BC Books and other Blog Bites

BIG NEWS ABOUT BC BOOKS FOR VANCOUVER KIDS -- check your email on Monday.

______________________________________

Let's practice visual literacy skills again! Do you know some or all of these people? Do you recognize where they are meeting? How about a little reflection now: Are you looking for a retirement project?

Here in the picture are most of the members of the UBC Infolit group, a group of specially-recruited retired TLs and others who work collaboratively with elementary teacher-candidates to prepare an extended resource-based inquiry unit that features specific instruction for information literacy. The group gathered on Thursday to celebrate another successful year with the project.

You will see Marlene Asselin in the picture. She showed us this cool "mashup" project submitted for a recent class in Web 2.0: Our School Libraries

Marlene presented with Ray Doiron at AERA in New York in March. Their presentation is captured in this wiki entitled New Literacies, New Libraries, New Learners. Sit down with a cup of coffee ... you'll have lots to ponder here as did the many who attended this noteworthy session.

___________________

Alan Zisman sends this interesting 5-minute video clip: Internet Dangers for Kids ... and speaking of Alan, the Google for Educators workshop that David and Alan are co-presenting at Chief Maquinna is rapidly filling up. Sign up online for this Wednesday opportunity to build more tech tools into your teaching.

___________________

According to my little blog-counter, last Friday there were 80 unique visitors to this blog; on Monday, there were 108 unique visitors. While not much happens in between, it is really fun to see the how the bar graph jumps on the day I post and on the first day back from a weekend. I find it all so fascinating ... especially the fact that many of the "hits" are not from Vancouver.

___________________

Quotes from Kit Kreiger at his talk with John Young at the University Women's Club on Thursday evening in the first of a series of four talks entitled Access to Public Education:

Today we have teachers who know more [because of all the research that's available to inform their teaching] but who have less ability to teach [because of the accountability agenda that drives what happens in classrooms].

How astounding that the state of Texas should act for children before the province of BC!

____________________

If you worked with student teachers in your school library, you are entitled to a UBC tuition waiver. Make sure you let your administrator know to request one in your name. The tuition waiver pays for you to take one undergraduate or graduate-level course. There are several of interest this summer, especially the one with James Henri and Sandra Lee. You cannot transfer the waiver. If you are still working at completing the TL diploma, don't miss out on this -- and they are worth twice as much when you are completing a masters.

___________________

This week's TL Studio was probably the most fun one to date, thanks to Michele working with Lana from Tupper. We all donned headphones with mikes and began making jings about the five ways one can cut-and-paste with a computer. Jings allow creators to use "thinkaloud" descriptions to make little videos with sound about what they are demonstrating on the desktop. Ever the keener, I jumped ahead to create a jing about how to read an electronic newspaper, as well as how to print the Sudoko. Now what I didn't fully register is where I will find my cut-and-paste and electronic newspaper jings when I need to show them again ... Lana? Michele?

_____________________________

Who Dared To Enter the Dragon’s Lair?

from Peggy Bochun

Dangling spiders, slithering snakes and bloodcurdling bats and rats were all part of the imaginative Dragon’s Lair in the Education Centre lobby during the month of February and beginning of March. The display, complete with a fire water breathing dragon, a goblet of dragon’s blood and an fountain full of dragon’s eggs was created by Chris Foxon from the Nursery and his grounds crew to celebrate literacy and the theme of dragon’s in literature. One of the dragons in the display, guarding a treasure chest filled with jewels, was even a celebrity that had starred alongside Ben Stiller in the movie “Night at the Museum”. Moira Ekdahl, library consultant for the VSB, assisted by collecting books from school libraries featuring magical dragons and created a bibliography for young readers. Staff and students viewing the display were invited to weave their way amongst creepy twisted boughs of dragon’s bain and enter the Dragon’s Lair Writing Challenge. The goal was to create a 250 word story using elements of the display in order to win a dragon T-shirt.

Thanks to TL Jan A for bringing Rosemarie and her class here for the display.

Pictured above are contest winner Rosemarie
with Peggy and Chief Dragonslayer Kelly!
Congratulations, Rosemarie.

BOOK YOURSELF OFF TO AN EVENT

Dr. Lorna Williams is at the VPL TONIGHT

The Minerva Lecture Series was created by the Canadian Council on Learning to foster discussion between Canadian learning researchers and citizens from across the country. It is a unique opportunity to understand how research can inform and affect students' learning and the everyday work of educators across the country. Come to discover why learning and education are topics that matter to everyone. Dr. Lorna Williams will be giving a free, public talk on March 28 at 7:30 PM at the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library. The title of her lecture is "Weaving Worlds: Enhancing the learning of Aboriginal Students".

Anyone interested in issues pertaining to Aboriginal Educational will know of Dr. Williams, a renowned scholar of Aboriginal Education, an Assistant Professor of Education and Linguistics, and the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledge and Learning. Lorna also worked for the VSB before pursuing scholarly goals. Visit the Minerva Lecture Series page on the Canadian Council on Learning's website for more information.

LOMCIRA'S SPRING FLING

Waverly is hosting an evening with David Ward, children's author and researcher on Thursday, April 10, from 4 to 6 pm. The event, called "Collective Imagination: Reading and Writing with Children," will explore how we can further support young readers and writers in literacy as we collaboratively write and read with them.

Call Meredyth at 5328 for more information. Tix are $20 for non-members. Alanna at Trudeau writes, "I took a Multicultural Literature course with David last summer at UBC. He was an insightful professor. I was inspired by his passion for literature and his respect for all cultures. I will definitely be going to hear him speak and will be encouraging my staff to go as well." Anyone going to join them?

EXTRAORDINARY CANADIANS

Did you see this entry on last week's blog? I am still waiting to hear from anyone interested in joining me for an evening of Extraordinary Canadians with award winner David Adams Richards, historian and author Charlotte Gray, and acclaimed novelist Lewis deSoto. Shall I pick up tickets? See Blog Archives for last week for more details. It's 7:30 pm, Thursday April 17, H.R. MacMillan Space Centre, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver. Tickets: $15/$13. Bring colleagues.

PRO D CONNECTIONS for April

TL Studio is April 9 at Kerrisdale. Online registration.

Google for Educators: Well-known Maquinna computer educator Alan Zisman is working collaboratively with David, Michele, and me in a 2-part session to learn more about Google Tools for Educators, including Google Earth, Picasa, and more. Online details and registration. April 16, 4 pm. Chief Maquinna Elementary, 2684 East 2nd Avenue (between Nanaimo and Renfrew Street), Room 102. Also, May 21, Kerrisdale School Library, on 41st, east of Blenheim. Bring colleagues.

teachingbooks and other databases: We are going to try something a little different by offering this webinar in five different locations. Bring teaching colleagues to find out about this wonderful resource for teaching literature. Online details and registration. Sessions number 409.0 to 409.4, depending upon whether you are planning to go to the school library at Byng, Killarney, Tillicum, Hamber, or room 461 at the VSB.

WINTER TONICS

Have you registered for Winter Tonic?

Here are some other February "tonics" if you are looking for something to replenish your spirit, a little flair or fun or food for thought or passion to enhance your work in school libraries. Why not choose one or two --

• find a great gift or "branding" item for a teacher-librarian or for yourself at Cafepress. Here's where Sylvia got her bumper sticker that reads, "I am the librarian your mother warned you about." A new wardrobe item always helps the spirit.
  
• check out the best source of powerpoint templates at Brainy Betty. Put PIZZAZZ into your presentations.
  
• how about something fun to do on FAT Tuesday (Feb 5) or Mardi Gras? Try heading out to hear The Burke Street Blues Band now booked for Mardi Gras night (8-11 pm) at DaDeO New Orleans Diner and Bar, 3305 Cambie (at 17th-- former Tomato Restaurant location) 604-874-1053 -- and it's our friend Alan Zisman on keyboards!
  
• read this article to affirm the importance of your work as the information literacy specialist in your school: The more things change ... by IVOR TOSSELL from Friday's Globe and Mail, January 24, 2008.
  
• read this Richmond News Community Profile for Family Literacy Day; it's about Richmond TL Carole Wilson who is still making a difference after thirty years in the teaching business. Some of you may know Carole in her capacity as an instructor with the UBC Teacher-Librarianship program.
  
• find out more about blogging and its applications for school libraries: Teacher-Librarians Connect ... by Publishing Online, from Charles Best (Coquitlam) TL Judith Comfort provides lots of ideas. Check out her BCTLA workshop, online resources and activities which are blogs.
  
• register for something -- Feb 8 is Literacy Day at Killarney or Technology Day at Magee; Feb 12 is Winter Tonic at Gladstone; Feb 6 is Shari Graydon here at the VSB; Feb 18 is TL Studio at Kerrisdale; Spring Weeding (two sessions, last week of Feb and first week of March) at Dickens and Cheriee is promising much livelier refreshment to make the session fun... see VSB website and click onto Current Professional Opportunities.
  
• choose to attend one or two events put on by the Vancouver Children's Literature Roundtable: Authorfest 2008 is Feb 6 at UBC. Serendipity 2008 is, this year, to be a celebration of First Nations Children's Authors and Illustrators and is being held at the First Nations Longhouse at UBC all day Saturday, Feb 23. Membership to the Vancouver CLR is $15. For more information, read Tough City Writer's blog.
  
• bone up on the issues around new proposed Canadian copyright legislation which, as secondary TLs heard from Aaron M at their monthly meeting, could seriously affect us in schools because of the omission of educational fair-use clauses and of any educational representation. Aaron referred us to Michael Geist's blog for more information. Dr. Geist is the Canada Research Chair of Internet and E-commerce Law at the U of Ottawa and was educated at Osgoode Hall Law School, Toronto, Cambridge University, UK and Columbia Law School in New York. He is concerned with internet and technology law as well as privacy issues.
  
• read some more: I am passing along this Michael Geist article "Law Eases Net Snooping: Privacy watchdog fears new copyright regs" (Tuesday's The Tyee). Anne S forwarded it after our discussion at our secondary TL department heads' meeting.
  
• check out this article from eSchool News to consider the perspectives of American educators on educational fair-use clauses: "'Fair Use' confusion threatens media literacy."
  
• attend a lecture at the VPL: Speak Up 2008: My Virtual World, Tuesday Feb 19, 2008, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM, Alice MacKay Room. The Speak Up series brings together many voices, perspectives and experiences, and provides an opportunity for public dialogue. This year's series explores the role of technology in our lives. "Online Privacy: Is There Any?" will feature panelists Mary Carlson (Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, Province of BC); Inspector Kevin McQuiggin (Vancouver Police Department); Richard Rosenberg (BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Asosciation). And it's free!
  
• find out who's blogging and what they are talking about. Click onto one or more of the Related Bloggers in the sidebar of this blog to see what the discourse is, more globally, for school libraries. Susan at Magee suggests Kathy Schrock's Kaffeklatsch blog January entry entitled Youtube is Cool! which would follow nicely with the secondary TL department heads discussion last week.
  
  I have recently added Doug Johnson's Blue Skunk blog. I enjoyed reading, amongst his archives, articles with such enticing titles as Rules for Pod People..., "BS" Literacy, and Librarians Behaving Badly. Joyce Valenza's Neverendingsearch on SLJ offers such articles for your consideration as these: Google as white bread? (and ICT lit matters) or Databases: Can We Get Teachers to Love Them? I have also added James Herring's Weblog. Schrock, Valenza, Johnson, Herring ... have I missed any of the BIG names in the world of school libraries?
  
  Thanks, Lana at Byng, for passing along this link to school bloggers with loads of examples, as well. Reading Rules is only one example of a school library application for blogging. And we are awaiting a new blog from one of our own French Immersion TLs, to be launched next week, I believe. I will be linking it here.