Victoria Times Colonist: 2008 June 28
Jack Knox
Last day of school for Victoria students today. Last day of class for Bob Warren, too. After 32 years teaching at George Jay Elementary, he's pulling the plug.
You might recall Warren from earlier columns on the annual Read For The Top test-your-knowledge-of-Canadian-kid-lit tournament that he founded 25 years ago.
It was a mock Read For The Top match that greeted Warren when he wandered into the George Jay gym after school this week. Two teams of colleagues, current and former, staged a game of Bob-related trivia. (Question: "Bob Warren has taught at George Jay for how many years?" Answer: "100!")
He was feted by all manner of friends after that. Children's author Eric Wilson, on hand with wife Flo, told him: "Of all the schools that I've been to across the country, George Jay is number one when it comes to promoting literacy, and that's due to you." Retired colleague Bob Gretsinger performed Sentimental Journey in four-part harmony all by himself, playing two recorders with his nostrils before adding a third, in his mouth, for the finale. There's something you don't see every day. Thank heavens.
Warren began his teaching career in 1971 in Port Edward, near Prince Rupert, where he grew up. It wasn't his first career choice -- he had wanted to be a Mountie -- but was still something he had long felt like pursuing. Not that he had been a spectacular scholar himself; he says he was an average student, albeit one whose mischievous sense of humour might have earned him the occasional request to stay in school after the bell had rung. He's still a joker, is the one who recently presented a dieting colleague with a chocolate box full of carrot sticks.
Gerald Ford was president when Warren first walked into George Jay in 1976. Bobby Orr was MVP of the Canada Cup. There were way more kids then; what at one point was the biggest elementary school in B.C., with an enrolment of 1,200, today has just 260 students in kindergarten through Grade 5. It is classified as an inner-city school, though it defies the label. Spend a couple of hours in George Jay, you'll come out feeling better about the world.
Perhaps today's students are a little more distracted by electronics, but they have not, in essence, changed over the past 32 years, Warren says. "Kids are kids."
His advice for new teachers? "Be prepared to put yourself into it. If you're passionate about it, you'll do even better." Don't go into teaching if all you're thinking about are the generous holidays.
Bob can now devote more time to the farm that he and wife Anne Warren, also a teacher, have on West Saanich Road. Ducks, chickens, cows, as well as vegetables and flowers. One of the cows had twins on Father's Day. They joke that Bob used to carry pictures of his children and grandchildren, but now he shows pictures of the calves. Sometimes school classes would visit the farm, and sometimes the farm would visit the school: The occasional pig showed up to be kissed by the occasional staff member. Olympic triathlon champion Simon Whitfield ended up living on the farm off and on when, after coming to Victoria to train, he ended up volunteering at George Jay. "He's like one of the family," says Bob.
The high points of Warren's career? Writing a book marking the school's 90th anniversary in 1999 was one. Another was when Janine Roy, then at the helm of George Jay, was named one of Canada's top school principals in 2006.
The low point? "I honestly don't think there were any low points."
Warren, the vice-principal and teacher-librarian, isn't the only educator to hang it up, of course. Across B.C., the number of retiring teachers has climbed each year since 2000. The turnover rate won't slow anytime soon, according to the B.C. Teachers Federation.
That's particularly true around here: More than 40 per cent of teachers in each of the three Victoria-area districts are 50 years of age or older. The average retirement age for a B.C. teacher is 59. In 2006 the BCTF estimated that B.C. would lose 10,000 teachers over five years.
That's a lot of Bob Warrens going out the door. They all -- or at least those who put as much into teaching as Bob did -- will be missed.
jknox@tc.canwest.com
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Mesa (AZ) School Board Votes to Eliminate School Librarians
By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 6/25/2008 2:05:00 PM
Despite last-ditch efforts by library supporters, the Mesa Public School Board in Arizona voted this week to eliminate all teacher librarians over a three-year period.
As a result, one-third of the schools in Mesa will not have media specialists in the 2008–2009 school year. This includes Westwood High School, which has an International Baccalaureate program that involves students completing a difficult senior thesis that typically involves working with the school librarian, says Ann Dutton Ewbank, a librarian at Arizona State University and the key organizer of the Fund Our Future Arizona movement to save the district’s media specialists.
“We will be monitoring Mesa Public Schools next year closely, and will continue to advocate for teacher librarian funding at the state level,” says Dutton Ewbank, who modeled her “save our school libraries” campaign after the Spokane Moms, three devoted mothers who worked tirelessly to obtain state funding for school librarians—and succeeded earlier this year by convincing legislators to allocate $4 million in library funds for the 2008–2009 academic year.
Just last month, Mesa school library supporters thought there was still hope because the district’s governing board—which initiated the proposal to eliminate all media specialists over the next three years—said it was open to other suggestions.
Arizona doesn’t have dedicated funds for school libraries or mandate-certified media specialists at any grade. School libraries and librarians are controlled at the district level, not by the state Department of Education, which means that when funds are scarce, librarians are typically the first on the chopping block, says Dutton Ewbank, adding that state funding would have ensured a “dedicated funding stream” for school librarians.
Mesa Public Schools hopes to cut $1.2 million of its total $20 million budget deficit by axing the school librarians.
Despite last-ditch efforts by library supporters, the Mesa Public School Board in Arizona voted this week to eliminate all teacher librarians over a three-year period.
As a result, one-third of the schools in Mesa will not have media specialists in the 2008–2009 school year. This includes Westwood High School, which has an International Baccalaureate program that involves students completing a difficult senior thesis that typically involves working with the school librarian, says Ann Dutton Ewbank, a librarian at Arizona State University and the key organizer of the Fund Our Future Arizona movement to save the district’s media specialists.
“We will be monitoring Mesa Public Schools next year closely, and will continue to advocate for teacher librarian funding at the state level,” says Dutton Ewbank, who modeled her “save our school libraries” campaign after the Spokane Moms, three devoted mothers who worked tirelessly to obtain state funding for school librarians—and succeeded earlier this year by convincing legislators to allocate $4 million in library funds for the 2008–2009 academic year.
Just last month, Mesa school library supporters thought there was still hope because the district’s governing board—which initiated the proposal to eliminate all media specialists over the next three years—said it was open to other suggestions.
Arizona doesn’t have dedicated funds for school libraries or mandate-certified media specialists at any grade. School libraries and librarians are controlled at the district level, not by the state Department of Education, which means that when funds are scarce, librarians are typically the first on the chopping block, says Dutton Ewbank, adding that state funding would have ensured a “dedicated funding stream” for school librarians.
Mesa Public Schools hopes to cut $1.2 million of its total $20 million budget deficit by axing the school librarians.
Professional days make for better informed teachers
Vancouver Sun Letter: 2008 June 25
In her June 24 letter, Cherryl Katnich said that if teachers are concerned about the lack of learning time in schools, perhaps there should be fewer professional days.
She is probably not aware that the teachers' professional association requested that the government add extra days to the school year so teachers could attend workshops that would enhance teaching practice.
If professional days were no longer taken, then it would stand to reason that the school year would be shortened by the same number of days.
This doesn't seem like a very good outcome for the students, who benefit from their teachers being up to date on the latest research in their areas of education.
As a primary teacher and teacher-librarian in the Surrey school district, I have attended hundreds of events, most of which I paid for myself, as funding for professional development is very limited.
Helen Fielding, Vancouver
In her June 24 letter, Cherryl Katnich said that if teachers are concerned about the lack of learning time in schools, perhaps there should be fewer professional days.
She is probably not aware that the teachers' professional association requested that the government add extra days to the school year so teachers could attend workshops that would enhance teaching practice.
If professional days were no longer taken, then it would stand to reason that the school year would be shortened by the same number of days.
This doesn't seem like a very good outcome for the students, who benefit from their teachers being up to date on the latest research in their areas of education.
As a primary teacher and teacher-librarian in the Surrey school district, I have attended hundreds of events, most of which I paid for myself, as funding for professional development is very limited.
Helen Fielding, Vancouver
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
ASCLA introduces guide for libraries purchasing electronic resources
ALA: 2008 June 24
CHICAGO - The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is announcingd the release of “Think Accessible Before You Buy,” which provides guidelines to ensure that the Web and software resources libraries purchase is accessible to all.
“As information providers, we know that information is only useful if someone can find it and is able read it,” stated Barbara Mates, ASCLA president. “With innovations in the area of electronic information and search tools, we’re able to find it but we are not there yet on the ‘reading’ part. We must all commit to assuring that information can be read by all patrons, including those using adaptive technologies.”
“The biggest challenge for Web accessibility is raising awareness that guidelines do exist that offer electronic information providers the methods and opportunity to create universally accessible information,” said William Reed, chair of the committee that developed the toolkit and assistant head of the Cleveland Public Library’s Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped.
While national accessibility standards do exist, they can be difficult to understand for those without a technical background. This toolkit builds on those standards, such as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, and makes them easier to understand, with examples and definitions. Easy-to-use checklists are provided to make purchasing decisions simpler, and a glossary helps explain the terminology behind accessibility.
“Think Accessible Before You Buy” is available on the ASCLA web site at http://ala.org/ala/ascla/asclaprotools/thinkaccessible/.
CHICAGO - The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is announcingd the release of “Think Accessible Before You Buy,” which provides guidelines to ensure that the Web and software resources libraries purchase is accessible to all.
“As information providers, we know that information is only useful if someone can find it and is able read it,” stated Barbara Mates, ASCLA president. “With innovations in the area of electronic information and search tools, we’re able to find it but we are not there yet on the ‘reading’ part. We must all commit to assuring that information can be read by all patrons, including those using adaptive technologies.”
“The biggest challenge for Web accessibility is raising awareness that guidelines do exist that offer electronic information providers the methods and opportunity to create universally accessible information,” said William Reed, chair of the committee that developed the toolkit and assistant head of the Cleveland Public Library’s Library for the Blind & Physically Handicapped.
While national accessibility standards do exist, they can be difficult to understand for those without a technical background. This toolkit builds on those standards, such as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, and makes them easier to understand, with examples and definitions. Easy-to-use checklists are provided to make purchasing decisions simpler, and a glossary helps explain the terminology behind accessibility.
“Think Accessible Before You Buy” is available on the ASCLA web site at http://ala.org/ala/ascla/asclaprotools/thinkaccessible/.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
ALA honors Newbery, Caldecott winners at Annual Conference
ALA: 2008 June 19
CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), will honor the winners of the Newbery and Caldecott medals for outstanding writing and illustration in children’s literature from 6-11 p.m. on Sunday, June 29, in the Anaheim Hilton, Pacific Ballroom, at the gala Newbery-Caldecott Banquet to be attended by nearly 1,100 librarians, reviewers, publishers and fans of children’s literature. The event is part of the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, June 26 – July 2.
Author Laura Amy Schlitz, winner of the John Newbery Medal for outstanding writing for “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,” and illustrator Brian Selznick, winner of Randolph Caldecott Medal for outstanding illustration for “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” will receive their medals and deliver their acceptance speeches during the Banquet. The Newbery and Caldecott honor book recipients will receive certificates.
Each year, ALSC announces the Newbery and Caldecott medal and honor books, the most prestigious awards in children's literature, as part of the Youth Media Awards press conference at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. The medals honor outstanding writing and illustration of works published in the United States during the previous year. The honor books chosen are also truly distinguished titles.
Schlitz is a professional storyteller, playwright, novelist and a librarian at the Park School in Baltimore. In “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,” published by Candlewick, she brings 13th-century England to life with 21 dramatic narratives.
Selznick, who splits time between Brooklyn and San Diego, received the Caldecott medal for “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic. The book tells the story of Hugo, a young orphan secretly living in the walls of a train station, where he works on completing a mysterious invention left by his father. The tale’s black-and-white pencil illustrations, beginning with the image of the full moon setting over an awakening Paris in 1931, evoke the flickering images of silent films.
The Newbery honor book recipients receiving certificates at the Banquet include: Christopher Paul Curtis, author of “Elijah of Buxton,” published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; Gary D. Schmidt, author of “The Wednesday Wars,” published by Clarion; and Jacqueline Woodson, author of “Feathers,” published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
The Caldecott honor book recipients receiving certificates at the Banquet are: Kadir Nelson, illustrator of “Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad,” written by Ellen Levine and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; Laura Vaccaro Seeger, illustrator and author of “First the Egg,” published by Roaring Brook/Neal Porter; Peter Sís, illustrator and author of “The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Frances Foster; and Mo Willems, illustrator and author of “Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity,” published by Hyperion.
Tickets are $89 and will be available at the onsite registration counter until the event is sold out, or noon Friday, whichever occurs first. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., and cocktails (cash bar) will be available prior to dinner at 6 p.m.. Tickets will not be sold at the door, but those without tickets will be admitted at no charge following the meal service, in order to hear the speeches. A receiving line following the Banquet offers an opportunity to meet the winners in person.
The American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library association in the world, holds its Annual Conference each June. The largest such convention in the world is attended by more than 18,000 librarians, educators, writers, publishers, Friends of Libraries, trustees and special guests. The conference includes more than 2,300 meetings, discussion groups, and programs on various topics affecting libraries and librarians as well as tours and special events. Topics include libraries and technology, censorship and literacy.
CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), will honor the winners of the Newbery and Caldecott medals for outstanding writing and illustration in children’s literature from 6-11 p.m. on Sunday, June 29, in the Anaheim Hilton, Pacific Ballroom, at the gala Newbery-Caldecott Banquet to be attended by nearly 1,100 librarians, reviewers, publishers and fans of children’s literature. The event is part of the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, June 26 – July 2.
Author Laura Amy Schlitz, winner of the John Newbery Medal for outstanding writing for “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,” and illustrator Brian Selznick, winner of Randolph Caldecott Medal for outstanding illustration for “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” will receive their medals and deliver their acceptance speeches during the Banquet. The Newbery and Caldecott honor book recipients will receive certificates.
Each year, ALSC announces the Newbery and Caldecott medal and honor books, the most prestigious awards in children's literature, as part of the Youth Media Awards press conference at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. The medals honor outstanding writing and illustration of works published in the United States during the previous year. The honor books chosen are also truly distinguished titles.
Schlitz is a professional storyteller, playwright, novelist and a librarian at the Park School in Baltimore. In “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,” published by Candlewick, she brings 13th-century England to life with 21 dramatic narratives.
Selznick, who splits time between Brooklyn and San Diego, received the Caldecott medal for “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic. The book tells the story of Hugo, a young orphan secretly living in the walls of a train station, where he works on completing a mysterious invention left by his father. The tale’s black-and-white pencil illustrations, beginning with the image of the full moon setting over an awakening Paris in 1931, evoke the flickering images of silent films.
The Newbery honor book recipients receiving certificates at the Banquet include: Christopher Paul Curtis, author of “Elijah of Buxton,” published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; Gary D. Schmidt, author of “The Wednesday Wars,” published by Clarion; and Jacqueline Woodson, author of “Feathers,” published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
The Caldecott honor book recipients receiving certificates at the Banquet are: Kadir Nelson, illustrator of “Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad,” written by Ellen Levine and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; Laura Vaccaro Seeger, illustrator and author of “First the Egg,” published by Roaring Brook/Neal Porter; Peter Sís, illustrator and author of “The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux/Frances Foster; and Mo Willems, illustrator and author of “Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity,” published by Hyperion.
Tickets are $89 and will be available at the onsite registration counter until the event is sold out, or noon Friday, whichever occurs first. Doors open at 6:45 p.m., and cocktails (cash bar) will be available prior to dinner at 6 p.m.. Tickets will not be sold at the door, but those without tickets will be admitted at no charge following the meal service, in order to hear the speeches. A receiving line following the Banquet offers an opportunity to meet the winners in person.
The American Library Association (ALA), the oldest and largest library association in the world, holds its Annual Conference each June. The largest such convention in the world is attended by more than 18,000 librarians, educators, writers, publishers, Friends of Libraries, trustees and special guests. The conference includes more than 2,300 meetings, discussion groups, and programs on various topics affecting libraries and librarians as well as tours and special events. Topics include libraries and technology, censorship and literacy.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
‘Win-win’ Copyright Act still has plenty of losers
Vancouver Sun Editorial: 2008 June 18
When the federal industry minister introduces amendments to the Copyright Act by telling people that the government has no intention of enforcing them, you know there's a serious problem.
Yet that's precisely what Industry Minister Jim Prentice did upon introducing Bill C-61. Evidently aware of the considerable backlash the bill would receive, Prentice said it would be up to industry to bring actions against consumers who violate the proposed law's draconian provisions.
And make no mistake about it, the amendments are draconian. While Prentice attempted to sell them as a balance between the rights of content creators and consumers, it's clear that consumers -- and in many cases, creators -- can only lose should the new regime become law.
First, let's look at how the proposed law is being sold.
The government has emphasized that "time-shifting" provisions will allow consumers to record television programs to watch later, and that provisions pertaining to music copying will permit them to copy songs onto their iPods.
Sounds good, until you realize that these freedoms are largely illusory: The amendments also include "anti-circumvention" provisions which forbid consumers from picking digital locks, which are often included on CDs and DVDs.
Hence there's a good chance copying music to an iPod will be illegal, for example, despite the feds' assurance of consumer freedom.
There are, in fact, many wholly legitimate reasons for picking digital locks, just one example being that the consumer may want to stop privacy-invading technology. So the anti-circumvention provisions contain a privacy exception, but that, too, is illusory, since the law bans the software necessary to pick the lock.
Similarly, people with visual or hearing impairments are also free to break locks, but anyone helping them would be guilty of an offence, so their chances of making use of the exception are slim to none.
What about the use of copyrighted material for educational purposes? Once again things look good, provided you don't look too closely.
For example, libraries can make digital copies for customers, as long as the copies will self-destruct, Mission Impossible-style, within five days.
The law therefore takes away everything it gives consumers, and more. And while some members of industry are happy with the bill, many others, including the Canadian Music Creators Coalition, stand opposed because the bill resorts to the failed American method of forcing creators to sue their fans, rather than helping "musicians get paid."
The fact that the bill relies on the American method is not just a coincidence, either, as it is almost entirely the result of the intense pressure U.S. authorities placed on Ottawa. In contrast, there was precious little public consultation during drafting of the proposed law.
Prentice claims that the bill is a "win-win," though it's not entirely clear who will win.
What is clear is that if the bill becomes law, all consumers, and many content creators, are destined to lose.
When the federal industry minister introduces amendments to the Copyright Act by telling people that the government has no intention of enforcing them, you know there's a serious problem.
Yet that's precisely what Industry Minister Jim Prentice did upon introducing Bill C-61. Evidently aware of the considerable backlash the bill would receive, Prentice said it would be up to industry to bring actions against consumers who violate the proposed law's draconian provisions.
And make no mistake about it, the amendments are draconian. While Prentice attempted to sell them as a balance between the rights of content creators and consumers, it's clear that consumers -- and in many cases, creators -- can only lose should the new regime become law.
First, let's look at how the proposed law is being sold.
The government has emphasized that "time-shifting" provisions will allow consumers to record television programs to watch later, and that provisions pertaining to music copying will permit them to copy songs onto their iPods.
Sounds good, until you realize that these freedoms are largely illusory: The amendments also include "anti-circumvention" provisions which forbid consumers from picking digital locks, which are often included on CDs and DVDs.
Hence there's a good chance copying music to an iPod will be illegal, for example, despite the feds' assurance of consumer freedom.
There are, in fact, many wholly legitimate reasons for picking digital locks, just one example being that the consumer may want to stop privacy-invading technology. So the anti-circumvention provisions contain a privacy exception, but that, too, is illusory, since the law bans the software necessary to pick the lock.
Similarly, people with visual or hearing impairments are also free to break locks, but anyone helping them would be guilty of an offence, so their chances of making use of the exception are slim to none.
What about the use of copyrighted material for educational purposes? Once again things look good, provided you don't look too closely.
For example, libraries can make digital copies for customers, as long as the copies will self-destruct, Mission Impossible-style, within five days.
The law therefore takes away everything it gives consumers, and more. And while some members of industry are happy with the bill, many others, including the Canadian Music Creators Coalition, stand opposed because the bill resorts to the failed American method of forcing creators to sue their fans, rather than helping "musicians get paid."
The fact that the bill relies on the American method is not just a coincidence, either, as it is almost entirely the result of the intense pressure U.S. authorities placed on Ottawa. In contrast, there was precious little public consultation during drafting of the proposed law.
Prentice claims that the bill is a "win-win," though it's not entirely clear who will win.
What is clear is that if the bill becomes law, all consumers, and many content creators, are destined to lose.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)