In the face of mounting reports of teacher-librarians being axed and school library availability being drastically reduced I suppose it's hard to stay positive. It looks as though the onslaught has begun.If you're interested here's a brief list of what's happening to our colleagues in eastern Canada within the past two weeks.The Toronto StarThe Globe … Continue reading Teacher-Librarian to become Extinct? →

Ron Gutman is a guy who loves to smile. Research has shown that smiling is a powerfully instinctual action. And the benefits easily outweigh the drawbacks.Simply, I love to smile. It just seems so much easier than the alternatives.How about you? How many times a day do you smile? Gutman says kids smile up to … Continue reading Smile Baby Smile →

In his monologue yesterday, Jian Ghomeshi, the host of CBCs Q, defended the teacher-librarian as more and more school districts across North America begin their termination of positions.He're a guy who gets it. An voracious reader. A parent. And a concerned member of society that recognizes that while the landscape of information media has changed, the necessary help … Continue reading Q: Who will speak for the (teacher-) librarian? →

Ahhhhhh...Smell that?Yes, the wonderful and rich aromas of spring time renewal.But that other smell? Sure. Concentrate. It's out there. If you're a teacher-librarian in North America then you may already be acutely aware of this odour.It's budgetary and staffing time in school districts big and small, rural and urban, and that familiar smell is of teacher-librarians … Continue reading What’s That Smell…? →

Not sure what's gotten into Seth Godin lately. I probably shouldn't be questioning his motivations and intentions, but here's an award-winning author; the kind of guy that the young marketing dudes revere with the utmost of respect. With even his books Linchpin and Tribes influencing countless number of business executives and MBA schools, Godin turns … Continue reading Godin: the NEXT Library →

So, it finally happened, did it?First it was Gates, Zuckerberg, and Oprah.But unlike those corporate-type folk who seem to know how to fix the system, Seth Godin asks the simple question: What's high school for?And unlike the upper-class illuminati who believe that an allegiance with corporate America is the only way to fix the static … Continue reading What IS High School For? →

My colleague and mentor, Literate Owl, would be the first to admit that he has witnessed, (and he himself has bared the brunt of) asinine, unfounded, and ill-informed rhetoric in his thirty years as a teacher, parent, and educational advocate. This is especially true when it comes to teacher-librarians having to continually defend their jobs. … Continue reading L.A. Teacher-Librarians Face Inquisition →

Here's a powerfully illustrated analysis about the ills and praise for social media on college students:

Now more than ever I am convinced that schools can keep up with the pressures to provide adequate technology infrastructure, and possess some control over balancing the rising costs in the name of progress (ie. replacement costs, technician time, vandalism, replacement, upgrades, etc.). The key, is appears, lies in the relationship between providing opportunity for unfettered Internet … Continue reading Arrival: Personal Learning Device in School →

I just finished reading a terrific interview with French author and teacher Daniel Pennac. I'm also currently reading his book School Blues (or Chagrin d'ecole) that was recently translated into English. This is the follow-up to his critically acclaimed The Rights of the Reader.It is neither the purpose of this post to either review or … Continue reading The Cancre: Influence of Parents →