School librarians play numerous roles throughout a day. They are information specialists who keep up with the constant changes in information and technology. It is important for them to keep students up-to-date and teach them to use technology properly. Gaming and technology are both important concepts for 21st-century school librarians to…

This report explains the key role that school librarians and libraries should play in state- and district-wide efforts to transition to digital learning, or the effective use of technology to improve teaching and learning. The report calls for district and school leaders, policymakers, and boards of education to support, encourage, and fund the…

Discusses the future of librarians, libraries, and library schools in the age of electronic information. Commentary includes the changing role of the librarian in information selection; organization and access in instruction; and suggestions for revitalizing library education and image improvement. (seven references) (KRN)

When secondary school librarians teach students digital life literacies, they help students perceive that librarians can provide support for real-life problems. The more librarians work with students, create inviting library environments, and have positive engagements with students, the more they change student perceptions of librarians in…

This article presents K-12 motivational strategies that focus on different ideas school library media specialists can use to gain and sustain attention in the research topic. Some have come from recent submissions to the S.O.S. database of lesson plans and teaching ideas. A student-directed searching activity for college level library instruction…

"Moodle[TM]," an acronym for Modular Object-Oriented Dynamic Learning Environment, is an open source software package that teachers can use to produce Internet-based courses and Web sites. "Open source" basically means that it is copyrighted, but it can be used at no cost as long as the user agrees to provide the source to others. "Moodle[TM]" can…

Library teachers can no longer do business as usual--their students' deep learning is at risk! Expanding current collection of books, CDs, and DVDs is progress, but library teachers cannot allow their facilities to become warehouses for information resources. Their library learning commons should be a place buzzing with the hustle and bustle of…

Top Chef is one of America's top food television shows. In one episode, lead judge Tom Colicchio, chef and restaurant owner, chides a contestant for hurriedly slicing a piece of meat as soon as it had emerged from the oven. The meat was fully cooked, but the competitor had not "let it rest," or let it steep in its own juices outside the oven for…

While there is no guarantee that competence in reading or writing results in competence in the other, the skills are related and research suggests that instruction in both reinforces the other. Recommendations strongly support the integration of teaching these skills. Indeed, the integration of all the language arts including speaking, listening,…

Screencasts are videos that record the actions that take place on the computer screen, most often including a narrative audio track, in order to demonstrate various computer-related tasks, such as how to use a software program or navigate a certain Web site. All that is needed is a standard microphone and screen recording software, which can be…

In a study conducted to compare the results of two methods of instruction for the use of periodical, book, and newspaper indexes, the traditional lecture approach and self-study guide were investigated. Two library science classes were divided into two groups, and then divided further according to sex and class status. A self-study guide was…

Describes a study that investigated the skills that bibliographic instruction (BI) librarians in academic libraries thought were needed to provide adequate BI and where these skills should be taught or acquired. Training for BI offered in library schools is examined, and recommendations for further study are suggested. (19 references) (LRW)

Over the past few years a growing body of research has highlighted the potential for educational video games to foster highly engaged, effective learning in the classroom. These research reports from organizations such as the Federation of American Scientists, the National Science Foundation, and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop…

This document contains two syllabi and selected handouts developed for a graduate-level course in bibliographic instruction (BI). The purpose of the course is to enable students to become familiar with the field of bibliographic instruction and to plan, implement, and evaluate a BI course within an academic setting. Attention is also given to…

As budget cuts loom in school districts across the nation, school librarians are expected to show artifacts and share data to cement their credibility as instructional leaders, since according to Zmuda (2007) and many others, the effectiveness of the school library media program must be measured by what students learn as a result of their…