Teaching, Vol 8, No. 2 xaccessola2.com/images/infocentral/TL8.2.pdfThe Teaching Librarian ONTARIO SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION A component association of the Ontario Library Association

THE IMPORTANCE OFINFORMATION STUDIESOur students live in a new era known as the Information Age. The focus on infor-mation and technology has profoundly affected the nature of society and the worldof work. More information is accessible to all people in our society, and more busi-nesses are seeking employees who are proficient in information retrieval, analysis,and communication, in conjunction with highly developed technological skills.

It is therefore vital for education in Ontario to develop comprehensive informationliteracy skills.

Futurists predict that within tenyears almost half of the workforce will be employed in infor-mation-based occupations -gathering, processing, retriev-ing and analyzing information.To be successful in this infor-mation economy, studentsmust prepare themselves withthe knowledge and skills theywill need in tomorrow’sworld of work. The illiterateof the year 2000, accordingto Alvin Toffler, will not bethose who cannot read andwrite, but those who cannotlearn, unlearn, and relearn.Our students need to beinformation literate, life-long learners (Koechlinand Zwaan, Teaching Toolsfor the Information Age).

Since 1929, the OntarioSchool Library

Association has taken an active role in encour-aging a love of reading and in implementing a program of informa-

tion skills for all students in Ontario.

In 1982, OSLA worked closely with the Ministry of Education to create the curricu-lum document, Partners in Action: the School Library Resource Centre in the SchoolCurriculum. When it became apparent that information technology was transform-ing the learning environment, OSLA advocated for and participated in the writing ofInformation Literacy and Equitable Access, a Ministry of Education and Training docu-ment, released in draft form in 1995.

In 1996, OSLA recognized the need for a comprehensive curriculum to ensure thatall students have a solid foundation in Information Studies in Ontario. TheInformation Literacy Task Force was created to research the information knowledgeand skills needed by today’s students.

The first edition of Information Studies. Kindergarten to Grade 12, 1998, though notcommissioned by the Ministry of Education and Training, aligns with the OntarioCurriculum documents released to date.

CO-CHAIRSTim Gauntley (Editor-in-Chief), Toronto District School BoardLiz Kerr, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School BoardRose Dotten, University of Toronto Schools

______ Ontario School Library Association

Information Studies

Kindergarten to Grade 12

1999 Curriculum for Schools and School

Library Information Centres

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The Teaching LibrarianONTARIO SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSOCIATIONA component association of the Ontario Library Association100 Lombard Street, Suite 303Toronto, ON M5C 1M3Phone: (416) 363-3388Phone: 1-866-873-9867 toll freeFAX: (416) 941-9581FAX: 1-800-387-1181 toll freeE-mail: [email protected]: http://www.accessOLA.com

Published three times a year for members of the OntarioSchool Library Association to support its members in pro-viding significant and effective library programs and ser-vices in the schools of Ontario. The Teaching Librarianpromotes library curriculum program and developmentthat will further the objectives set out for students by theprovince, school boards, administrators, teachers andparents. It fosters more effective partnering with teachersand administrators, and provides a forum in whichteacher-librarians can share experience and expertise.

THE TEACHING LIBRARIAN EDITORIAL BOARDSandra Hughes, EditorMarlene Turkington Cheryl DinninJo-Anne LaForty Sya Van GeestStephanie Parcher Esther Rosenfeld

2001 OSLA COUNCILSya Van Geest, President/Advocacy portfolioE-mail: [email protected]

Esther Rosenfeld, Vice-President/Partners portfolioToronto District School BoardTel: (416) 395-5151 FAX: (416) 395-5173E-mail: [email protected]

Jo-Anne LaForty, Past PresidentToronto District School BoardTel: (416) 396-8564 FAX: (416) 396-6773E-mail: [email protected]

Sheila Jankowski, Secretary-TreasurerAvon Maitland District School BoardKendra Godin-Svoboda, @ your library portfolioDurham District School BoardFlavia Renon, Communications portfolioOttawa-Carleton District School BoardMichelle Regina, Summer Institute portfolioYork Catholic District School BoardBobbie Henley, Special projects portfolioGrand Erie District School BoardCheryl Dinnin, Publications portfolioThames Valley District School BoardJoyce Cunningham, Membership portfolioRainy River District School BoardRose Dodgson, Super Conference portfolioToronto District School Board

The Teaching Librarian is included in OSLA membership. Also available by subscription for$36.00 per year, plus GST.

To order subscriptions or article reprints, contact:OLA Publications100 Lombard Street, Suite 303Toronto, ON M5C 1M3 Ext. 21 at (416) 363-3388 or 1-866-873-9867 E-mail: <[email protected]>

Cover photo: Angela Di Prima working with a student at FatherBressani High School in Woodbridge. P. 22, 27.

FEATURE: MAKING A DIFFERENCE

4 Editor’s Message: Making a Differenceby Sandra Hughes, Editor, The Teaching Librarian

4 Quiz: What Kind of a Person Makes a Difference? by Marlene Turkington, Thames Valley District School Board

6 Making a Difference: A Classroom Teacher’s Perspectiveby Patricia Robson, Grade 2 Teacher, Parkview Public School, London

7 Jean Harris: A Career That Has Made A Differenceby Doreen Procter, Prince Charles Elementary School, Brantford

8 Who Knows That You Make a Difference?by Don Hamilton, Retired, University of Victoria

10 Collective Expertise Can Make Even More Differenceby W. John Laughlin, Director, Thames Valley District School Board

FEATURE: TL2

12 A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words...Putting Great Pictures on Your Library Web Site

by Diane Bédard, Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board

ISSUES

16 The Time is Right ... Standards for School Library Information Centresby Rose Dotten, University of Toronto Schools and Elizabeth Kerr, Kawartha-Pine Ridge District School Board

19 Concern for School Libraries: Shared by the Entire Library CommunityResults from the OLA Annual General Meeting and Policy Forum

20 Restructuring OSLA Council to Meet Ever-Growing Challenges

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS: 22 Coded Expectations and the Implementation of Information Studies

by Angela Di Prima, Father Bressani High School, Woodbridge25 Curriculum Planning for Student Success

by Sya Van Geest, OSLA President 2000-2001

PROFESSIONAL NOTES

27 Reflections of a First-Year Teacher-Librarianby Angela Di Prima, Father Bressani High School, Woodbridge

29 Professional Development with Pizzazz and a Mythological Mealby Sharon Weames, Thames Valley District School Board

PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS

31 New and Recommendedby Marlene Turkington, Thames Valley District School Board and Gerald Brown, Consultant

33 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGEby Sya Van Geest, OSLA President 2000-2001

SPECIAL INSERTVideo Guide to School Library Information Centres / The New Secondary SchoolCurriculum: For Teachers by Teachers. Please retrieve the insert from misprinted issue.

THE TEACHING LIBRARIANThe Magazine of the Ontario School Library Association Winter 2001 Volume 8, Number 2 ISSN 1188 679X

4 Ontario School Library Association

Teacher-librarians make a difference tochildren’s learning. This issue of TheTeaching Librarian explores that difference.

Don Hamilton makes us think about how wemake a difference and challenges us to examinethe commitment and effort involved in makinga difference. W. John Laughlin, Director ofEducation for the Thames Valley District SchoolBoard, describes how teacher-librarians aremaking a difference in the Thames ValleyDistrict School Board with more in theProfessional Notes section. Angela Di Primaexplores making a difference through use of hercoding initiative. Diane Bédard looks at howyou let people know you are making a differ-ence. A teacher looks at us and a parent profilesJean Harris, a teacher-librarian who has made adifference to her school. What OSLA has beendoing to make a difference for teacher-librariansis explored in several articles. Even our quiz forthis issue and our professional reading recom-mendations support our theme of Making aDifference.

It is my hope that this issue of The TeachingLibrarian will make a difference to you, that itwill make you reflect on teacher-librarians,

what they have been doing, what they can do,and how they can make a difference with thepeople in their learning community. n n n

MMAKINGAKING AA DDIFFERENCEIFFERENCE Sometimes we think that we can do nothing about ourcircumstances; that we are only one voice and cannotchange anything. We want other people and otherassociations to help us, to stand up and be our advo-cate. The contest in this issue is to show that everyonecan make a difference. We may not all be the leaders orhave our words published – but everyone can dosomething to make a difference.

Photocopy these questions, answer them, total yourscore. If your total is 100 points or more, you are mak-ing a difference! Send in your answers, with yourname and address, and you will be put in a draw towin a fabulous prize. The winners’ names and theirideas for making a difference will be in the next issue.

1. I have an OSLA membership. _____ (5 points)

2. I belong to a national teacher-librarians’ association. _____ (5 points)

3. I always attend my local teacher-librarians’ association meetings. _____ (10 points)

4. I attended this year’s Super Conference. _____ (10 points)

5. I have read an article from a professional journal in the past three months. _____ (5 points)

6. I have been involved in my own professional development in teacher-librarianship byreading a professional book, attending an OSLAInstitute, taking an AQ course, or participating ina workshop or training related to school libraries.( 5 points for each type of activity you have done)

7. I work with teachers in collaboratively planned units to implement curriculum. _____ (15 points)

8. I have a copy of Information Studies, K-12 and use itto find expectations that can integrate with curricula. _____ (15 points)

Sandra HughesGrand Erie District School Board

What Kind of aWhat Kind of aPerson Makes Person Makes a Difa Diffference? erence?

TTest Yest Yourself!ourself!

by Marlene TurkingtonThames Valley District School Board

Editor’sMessage

The Teaching Librarian Volume 8/No.2 5

9. I keep my staff informed about my library program at staff meetings, through memos or newsletters. _____ (5 points for each one you do)

10. I involve parents in my program as volunteers. _____ (5 points)

11. I make presentations to parents to help them understand the role of the teacher-librarian and the school program in educating their children. ______ (10 points)

12. I serve on school committees that are curriculum or technology based. _____ (5 points)

13. I am on a Board committee for libraries or curriculum or resources. _____ (10 points for eachone to which you belong)

14. I find ways to inform my principal and staff of theimportance of teacher-librarians and school library programs to improve the literacy of students. _____ (10 points)

15. I speak out on the cutbacks to school library programs and teacher-librarians by:• Joining a provincial parent group.

_____ (5 points)• Writing a letter to the local paper.

_____ (5 points)• Making presentations to School Federations.

_____ (5 points)• Making presentations to School Councils.

_____ (5 points)• Making presentations to the School Board.

_____ (5 points)

16. Briefly share one thing that you have done to make adifference in promoting the importance of teacher-librarians and school library programs. (15 points)

Do you Make a Difference? If your total score is...0 – 30 - Barely scratching the surface – try a few

more things.30 – 60 - Good for you – Join others who want to

make their voices heard.70 – 90 – You are on a roll – Don’t stop – Have

you thought about doing some committee work with OSLA or your local teacher-librarian’s association?

100 – Or More – Pat yourself on the back – YOU ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!!

"You cannot kindle a fire in others until you haveone burning in yourself!"

Submit your answers and how you make a differenceby FAX to The Teaching Librarian 1-800-387-1181.

by : April 25th, 2001to have your idea in the next issue! n n n

ANSWERS TO THE QUIZ inthe Teaching Librarian vol. 8, no.1

“Making Connections”

1. Four journals for teacher-librarians thathave"connections" as part of their title are:

• Book Links - Connecting Books, Libraries and Classroom

• Resource Links: Connecting Classrooms, Libraries and Canadian Learning

• Technology Connection: The Magazine for School Media and Technology

• Classroom Connect Newsletter The K-12 Educator’s Guide to the Network

2. The two recent professional books published that have the word "connect" as part of the title are:

• Connecting Young Adults and Libraries, 2nd ed. by Patrick Jones, Neal-Schuman, 1998.

• Reluctant Readers: Connecting Students for Successful Reading Experiences by Ron Jobe and Mary-Dayton-Saken, 1999.

3. The cities in which the 2000 OSLASummer Institute 2000, “Making Connections”, were held:

Oshawa, Guelph and Sudbury.

4. The web site address for "Classroom Connect" is:

www.classroom.com

5. The two national teacher-librarian associations in Canada are: Association for Teacher-Librarianship

in CanadaCanadian School Library Association.

6. Connected University credits are through Pepperdine University.

Photo GalleryPhotos were of:

1. Larry Moore 2. Rose Dotten 3. Peter Rogers

MAKING A DIFFERENCE


In our current climate of standardized assess-ment in Ontario, it is satisfying to read that"accessibility to and use of school library media

centres staffed by professionals have a direct cor-relation with reading achievement and positiveattitudes toward reading" (Routman, Regie. Literacyat the Crossroads. Portsmouth: Heinemann, 1996).Classroom teachers in schools where a qualifiedteacher-librarian provides opportunities for inter-active extensions of classroom learning in theschool library setting have experienced this phe-nomenon first-hand. In these schools, the teacher-librarian extends the curriculum objectives identi-fied by the classroom teacher, offering experienceand expertise to augment developing literacy andresearch skills.

Classroom teachers know that children benefitfrom opportunities to discuss excellent literaturein group settings and that the most valuable partof our language programs is the time spent read-ing and responding to literature. Teacher-librari-ans make valuable connections between literatureand our curriculum objectives, broadening thechildren’s perspective to include an eclectic mix-ture of classic tales, modern favourites, poetry andbeautiful illustrations. Frequent exposure to quali-ty literature under the leadership of the teacher-librarian enhances the learning experience for thestaff as well as the students in a school.

The demands of modern society call for the intro-duction at an early age to methods for accessinginformation in a timely, organized and critical man-ner. The use of a well-organized library resource

centre equipped with a wealth of print and non-printresources is important to the skill set that classroomteachers must encourage students to acquire in orderto achieve an edge in a quickly changing world. Wemust embrace and encourage those individuals in ourschools who help us bridge the gap. Often this role isfilled by the teacher-librarian.

For me, a planning session with our teacher-librar-ian is like finding a twenty dollar bill in the pocketof a jacket you haven’t worn in a while. What awonderful surprise to approach a project and findnew ideas, support for implementation and a will-ingness to share the responsibility for evaluationright in your own school. We all benefit from tak-ing a look at familiar objectives from a fresh view-point. How energizing it is to broaden our per-spectives to include comparisons, dialogues, part-nerships, debates and extensions we have over-looked in preparing daily lessons.

As a change agent for program enhancement,teacher-librarians assist classroom teachers byusing their wide experience with various teachingand learning styles to enrich the best practice of theclassroom teacher. They also can be the focus forcreation of a dynamic reading component in yourschool through flexible scheduling and extra-cur-ricular activities such as Free Voluntary Readingsessions, Literacy Clubs, Silver Birch Programs,story hours and other enrichment activities. Theyare dedicated and enthusiastic professionals.

Teacher-librarians who make a difference organizebook clubs and book fairs, bringing new books intoschools and homes and acting as role models for theprocess of acquiring books. They belong to profes-sional organizations and use their contacts there toconnect with new ideas that make learning mean-ingful to their colleagues and their students. Theyare often at the forefront of change, acting as con-duits to forge a smooth transition between techno-logical advances in the real world and their ownschools. Teacher-librarians who make a differenceare an integral part of the teaching and learningprocess in their schools. If you know of a teacher-librarian who is making a difference, tell the worldabout it – the success of our students depends, inpart, on the support and commitment we, as class-room teachers, give to our specialists in the libraryresource centre in our schools. n n n

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Making aDifference:

a Classroom Teacher’s

Perspective

By Patricia RobsonGrade 2 Teacher, Parkview Public School, London

The Teaching Librarian Volume 8/No. 2 7

About fourteen years ago I had the pleasureof meeting a very pleasant young womanwho had just been hired as the teacher-

librarian at Prince Charles School in Brantford.Being a parent volunteer, and having workedunder a very dedicated, enthusiastic and talentedteacher-librarian for over ten years previously, Iwondered how this person could possibly fill hershoes However, my fears were soon allayed.

This teacher-librarian set out to make her markon the educational lives of the three hundred andfifty plus students who attended the school. Shealways greeted them a the door with a welcom-ing smile and invited them to come in, unlessthey tumbled noisily in, and then they were invit-ed to go out and enter properly. She consistentlyreinforced, in many ways, the value of readingand research, books and libraries.

It was a pleasure working in the library while shetaught children. The younger classes would gointo the cozy story corner and there she would sitin her rocker and read them some of the wonder-ful stories from the many books in the primarysection, inviting them to join in with stories thathad a repetitious rhyme. This delighted the chil-dren and they participated eagerly, learning tolove what reading had to offer them. I used to liketo watch their faces as she read a story by RobertMunsch or Phoebe Gillman. Perhaps, in somehomes, no one reads to the children, so this event

is a very pleasurable experience. Other timesthey would get to choose their own bookand they felt so “grown up” as they walkedback to their classroom, with the teacher-librarian waving goodbye to them. Othersdropped in for assistance with a researchproject and she showed infinite patience asshe helped them to determine where suchinformation might be found. Entire classesof junior or intermediate students wouldcome to learn about research, as a part of aunit developed by this teacher-librarian anda staff member. During these times, the stu-dents not only learned how to find informa-tion on their topic, but also how to make jotnotes, use correct sentence structure, gram-

JeanHarris:A CareerThat HasMade a

Difference

By Doreen Procter Volunteer Prince Charles Elementary School, Brantford

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

mar, and spelling and how to write a report. Thestudents were enabled to produce finished prod-ucts of which they could be proud. Many daysyou would find her in the computer sectionencouraging students to learn computer skills inorder to gain access to the wealth of informationto be found on CD Roms and on the Internet.Children of all ages were often found seeking herout to discuss a book they had read and discussits contents with her.

You would also find her working after school,and on the weekends to keep up with the enor-mous workload as she marked students’ papers,read book reports, prepared new books for pro-cessing, bought new books, looked up studymaterial for staff members, made sure displays ofbooks for special days and holidays were avail-able for staff and on and on. She also had a num-ber of parent volunteers and student helperswhom she instructed and monitored as theyhelped to keep the resources available for staffand students.

I am certain that she has had an impact on thelives of many students. This was very evident atthe recent 50th Anniversary and Reunion of theschool when a number of former studentsdropped by to say hello. She was interested ineach one of them and what they had done sinceleaving Prince Charles. Jean Harris is one of thefinest teacher-librarians I have ever met and hadthe privilege of working with. She will be greatlymissed by students and parents. n n n

Not too long ago, I was toldby a senior librarian in theUniversity that we should

not worry that much about our mis-sion given that it was not really a

"matter of life and death". And onfirst glance that may be true. We do

not make the same difference to thoseunder the knife in surgery or to those

who have broken bones, or encounteredan impacted wisdom tooth. I was think-

ing about how appreciative I was to mydentist after that nasty impacted condi-

tion. But I think that it is wrong to sell ourplace in the sun short just because we may

not make life and death decisions.

I think that the differences we make to childrenand students we serve (or is it better to say) our

libraries serve, may be just as important to thelife of the individual as that life saving operation.

The conditions of service are not equal, just differ-ent enough to be considered separately. There is noquestion that the body is essential, but without thespirit, without the spark - there is really not muchpurpose behind that body. That is why I havealways thought that the teacher was far moreimportant than the physician. They can repairdamaged parts. We can have an effect – not com-pletely on our own, but with our tools – on thewhole life of an individual.

That is why we have the best job in the world. Thatis why it is so important that we have the tools todo our job. We make significant differences with-out being fully aware of our role in the change. Letme expand this notion through all the players:

The Teacher We affect teachers just by being in the school. Inone school in Ontario's north a long time ago, Iwas told that I made a huge difference just bywearing a tie. I was the only "teacher" who woreone! That was when I thought tone was impor-tant. Teachers in that school accused me of beinga "reader". My first reaction was gloom, think-ing that I had in some way let the side down. Inthat northern town way back then, ties and


by Don Hamilton<[email protected]>

?WhoWhoknoknows ws thatthatyyou ou make a make a difdiffferenceerence

MAKING A DIFFERENCE


reading were marks to cover up.

But the difference I made for that staff was thatthey urged their students to pay attention to me –"He is a reader – he can make a difference to you.”When I slowly learned not to wear that tie, Ibelieve that I lost some of the differences they sawin me and may have lost some of the importancethey afforded me and my mission.

The ChildI have chosen that word carefully. The studentcomes next. It is the child that we have tried to losein all our talk about co-operative teaching andlearning. It is the child that so many teacher-librar-ians want to serve as they identify the library withstories and reading and booktalks. It is the childthat we touch when we help them make a point,find a formula, discover a truth. The child is theobject of the books we buy for their intrinsic worthrather than their relationship with the curriculum.

It is this role that offers incredible opportunities tomake a difference yet demands no accountability,no measurement of any kind. This is pure joy, thereason so many teacher-librarians are in the busi-ness yet realize that the joy is fleeting, subject tooutside influences. This is the problem – how todefend a program that has no specific goals, nowritten objectives, no direct evaluative proceduresand no feedback.

The StudentThis is the object of our program. This is theteacher-librarian building a collection of materialsto support the curriculum, the teacher and teach-ing. Here the satisfaction is achieved through theteacher who identifies the instructional needs ofher flock and calls on the teacher-librarian to assisther in meeting those needs. The teacher-librarianwill assist students to engage not only the librarybut assist student to move into the internet andbeyond for answers and more questions. Theteacher-librarian will make a difference to theschool's program as much as to individuals. Themeasurement will be almost totally dependent onthe teacher-classroom interaction - a measure ofplanning and design. This formality is often

missed, leaving the teacher-librarian outside theprocesses of the classroom. Making a differencebecomes less a personal result but one that recog-nizes the whole school endeavour.

The PrincipalIt has long been a mystery to me why principalsare willing to turn the library over to the "teacher-librarian" and never worry again. That trust maysimply be recognition that they know nothingabout the role, or that they truly recognize theform and function of the library in the school.Whatever it is - trust or ignorance - most of theschool librarians I have known, have nurturedthat force so that they can make a difference tothe school. The few school librarians who Ithought failed their mission seemed to never findthat trust. That may be it! Without that quietassurance that leads everyone to think that weknow what we are doing we are doomed. It is amatter of force of personality combined withsome very selective training at the hands of those"trusted" teacher-librarians who taught us.

The Teacher-Librarian Some get their kicks from personal interactionwith kids. Some delight in providing qualityresources for the school. Some find truth in devel-oping incredible co-operative learning programswith other teachers in the school. Some offerthemselves for office in local, provincial andnational bodies committed to improving the lotof the teacher-librarian and the role of the schoollibrary in learning. Some try to do it all.

The task is unbelievably rewarding. But there aresome individuals who should never have takenon the role. They do not understand how muchthey have to give to make those differences.Perhaps they liked the idea of the library asrefuge when it is truly a learning centre intowhich they must plunge as both teacher andlibrarian. I once told a trustee that I had the bestof all possible positions: my own library, my ownprogram, the whole school! Power!

Who knows that you make a difference? You do. n n n

MAKING A DIFFERENCE


early on that to be effective in meeting the needsof our students, the school library must respondto a constantly-changing educational system.

They focused on creating a child-centred, activelearning environment and on adopting newstrategies based in an understanding of howlearning takes place. This school library develop-ment included a more integrated approach toteaching skills necessary for finding, accessing,evaluating, using and sharing information.

A Plan of Action Becomes PossibleIn order to renew the role of the teacher-librarianand the goals of the school library informationcentre program within the framework of the newBoard, the Thames Valley teacher-librariansbrought their collective expertise to bear on anumber of new and exciting initiatives.

Some of these initiatives include:

n Developing the Thames Valley Teacher-Librarians’ Association constitution toinclude its philosophy, governing rules,best practices and ensuring representationby region and panel;

n Partnering with local libraries to provide

The 1998 amalgamation of the Elgin,Middlesex, Oxford and London Boards ofEducation brought many benefits to the

newly-formed Thames Valley District SchoolBoard. A significant benefit was the collectiveexpertise of the teacher-librarians who joinedtogether to form the Thames Valley TeacherLibrarians’ Association (TVTLA).

This dedicated group of educators has embracedour system’s vision of being a caring learning com-munity through its commitment to improve studentlearning and extend student understanding. Overthe past three years, our teacher-librarians haveembraced the philosophy that learning how tolearn, and the ability to reflect upon one’s ownlearning, are critical for our students to know.

Common Vision, Common StrategyTo this end, our teacher-librarians have devel-oped strategies to help students master retriev-ing, evaluating, organizing, sharing and applyinginformation objectively, critically and indepen-dently.

Since Thames Valley District School Board is thethird largest board in the province with a studentenrolment of over 88,000, this was a challenginggoal for our teacher-librarians. They recognized

CollectivCollective Expere Expertise tise Can Make Can Make EvEven More en More DifDiffferenceerence

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

by W. John LaughlinDirector of Education

Thames Valley District School Board

reading material for children who would oth-erwise not have access to these resources;

n Developing information technology schoolplans promoting the effective use of comput-ers in an educational setting;

n Promoting the OLA’s Silver Birch and RedMaple reading programs;

n Establishing their own e-mail conference onFirstClass to share information and ideas;

n Creating a professional development dayspecifically designed to meet the needs ofteacher-librarians as part of a system-wideLearning Conference;

n Developing and implementing a new libraryautomation system and union database tofacilitate on-line access to library collectionsfrom school and from home;

n Writing the secondary resource document,On Your Own--A Practical Guide to Research,Writing and Information Literacy, to assist stu-dents with the inquiry and research process,independent study and information literacy;

n Developing a companion guide to On YourOwn for Grades 4-8;

n Using and promoting the Electric LibraryCanada on-line research database as aresearch source for students and teachers;

n Establishing a Resource SelectionCommittee to evaluate print and non-printresources and databases to support thecurriculum;

n Fundraising to purchase additional libraryresources;

n Holding executive positions on provincialcommittees;

n Committing their personal time andmoney to upgrade their skills by attendingOSLA institutes.

We herald these initiatives and commend ourteacher-librarians for their commitment to ensur-ing the library program plays a central role in ouroverall plan for improving information literacy.

Trustees and the senior administration havedemonstrated their support through developmentof policies and procedures which allocate moretime to our school libraries than is mandated bythe Ministry. Together we are providing a soundbase for our students to participate and succeedin the information world of tomorrow. n n n

Ad: Teacher-Librarian

MAKING A DIFFERENCE


A Picture is A Picture is WWororth a th a Thousand WThousand Worords...ds...

Putting Great Putting Great Pictures Pictures on Yon YourourLibrarLibrary y WWeb Siteeb Site

by Diane Bédard

Great things are happening every day in yourschool library resource centre - successfulresearch projects, positive use of the internet,

enthusiastic story circles, dynamic guest speakers – sobe an advocate for your program! Brag about thesegreat happenings, even if they seem "everyday" fareto you!

How can you have the broadest impact and shareyour success story with the entire school communi-ty? Capture these great events in pictures and sharethese images on your library web site. With simpleaccess to a scanner or a digital camera you can easilyinclude the photo in an on-line photo album (manyscanners and cameras even come with simple soft-ware which streamlines this process for you). Thereis really only small (pun intended!) considerationwhen sharing photos ... think small!

The greatest sin when mounting photo images onthe web is to ignore the download time you areinflicting on the visitor to your site. While youmay find an image worth waiting for, most userswill quickly hit the back button and be gone. Sowhat do you do to make those great snapshotsthat you took show up on the web site in a userfriendly format? Whether you used a regularfilm camera or a digital camera, the process is thesame... think small!

By small, I refer to the actual size of the savedimage. How many kilobytes (K) of data are youexpecting the web site visitor to wait for? An aver-age dial-up connection (and most people STILLlive that way!) will download about 2K per sec-ond... so a 40K image will take 20 seconds, andthat’s about as long as the casual user will wait.(Grandparents have been known to wait for over10 minutes... but they’re not normal users!) If youtake the standard file from a digital camera, orscan in a standard photo on a scanner, the firstthing you’ll notice is that the file size can rangefrom 300K to over 1 MB. There definitely need tobe some adjustments before sharing this imageacross the web.

The average image from a scanner or a camera is


saved at 300, or 600 dpi (dots per inch) or higher.This ensures that when you send this image to acolour printer it comes out looking like a nicephoto, rather than the grainy, dot composite pictureyou see in the local newspaper. However, the webdoes not need this high a resolution for images.Most pictures viewed on the web have been con-verted down to only 72 dpi. At this level the brows-er will display the image in a decent quality and ata realistic download speed.

So what steps do you need to get from photo-graphic quality to web quality? Let’s step throughthem.

There are seven basic areas to consider in transfer-ring an image to the web:

1. resolution (dpi)2. editing basics: brightness, contrast,

saturation and balance3. format extensions (storage algorithms)4. optimizing colours and colour palette5. image size and use of thumbnails6. interleaving the image (a more

advanced technique)7. web page layout – numbers of images

per page

Six of these can often be addressed in the standardphoto editing software bundled with many scan-ners and cameras today, or are included in bundledsuites of software with your system. Whether youuse Adobe’s Photo Deluxe or Photoshop LE, MSPhoto Editor, or my favourite - Image Ready, yousimply need to ensure that you cover these basics.The seventh area, that of page layout, is simply amatter of common sense. Too many little picturesadd up to the same annoying wait as one big one!

STEPS TO EDITING

Your photo editing software may not let you modi-fy all of the following settings, but do take the timeto identify which features you can control and learnto use these to your best advantage.

1. Resolution (dpi)

We’ve already touched briefly on the first one –that’s the dpi setting. If you know that the endvenue for your pictures is going to be a web page,then set your digital camera or scanner accordingly.The scanner will let you set the dpi down at a lower

level (the default settings are normally 300 or 600dpi). While you eventually plan to drop the reso-lution down to 72 dpi, it is worth scanning at aslightly higher resolution (120 or so) then drop-ping down to 72 when you are done playing.Digital cameras allow you to preselect the quali-ty of the image you are snapping. The lowest set-ting is usually 72 - 120 dpi. One caution here – ifyou want the end user to view the image quicklyat low resolution, but have the option of choosingto download a higher resolution, then keep theinitial image up at 300 dpi and save two versionsof it; one high-resolution, and one low-resolution.

2. Editing Basics: Brightness, Contrast, Saturation and Balance

Brightness and contrast refer to the amount of lightin the image. If you want to make an overcast dayappear sunny, slide up the brightness. If you’d liketo soften the shadows, lessen the contrast. Many ofthe simple editing programs will have an autoadjust feature. The program will sample the coloursin the image and automatically choose to brighten itup for you. More advanced programs will give youthe flexibility to slide these settings yourself. Of allthe basic editing steps you can do, this one is themost important. Spend time here and experiment –on a COPY of your image, of course!

Saturation plays with the hues and intensity ofthe colours. Lower the saturation to soften garishcolours or achieve a softer watercolour look.Intensify the saturation to really pop the coloursout in a neon effect!

Colour Balance looks at the composite colours ofthe image. If your yellows are appearing green oryour whites look blue, these slider controls willlet you change the colour balance in the picture tofix the problem. Again, some of the simple pro-grams may simply auto adjust the colour for you.

3. Format Extensions (storage algorithms)

For images going onto a web page, use .gif or .jpgONLY!!!! (PNG is becoming a third extensionoption, but is only supported in the currentbrowser versions 4 or higher... older versions willneed to have the PNG! Live plug-in.)

Do not use extensions like .eps, .bmp, .tiff, .pict orany other exotic type!

(TL)2:


(TL)2:

Common Editing Software

Adobe Photo Deluxe • (MAC/WIN)• frequently bundled with low end, consumer

scanners• a very simple basic editing tool that automates

the process• provides templates for cards, calendars

Adobe PhotoShop LE • (MAC/WIN)• bundled with mid-range consumer and entry

level commercial scanners• a stripped version of the full Photoshop

application, but contains all the tools needed• great way to learn the professional way to photo

edit• can be upgraded to full package for a lot less

than the full price

ArcSoft Imaging Suite • (WIN) www.arcsoft.com• a low cost purchase program (list $70)• has the tools for retouching and editing that

serious photographers demand• has a slew of wacky backgrounds for humorous

photo recreation

MetaCreations Painter Classic • (MAC/WIN) www.metacreations.com• a low cost purchase program (list $90)• allows you to play with paintbrush and

impressionist effects on your photos• has templates for calendars, albums,

desktop/window shade images

MGI PhotoSuite III • (WIN) www.mgisoft.com• often bundled with scanners and digital cameras• can be purchased (list $60)• in addition to the basic editing and adjustment

tools, it has templates for slide shows and photoalbums

• a great "500 projects" bonus section walks youthrough calendar and collage construction

Microsoft Photo Editor • (WIN) • bundled in MS Office Suite• very basic tools, but also very easy to use• can do all the basics needed

Ulead Systems Photo Impact 5.0 • (WIN) www.ulead.com• a low cost purchase program (list $50)• special tools have preset brush strokes, textures

and 3-D effects• great for artistic flare and dramatic images

How to choose the right one? Look at how thecolour is spread in the image:

l GIF is for art work – flat colour, solid blocks of colour

l JPG is for photo workThese extensions refer to how the computerstores the colour information and how it com-presses it for smallest size.

GIFs store in an 8-bit colour format (maximumof 256 colours) and handle flat artwork withtext fonts well. GIFs don’t compress, they actu-ally lose (discard) data from the image. Aprocess called DITHERING will intermix tworemaining web safe colours to blend into athird colour.

JPEGs can be saved at several image qualities;8-bit, 16-bit and even 24-bit colour. JPGs areused when the image is made up of intermin-gled or graduated colour dots. A JPEG can behighly compressed for small size, efficientlystoring the full image data, but the decompres-sion occurs on download, so download timescan be longer for highly compressed image.

4. Optimizing Colours and the Colour Palette

Unlike the millions of colours your eyes cansee, and the thousands of colours your moni-tor can display, the web can only accuratelydisplay 217 colours. The rest are unreliable. Ifyou want to create an image that looks goodwhether in Netscape or Explorer, whetherMAC or WINDOWS, and at any screen sizeand resolution, then the images you put up onthe web need to be in a limited number of websafe colours.

Simple photo editing packages will not let youchoose which colour palette to use, but most ofthem will have an "optimize for the web"choice. This is what it’s doing when you selectit.

i) PHOTOS which will end up as JPEG images (.jpg), will use the web colour palette.

ii) ARTWORK or IMAGES which will endup as GIFs (.gif) will use the indexed colour palette.


As an example, see the community photo albumat [http://www.WECDSB.on.ca]. Go to "Ourcommunity" and view the photo album indexand pages.

A FINAL CAUTION

It’s great to share your images and school activi-ties on the web but do consider the viewing audi-ence. There are a lot of people out there cruisingthe web with whom you would rather not link.

As you are placing these images on a school website:

• DO follow your Board’s web page guidelines.

• DO NOT provide identifying details on the web site. The photo caption should talk about the activity you are highlighting ("story time is fun"), not name the visible faces.

• NEVER link a first and last name to a child without the specific permission of the parent/guardian to do so (e.g., award winners listed in press releases).

• DO INFORM staff / parent volunteers that you plan to use their image.

• We have a standard parental release formauthorizing the use of the child’s imageor work in a public format (schoolnewsletter, web site, board produced lit-erature, videos, etc.) which should be onfile at the school for every child.

Keep a couple of copies of these release formswith the digital camera too. It’s a lot easier withguests to note on the permission slip that this isfor picture 02 and 03 and get it signed on the spotthan it is to try and backtrack afterward.

Enjoy sharing your library program with thewhole community! n n n

5. Cropping and Re-sizing Images and the Use of Thumbnails

Learn to use the crop tool. It’s your best friend!Just the simple act of selecting the interesting partof the image, and cropping out all the extraneousbackground can greatly add to the impact of thefinished picture. Plan to fill the frame with themain image ( what you originally took the pictureof). Crop (trim) the edges, the overabundant sky,the dull or out of focus background filler.

6. Interleaving the Image (a more advanced technique)

The browser will wait until it has the wholeimage downloaded before displaying any of it...therefore for bigger images (3X5 or larger), youshould select the option to "interleave" the image.This is like taking a paper cutter and slicing thepicture into lots of slim horizontal slices. Theseget saved as a set of pictures and trigger a stag-gered load.

The end result is an image that starts to appearquickly, and grows as it downloads getting pro-gressively longer and sharper as the downloadprogresses.

Does this display the entire picture faster? No. Infact it can actually take slightly longer to down-load the full image as the interleaving commandsadd some size overhead but the end user per-ceives that it is far faster. They see somethinghappening continuously!

7. Web Page Layout:Numbers of Images per Page

Obviously, the more images you put on a page,the longer it will be before the full page displays.If you have a whole "photo album" of images toshare, then create a set of thumbnails (small cropsof each picture) and display them in a table withthe choice to click on each one to see its full size.

Even with a table full of thumbnails, rememberthat the total size of the page is important. Createlink pages of your photo album with just 6 to 8thumbnails and a short write-up or caption perpage. Let the user browse through your "pages"and enjoy!

(TL)2:

Diane Bédard is at the Learning Materials ResourceCentre, Windsor-Essex Catholic District School

Board. She is President of OLA’s Ontario Libraryand Information Technology Association for 2001.

<[email protected]>


In the foreseeable future, almost half the workforce will be employed in information-basedoccupations. To be successful in this information

economy, students must develop the knowledgeand skills needed in tomorrow’s world of work.Students must have access to comprehensive infor-mation literacy programs, technologies andresources if they are to achieve their goals and meetthe expectations of the new Ontario Curriculum. Ifstudents are to be information literate now and inthe future, school library information centres mustplan and implement information programs that areintegral to the instructional process. The role playedby technologies and resources in information pro-grams are key to their effectiveness. Research tellsus that School Library Information Centres with allthese components in place are one of the best pre-dictors of student achievement throughout elemen-tary, secondary and post-secondary education.

In order for students to function as thoughtful,responsible and literate citizens in the local and glob-al society, "educators must ensure that they [students]have access to information technology, informationskills instruction and a wide range of information.Equitable access is fundamental to achieving thegoals and expectations of our education system."(Information Literacy and Equitable Access (draft),Ministry of Education. It is the right of every child inOntario to have this access, no matter where they live,no matter what their economic or social group.

School Library Information Centres play a vital rolein creating a school-wide climate for successful stu-dent learning within a positive learning environ-ment. The following principles are proving to beessential to the success of the School Library

Information Centre in this educational pursuit:n The school library curricular program must

focus on information literacy and reading.n The staffing model includes qualified and

highly motivated teacher-librarian(s), flexibly scheduled and supported by technical and clerical staff.

n The funding model remains consistent,ongoing and based on long range planning.

n A wide range of appropriate learning mate-rials is carefully selected to meet the formaland informal needs of all learners.

n Technologies are current, readily accessibleand supportive of curriculum expectations.

n Facilities are safe, spacious and welldesigned to accommodate a variety oflearning activities.

n Curricular leadership and technical supportis provided at the Board level.

n Meaningful involvement with communitypartners to enhance student learning withinand beyond the school.

New curriculum initiatives in Ontario have beenthe catalyst for the Ontario School LibraryAssociation to develop Information Studies,Kindergarten to Grade 12 (1999), a comprehensivecurriculum designed to give all students a solidfoundation in the conceptualization, organiza-tion, communication and application of informa-tion to learning throughout life.

In developing standards for school library infor-mation centres that can best prepare students forlifelong learning challenges they will face, OSLAis giving consideration to eight components asoutlined in the chart on the previous page.

by Rose Dotten, University of Toronto Schoolsand Elizabeth Kerr, Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board

TTHEHE TTIMEIME ISIS RRIGHTIGHT......SSTTANDARDSANDARDS FORFOR

SSCHOOLCHOOL LLIBRARIBRARYY

IINFORMANFORMATIONTION CCENTRESENTRES

ISSUES


ISSUES

Category Targets

Curriculum n A comprehensive library information program of knowledge and skills.n Seamless integration of the library information program across all subjects. n Collaborative partnerships among teacher-librarians, teachers, administrators, parents.n Face-to-face and on-line curriculum planning, implementation, assessing, reporting.

Resources n Balance of print, visual, digital and on-line resources.n Current with a significant percentage of new acquisitions on a yearly basis.n Automated and accessed in a central union catalogue as well as the public library and

community access networks

Technology n Sufficient electrical, data, voice and cable connections to meet program requirements.n Integrated network access within school, board and community.n High speed Internet access on all workstations.n Several clusters of workstations available for individual, small group and large group

activities.n Presentation centre in the teaching area. n Multiple workstations for multimedia production i.e. publishing, presentations, digital

video editing.n Video conferencing centre.

Facilities n Barrier-free access.n Warm, inviting atmosphere.n Scheduled on a flexible basis to meet teacher and student needs.n Located to permit use outside normal school hours.n Variety of teaching/learning areas for individual, small and large groups to work,

read, be engaged in direct instruction, presentations, on-line work. n Good sightlines and traffic flow.n Visually appealing and ergonomically designed furniture, shelving and equipment.

Staffing n Staffing model that includes qualified teacher-librarian(s), library/computer technician, and clerical assistance.

n A minimum of .5 qualified teacher-librarian in schools with population of 250 or less.

Funding n Budget established on the principle of a yearly base plus a per capita allowance.n Sufficient funding to permit a process of yearly weeding and renewal.n Ample funding to acquire equipment, materials and consumables.n Opportunity to address special initiatives on annual basis – early literacy, author visits.

District n Library Information Curriculum Advisor available on full time basis to support the Support library program implementation.Services n Central library technical services department to support schools by cataloguing, build-

ing the union catalogue, administering the library information management system.n Central media centre (learning resources centre) to augment in-school resources;

on-line catalogue, self-booking, daily delivery to schools.n Central system librarian to work with computer specialists to support school library

information centres.

Community n Identification of community resources; implementation of shared resources agreements.n Active pursuit of community/school partnerships to expand the resources and ser-

vices of all participating institutions.n Participation in integrated community networking initiatives to accomplish the shared

resources and services.n Communication with school community, participation in community events.

Standards for School Library Information Centres


ISSUESAll eight components serve an equally importantfunction and must be supported and assessed todetermine the effect on student learning. In orderto do this equitably, the standards we are devel-oping must give educators an equitable basis forresearch, study and evaluation. The work we pro-duce must be based in solid findings, not just the-ory. and everyone’s help is going to be needed.

The Standards will provide an accountabilityframework for administrators and for SchoolLibrary Information Centre staff. They will providea blueprint for the creation of an environment con-ducive to student learning and will show how thesuccessful Information Centre is a focus not onlyfor students but for professional development,training and leadership for teachers. n n n

Who Else Says…The Time is RightJust as success in the Industrial Agedepended on a school system thattaught us how to read and write,add and subtract; our success in theInformation Age depends on aschool system that teaches us howto manage information, utilize tech-nologies, innovate, and...think. Barrett, Matthew. Globe andMail, 30 Nov 1996. Effective school library programscan also help promote the develop-ment of information literacy skillsamong all students by supportingand coordinating the collaborativeplanning and implementation ofreading programs, inquiry andresearch tasks, and independentstudy. Ontario. The Ministry of Education.The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 9 to 12: Program Planning andAssessment. 2000.

You will be better prepared toprogress in the world of workwhen you can:• read and understand informa-

tion presented in a variety offorms

• share information using a rangeof information and communica-tions technologies

• locate, gather and organize infor-mation using appropriate tech-nology and information systems

• access, analyze and apply knowl-edge and skills from various disci-plines observe and record dateusing appropriate methods, toolsand technology

• plan, design or carry out a projectfrom start to finish with well-defined objectives and outcomes

Conference Board of Canada.Employability Skills 2000+.

[http://www.conferenceboard.ca/nbec] 15 Dec 2000.

In Ontario we have to face the chal-lenge of how to best use the power ofthese information and communica-tions technologies (ICT) in all levelsof education and training. … to con-ceptualize and define a new visionfor learning in a technology-enabledenvironment, with clear goals,expected outcomes, and a plan ofaction that includes signposts ofprogress along the way. Ontario Knowledge Network forLearning Symposium. Plugged intoLearning, Plugged into Tomorrow.2000.

… there is a good body of research toindicate that good teacher-librarianscan make a great difference in the lifeof a school and help to improve stu-dent achievement…. Within a libraryprogram, for example, there aremany important instructionalresponsibilities (e.g. research skillsand effective access to information)that are best delivered by a certifiedteacher librarian.Government of Ontario. The Road Ahead:The First Report of the EducationImprovement Commission. August 1997.[http//eic.edu.gov.on.ca/English/board/report/road1/eng/eng-pg22.asp] 15 Nov. 2000.

So we have a sixteen-year-old whohas the technical skills to use theInternet but doesn’t have the vali-dation skills to understand thestructure of the information hefinds on the Internet. … the techni-cal skill is trivial compared to thecritical thinking skills needed. …Most technology plans that I seeare not plans at all … they’re shop-ping lists of stuff.

November, Alan. Creating a NewCulture of Teaching and Learning.

California Department ofEducation Symposium Feb 1998.[http://www.anovember.com/articles/asilomar.html] 15 Nov.2000.

The role played by teacher-librari-ans goes beyond just keeping thelibrary open. They have anoverview of the curriculum, andthey work with teachers to ensurethat library materials support cur-riculum and to choose appropriateresources for use in the classroom.They also teach children researchskills, how to write papers and howto use computers and the Internet.People for Education. Where Haveall the Teacher-Librarians Gone?People For Education Newsletter.December 4, 2000, Vol. 4 No. 1.[http:www,peopleforeducation.com/]8 Dec. 2000.

Students in schools with appropri-ate and sufficient library collec-tions and qualified library person-nel tend to perform better on stan-dardized tests, especially in read-ing, according to studies of schoollibrary programs in Alaska,Colorado, and Pennsylvania."Manzo, Kathleen Kennedy. EducationWeek on the Web.[http://www.edweek. org/ew/new-story.cfm] 22 Jan. 2001.

Within a library program, forexample, there are many importantinstructional responsibilities (e.g.research skills and effective accessto information) that are best deliv-ered by a certified teacher librarian.Government of Ontario. The RoadAhead: The First Report of theEducation ImprovementCommission. August 1997.[http//eic.edu.gov.on.ca/English/board/report /road1/eng/eng-pg22.asp]15 Nov. 2000.


The participants at the OSLA’s November 4th Association Policy Forum session onAdvocacy and Political Action drafted the following motion. It was felt that the situa-tion facing Ontario’s school libraries is of such grave concern that it warranted this for-mal request for help from the Ontario Library Association membership-at-large.

The motion was presented at the Ontario Library Association’s 100th AnniversaryAnnual General Meeting on November 4th in Toronto.

WHEREAS, OLA believes that all residents of Ontario have a right to free and equitable access to library programs and services they require for lifelong learning and personal enrichment; and,

WHEREAS, a threat to any one segment of the library community weakens the mission of the entire organization; and,

WHEREAS, it is an important role of the teacher-librarian to teach information literacy within the context of the Ontario curriculum,

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the OLA develop an action plan to respond now to the staffing, funding and learning crisis confronting school libraries.

The OLA Annual General MeetingThe OLA Annual General Meeting

Concern fConcern fororSchool Libraries School Libraries Shared bShared by the Entire y the Entire LibrarLibrary Communityy Community

The Ontario Library Association represents over 4,000 information professionals fromschool, college, university, public and special libraries. The OSLA has 1,100 members. Byasking all segments of the OLA membership to back our cause, it increases the attentionwe get, particularly from the politicians.

The debate at the OLAAnnual General Meeting brought out the negative impact that thedeteriorating school library situation is having on student use of public libraries andexplored the implications for student success in the use of community college and uni-versity libraries in the months and years ahead. The motion passed unanimously.

The OLA Board of Directors struck a special committee of Presidents to develop a polit-ical action plan for all sections of the Association to use in a co-ordinated effort on theschool library issue. $5,000 was set aside by OLA to cost its development. n n n

ISSUES


ISSUES

CHARACTERISTICS AND BENEFITS OF A NEW COUNCIL STRUCTURE

n Maintain regional representation on CouncilJoyce Cunningham, Northern membersCheryl Dinnin, Southwestern membersBobbie Henley, Central-West membersMichelle Regina, Mid-Central membersKendra Godin-Svoboda, Central-East membersRose Dodgson, Toronto membersFlavia Renon, Eastern members

n Distribute the Association’s work.n President and Vice-President to be ex-officio on all

portfolios n Regional Councillors to accept responsibility for

one portfolio each; if there are more portfolios than councillors, members-at-large will be recruited

n Understand portfolio role as one of leadership andas a conduit for Council.

n Present updates and reports prior to Council meetings electronically.

n Identify agenda items within the portfolios calling for Council action

n Encourage participation of greater numbers of members-at-large.

n Assure that activities undertaken within a given portfolio reflect diverse geographic regions, school panels and membership as much as possible.

n Facilitate long-term planning and ongoing work.n Establish an on-line discussion group for each

portfolio in order to:- facilitate on-going decisions and planning,- meet specific needs and interests,- keep Council informed and up-to-date.

n Nurture the interests, talents and needs of portfolio members.

n Councillor will moderate their portfolio postings and take a leadership role as necessary.

n Recognize and celebrate portfolio contributions.

Your OSLA Council has beenrestructured away from strictregional representation.

Council 2001 will be portfolio dri-ven – that is each councillor isaccepting responsibility for a port-folio and is agreeing to provideleadership for that aspect ofAssociation work. However, untilthe portfolios are formed andshaped to represent the geographicbalance required to reflect thediversity of our vast province, thecurrent regional structure will bemaintained for this year with theportfolios superimposed on top ofthem. The structure will alwaysremain dynamic, responding tochange and needs.

What prompted the change? It wasthe growth in the number of initia-tives and projects undertaken byOSLA in order to meet the chal-lenges of these changing times.This created a need for a greaterdistribution of leadership, greaterparticipation by you, the members-at-large, and a project/issue-basedstructure that facilitates long-termplanning.

You are invited, indeed you areurged, to respond to the call forinvolvement in one of the port-folios of the Council of 2001.

Sya Van Geest,OSLA President.

RestrRestructuring ucturing

OSLA Council to MeetOSLA Council to Meet

EvEverer-Gr-Groowing Challengeswing Challenges


THE PORTFOLIOS

AdvocacyResponsible: President Sya Van Geest

<[email protected]>Represent OSLA in meetings on government initia-tives affecting school libraries; work with OLAPresidents on OLA advocacy plan for schoollibraries; chair letter-writing and other advocacyactivities; create materials for special target audi-ences. Co-ordinate the efforts of Council.

Super ConferenceResponsible: Councillor Rose Dodgson

<[email protected]>Develop workshops and speakers for sessions ofspecific school library interest at Super Conference;work with the OLA planning team to ensure schoollibrary content in sessions involving broader libraryskills and issues; may be the OSLA planning teammember. For 2002, Rose will be OSLA Co-Chair withDiana Gauthier <[email protected]>.

PublicationsResponsible: Councillor Cheryl Dinnin

<[email protected]>Chair Publications Board to identify, co-ordinate anddevelop the school library articles to be published inThe Teaching Librarian, Access and in other periodicals(e.g. Professionally Speaking, Teach, principal’s jour-nals, etc.). Work with person or persons appointed tobe the Editor or Contributing Editor to each of theseprojects. Recommend major policy and contentshifts for discussion at Council as appropriate.

CommunicationsResponsible: Councillor Flavia Renon

<[email protected]>Work with Webmaster and Committee on web page;work with advocacy committee to develop special-ized communication to promote teacher librarian-ship and/or OSLA; liaise with CSLA and other bod-ies to present their initiatives to Council for action.

Membership, Awards, NominationsResponsible: Councillor Joyce Cunningham

<[email protected]>Promote OSLA interests in development of member-ship policy, fees and related issues; share ideas forpromoting membership with Council; organizeannual awards and nomination process.

Professional Development InstitutesResponsible: Councillor Michelle Regina

<[email protected]>Develop an annual plan for in-service thatresponds to input from the members. Build onOSLA’s professional development continuum.Reflect Ministry of Education initiatives and takeinto account geographic concerns. Chair commit-tee to plan an August two-day summer institute.Work with OLA staff to organize promotion, cer-tificates of participation, support materials andother logistics as necessary to the successful com-pletion of the Project.

PartnershipsResponsible: Vice-President Esther Rosenfeld

<[email protected]>Subject Association Meetings: Provincial subjectand division representatives meet several times ayear at the Macdonald Block for updates from theCurriculum and Assessment Policy Branch; shiftin 2001 to initiatives to support the implementa-tion of the new curriculum; foster school libraryissues where appropriate; work with S/DA’s rep-resentative on the Ministry of Education /Faculties of Education Liaison Committee to raiseschool library issues in teacher education.

OTF Curriculum Forum: Be responsible forattendance at three meetings per year, in Toronto;participate in the discussion and raise schoollibrary issues where appropriate.

@ your libraryLibraries Advance Ontario

Responsible: Kendra Godin-Svoboda<godinsvoboda_kendra@

durham.edu.on.ca>Represent OSLA on the OLA Marketing TaskForce working on the Libraries Advance OntarioProject and their new initiative, @ your library.

Special ProjectsResponsible: Councillor Bobbie Henley

<[email protected]>Respond to special projects outside the portfolioframework. These may include OSLA develop-ments and initiatives that are collaborative innature and endorsed by OLA. An example wouldbe to participate in the work and development ofthe OLA Action Plan (see page 19). n n n

ISSUES


expectations people will have of our students whenthey enter the work world. Since Information Studies, Kindergarten to Grade 12appeared in 1999, I have been experimentingwith a model to support its implementation. Iwanted a way to enhance my own personal under-standing of how best to implement an informationliteracy curriculum at my school, how to begin tocreate a culture of collaboration with my col-leagues, and how to engage my students inmeaningful learning experiences which wouldlead them to the development of higher levelthinking skills. The result has been the coding ofthe expectations found in Information Studies. Thelesson plan opposite uses a design-down processthat reflects the Information Studies curriculum. Toshow how this works, I include a sample of thecoded expectations in a lesson plan for senior levelstudents on how to develop an essay outline.

What Was Expected in this LessonIn this case, we wanted to teach students the var-

This simple song epitomizes what we asteacher-librarians are called upon to do in ourschools. We have expertise both in pedagogy

and information literacy – a unique match withwhich to marry subject curricula with what hasmost recently become our own curriculum,Information Studies, Kindergarten to Grade 12.Information Studies has become the conceptualframework within which teacher-librarians can fullyimplement a collaborative culture in their schools asenvisaged in Partners In Action.

We are in a position to ensure that essential infor-mation literacy skills are taught to our students inthe context both of their curriculum and of the

Coded ExpectationsCoded Expectations

and the Implementationand the Implementationof of Information StudiesInformation Studies

by Angela Di Prima

CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS

Matchmaker, matchmaker,Make me a match, Find me a find, Catch me a catch, Look through your book andMake me a perfect match"

“


GGrraaddee 1111 IInnffoorrmmaattiioonn SSttuuddiieess LLeessssoonn PPllaann

Subject Teacher: M. L Room: Library / Computer Lab Grade/Subject: Eleven Religion Topic: Essay Outline Prior Knowledge: Essay Proposal, Essay Structure, Bibliography Date: December 20, 2000 Day: 1 / 2 Period: 2 Lesson No: 3 Follow up dates: January 17, 2001, February 7, 2001

Information Studies Expectations:Inquiry and Research (IR) /Information Technologies (IT) /Information and Society (IS)Overall (OV) / Reasoning (R) / Organizing (O) / Communicating (C) / Applying (A)

Overall:IR-OV 1 IR-0V 2 IR-OV 3 IR-OV 4IT-OV 1 IT-0V 2 IT-OV 3 IT-OV 4IS-OV 1 IS-0V 2 IS-OV 3 IS-OV 4

Reasoning:IRR 11-1 IRR 11-2 IRR 11-3 IRR 11-4 IRR 11-5 IRR 11-6 IRR 11-7 IRR 11-8 ITR 11-1 ITR 11-2 ITR 11-3 ISR 11-1 ISR 11-2 ISR 11-3

Organizing:IRO 11-1 IRO 11-2 IRO 11-3 IRO 11-4 IRO 11-5 IRO 11-6 ITO 11-1 ITO 11-2 ITO 11-3 ITO 11-4IS0 11-1 IS0 11-2

Communicating:IRC 11-1 IRC 11-2 IRC 11-3 IRC 11-4 ITC 11-1 ITC 11-2 ITC 11-3ISC 11-1 ISC 11-2 ISC 11-3

Applying:IRA 11-1 IRA 11-2 IRA 11-3 IRA 11-4 IRA 11-5 IRA 11-6 IRA 11-7ITA 11-1 ITA 11-2 ITA 11-3ISA 11-1 ISA 11-2 ISA 11-3

Content or Subject Expectations:

ious subtasks necessary to be successful in thisassignment, namely: how to develop, research andsupport a thesis; how to create a formal essay pro-posal and outline; how to take effective notes usingproper citation and referencing for footnotes, endnotes and bibliographic references; and finally howto bring all these elements together in a cohesiveand coherent essay. The ultimate goal is to have stu-dents develop an appreciation of the scholarly essayas a method for communicating a clear and con-vincing thesis supported by accurate and meaning-ful research.

Students are required to submit an outline detailingthe thesis, introduction, body of evidence and con-clusion which will form the organizational basis of

the essays. The lesson involves the teaching andmodeling of various essay outline formats toensure that all students have the tools to createtheir own outline. The format for the outline is leftopen-ended to ensure students have the opportu-nity to excel in this particular task.

This lesson meets a number of overall expectationsfound in the Information Studies document:n Inquiry and Research: the first and third over-

all expectation to "prepare for research-identifyvaried ways of organizing information" and"process information-sort information using avariety of organizers and formats (as well as tobegin to) synthesize findings and formulateconclusions".

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Angela Di Prima is a teacher-librarian at Father Bressani High School in the

York Catholic District School Board. <[email protected]>

n Information Technologies: the second overallexpectation to "use information technology toidentify, gather and sort information andrevise product".

n Information and Society: the second and thirdoverall expectations to "demonstrate an under-standing of varied ways of organizing and stor-ing information (and) demonstrate an under-standing of varied ways of creating and com-municating information".

In a similar way many of the specific expectationsfor the four metaskills of Reasoning, Organizing,Communicating and Applying for the Grade 11Information Studies curriculum are met:n Inquiry and Research: this subtask meets the

the first, second, fifth, sixth, seventh andeighth specific expectation of Reasoning, thesixth specific expectation of Organizing, thesecond and third specific expectation ofCommunicating and the first, fourth, sixthand seventh specific expectation of Applying;

n Information Technologies: this subtask meetsthe first specific expectation of Reasoning;

n Information and Society: this subtask meetsthe third specific expectation ofCommunicating and the second specificexpectation of Applying.

How the Coding WorksWhat becomes a daunting task for us as profes-sionals is clearly documenting all this in a rela-tively quick and accurate manner.

The coding and lesson plans which I have devel-oped reflect the Information Studies curriculumand follow the standard format for coded expec-tations with which teachers might already befamiliar. The lesson plan opposite shows this par-ticular lesson when it was taught to a grade 11Religion class. The expectations being met by thisparticular lesson are recorded on the lesson plansimply by underlining the appropriate code.

Although at first glance it may appear somewhatcomplex, in essence it is a very straightforwardway of recording the various skills and expecta-tions met in the lesson.

We need to ensure that as curriculum leaders wetake the initiative to marry the information litera-cy skills found in the Information Studies curricu-

Co-operative Teaching Plan:Teacher-Librarian:4 Prepare sample charts/handouts on outline

format,4 Evaluate according to rubric

Subject Teacher:4 Ensure thesis has been approved, collect

outline, record evaluation mark

Meeting Dates / Times:

Assessment and EvaluationRubric of Expectations: 4 (far exceeds) 3 (exceeds) 2 (meets) 1 (does not meet)

Topic/ThemeResources: Charts and handoutsAdaptations / Notes:Fill in the Blank Outline vs Proper AcademicFormat

Culminating TaskDescriptions:Students need to devel-op an appreciation forthe stages/steps thatwill ensure successfulresearch. To this end,students will submit tothe teacher for evalua-tion an outline, theirthesis, introduction,body of evidence andconclusion which willform the organizationalbasis of their essay.

Teaching and LearningStrategies and Timing:Direct teaching of theoutline purpose andformats (charts andhandouts)

10 minDemonstration of actu-al outline sample usingstudent topic/volunteer

10 minConferencing withstudents to determinewhich format to useand ensure studentunderstanding.

50 minContinue researchingand evaluating sources ofinformation in light ofthe approved thesis andproposal.


lum with classroom curricula. As founders of thecollaborative culture in schools, we need to be atthe forefront of this marriage and use all theskills and tools available to us to ensure that weare successful in this mandate. n n n


CCURRICULUMURRICULUM

PPLANNINGLANNING

FORFOR

SSTUDENTTUDENT

SSUCCESSUCCESS

by Sya Van Geest

Inquiry through research has been formalized asbest practice for student learning within thecontext of every discipline and across every

grade. Learning and teaching in the informa-tion/digital era emphasize qualities of innovative,critical thinking, and independent and collabora-tive team skills.

To Do What is Good for the KidsThis is a shift from past practices that tended toemphasize content. Letting go of content and mov-ing towards expectations of students learning howto learn is no shock to our system. The introduc-tion of resource-based learning in Partners inAction brought these concepts to our programback in 1982. To do what is good for ‘kids’demands that we plan, deliver and track a multi-tude of information literacy skills needed for suc-cess in school and beyond.

When you think of it, this makes our schools but aformal part of a continuum of lifelong learning forour children.

The Bounty We BringWe teacher-librarians bring to the current educa-tional enterprise experiences and expertise thatrepresent a bounty of contributions.

One is in the area of curriculum design. We havethe perfect tool – Information Studies, Kindergartento Grade 12. It empowers us to be leaders in the

collaboration, design and delivery of high quali-ty student inquiries through research.

The other important thing we bring is in the areaof best practices in instruction. Why are we obvi-ous candidates to do this? For one thing, weknow first hand the skill sets students require tonavigate through information, judge its value,synthesize, create and communicate their ownideas. Conversely, we know first hand the perilsfor students being merely collectors of data. Wework with students across all the grades andacross every subject so we have a unique per-spective of the ordered, progressive nature ofinformation literacy. We see the gestalt withoutthe artificial boundaries of subjects.

The Information SpecialistWe are the information specialists with expertiseand experience in the research process integratedwith information technologies.

We are specialists in building and maintaining acollection with resources that match curriculumneeds, learning styles, multi-dimensionalCanadian society, interdisciplinary applications,and balanced information sources in differentformats – print, audio-visual and digital.

We applaud the virtual library with informationdistributed throughout the school and beyondand information literacy teaching expectations




shared by all teachers. These will one day repre-sent for teacher-librarians and the school libraryinformation centre a strengthened, higher-profilerole. It will be seen as the way to foster a collabo-rative, school-wide approach to delivering andtracking core, essential information literacy skillsin an organized, progressive, rigorous way. Thisavoids duplication in a curriculum denselypacked with expectations for students.

The Research Process in Sharp FocusThe four-stage research process incorporating theapplied skills of information technologies, asdelineated in OLA’s Information Studies docu-ment, facilitates quick and easy planning of excel-lent student research assignments. There is suchclarity and preciseness to the four-stage researchmodel. Good teaching practice suggests a consis-tent, organized research process framework.

True, the four-stage process is not the onlyresearch process. Information Studies is quick torecognize the many models that exist and itsuperimposes the different stages on top of eachother (17, 102). However, the division of researchinto just four succinct stages puts the researchprocess into sharp focus. It fosters the delivery ofthe clusters of core, essential information literacyskills and knowledge in each stage as outlined inan ordered, interdisciplinary, progressive way,grade by grade on a continuum with descriptorsof four possible levels of achievement.

Learn the Information Studies ProcessI don’t think it can be stated strongly enough. Everyteacher-librarian must learn this four-stage processand model its use consistently to design studentassignments, whether collaboratively with a class-room teacher or for your own class.

Think of it! If it was an expectation that everychild in Ontario used these four stages of researchand every child learned the skill sets involved ineach stage in an orderly, progressive way, what apowerful tool for learning that would be! Whatan excellent way to maximize transfer by apply-ing research concepts and processes for academicsuccess in all disciplines, for lifelong learning. n n n

Sya Van Geest is OSLA President.

Curriculum Planning for Student Success

The following four questions will guide youthrough the curriculum planning process todesign quality inquiry, research units.

1. What are the learning expectations for students? In other words, what must students know and be able to do?

1.1 Select, in collaboration with the classroom teacher, those subject expectations that suggest researching as the best practice for student learning.

1.2 Select, in collaboration with the classroom teacher, Information Studies expectations for the grade level from Information Studies (OLA, 1999).

2. What will count as evidence of that learning?

2.1 Establish criteria and levels directly linked to the expectations.

2.2 Create a variety of assessment and evaluation strategies and tools, includingrubrics.

2.3 Be certain to measure both the product and process of research.

2.4 Set clear standards throughout the research process so teachers can assess student needs and teach accordingly, and students can self-assess and self-adjust.

3. What culminating task will students perform to transfer their research findings?

3.1 Design a culminating task that clearly addresses the key expectations.

3.2 Determine the sub-tasks essential for successful completion of the culminating task.

Sub-task 1: Determine and teach to the priorknowledge and skills essential for studentsto complete the research assignment.

Sub-task 2: Prepare for ResearchSub-task 3: Access ResourcesSub-task 4: Process InformationSub-task 5: Transfer Learning

4. How will teaching/learning/grouping strategies be structured?

4.1 Provide rich and varied experiences forstudents in the classroom and in the school library.

4.2 Actively engage students in ways thatclearly address the expectations.

4.3 Determine when it is best for students to work alone, in teams or as a whole class.

4.4 Consciously teach for success and transfer.


Reflectionsof a First-Year

Teacher-Librarian

by Angela Di Prima, Teacher-Librarian, Father Bressani Catholic High School

Iam just beginning to learn that life sometimeshas a funny way of working itself out. Sincegraduating from the Faculty of Education at the

University of Toronto in 1992, I have held numer-ous teaching positions with at least 4 differentschool boards. I even held two teaching positionswith two television production companies as theon-set teacher for a number of young and ratherwell known actors. Now this is not a tribute to myemployment instability but rather simply a fact ofhaving graduated at a time when all those predict-ed retirements in the teaching profession had notquite come into fruition. For many of my fellowgraduates and colleagues this seemed an unbear-able reality. For me it seemed a great opportunity tofurther my own professional development andexpand my teaching horizon. For someone whonever thought she would become a teacher in thefirst place, I sure did my part to ensure that I wasalways employed in my profession throughoutthose years. After all, teaching, no matter what thegrade or subject, is still teaching. Or so I thought.

That is until I finally found that perfect teachingposition for me, that of the teaching librarian.

I have never quit a job. To be able to accept ateaching position with the York Catholic DistrictSchool Board as a teacher-librarian and historyteacher at Father Bressani Catholic High Schoolin Woodbridge last summer, I quit two. Consider-ing I already had completed a Master of Arts inHistory, but I had never had the opportunity toteach history, I was thrilled at the chance to teachmy favourite subject and the library componentseemed to fit in so well with my own academicdisposition towards research. Armed with myown love of learning, I embarked on what hasbecome one of my most exciting and memorableyears in my teaching career thus far and ironical-ly, it has been in my role as teacher-librarian thatI have experienced the greatest growth anddevelopment as a professional educator.

I distinctly remember how shocked many of thestaff members at Father Bressani CHS were tohave a new teacher-librarian. I was replacing ateacher-librarian who had been at the school forover ten years and the staff, although warm andfriendly seemed to have a cohesiveness, whichonly happens when a group of people haveworked and socialized together for a number ofyears. If I was to be successful in this position, Iknew I needed to carve out a place for myselfamong the staff at large, within the SchoolAcademic Council and even among my fellowhigh school teacher-librarians at our SubjectCouncil. Perhaps the greatest challenge I faced atthis time was creating my own personal identityand defining my role as a teacher-librarian andthen publicizing that role to staff, students, par-ents and the community. I say this was a chal-lenge at the time because I had to create this iden-tity from what I believed and from what I hadperceived to be characteristics of a successfulteacher-librarian. Faced with running a libraryfor 1500 students on my own for the first timeseemed an enormous task, one which requiredmuch more than what my instructors in the intro-ductory Librarianship course had indicated, but Iwas up to meeting this challenge head on. I had aclear vision of the kind of teacher-librarian Iwanted to become and the kind of library infor-mation centre I wanted to create. What I needednow was a plan to help me make that vision areality.

PROFESSIONAL NOTES


I spent the better part of the first term developinglong term goals for the library and for my ownprofessional development. Essentially, I wantedto create a research-centred library where stu-dents would be challenged to develop organiza-tional and higher level thinking skills. I wantedto offer students and staff a meaningful and rele-vant learning centre which would inspire them tocome to the library more frequently and to makeuse of the print, electronic and personnel resourceswhich we had to offer. I wanted to make thelibrary not only responsive to the needs of ourschool community but a learning centre in theschool, one which in fact could set the directionand pace of change. This was an exciting time forthe library. We were becoming fully automatedand working on on-line support and resources forstudents and staff. However, I had to face the real-ity that my position in the library was in factpart–time. This translated to just one seventyminute period in the library in the first term. Thetasks before me seemed insurmountable at best.

I had set high standards and expectations formyself and the library and I had to cope with thefact that I was new at the job, new at the schooland doing a full-time job on half-time. Needless tosay, there were many late nights and busy week-ends. Despite these very real and imposing exter-nal limitations, I experienced much success in myfirst year as a teacher-librarian. Both staff and stu-dents noticed the changes to the physical set up ofthe library and to the curriculum being taught inthe library and more importantly, their positivefeedback through encouraging comments or eval-uation surveys did much to keep up my spiritswhenever I felt overwhelmed. The support andencouragement I received from my school’sadministration, staff and from my library techni-cian for my library vision were essential in fuelingthe energy and stamina needed to get throughthose first few months.

Although there were not many opportunities forreal "teachable moments" in the library for me inthe first term, there was one particular experiencewhich I will always remember. One day a ratherdistraught OAC student approached me to ask ifI knew anything about Plato which would helpher in her history assignment. I remember mywords exactly, "well aren’t you in luck." I had justfinished writing my thesis for my Master of Artsin Teaching and as it happened the topic was an

analysis of Plato’s Republic and Bloom’s Taxonomyof Educational Objectives. She asked if she couldread my thesis and if I could help her understandPlato’s theories. Over the next few months thisyoung lady came to the library every Friday afterschool to discuss Plato’s works and theories inthe true nature of a teacher-student dialogue. Sheread not only my work but she read Plato’s worksas well. Through our dialogue and professionalinteraction she not only came to a comprehensiveand impressive understanding of Plato’s theories,I believe that she actually developed higher levelthinking skills herself. Her project on the conceptof the tripartite individual in Plato’s work wasboth scholarly and articulate. It earned her anoutstanding mark and the confidence to go on touniversity knowing that she had the ability todecipher and comprehend complex theories ofphilosophy. Even her subject teacher came to meto thank me for assisting in the development ofthis student’s cognitive development. Whatgreater measure of success can there be for aneducator and a teacher-librarian? Like all strongstructures, a solid foundation for the library andfor my position was laid in the first term. It wasfrom this point that I could now grow.

It was after this experience that the Father BressaniLibrary truly came to be perceived as a researchbased library. More and more in the second term, Ihad research-based classes being run through thelibrary in various subject disciplines and the bestpublic relations for the library curriculum becamethe students and staff themselves. Students whocame to do research were guided through a sys-tematic process almost ensuring success andteachers came to me and said "I heard what youdid with X’s class, can you do that with my class."Once again what greater encouragement and mea-sure of success for a teacher-librarian can there be?

Increasing this first year as a teacher-librarian Ihave seen a shift in the culture of the library pro-gram at my school. Our library has become notonly busy and popular; it is a place of researchand intellectual interaction for both staff and stu-dents. In essence, the library has begun tobecome truer to the vision and goals I hadaspired to in September. Perhaps this has some-thing to do with the enjoyment I derive from mychosen vocation. If so, I hope that it is in someways contagious and continues to spread to ourstaff and students in the coming years. n n n

PROFESSIONAL NOTES

The Thames Valley Teacher-LibrarianAssociation uses its Professional DevelopmentDay and its annual fall banquet to create ener-

gizing, networking events for its members.

The librarians’ Professional DevelopmentCommittee takes a year to plan and co-ordinate thethirty sessions that are offered at the mini-conferenceduring the fall board-wide Professional Develop-ment day. Teacher-librarians and interested teachersor administrators choose from some thirty sessionson topics as diverse as On Your Own 2000, TVTLA’snew research guide for secondary students to thePotter phenomenon to creating a library web page.Presenters include teacher-librarians, teachers, co-ordinators, Board program staff, commercial ven-dors and staff at the University of Western Ontario.Vendors and other groups display new material andresources as well as offered prizes. More than 300people took advantage of last fall’s program and plan-ning is well underway for the third venture this fall.

The Third Annual Thames Valley Teacher LibrarianBanquet is used to meet old acquaintances, make newones, network between elementary and secondary andto share ideas. The elegant dinner this year was pre-

pared by the cateringstudents of St. Thomas’Arthur Voaden HighSchool where the eventwas held. Represen-tatives from the Board,trustees and learningco-ordinators joinedus. Tim Gauntley, edi-tor of the OSLA’sInformation Studiesdocument, currentlyseconded to theMinistry of Education,provided an entertaining, amusing, reflective andinspiring presentation joining the journeys ofteacher-librarians to that of Odysseus. Books,bookmarks, gift certificates, kits and CD-ROMSdonated by the vendors that had participated inthe mini-conference the week before were prizes.

These two events bring together teacher-librari-ans from all four corners of our district and fromelementary to secondary. The events give us timefor professional development, for networkingand socializing, for sharing experiences, for prob-lem solving, and for sharing laughter. This is awinning combination!

It enables our teacher-librarians to be a cohesiveorganization with a voice and a high profile with-in the system. We are a vital asset to educationand should be recognized and valued in everyschool. The teacher-librarians in the ThamesValley District School Board are advocates andbecause of our vision, our ProfessionalDevelopment Day and Annual Banquet havebecome significant professional events withinour board. n n n

PrProfofessional Deessional Devvelopmentelopmentwith Pizzazzwith Pizzazzand a Mythological Mealand a Mythological Meal

by Sharon WeamesThames Valley District School Board


PROFESSIONAL NOTES


Order Informationnn Member of OLA/OSLA nn Non-Member

Name

Mailing Address

City Postal Code

Thousands now in use!STUDENT RESEARCHPORTFOLIOSTO SUPPORT INFORMATION STUDIESOSLA’s Information Studies, Kindergarten to Grade 12 isenergizing teachers and teacher-librarians acrossOntario. At its very successful workshops on imple-mentation of the program, there has been enormousinterest in student portfolios as a support tool.

THE STUDENT PORTFOLIOS ARE NOW READYOSLA is proud to provide distinctive portfolios forelementary and secondary school students. Both port-folios feature the research stages around whichInformation Studies is organized. The portfolios inthemselves are a continuing reminder of all the stepsand thought processes that students should follow.

A CONVENIENT ORGANIZER FOR STUDENTSThe portfolios have a fold-up pocket to hold all thematerials being used in the research process – assign-ment details, research questions, point-form notesfrom multiple sources, CD-ROM printouts, interviewnotes (e-mails, personal, telephone), a list of possibleresources, internet addresses and printouts, diskettesof their work, rough drafts, evaluations, reflections.

A FORMIDABLE HELP FOR TEACHERSTeachers will find it easier to track student progressand to evaluate the results with student materials allbeing in one place. Teacher/student conferences areinstantly organized. Teachers will find that the noteson the portfolios are a natural teaching tool and ahandy tool for reinforcing the research process and itsstages. Teachers need go no further to remind stu-dents of the process and their progress.

AND THE LANGUAGE IS RIGHT FOR EACH LEVELDeveloped by OSLA President Sya Van Geest, theseportfolios have been tested and modified in the class-room. The research principles remain the same onboth the elementary school and secondary schoolportfolios but the approach and language have beenmodified to be right for the students involved.

Research Portfolio

Elementary Portfolios*Members, $5.00 for 10 folders Non-Members, $6.00 for 10

Secondary Portfolios*Members, $5.00 for 10 Non-Members, $6.00 for 10

License to print (diskette)$0.06 per folder printed

Shipping and Handling**

Subtotal

Add 7% GST GST Registration # 10779 8159 RT

Total

* Pre-printed portfolios minimum order: 20** Shipping and Handling:

1-50 $5.0051-150 $7.00151-500 $10.00Over 500 $15.00

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To OrderPhone: (416) 363-3388 x25 or 1-866-873-9867 toll freeFAX: (416) 941-9581 or 1-800-387-1181E-mail: <[email protected]>

E-mail: <[email protected]>Mail: Ontario Library Association

100 Lombard Street, Suite 303Toronto, Ontario M5C 1M3

QUANTITY ITEM TOTAL

NEW AND RECOMMENDEDNEW AND RECOMMENDEDby Marlene Turkington, Thames Valley District School Board and Gerald Brown, Consultant

• Library Automation: cataloguing,sample marc records, variousautomation vendors and their prod-ucts

This handbook is designed for a "howto" approach to the many basic activi-ties that are needed to manage a library.It does not expound on philosophy, orhow to teach cooperatively with teach-ers, or our importance in providingleadership. But if you are looking for abook that will help you survive yourfirst few years of being a teacher-librar-ian and getting some ideas of how tomaintain a library – I would recom-mend this one to at least get you startedand looking for the information youneed.

This handbook does not replace theneed for teachers to take the AQ cours-es, to receive mentoring and to realizethe importance of the teaching part oftheir position.

Farmer, Lesley, S. J.Partnerships for LifelongLearning. Second Edition.Professional Growth SeriesLinworth Publishing, 1999.ISBN: 0 - 938865 - 79 - X 125 p.illus. charts. $ 59.95"It takes a community of partners toensure successful preparation for life-long learning. The entire school com-munity needs to work collaboratively inorder to meet the educational chal-lenges of the 21 st. century.” (p.1)

This book examines partnerships thathelp the school community develop

meaningful relationships that fostereffective education. From a librarian-teacher point of view, the author offersways to grow, nurture and sometimesprune educational relationships.

Chapter two sets the stage for partner-ships by exploring current educationalchallenges and their impact on thechanging roles of school communitymembers. It deals with contemporaryeducational goals and gaps, and thendiscusses the benefits and costs of edu-cational collaboration.

The beginning step in successful part-nerships is to define what a partner isand does. The third chapter examinessocial interaction and educational workin light of individuals and groups.

The entire school community consists ofpotential partners for learning. Thefourth chapter demonstrates how eachconstituency has its own set of charac-teristics, abilities, needs and expecta-tions. Implications for librarian -teacher partnerships are outlined.

The fifth chapter details the life cyclesof partnerships, from formation to find-ing the 'right fit'. Obstacles and induce-ments are noted, including the contextof technology.

The real test of partnerships is theirimpact on the learning community. Thesixth chapter offers several scenarios inline with AASL-AECT InformationPower.The seventh chapter deals with short-and long-term impacts of effective part-nerships in terms of roles, the nature ofinformation and educational realities.Many samples and checklists are pro-vided, including planning forms, dis-trict library plans, projects, letters, grantproposals, lesson plans and surveys.Oodles of practical advice for the begin-ner or the seasoned veteran. A substan-tial bibliography is provided. This is arevised edition of the popular CreativePartnerships that was released in 1993.

Highly recommended for pre-servicetraining programs, and professionaldevelopment collections in Faculties,Regions and Districts. Useful ideas andsamples for leaders across Canada.

Santa Clara County Board ofEducation, Where Do I Start? ASchool Library Handbook.Santa Clara: Santa ClaraCounty Board of Education,2000. US$80.The purpose of this handbook is tofocus on school libraries and how theycan be improved. New teacher-librari-ans, those with only Part 1, or no courseat all could apply much of the informa-tion to their situations. All too often,they have no support centrally from theBoard as there are no consultants or thatmany of the experienced teacher-librar-ians have retired or have been cut backin time and have returned to class-rooms, leaving no one to provide men-toring.

The book’s format is in a loose leafdesign; three holed punched, ready toput into a binder. That allows pages tobe inserted that with additional notes,local procedures and policies, purchas-ing information, automation informa-tion, etc. The glossary provides expla-nations of most library terms and jar-gon. The detailed index helps to locateinformation quickly.

The print is large and orgnized usinglots of space making it easy to use andto personalize with notes and local pro-cedures. It includes a few charts, blacklined masters for overheads.

The handbook includes the followingareas:• Library Overview: sample library

mission statements, library policies,and AUP sample. library rules

• Library Space: organization of space,safety, environment, displays, andbulletin boards, merchandising

• PR Marketing: includes marketingstrategies to get students and staff touse the library

• Library Collection: collection devel-opment strategies, various forms,weeding policies, selection criteria

• Library Program: book talks, storytelling, information skills, under-standing the Dewey Decimal system

• Internet and Technology: how to usethe internet, resources, searching

• Library Procedures: purchasing, bud-gets, circulation



Guide for Developing andEvaluating School LibraryMedia Programs. Sixth edition.Produced by the NebraskaEducational Media Association,2000. Published by LibrariesUnlimited, 2000 ISBN 1-56308-640-9 (paper) 261 p. charts.$58.40 Canadian.

The purpose of this guide is to providequalitative criteria for assessing schoollibrary media programs and to furnisha resource for developing and / orimproving school library media pro-

grams. The intent is to meet the needsof diverse school systems and to givedirection for implementing librarymedia programs while offering a viableevaluation tool. A major focus of thisrevision is to provide a plan thatemphasizes the individual needs ofeach school, its library media centers,students, and teachers.

The guide stresses that successfulimplementation requires that thelibrary media specialist form partner-ships that involves students, teachers,administrators, and families and makeslinks to the community.

The Nebraska Guide includes sevenbasic components and an appendix: (1)Program Standards; (2) Preparation ofLibrary Media Personnel, Certification,& Continued Education; (3) Learning &Teaching; (4) Program Administration;(5) Personnel and Evaluation; (6)Library Media Resources andEquipment; and (7) Facilities. TheGuide may be used as a complete unitfor self-evaluation or for evaluation byan outside agency. It may be used as awhole to guide the development of aschool library media program, or it maybe used in segments to assess the sepa-


PPUURRCCHHAASSEE AALLLL YYOOUURR PPRROOFFEESSSSIIOONNAALL MMAATTEERRIIAALLSS AATT TTHHEE OOLLAA SSTTOORREE

The Ontario Library Association, through The OLAStore located at OLA’soffices in downtown Toronto and at the Metro Toronto Convention Centreduring Super Conference each year, has now become Canada's preferredsource for professional library literature and for materials to support readingin schools and libraries. One-stop shopping for professional support!

Send in your orders for professional titles by FAX, telephone or e-mail, orcome in to OLA’s new showroom, open Monday to Thursday from noonuntil 6:00 p.m. More than 200 titles are available for preview and an addi-tional 1,000 plus titles from the companies we represent can be in yourlibrary in very short order. OLA now is the Canadian representative for:

Libraries UnlimitedTeacher Ideas PressHighsmith BooksUpstart BooksNeal-Schuman Publishers.

Watch the listserv for more companies being added shortly. Even if we donot represent the companyfrom whom you wish to order, we will bepleased to search for and obtain any professional title you need, includingthose favourably reviewed in The Teaching Librarian.

rate factors of a library media program.

The divisions of the Guide include arational and instructions for use foreach chapter. Although the approach toeach of the seven chapters may often bedifferent and distinct, there is a com-mon thread of purpose and philosophythat binds the seven together and linksthem to the national standards releasedin 1998 AASL & AECT entitledInformation Power: Building Partnershipsfor Learning.

This document is exceptionally wellorganized. It covers all aspects of schoollibrary and information services pro-grams, and guides the user to thinkthrough what is needed to be successfulin a local situation. The sample charts,questionnaires, tables, and workingpapers supported by an outstandingappendix make this a highly desirabletool to have in one's professional collec-tion.

The material in this volume should beaddressed in district pre-service trainingprograms. The Guides could provide use-ful tools for professional developmentactivities in most districts. Highly recom-mended. n n n


To order a book, to get moreinformation or to obtaincatalogues, please contact:

Bill Lynch, Special Projects1-866-873-9867, ext. 31FAX: 1-800-387-1181<[email protected]>


I’m your President for 2001. When I volunteered tolet my name stand for a second term, it was with thecondition that we re-examine the organization pro-

posal of a few years ago that featured an issues-basedstructure with a so-called "Committee of 100".

The time for change is now! We are, after all, riding atsunami of change in society-at-large and in educationparticularly with added dimensions of critical urgencyfor us given the pressures of the current cutbacks inschool library programs, staffing and budgets. We needa refreshed vision whose structure will draw in thewhole community and re-vitalize school librarianship.

There is so much to do! Now let there be no mistake.This Association has a proud history of undertakingmany projects and initiatives. These continue today. Wehave always done more than merely respond to chang-ing times. We have actually shaped realities withvisionary ideas, respected even internationally. I thinkof documents such as Partners in Action (1984),Information Literacy and Equitable Access: A FrameworkFor Change (1995) and the most recent, InformationStudies: Kindergarten to Grade 12 (1999). The legacy ofhard work and collaborative efforts continues in Super-Conference and Policy Forum, in advocacy initiativesand this periodical The Teaching Librarian, in Institutesand curriculum support materials, in Standards for

School Libraries and new initiatives such asthe Membership Project. Each of these comeswith anticipated high standards, the contribu-tion of a pool of incredibly talented, brightteacher-librarians and numerous memberslike yourself taking advantage of the pro-grams and initiatives.

We also credit the amazing staff at the OLAoffice. We can’t say enough good things aboutExecutive Director Larry Moore and the teamof dedicated, hard working and brilliant staffthat has always allowed every initiative andproject to bloom. This they do, not only forour division, but also for the whole librarycommunity.

All of this collaboration is a testament to ourshared conviction in the efficacy of effectiveschool library programs and the importanceof the teacher-librarian role.

THE REORGANIZATION OF COUNCIL

At its September 23rd meeting, Council took asystematic look at what we were doing andhow to do it better. The Council crafted the ini-tial proposal for a portfolio-based structure,recommending that in the interim we getcouncillors based on geographic regions as wemove towards "The Committee of 100" con-cept. Each Regional Councillor committed tochair one of the portfolios. Cathi Gibson-Gatesorganized our brainstorming and conclusionsinto charts. This proposal she presented at theNovember Association Policy Forum for inputfrom the larger audience. Final edits werecompleted by Council at the supper meeting atPolicy Forum and this, along with the bless-ings of OLA Directors, became the finalizedstructure that you see on page 21.

Council 2001 holds a lot of promise. This yearevery position is filled. We are so blessed to beable to welcome Esther Rosenfeld as Vice-President leading to the Presidency for 2002.As Toronto District-wide Coordinator ofLibrary and Learning Resources, Esther hasthe strong administrative, management andleadership qualities necessary to lead OSLAinto the future. In addition, we welcome four

PRESIDENT’S REPORT

ONTARIO SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

President’s Report

by Sya Van GeestOSLA President 2000

and 2001


have wide ranging teaching assignments, whoare new to the position, who teach in districtswith no central support or leadership. Memberswho are district co-ordinators or consultants arelikely to have responsibilities expanded toinclude much more than school libraries and whoindeed, may come to the leadership role withother subject specialties. With all this come changingneeds and challenges for our Association to respondwith new vision and new expressions of support. Atthe November Policy Forum Stephanie led a discus-sion in our division. Together we confirmed theclusters of members, identified possible needs andinterests and brainstormed ways and means for theAssociation to respond now and in the future. Allthe input was recorded to carry the project forwardthis year. The OSLA representative on this OLA taskforce is Councillor Joyce Cunningham. Are youinterested in helping? Contact Joyce at <[email protected]> or Stephanie at <[email protected]>

Silver Birch Award and Red Maple AwardReading ProjectThis project is now under way in many schoolsand public libraries. It continues to expand inpopularity across the province and beyond withchildren reading Canadian books for pleasure andthen voting for their choice of winning author.This is the first time that I’m experiencing firsthand the excitement and joy of this OLA project.

The circumstances around my involvement arenot happy ones. It’s because the new teacher-librarian at my granddaughter’s school isstretched between two schools and is at Alison’sonly three afternoons a week. I’m so angry aboutthe consequences of that situation. My grand-daughter was so disappointed that the SilverBirch Club could not run this year. Believe me,I’m telling all and sundry about this sad exampleof school library program cutbacks. It was even inthe newspaper story that covered my contribu-tion of the $200 tax rebate cheque to the schoollibrary, specifically towards the cost of the SilverBirch project.

OLA Action Plan For School LibrariesAt the Policy Forum, within the context of thehalf-day Advocacy focus, participants came tothe conclusion that the task of revitalizing school

proven leaders as new Portfolio Chairs and RegionalCouncillors Flavia Renon, Rose Dodgson, KendraGodin-Svoboda and Bobbie Henley (see pp. 20-21)Council also extends a fond good-bye, along with awhole lot of gratitude and appreciation to LinseyHammond, Cathi Gibson-Gates, Susan Markle,each of whom completed their three-year term onCouncil and Ruthanne Snider after one yearbecause of other commitments. By the way, Cathi isnow the OLA ‘s Treasurer and Chair of the 2002Super Conference.

Please post the Council list contained in this mail-ing for easy contact and reference. Remember thatthe Councillor’s portfolio role is one of leadershipand a conduit to Council not a mandate to do theactual work. So dear members please answer thecall for active participation and get involved to thedegree that you are able. You are urged to use com-munication structures such as the listserv, the web-site, e-mails or calls to individual Chairs. We allknow the story by Dr. Seuss, Horton Hears a Who.

INITIATIVES AND PROJECTS

OSLA’s Professional Institutes for Teacher-Librarians: Continuing the Series The topics and locations for the next two Institutesare in response to the requests of participants in theSummer 2000 Institutes in Oshawa, Sudbury andGuelph as well as members-at-large. They reflect acontinuum that started with the Overview ofInformation Studies: A Curriculum For StudentSuccess first held in the summer of 1999. They con-tinue to evolve into specific implementation strate-gies, always looking to exemplary practices inschool library programs. The format continues tofollow the ‘train-the trainer’ model with handouts,tools and strategies that encourage participants touse any of the ideas and materials to present theirown workshops on their home front.

OLA Membership ProjectIn response to changes in the composition of ourmembership and the need for increased strengththat comes with more members, OLA has initiateda membership project facilitated by StephanieParcher, Director of OLA Membership. Within ourown division the profiles of our members haschanged over the past few years. Increasingly itincludes teacher-librarians who are part-time, who



libraries was simply too big for us alone. We agreedthat we had to ask the whole association for helpeven though we knew that each division was veryinvolved with their own work and challenges. Butask we did and it is with great pleasure that I referyou to the OLA Motion story on page 19.

OSLA 2000 Awards This was an exciting year with the challenge ofselecting winners from nine outstanding nomineesfor OSLA’s three awards. Our Awards Wine andCheese Reception on February 1st at SuperConference was a delightful event made possible bythe generous sponsorship of Saunders Books. Itwas not surprising to hear Mr. Saunders express hissupport for school libraries and applaud the role ofteacher-librarians. Mark Kaminski organized theAwards Project again. We thank him. n Award of Excellence: Congratulations Barbara

Wells, Teacher-Librarian at Dougall Public School in Greater Essex.

n Distinguished Administrator's Award: Co-winners. Congratulations to BonnieHamilton, Principal at Martingrove CollegiateInstitute, Toronto District School Board; MarcelCastura, Director of Education for Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board.

n Award of Merit: Co-winners. Congratulations to People For Education represented by Annie Kidder and children’s author Robert Munsch; the Thames Valley Teacher-Librarians’ Association.

The next issue of Access feature write-ups and pho-tographs of all the winners.

Standards for School LibrariesStandards is one of the most important current pro-jects. The work continues with ongoing meetings aswe wrestle to reflect ‘new’ ideas, research and infor-mation such as the Ontario Knowledge Network forLearning, the Ontario Digital Library, Reports of theEducation Improvement Commission, ICT Learning,CLA Position Statement on Effective School LibraryPrograms in Canada and current research results inschool librarianship. I direct your attention to thearticle on page 13 update with quotes from oursources of information. Thank you Liz Kerr and RoseDotten for your ongoing leadership in this project.

MOE’s Discipline Specific Workshops The MOE workshops this spring to support the

implementation of the new senior curriculum inSeptember will include libraries as a ‘discipline’as we were last year during the grade 10 imple-mentation process. Teacher-Librarians are pleasedto act as writers, developers, and presenters.

The Ontario Knowledge Network For Learning This is a wide-ranging Ontario initiative. OLAcontinues to participate in this invitational sym-posium planning for future directions. Sevenprovincial schools have been tagged to measurethe impact of ICT learning. If your school is oneof them, be certain to get involved.

THE YEAR 2001 …?

There is widespread confusion between role of atechnician/secretary with technical/clericalresponsibilities and the role of a teacher-librarianas the instructional, information/ICT specialist,with collaborative planning/teaching/evaluat-ing responsibilities. The school library needsboth.

An effective school library program, defined inpolicy document, The Ontario Curriculum, Grades9 to 12: Program Planning and Assessment 2000, (10)requires specifically qualified staff working as aninterdependent team.

Here are some messages that we will continue tocommunicate at every opportunity:In order maximize the essential student learningin school libraries, it is vital that: 1) a province-wide policy be established, one

that mandates effective instructional library programs measurable according to a set of well-defined standards,

2) the funding envelope be closed immediatelyso that districts are accountable for staffingschool libraries with qualified teacher-librari-ans, at least to the funded benchmark level asa starting point.

Keep the faith! n n n


Teaching, Vol 8, No. 2 xaccessola2.com/images/infocentral/TL8.2.pdfThe Teaching Librarian ONTARIO SCHOOL LIBRARY ASSOCIATION A component association of the Ontario Library Association

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