eBook Summit reactions

I am still processing all of the learning from yesterday's Library Journal & School Library Journal eBook summit - and looking forward to having the full archive posted soon. School Library Journal's summary is linked here.

The Twitter feed (#ebooksummmit) was amazing - honestly, it was the first time that I had experienced reading the feed as someone was speaking and I was excited to see that attendees were actively sending summary tweets so that librarians who could not be at the webinar could still "hear" and learn from what was being said.

Here are links to others' reactions:
No Shelf Required
Librarian in Black

Funding Libraries

Privatization of libraries??! Well, it's happening, according to a recent article in The New York Times by David Streitfeld about a library in Santa Clarita, CA that will be privately owned in the near future.

Obviously, there is disbelief, frustration, and unrest about such decisions, actions, and even propositions. Public libraries have always been for and by the public, and funded by public monies, not by a private company.

And, with the expansion of electronic equipment, digital formats, and enhanced communication formats & systems, costs are rising for all libraries. From where will the money come? How will monies be allocated with smaller or dwindling budgets? How does one prioritize the priorities with these limited budgets?

These considerations are important for all parties to discuss, particularly librarians, in light of a statement by Sarah A. Tobias, the Director of the Sycamore, IL public library that libraries aren't "free."
Her point is well taken, even if we don't provide cash, credit, or debit card to receive a library card.
She continues with her call to librarians asking, "When are we librarians going to wake-up and realize that we are doing ourselves and our communities a disservice by saying that libraries are free? [W]hen we keep saying that it's free, we send the message that we don't need to money...Libraries cost money. There is nothing free about them.”
--Her full statement can be found in "Feedback" in Library Journal July 2010 p.12

Creating Learning Labs at Libraries

The MacArthur Foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services announced plans to create 30 new Youth Learning Labs in libraries and museums across the country. This was inspired by a creative teen space at the Chicago Public library called YOUmedia. Check it out; particularly note the use of color, seating arrangements, and performance/practice spaces :



From the MacArthur Foundation: The new labs will help young people become makers and creators of content, rather than just consumers of it. ... With $4 million in funding MacArthur and IMLS will begin a planning process to launch a national competition in 2011 to create the new learning labs. The new learning labs will be spaces for experimentation that engage young people with both digital and traditional media to promote creativity, critical thinking, and hands-on learning. ... More information on "Re-imagining Learning in the 21st Century"

View Thousands of Tweets from Education Nation archive

This interesting archive of tweets was done by Instructional Technology Specialist, #edchat archivist, Jerry Swiatek.

Education Nation Frustration

Veteran science teacher Anthony Cody works with a team of experienced science teacher-coaches who support the many novice teachers in his school district. He is a National Board-certified teacher and an active member of the Teacher Leaders Network. He is passionate about education reform and teaching for change and deep learning. Cody writes that NBC's Education Nation was promoted with a great deal of fanfare, with the event promising to inspire a rich dialogue about education reform. Instead, he found that his post's to the official Facebook had been blocked. It is his opinion that this fits into a bigger picture and that they do not actually wish to enter into a genuine dialogue about education reform. Listening in, but not weighing is frustrating many educators who blog about education.

The issue exposed by Cody is one of credibility: The teachers were pro- Dept. of Education, parental involvement was blocked and they featured unbalanced panels. Read the full article at Teacher Magazine.

Slide and definition by Bill Ferriter http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical

Term by Anthony Cody http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/living-in-dialogue/

Daniel Pink Hightlights Flip Thinking

According to Daniel Pink, "Flip-thinking" - is the new buzz word sweeping the US.
Colorado teacher Karl Fisch has flipped teaching on its head. Fisch has rearranged the order of his lesson plans. First he records and uploads his lectures to YouTube for his students to watch at home at night. (lecture at home first!)Then gets them to apply the concepts in class(homework in school) as he touches base with learners to help them with their in-class work.

Fisch became famous when he did the Did You Know Presentations:

-Did You Know?/Shift Happens 4.0
- Did You Know?/Shift Happens 3.0
- Did You Know?/Shift Happens 2.0
- Did You Know?/Shift Happens

What about students with no Internet access at home? I guess it's off to the library after school for those kids!

Elections 2010 resource

Thanks to Judy Gressel and Deborah Lazar for this great resource on Politics: Elections 2010! We will continue to add resources and value your feedback and suggestions!