Reading news ...

We have been having numerous conversations about reading this year, sharing favorite titles and brainstorming ways to promote reading amongst faculty and students.  Here is a great story shared by Angela which she found on CBS News.

Today's Wall Street Journal also had an intriguing article called "Read Slowly to Benefit Your Brain and Cut Stress." Containing this graphic, the article recounts how just 30 minutes with a book or eBook helps.

 It also links to an interactive reading exercise.

It’s Complicated by danah boyd

I have wanted to write a review of It’s Complicated by danah boyd since it was published about 6 months ago.  Now I have some added incentive because she will be speaking in Chicago on Sept. 22^nd.  Having previously heard boyd speak locally, I would encourage parents and educators to attend. That evening, boyd will be joining former physics teacher Sam Dyson in a panel on “Re-imaging School: opportunity, safety, and privacy in the social lives of networked teens” at the Chicago Shakespeare’s Courtyard Theater from 6:30 to 8:00pm. Register here for the program sponsored by Golden Apple, National Louis University and the MacArthur Foundation.

Even though it is a fairly scholarly work – based on qualitative research and interviews with 166 teens and with almost 50 pages of notes and bibliography -- It’s Complicated should be explored by both parents and educators.  Boyd describes her objective as follows: “I hope to help the public better understand what young people are doing when they engage with social media.” She is certainly knowledgeable and passionate about the subject.  boyd discusses multiple aspects of online behavior including privacy, addiction, bullying, inequitable access and literacy. She effectively uses numerous examples and quotes from teens to provide context and to support her argument.

For example, boyd quotes Northwestern Professor Eszter Hargittai whose own recent (March, 2014) research concludes: “Findings suggest that simply having grown up with digital media does not result in either universal know-how about the Internet nor universal online engagement suggesting that interventions are important to make sure that people from all backgrounds have the necessary skills to take advantage of all that the Internet has to offer.” As librarians, we are constantly debating this issue as we explore and refine lessons on information literacy.

If you cannot attend Re-imaging School on September 22^nd, grab a copy (downloads available) of It’s Complicated and/or listen to boyd discuss the book in the video below:

New Image Library

Thanks to fellow librarian, Matt, and our AV Multimedia Manager, Tom, for separately forwarding articles which discuss the Internet Archive Book Images.

Here are the titles of the articles from the Chicago Tribune ("U of I alum gives historical photos life on the web" - restricted access) and from the BBC: "Millions of Historical Images Posted to Flickr"

We will be adding the link for Internet Archive Book Images to our Images and Photographs page on Web Reference; check it out for curated and recommended links on a great variety of subjects.

Digital Shift is back for 5th year

Digital Shift is an all day online event produced by Library Journal and School Library Journal with numerous co-sponsors.  This professional development opportunity (scheduled for October 1, 2014) is self-described as follows: "Now in its 5th year, The Digital Shift: Libraries @ the Center virtual conference will focus the attention of library professionals on libraries’ central role in the transformation of our culture from analog experiences to digital experiences."

I have attended in the past and highly recommend registering - the keynotes, presentations and live chats are valuable -- and if you cannot attend the entire time, archives of sessions are usually available to registrants until the end of the year. This year's theme is Libraries @the Center and that promises some intriguing work on how libraries can adapt and adopt changing technologies.

Girl Rising - Must see documentary

Recently, I watched Girl Rising, a documentary which had been listed on Library Journal’s best documentary/DVD list (more on those choices later). Girl Rising is about the power of education to change the world. It tells the story of 9 girls – in Cambodia, Haiti, India, Nepal, Egypt, Ethiopia, Peru, Sierra Leone and Afghanistan. Each worked with an author (like Edwidge Danticat for Haiti), most play themselves in the movie, and an actor (such as Cate Blanchett or Liam Neeson) reads each story.

Girl Rising is a very impactful film; some are aspects are very sad, some will make you angry and many will give you hope.  The documentary runs 103 minutes and Girl Rising is so powerful that I would suggest watching parts at a time.  For example, Junior and Senior advisories or Geography or Social Justice classes would find much to discuss through both the film and the accompanying web site. Here is the official trailer:

After sharing the stories of these girls (Sokha, Wadley, Yasmin, Suma, Asmera, Ruksana, Senna, Mariama, and Amina) Girl Rising‘s Call to Action asks viewers to do three things:

• Share the story of Girl Rising and raise awareness
• Invest – consider a donation to help fund programs promoting education for girls
• Stand with girls on policy issues

Founding partner Intel has been joined by an impressive list of contributors and several international non-profit organizations.

Other documentaries from the Library Journal’s list of best-sellers in 2014 include Chasing Ice (about global warming; trailer here) and Gasland (about fracking; trailer here) . The 2014 list is not yet available online, but here is Library Journal’s June2013 list of best-selling documentaries which shows the film Bully as number one – we have a copy available at New Trier (trailer here) and are looking forward to the upcoming Winnetka Public Library’s program on that documentary this fall.

Professional Development this Summer

Have you ever taken an online course? Experienced learning through a MOOC (Massive Open Online Course)?  If not, here are a couple of ways to give it a try this summer:

Starting June 30th and running through July 27th, David Lankes will be re-running his MOOC on The Atlas of New Librarianship. Last summer I was one of over 2300 people who participated in David Lankes’ MOOC and I even used some of his videos in the graduate course which I taught last Fall. Lankes is a Professor at Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies and an inspiring advocate for librarians and libraries. I really enjoyed the opportunity that the MOOC provided to converse with library professionals from around the world. It was interesting to share ideas and reflections about common issues so I am excited to hear that Prof. Lankes is planning to offer the MOOC again – follow his blog for more details which he promises to post by the end of June.

Another MOOC option, “Copyright for Educators & Librarians,” was just announced by Duke University in Library Journal. That one will be available from July 21st until August 18th. Presenters include: Kevin Smith (Duke University), and Lisa A. Macklin (Emory University), and Anne T. Gilliland (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill). More information about suggested readings, course format and what you need (internet connection and time to read, write and discuss) are provided at its Coursera registration page.

The cost for the two MOOCS profiled above is free – and many more professional development MOOC ideas are available from Te@chThought’s monthly Teaching and Learning MOOC Report or on the Coursera site. If you are aware of others to suggest or recommend, please leave a comment or email me. Here’s to happy learning this summer!

Temple Grandin Speaking AT NEW TRIER on May 21st

More very exciting FAN events are planned for Wednesday, May 21^st: Dr. Temple Grandin will be making two public appearances in the Chicago area.  Temple Grandin is an autistic activist and best-selling author whose life story was told in an award-winning movie as shown in this very short trailer:

She is a professor at Colorado State University, and consultant to the livestock industry on animal behavior as well as having received numerous honors and interviews for her opinions on animal welfare and as an advocate for those diagnosed with autism.

Beginning at 4:00pm in the Gaffney Auditorium at New Trier High School (385 Winnetka Avenue), Dr. Grandin will speak on “Autism and My Sensory-Based World.” This talk will have an educator focus.

At 7:00pm, she will be speaking at Welsh-Ryan arena (located at 2705 Ashland Avenue, Evanston and with a seating capacity of 8000) on “Different Kinds of Minds Contribute to Society.”  Joining Dr. Grandin that evening will be her mother, Eustacia Cutler, and Northwestern University’s Dr. Molly Losh who is Principal Investigator for the Neurodevelopmental Disabilities Laboratory.

 

Co-sponsored by numerous local organizations and schools, these talks are free and open to the public and have no assigned seating.  FAN has promised CPDU forms at both talks. More information will be forthcoming, particularly regarding pre-registration for the evening talk.  NEW (5/5): NSSED just sent this LINK for pre-registration.