Manifesto for 21st Century Teacher Librarians Editor’s Note: This article was originally published as a Tag Team Tech column on www.voyamagazine.com. It has been reprinted and reproduced numerous times and in many places. We are making it available here to ensure that all of our readers have seen it. Manifesto for 21st Century Teacher Librarians By Joyce Kasman Valenza Steal This Infographic: Librarians as Tech Leaders SLJ’s May 2011 cover featured the technology survey. Librarians are leading the way in technology use, according to School Library Journal’’s annual technology survey. It’s been a consistent trend, which SLJ has tracked for several years, documenting how librarians use technology and—more importantly—how that use has enhanced teaching and learning across their schools and districts. This year, the magazine has visualized the “proof” in a handy infographic, which is freely available for reuse, printing, and posting (in JPEG and PDF formats).
When I received the invitation from the new Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine at the Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, I decided to completely upgrade two seminar workshops. Dr Ian Green from the School of Education here at Adelaide and I have used Padagogy101 (introduction to iPad in HE) and Padagogy201 (more advanced use for L&T) to train over 600 faculty from universities in Australia. For Singapore, Ian wasn’t going to be with me and I was solo, as well I needed a better way to leave resources in place for people to revisit. Standards For Educators 2b Advocate for equitable access to educational technology, digital content and learning opportunities to meet the diverse needs of all students. Equitable access: When all students have access to technology needed for learning and to culturally relevant curriculum and resources regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, gender identity, sexuality, ability, primary language or any other factor that might hinder or unfairly advantage one student over another. Educational technology: Devices, apps, webs resources, internet access, technology support and other digital tools used to deepen learning.
*And Now We Are 60: SLJ, the profession, and culture from 1954 to today This month marks School Library Journal’s 60th year as an independent magazine—no small feat in this changing media landscape. With ongoing coverage of library news, big-picture issues, practical applications, and reviews, SLJ has worked to become an essential go-to guide for schools and librarians working with young people. As we observe this milestone, we look back at some highlights from the past six decades. In the September 1954 issue of Junior Libraries, a spin-off of Library Journal which became SLJ, educator Nancy Larrick explored a new concept called “individualized reading,” that requires an accessible place where children can browse a wide variety of books and make their own selections. How well they choose depends in part on the way the books are introduced and displayed.
Future Ready Librarians infographic by Joanna Gerakios Has the saying “future ready” been bounced around in your professional circles recently? Does this term have special meaning for us as school librarians? As I initially began hearing “future ready” used in professional conversations, it seemed to be a mashup of two other educational buzz words: “21st-Century Learning” and “College and Career Ready.” Earlier this year, I facilitated a professional development session with the help of three of my colleagues which we titled, “Is Your Library Future Ready?” New ISTE Standards for Educators Highlight Librarians’ Role Educators should continually participate in professional learning, advocate for equitable access to technology, and model positive and ethical use of technology, according to the Empowered Professional qualities named in the International Society for Technology in Education’s (ISTE) newly revised and updated Standards for Educators. ISTE CEO Richard Culatta introduced the standards during the opening keynote session at the ISTE 2017 conference in San Antonio in June. Organized into the two categories—Empowered Professional and Learning Catalyst—the newly updated standards shift from the previous Standards for Teachers, which emphasized supporting student learning with technology, to focusing on the roles of educators in “using technology to empower learners.”
*Library Media Tech Talk: What Can A Library Be? Do you ever stop and think about what the school library can be for your learning community? It is easy to get caught up in the daily activities and forget about the endless possibilities that exist for our learners. As I prepare to begin my tenth year as a school librarian, I've been thinking about how the library spaces and resources can transform our students' lives. I would like to share some recent happenings that have illustrated this to me. A Safe Place