the accumulation of information at the hands of teachers is no longer a given (or … Continue reading Nuances: Teaching in the 21st Century →

Recent research has shown that (something we knew all along)--TL's DO make a difference in the education of our children.Reading scores appear higher in schools with qualified teacher-librarians. Time to hang our hats on something. Time to take a break advocating for our jobs and positions. Let's enjoy this for a while...and then head back … Continue reading More TLs Means… →

In the move toward a 'personalized learning' environment in British Columbia few things could be more relevant and pertinent than the act of inquiry (or inquiry-based learning). And while many of my teacher-librarian colleagues are leaders in their elementary schools, those of us who work in a very rigid, performance test-driven environment here is where the real challenge … Continue reading BCTLA Points of Inquiry Poster: A Missing Element? →

Joyce Kasman Valenza is perhaps the most influential teacher-librarian in North America. A teacher-librarian for over 35 years, few have the experience, knowledge, and creativity that Valenza brings to her library, school, and the students that she engages with on a daily basis.Here is her recent TED Talk in Philadelphia on the vital imperative of … Continue reading See Sally Research: Joyce Valenza TED Talk →

The Vancouver School Board's School Library Resource Centre Consultative Committee along with UBC and SFU Libraries recently devised a list of the most important research skills needed for BC graduates.Top Ten Research Skillshttp://www.scribd.com/embeds/64304407/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-7zz2b7rafw7qv7amst8(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(); Still … Continue reading Top Research Skills Needed for Post-Secondary →

World-renowned linguist and foremost expert on the English language, Dr. David Crystal, challenges the myths that communication technologies are destroying languages. With results from recent sociology studies on technology use, studious work with old English texts, and thoughts from his own keen observation, Crystal attempts to show that texting has its merits to the development … Continue reading Queen Victoria c u later: The Realities (and myths) of Texting →

In our louder and louder world, says sound expert Julian Treasure, "We are losing our listening." In this short, fascinating talk, Treasure shares five ways to re-tune your ears for conscious listening -- to other people and the world around you.http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swfDeveloping your "conscious listening"...beautiful.What Treasure says seems to resonate whole-heartedly with teachers who believe that … Continue reading Losing Our Ability to Listen (Consciously) →