ALA: 2009 January 29
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Library Association (ALA) today hails the Second Evaluation of the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries (LSL) Program released by the U.S. Department of Education earlier this month, which indicated that students attending schools participating in LSL are performing higher on state reading tests than students in schools that do not take part in the program.
The study stated that in schools that participated in LSL in 2003-04, the percentage of students who met or exceeded the proficiency requirements on state reading assessments increased by an extra 2.7 percentage points over the increase observed among nonparticipating schools during the same time period.
“The ALA is pleased to see these results, as they demonstrate the vital role school libraries serve in a student’s education,” Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the ALA Washington Office, said.
“Literacy impacts every area of one’s education, and it is so important that more schools pursue ways to invest in their school libraries through opportunities such as the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program. This is one of the most successful programs in No Child Left Behind, but it has never been funded at even 10 percent of the authorized level."
According to the Department of Education Web site, the LSL program provides grants to help Local Education Agencies (LEAs) improve reading achievement by providing students with increased access to up-to-date school library materials; well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers; and professionally certified school library media specialists.
The evaluation also stated that grantees roughly tripled their expenditures on books, subscriptions and computer hardware, while nongrantees showed little change.
Highlights from this report can be found here.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wikipedia editors may approve all changes
Bobbie Johnson in San Francisco
The Guardian, Tuesday 27 January 2009
The Guardian, Tuesday 27 January 2009
Wikipedia faces a revolt among thousands of its contributors over proposals to change the way the online encyclopedia is run.
Until now, Wikipedia has allowed anybody to make instant changes to almost all of its 2.7m entries, with only a handful of entries protected from being altered.
But under proposals put forward by the website's co-founder Jimmy Wales, many future changes to the site would need to be approved by a group of editors before going live.
Wales argues the scheme will bring greater accuracy, particularly in articles referring to living people. But the possibility has caused a furore among Wikipedia users, since many see it as a fundamental change to the egalitarian nature of the site.
A user poll on the website suggests 60% are in favour of trials, which could take place within the next few weeks. But some think the split could ultimately threaten the future of the site.
"The big issue is that while we have majority support, we don't have consensus, and that's the way we have always made our decisions," said Jake Wartenberg. "A lot of editors are becoming disenchanted with the project; we are losing them all the time."
Such changes have been considered before, but were brought into focus last week when Wikipedia falsely announced that two prominent US politicians had died.
On the day of Barack Obama's inauguration, the site reported the deaths of West Virginia's Robert Byrd - the longest-serving senator in American history - and Ted Kennedy, who has been diagnosed with a brain tumour and collapsed during the inaugural lunch.
Both reports were false, and Wikipedia quickly changed the site back to reflect the truth, but the situation drove Wales to push strongly for change.
"This nonsense would have been 100% prevented by flagged revisions," he wrote on the site. "This was a breaking news story and we want people to be able to participate [but] we have a tool available now that is consistent with higher quality."
The technical system that allows Wikipedia to run in this way was released last summer and has already been put into place on the German version of the website. But German editors have decided that changes will not be approved for around three weeks - a timescale which Wales suggests would be "unacceptable" for the English-language site.
It would not be the first major change in the way the site, ranked as the world's seventh largest by traffic analysis tool Alexa, operates. In 2005, Wikipedia said it was going to prevent anonymous users from creating entries as a way of stopping cyber-bullying and vandalism.
That change was also spurred by a political controversy, in which prominent journalist and Democratic party aide John Siegenthaler discovered that an anonymous user had written a biography of him which alleged that he was involved in the assassinations of John and Robert Kennedy in the 1960s.
Wikipedia has also locked down a number of controversial articles in order to prevent long-running "edit wars".
If the site grants new powers to editors, it would bring Wikipedia even closer to traditional encyclopedia websites such as Britannica, which last week announced that it would be launching a new online version that would allow readers to submit their own updates to entries. That change came after a bitter war of words, following a 2005 study by science journal Nature that found Wikipedia and Britannica were often comparable for accuracy - and in some cases, Wikipedia won.
Gov't Investment in Library Books "Puts Cart Before the Horse"
TORONTO, Jan. 27 /CNW/ - Spending millions of dollars on library books
for elementary schools when there is a critical shortage of teacher-librarians
is a misguided investment in student literacy, says Elementary Teachers'
Federation of Ontario (ETFO) President David Clegg.
Clegg was responding to the provincial government's announcement of a
'$15 million library book investment'.
"This truly is a classic example of putting the cart before the horse,"
said Clegg.
"Library books alone will not build student literacy. Teacher-librarians
have the skills and training to ensure that library resources are used in the
most effective way possible. They work with classroom teachers to provide
subject-specific, age-appropriate, and curriculum-related reading materials
for every class. And, they teach students how to find, critically assess, and
organize information."
Clegg notes that despite the government's current focus on literacy, few
elementary schools are staffed with a full-time teacher-librarian whose role
is to help students with literacy and research skills. (According to People
for Education's '2008 Annual Report on Ontario Public Schools', only 60 per
cent of elementary schools have a teacher-librarian, most of them part-time.)
Currently, an elementary school must have over 750 students to qualify
for funding for a teacher-librarian. Most elementary schools fall far short of
this number.
"Our students deserve the best. However, they are being disadvantaged by
the current approach to investing in elementary education," said Clegg.
The Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario represents 73,000
elementary public school teachers and education workers across the province
and is the largest teacher federation in Canada.
For further information: David Clegg, President, ETFO, (416) 962-3836
(Office); Larry Skory, ETFO Communications, (416) 962-3836 (Office), (416)
948-0195 (Cell)
Monday, January 26, 2009
Canada celebrates Family Literacy Day
TORONTO, Jan. 26 /CNW/ - Families and communities across Canada will be
participating in literacy-related events on and around January 27 for Family
Literacy Day, Education ministers Kelly Lamrock and Shirley Bond announced
today on behalf of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC).
"Family Literacy Day offers an opportunity for families across Canada to
discover and explore the joys of reading and learning," said Shirley Bond,
Minister of Education for British Columbia, CMEC's lead province for literacy.
"There are so many great and fun ways for families to share and grow together
- whether through playing word games or puzzles, reading or telling stories,
writing thank you letters or working from a recipe. By promoting literacy in
the home, we are investing in our children's future and preparing them for
success later in life."
Now in its 11th year, Family Literacy Day is a national awareness
initiative to promote the importance of literacy-related family play and
learning. Events being held across the country include:
- story-writing contests
- scrabble tournaments
- festivals
- public story readings
- read-a-thons - fundraisers
- book drives - reading circles
- traditional story-telling
Family Literacy was launched in 1999 by ABC Canada Literacy Foundation.
As part of Family Literacy Day celebrations, on January 23 and 24 ABC Canada
is encouraging Canadians to help break the Guinness World Record for "Most
Children Reading with an Adult, Multiple Locations." Participants can register
for the challenge online at www.FamilyLiteracyDay.ca.
In their joint declaration, Learn Canada 2020, Canada's education
ministers identified literacy as one of their key priorities. As well as
supporting initiatives such as Family Literacy Day, they have created networks
on literacy across the country with the goal of gathering and sharing teaching
resources for learners of all ages.
"Literacy is the gateway to opportunity," said Kelly Lamrock, New
Brunswick's Minister of Education and Chair of CMEC. "By fostering an interest
in reading when children are young, we are supporting their growth into fully
literate adults, equipped with the skills and confidence to live happy,
healthy, productive lives."
CMEC is an intergovernmental body composed of the ministers responsible
for elementary-secondary and advanced education from the provinces and
territories. Through CMEC, ministers share information and undertake projects
in areas of mutual interest and concern. Last April, CMEC held a Pan-Canadian
Literacy Forum to engage members of the education, non-profit, business, and
labour sectors in a dialogue about literacy. Highlights from the forum are now
available online. For more information, visit www.Literacy.cmec.ca.
For further information:
Tamara Davis, Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC),
Tel.: (416) 962-8100, ext. 241,
E-mail: t.davis@cmec.ca,
Web site: www.cmec.ca;
Government of British Columbia, Public Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Education,
Tel.: (250) 356-5963
participating in literacy-related events on and around January 27 for Family
Literacy Day, Education ministers Kelly Lamrock and Shirley Bond announced
today on behalf of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC).
"Family Literacy Day offers an opportunity for families across Canada to
discover and explore the joys of reading and learning," said Shirley Bond,
Minister of Education for British Columbia, CMEC's lead province for literacy.
"There are so many great and fun ways for families to share and grow together
- whether through playing word games or puzzles, reading or telling stories,
writing thank you letters or working from a recipe. By promoting literacy in
the home, we are investing in our children's future and preparing them for
success later in life."
Now in its 11th year, Family Literacy Day is a national awareness
initiative to promote the importance of literacy-related family play and
learning. Events being held across the country include:
- story-writing contests
- scrabble tournaments
- festivals
- public story readings
- read-a-thons - fundraisers
- book drives - reading circles
- traditional story-telling
Family Literacy was launched in 1999 by ABC Canada Literacy Foundation.
As part of Family Literacy Day celebrations, on January 23 and 24 ABC Canada
is encouraging Canadians to help break the Guinness World Record for "Most
Children Reading with an Adult, Multiple Locations." Participants can register
for the challenge online at www.FamilyLiteracyDay.ca.
In their joint declaration, Learn Canada 2020, Canada's education
ministers identified literacy as one of their key priorities. As well as
supporting initiatives such as Family Literacy Day, they have created networks
on literacy across the country with the goal of gathering and sharing teaching
resources for learners of all ages.
"Literacy is the gateway to opportunity," said Kelly Lamrock, New
Brunswick's Minister of Education and Chair of CMEC. "By fostering an interest
in reading when children are young, we are supporting their growth into fully
literate adults, equipped with the skills and confidence to live happy,
healthy, productive lives."
CMEC is an intergovernmental body composed of the ministers responsible
for elementary-secondary and advanced education from the provinces and
territories. Through CMEC, ministers share information and undertake projects
in areas of mutual interest and concern. Last April, CMEC held a Pan-Canadian
Literacy Forum to engage members of the education, non-profit, business, and
labour sectors in a dialogue about literacy. Highlights from the forum are now
available online. For more information, visit www.Literacy.cmec.ca.
For further information:
Tamara Davis, Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC),
Tel.: (416) 962-8100, ext. 241,
E-mail: t.davis@cmec.ca,
Web site: www.cmec.ca;
Government of British Columbia, Public Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Education,
Tel.: (250) 356-5963
Friday, January 23, 2009
Virus slows school district's computers
Technicians must detach each machine from network after suspected 'trojan' attack
Vancouver Sun: 2009 January 23
Tara Carman and Mary Frances Hill
The Vancouver school district's information technology staff is working overtime to repair the damage caused by a virus introduced into its computer system more than two weeks ago.
The virus hit the school district's system Jan. 6. It affected computers in school offices, slowing data entry for processes such as enrolment, school computer labs and library computers.
There are more than 10,000 computers in the district, each of which had to be shut down and disconnected from the network, then individually scanned and repaired if necessary, said Vancouver school board representative David Weir. He said he could not identify how many machines were infected.
The virus is not destructive, and all student and staff-related data is safe. The virus was replicating itself and causing computers to slow down, he said. "We know we were not targeted by hackers."
Weir said the business systems at schools, including the front-office systems, are all running. IT staff are now focusing on "curriculum sites" such as school computer labs, he said.
Because the process of scanning and repairing each computer is onerous, it is not possible to estimate how long it will take before the district's computer system is fully operational, Weir said.
Although Weir couldn't confirm the name of the virus, on a Point Grey secondary student online forum, students suspected the virus was Win32.Krap.b trojan, a bug that affects mostly Windows operating systems, shutting down computers as soon as users try to start them.
Alex Gondek, a Grade 9 Point Grey student who runs his own server and website, noted on his blog that his home personal computer system caught the virus. He used anti-virus software to remove it quickly, he wrote.
Mohammad Akis, security and privacy lead at Microsoft Canada, said there are three possible ways such a virus could have been introduced: someone on one of the district's computers could have downloaded an e-mail attachment containing a virus, visited a corrupt website, or a student or teacher may have been working at home on an infected computer and used a USB stick or other device to unknowingly transfer corrupt files onto a school machine. Once the virus enters a computer system, it can attach itself to e-mails and documents, Akis said.
Akis said if the virus in question was the identified by the Point Grey students, it is likely the work of a "script kiddie," an aspiring hacker who lacks the ability to write sophisticated programs capable of capturing data, but can use scripts or programs written by others to attack computer systems.
Vancouver Sun: 2009 January 23
Tara Carman and Mary Frances Hill
The Vancouver school district's information technology staff is working overtime to repair the damage caused by a virus introduced into its computer system more than two weeks ago.
The virus hit the school district's system Jan. 6. It affected computers in school offices, slowing data entry for processes such as enrolment, school computer labs and library computers.
There are more than 10,000 computers in the district, each of which had to be shut down and disconnected from the network, then individually scanned and repaired if necessary, said Vancouver school board representative David Weir. He said he could not identify how many machines were infected.
The virus is not destructive, and all student and staff-related data is safe. The virus was replicating itself and causing computers to slow down, he said. "We know we were not targeted by hackers."
Weir said the business systems at schools, including the front-office systems, are all running. IT staff are now focusing on "curriculum sites" such as school computer labs, he said.
Because the process of scanning and repairing each computer is onerous, it is not possible to estimate how long it will take before the district's computer system is fully operational, Weir said.
Although Weir couldn't confirm the name of the virus, on a Point Grey secondary student online forum, students suspected the virus was Win32.Krap.b trojan, a bug that affects mostly Windows operating systems, shutting down computers as soon as users try to start them.
Alex Gondek, a Grade 9 Point Grey student who runs his own server and website, noted on his blog that his home personal computer system caught the virus. He used anti-virus software to remove it quickly, he wrote.
Mohammad Akis, security and privacy lead at Microsoft Canada, said there are three possible ways such a virus could have been introduced: someone on one of the district's computers could have downloaded an e-mail attachment containing a virus, visited a corrupt website, or a student or teacher may have been working at home on an infected computer and used a USB stick or other device to unknowingly transfer corrupt files onto a school machine. Once the virus enters a computer system, it can attach itself to e-mails and documents, Akis said.
Akis said if the virus in question was the identified by the Point Grey students, it is likely the work of a "script kiddie," an aspiring hacker who lacks the ability to write sophisticated programs capable of capturing data, but can use scripts or programs written by others to attack computer systems.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Change has come to WhiteHouse.gov
The White House Blog
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/
Welcome to the new WhiteHouse.gov. I'm Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House and one of the people who will be contributing to the blog.
A short time ago, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and his new administration officially came to life. One of the first changes is the White House's new website, which will serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world.
Millions of Americans have powered President Obama's journey to the White House, many taking advantage of the internet to play a role in shaping our country's future. WhiteHouse.gov is just the beginning of the new administration's efforts to expand and deepen this online engagement.
Just like your new government, WhiteHouse.gov and the rest of the Administration's online programs will put citizens first. Our initial new media efforts will center around three priorities:
Communication -- Americans are eager for information about the state of the economy, national security and a host of other issues. This site will feature timely and in-depth content meant to keep everyone up-to-date and educated. Check out the briefing room, keep tabs on the blog (RSS feed) and take a moment to sign up for e-mail updates from the President and his administration so you can be sure to know about major announcements and decisions.
Transparency -- President Obama has committed to making his administration the most open and transparent in history, and WhiteHouse.gov will play a major role in delivering on that promise. The President's executive orders and proclamations will be published for everyone to review, and that’s just the beginning of our efforts to provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government. You can also learn about some of the senior leadership in the new administration and about the President’s policy priorities.
Participation -- President Obama started his career as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, where he saw firsthand what people can do when they come together for a common cause. Citizen participation will be a priority for the Administration, and the internet will play an important role in that. One significant addition to WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise from the President: we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it.
We'd also like to hear from you -- what sort of things would you find valuable from WhiteHouse.gov? If you have an idea, use this form to let us know. Like the transition website and the campaign's before that, this online community will continue to be a work in progress as we develop new features and content for you. So thanks in advance for your patience and for your feedback.
Later today, we’ll put up the video and the full text of President Obama’s Inaugural Address. There will also be slideshows of the Inaugural events, the Obamas’ move into the White House, and President Obama’s first days in office.
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009 at 12:01 pm
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/
Welcome to the new WhiteHouse.gov. I'm Macon Phillips, the Director of New Media for the White House and one of the people who will be contributing to the blog.
A short time ago, Barack Obama was sworn in as the 44th president of the United States and his new administration officially came to life. One of the first changes is the White House's new website, which will serve as a place for the President and his administration to connect with the rest of the nation and the world.
Millions of Americans have powered President Obama's journey to the White House, many taking advantage of the internet to play a role in shaping our country's future. WhiteHouse.gov is just the beginning of the new administration's efforts to expand and deepen this online engagement.
Just like your new government, WhiteHouse.gov and the rest of the Administration's online programs will put citizens first. Our initial new media efforts will center around three priorities:
Communication -- Americans are eager for information about the state of the economy, national security and a host of other issues. This site will feature timely and in-depth content meant to keep everyone up-to-date and educated. Check out the briefing room, keep tabs on the blog (RSS feed) and take a moment to sign up for e-mail updates from the President and his administration so you can be sure to know about major announcements and decisions.
Transparency -- President Obama has committed to making his administration the most open and transparent in history, and WhiteHouse.gov will play a major role in delivering on that promise. The President's executive orders and proclamations will be published for everyone to review, and that’s just the beginning of our efforts to provide a window for all Americans into the business of the government. You can also learn about some of the senior leadership in the new administration and about the President’s policy priorities.
Participation -- President Obama started his career as a community organizer on the South Side of Chicago, where he saw firsthand what people can do when they come together for a common cause. Citizen participation will be a priority for the Administration, and the internet will play an important role in that. One significant addition to WhiteHouse.gov reflects a campaign promise from the President: we will publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days, and allow the public to review and comment before the President signs it.
We'd also like to hear from you -- what sort of things would you find valuable from WhiteHouse.gov? If you have an idea, use this form to let us know. Like the transition website and the campaign's before that, this online community will continue to be a work in progress as we develop new features and content for you. So thanks in advance for your patience and for your feedback.
Later today, we’ll put up the video and the full text of President Obama’s Inaugural Address. There will also be slideshows of the Inaugural events, the Obamas’ move into the White House, and President Obama’s first days in office.
Google docs get templates (and other big Google news)
SLJ: 2009 September 19
NEVERENDINGSEARCH: Joyce Valenza
For those of you who haven't yet found a compelling reason to try Google docs . . .
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1340000334/post/440039444.html?nid=3714
NEVERENDINGSEARCH: Joyce Valenza
For those of you who haven't yet found a compelling reason to try Google docs . . .
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1340000334/post/440039444.html?nid=3714
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