IMC News Blog

What's the point of having a media specialist if they aren't specialists in the media forms of the day?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:26:00 +0000

A student posted this on his school librarian's Twitter account. The conversation that began with that question proved to redefine every one's ideas about what libraries and librarians should be. To read their conversation and thoughts go to: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1340000334/post/1860043986.html?nid=2413&rid=#reg_visitor_id

Educational Computer Games

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:20:00 +0000

Spring is here! It's warming up, and kids are enjoying playing outdoors. This season, however, also brings rain, and kids often get stuck inside instead. Next time that happens, show them this super online indoor playground. There are two dozen games that will keep them amused, fascinated, and learning, for a long time. All of the games and activities are fun, but also challenging.

http://www.funbrain.com/brain/SweepsBrain/sweepsbrain.html

Nation’s Report Card: 17-Year-Olds See Few Reading and Math Gains

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 19:17:00 +0000

The average test scores of 17-year-olds in reading and math haven’t changed much since the early 1970s, but kids ages 9 and 13 have seen significant gains in both areas, says the lastest report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). Gaps in reading scores between white and black students have narrowed for all three age groups since 1971, though those gaps did not change significantly from 2004 to 2008. Reading score gaps between white and Hispanic students were smaller in 2008 than in 1975 at ages 9 and 17, though there were no significant changes from 2004 to 2008. To read the report in full, go to: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6655327.html?nid=2413&source=link&rid=765062269

What do noodles, art, frozen food and the American Red Cross all have in common?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:01:00 +0000

Give up? They all have a celebration in March. March is National Noodle Month, Youth Art Month, National Frozen Food Month, and American Red Cross month. For a complete list of all of the reasons to celebrate March visit http://www.theteacherscorner.net/calendars/march.php

DOE Report Praises Improving Literacy Through School Libraries Program

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:38:00 +0000

Students attending schools that received grant money from the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries (LSL) program perform higher on state reading tests than those in schools that didn’t participate in the program, says a recent report by the Department of Education. The program, originally created by Wisconsin educators to avoid losing funding as the result of low test scores related to the No Child Left Behind Act requirements, is now in its sixth successful year. Overall, the goal is to increase instruction related to literacy skills, specifically research skills. The full report can be read at: http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6638887.html

Friend no more?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 19:23:00 +0000

Forgot what is due the next day and want to call the teacher to double check. No problem. Want to "friend" your teacher on Facebook. Banned. The School District of Elmbrook, in Brookfield, WI, has recently created a policy banning communication on instant messaging or social networking applications not sponsored by the school district.
The policy, approved by the school board on February 10, stipulated a range of “practices considered irresponsible,” including personal communication between staff and students via social networking and IM.
During the school day, accessing sites deemed problematic is less of a problem as many schools have filters in place that prevent anyone, staff or students, from logging on to Facebook, MySpace, and even select email servers. But policing this new ban during a teacher’s off-hours may prove tricky. While the restricted sites aren’t named, it’s understood that these popular applications, perhaps even Twitter, are included.
Still, Elmbrook does allow students to communicate with teachers and other staff through email and other district-sponsored applications. The district reportedly plans to add other social networking sites that have an educational component in coming years. For now, though, writing a note on a teacher’s MySpace profile or transmitting content to students through Facebook is off limits.
The full article, as well as more information, may be viewed in the February 2009 Edition of School Library Journal.

Apply Now for the Library Diversity Internship

noreply@blogger.com (Kati Tvaruzka) — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 18:53:00 +0000

McIntyre Library seeks a junior or senior UW – Eau Claire student with an interest in librarianship and the ability to bring a diverse perspective to our library and our profession. The McIntyre Library Diversity Internship provides 10 hours per week of professional library work under the direction of a mentor librarian, and the intern will be paid $12.00 per hour.* The internship begins September 1, 2009 and ends May 14, 2010, with time off during the winter and spring breaks. The intern may choose to focus on one of the following areas of librarianship: Reference and Instruction, Collection Development, Education / Curricular Materials / School Librarianship, or Special Collections & Archives. The internship also offers the following benefits:

**Travel, room, board, and registration fee for a state or regional librarian conference.

**Travel, room, and board for visiting the UW – Madison and/or UW- Milwaukee Graduate Schools of Library and Information Science as a prospective student.

You are warmly invited to apply if you:

**Are a junior or senior enrolled at UW – Eau Claire
**Have a interest in a career in librarianship
**Can bring diverse perspective to McIntyre Library
**Have experience working with diverse communities

Application procedure:

**Write a brief essay (no more than 500 words) addressing your interest in a career in librarianship, the area of librarianship that most interests you, and your ability to enhance the diversity of McIntyre Library.

**Submit the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses of two references: one UW – Eau Claire faculty member, and one work or volunteer supervisor.

Please submit applications to Colleen McFarland, Head of Special Collections & University Archivist, McIntyre Library (mcfarlcd@uwec.edu). Application due date is April 1, 2009. Decisions will be announced no later than April 30.

African American Read-In, February 10 @ 10:00

noreply@blogger.com (Kati Tvaruzka) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 15:37:00 +0000

Help celebrate Black History Month when the Office of Multicultural Affairs and McIntyre Library co-host the 5th Annual African American Read-In for the UW-Eau Claire Children's Center on Tuesday at 10:00.

The event will feature a short story presentation by Dwight Watson and Kati Tvaruzka in the 2nd floor Breezeway. Each child attending will take home a commemorative bookmark and a book by an African American author.

More information about the African American Read-In's 20th anniversary can be found at http://www.ncte.org/action/aari.

Walter Dean Myer's Newest Book Available for Free Online!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:01:00 +0000

Coinciding with the February 10 release of Dope Sick, Walter Dean Myers’s latest title, the entire book will be available online for free reading at AdLit.org. An entire section devoted to writing endeavors, related activities and online resources for teachers, parents and students is also available. The section includes a video interview with Myers about his work and a reading guide.
Myers has made this generous opportunity available to AdLit.org to reach teachers, parents, mentors, and anyone who can help positively influence the choices young people make. He believes that teens that read can make better decisions, and through this effort, more at-risk teens can be reached. (Library School Journal)

YALSA Quick Picks For Teen Detainees

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 19:54:00 +0000

YALSA has added a new category to their recommended book lists- "Quick Picks for Detainees". The books are selected for teens ages 14-19 and were specifically chosen for incarcerated teens. Since many librarians serving detention centers can’t all bring in hardbacks and purchase everything on the list, incoming committee chair Amy Chaney from Alameda County Library, Fremont, California, has created a subgroup of titles that will work best in juvenile detention centers, broken down by paperback and hardback. To access this list along with YALSA's many other lists visit: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/yalsa/booklistsawards/quickpicks/qphome.cfm

Top 10 Web 2.0 Tools for Young Learners

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 15:40:00 +0000

This THEJournal.com article gives a brief description of the top ten most important, quickly growing, or useful Web 2.0 tools. The user friendly guide is an excellent resource for teachers, parents, or students looking for an easy definition of a new tool. The article can be viewed in its entirety at: http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23898/

2009 Newbery Award Honor Books Chosen

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:03:00 +0000

Savvy by Ingrid Law

For generations, the Beaumont family has harbored a magical secret. They each possess a “savvy”—a special supernatural power that strikes when they turn thirteen. Grandpa Bomba moves mountains, her older brothers create hurricanes and spark electricity . . . and now it’s the eve of Mibs’s big day. As if waiting weren’t hard enough, the family gets scary news two days before Mibs’s birthday: Poppa has been in a terrible accident. Mibs develops the singular mission to get to the hospital and prove that her new power can save her dad. So she sneaks onto a salesman’s bus . . . only to find the bus heading in the opposite direction. Suddenly Mibs finds herself on an unforgettable odyssey that will force her to make sense of growing up—and of other people, who might also have a few secrets hidden just beneath the skin.

The day D Foster enters Neeka and her best friend’s lives, the world opens up for them. D comes from a world vastly different from their safe Queens neighborhood, and through her, the girls see another side of life that includes loss, foster families and an amount of freedom that makes the girls envious. Although all of them are crazy about Tupac Shakur’s rap music, D is the one who truly understands the place where he’s coming from, and through knowing D, Tupac’s lyrics become more personal for all of them. The girls are thirteen when D’s mom swoops in to reclaim D—and as magically as she appeared, she now disappears from their lives. Tupac is gone, too, after another shooting; this time fatal. As the narrator looks back, she sees lives suspended in time, and realizes that even all-too-brief connections can touch deeply.

A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chained-up hound deep in the backwaters of the bayou. She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this feline, this creature he is supposed to hate. They are an unlikely pair, about to become an unlikely family. Ranger urges the cat to hide underneath the porch, to raise her kittens there because Gar-Face, the man living inside the house, will surely use them as alligator bait should he find them. But they are safe in the Underneath...as long as they stay in the Underneath. Kittens, however, are notoriously curious creatures. And one kitten's one moment of curiosity sets off a chain of events that is astonishing, remarkable, and enormous in its meaning. For everyone who loves Sounder, Shiloh, and The Yearling, for everyone who loves the haunting beauty of writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Flannery O'Connor, and Carson McCullers, Kathi Appelt spins a harrowing yet keenly sweet tale about the power of love -- and its opposite, hate -- the fragility of happiness and the importance of making good on your promises.

It is 1896. Cuba has fought three wars for independence and still is not tree. People have been rounded up in reconcentration camps with too little food and too much illness. Rosa is a nurse, but she dares not go to the camps. So she turns hidden caves into hospitals for those who know how to find her. Black, white, Cuban, Spanish—Rosa does her best for everyone. Yet who can heal a country so torn apart by war? Acclaimed poet Margarita Engle has created another breathtaking portrait of Cuba.

2009 Newbery Award Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:41:00 +0000

2009 Newbery Award Winner

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy.
He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a sprawling graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor of the dead. There are dangers and adventures in the graveyard for a boy-an ancient Indigo Man beneath the hill, a gateway to a desert leading to an abandoned city of ghouls, the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer. But if Bod leaves the graveyard, then he will come under attack from the man Jack—who has already killed Bod's family. . . . Beloved master storyteller Neil Gaiman returns with a luminous new novel for the audience that embraced his New York Times bestselling modern classic coraline. Magical, terrifying, and filled with breathtaking adventures, the graveyard book is sure to enthrall readers of all ages.

Caldecott Award Winner and Honor Books Announced!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:14:00 +0000

2009 Caldecott Award Winner

The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson, pictures by Beth Krommes

A spare, patterned text and glowing pictures explore the origins of light that make a house a home in this bedtime book for young children. Naming nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to preschoolers—a key, a bed, the moon—this timeless book illuminates a reassuring order to the universe.

Honor Books

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever written and illustrated by Marla Frazee

When James and Eamon go to a week of Nature Camp and stay at Eamon's grandparents' house, it turns out that their free time spent staying inside, eating waffles, and playing video games is way more interesting than nature. But sometimes things work out best when they don't go exactly as planned. In this moving and hilarious celebration of young boys, childhood friendships, and the power of the imagination, Marla Frazee captures the very essence of summer vacation and what it means to be a kid.

A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
In this picture book biography of William Carlos Williams, Bryant's engaging prose and Sweet's stunning mixed-media illustrations celebrate the amazing man who found a way to earn a living and to honor his calling to be a poet.

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz

Having fled from war in their troubled homeland, a boy and his family are living in poverty in a strange country. Food is scarce, so when the boy’s father brings home a map instead of bread for supper, at first the boy is furious. But when the map is hung on the wall, it floods their cheerless room with color. As the boy studies its every detail, he is transported to exotic places without ever leaving the room, and he eventually comes to realize that the map feeds him in a way that bread never could.

Find Solutions for Helping English Language Learners

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 19:05:00 +0000

Sign up at The Big Deal Book Web site for hELLo!, a free monthly ELL e-newsletter that
includes information about new grants, upcoming contests, the latest educational research and
a wealth of information on interactive print and online resources for students, teachers,
librarians, principals and others involved in the education of English language learners.

http://www.bigdealbook.com/newsletter_signup.aspx

Confused about Copyright and Fair Use?

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:43:00 +0000

Visit the Center for Social Media's website http://www.centerforsocialmedia.org/resources/fair_use_and_teaching for information about Fair Use and Copyright as it relates to school libraries. A new report was recently released (and available on the site) relating to Media Literacy Education and includes valuable information for librarians and teachers alike.

Gay America For Teens

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:33:00 +0000

In Gay America: Struggle for Equality (Abrams/Amulet, 2008)—the first comprehensive history on this subject for teens—Linas Alsenas chronicles how gay men and women have lived, worked, and loved for the past 125 years. Using archival images, illustrations, and full-color photos, Alsenas, a U.S. citizen who lives in Sweden with his partner, takes us from Colonial times to the present debate over gay marriage. First reviewed in SLJ, this book has opened up more resources for gay and questioning young adults. To read a full interview with Linas Alsenas, visit http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6613800.html?nid=2413&rid=reg_visitor_id&source=link.

Alliance Creates New Approach for Federal Education Standards

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:56:00 +0000

To improve the relationship between states and school districts and the federal government, the Learning First Alliance -- a partnership of 18 major national education associations -- has put forth six principles for "appropriate and constructive federal involvement in education." These principles recommend modification to recent federal education involvement, including the No Child Left Behind Act. To view the recommendations: http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/resources.dyn/LFAFederalRoleFINAL.pdf

New Study Supports Collaboration in the Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:47:00 +0000

Edutopia has published a new study by Linda Darling-Hammond. Darling-Hammond's study involved classrooms and collaborative learning. She found that students who were a part of collaborative learning for the majority of the day scored better on tests, had fewer behavioral issues, and were overall more enthusiastic about learning in general. The full article can be viewed at:

http://www.edutopia.org/inquiry-project-learning-research

Story Time with International Flair on Tuesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Kati Tvaruzka) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 19:33:00 +0000

Nine foreign exchange students enrolled in the English as a Second Language class "Integrated Skills" will read during a story time session held in McIntyre Library. Youth from the Children's Center will gather for story time at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, in the Instructional Media Center on the lower level of the library. The international students will each read a book they've selected and help education reference librarian Kati Tvaruzka lead activities, songs and dances. International students participating are from South Korea, Japan, China and Thailand. Click here for more information.

AASL Has New Website

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:53:00 +0000

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has a new website:

http://www.aasl.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/index.cfm

This website offers numerous resources, suggestions, and ways to connect for school librarians.

Another Celebration Week in October...

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:05:00 +0000

Teen Read Week, a literacy campaign targeting teenagers, will be celebrated on October
12–18, 2008, at thousands of public and school libraries, classrooms and bookstores across
the country. This year’s theme is “Books with Bite @ your library,” promoting a variety of
books—from vampire stories to cooking to technology (byte)—as a tool for getting young
adults to read. Teen Read Week is sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services
Association (YALSA).

Teens’ Top Ten is a “teen choice” list, where teens nominate and choose their
favorite books of the previous year. Nominators are members of teen book groups in 15 school
and public libraries around the country. Students aged 12 to 18 can vote for their favorites
online, anytime during Teen Read Week. Ballots can be cast by going to: www.ala.org

Jump-start Children’s Literacy

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 20:04:00 +0000

Jumpstart’s Read for the Record is a campaign designed to bring attention to the
importance of early education. By encouraging hundreds of thousands of children and adults to
read the same book on the same day, Jumpstart aims to break a world record and to make
early education a national priority. This year, on October 2, children and adults will read the
children’s classic Corduroy in schools, libraries, stores, hotels, playgrounds, offices and
homes. The custom limited edition of the Viking children’s classic has been published and
distributed by Pearson, ensuring that 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of this book
directly support Jumpstart’s work with children from low-income communities across America.
Pearson and its people across the United States and around the world are taking part in
Jumpstart’s Read for the Record celebrations and working with governors, mayors, PTAs,
schools, libraries and local organizations to spread the word and highlight the importance and
the power of reading. The Pearson Foundation is also providing more than 100,000 copies of
Corduroy to at-risk children in school districts and community organizations worldwide.

Storytime Tuesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:13:00 +0000

Tomorrow, Tuesday, September 30th is the first story time of the new semester!

Education reference librarian Kati Tvaruzka leads a free monthly story time session for children attending UW-Eau Claire Children's Center, but the children and grandchildren of faculty, staff, students and the general public are also invited.

The 30-minute sessions are held at 10 a.m. on the last Tuesday of every month (September through April) in the Instructional Media Center.

Any UW-Eau Claire student interested in children's literature or reading aloud to young children, or anyone who would like to participate in this program, should contact Kati Tvaruzka at tvaruzke@uwec.edu or 715-836-4522.

Also, to learn more about this program or others offered in the IMC visit: http://www.uwec.edu/library/imc/programs.htm

Banned Books Week

noreply@blogger.com (Amy!) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 18:08:00 +0000

McIntyre Library at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire will display "Censorship in Schools and Libraries," a new exhibit opening Sept. 29.

The exhibit will be displayed in the Instructional Media Center on the lower level of McIntyre Library in observance of the American Library Association's Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read.

Banned Books Week (Sept. 27-Oct. 4) is observed during the last week of September each year. Observed since 1982, this annual event reminds Americans not to take democratic freedom for granted.

The exhibit, which will be on display through Dec. 19, was developed by the Long Island Coalition Against Censorship. Through narratives and illustrations, it chronicles incidents of censorship dating back to the 19th century, as well as frequently challenged books and creative works. Included are descriptions of the censorship of "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," "In the Night Kitchen," "The Catcher in the Rye," "The Color Purple," the novels of Judy Blume and Chris Crutcher, and most recently, the 2007 Newbery Prize winning novel "The Higher Power of Lucky" by Susan Patron.

Information on U.S. Supreme Court and lower court decisions is an integral part of the exhibit, including efforts to censor the popular Harry Potter children's books (Harry Potter books were burned in Alamagordo, N.M.) and the 2003 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court upholding the Children's Internet Protection Act.

For more information, contact Kati Tvaruzka, education reference librarian in McIntyre Library, at 715-836-4522 or tvaruzke@uwec.edu.