Discusses the collaborative role of school library media specialists as instructional consultants to help teachers plan curriculum and develop instructional activities. Topics addressed include the nature of instructional planning; how teachers plan; and strategies for planning in partnership with teachers, including planning styles, planning…

Presents school librarian certification requirements in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, alphabetically by state in two tables: "Certification Requirements" (listing state/date; certificate or endorsement; educational program, experience and recommendation; tests) and "Knowledge/Subject Areas/Competencies" (listing state;…

Discusses responses from an informal survey of what managers want in entry-level instructional technologists. Presents examples of basic expectation for graduates in terms of communications; organizations; technology; planning; and speedy performance. Discusses emerging priorities related to education and training as big business; flexible…

Discussion of the way technology is changing the delivery of information services to students and teachers focuses on an assessment rubric designed to upgrade library services by focusing on library media specialists' responsibilities. Provides examples of use of the rubric in an elementary school and in a library consortium. (Contains 2…

Discusses the changing shift in education, including learning resources centers, from a production to a consumer mind-set, focusing on the activity of learning rather than teaching. Highlights include learning communities; personal mastery; developing a vision; the interconnectedness of organizations; harmony and balance, similar to feng shui; and…

Discusses the need for students to become more aware of other cultures as the population becomes more diverse. Provides examples of activities that teachers and library media specialists can use to expand student's cultural awareness and explains The Diversity Game that can be adapted to community demographics. (LRW)

Discusses the National Board Certification for the Early Childhood through Young Adulthood/Library Media certificate, under development by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. Explains the library media standards overview, including knowledge, activities, and professional growth; portfolio requirements; required assessment…

Discussion of national standards for information-and-technology literacy focuses on experiences at one school where national standards were synthesized by library media specialists to develop local standards as well as a series of benchmarks by which student achievement could be measured. (Author/LRW)

The Internet's unique scope, characteristics and potential make it a vehicle for media specialists to model good use of information technology and provide far-reaching instructional leadership in schools. This article focuses on approaches to Web site selection, supervision, and staff development for effective use of the Internet in schools. (AEF)

Discusses standards created by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and the Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT) for library media programs that improve student achievement. Highlights include Information Power, 1998 edition; how to use standards; curriculum content standards; the influence and use of…

Discusses "Information Literacy Standards" for school library media specialists that were included in the 1998 edition of "Information Power" and presents a lesson plan for middle school students on global warming that focuses on the standard addressing perspective, or point of view, and incorporates an information process…

The shortage of school library media specialists (SLMSs) has accentuated the need for establishing and promoting mentoring programs in K-12 schools. Mentoring programs for SLMSs in two large urban school systems are addressing the needs of new SLMSs. Sample orientation/mentoring program activities are given. (AEF)

School library media specialists (SLMSs) in the Rochester (Michigan) Community Schools decided it was crucial to come to a consensus about key roles of SLMSs in successful school library media programs. They identified the following roles: information specialist, instructional partner, and program administrator. To educate administrators, staff…

Most camps use specialists to run activities and cabin leaders to manage campers. However, a generalist model offers greater leadership development opportunities. To implement a more generalist paradigm, have camp leaders express their areas of skill and interest, pair up experienced and inexperienced staff, allow specialists to cover activities…

Objective: To examine the relative contributions of symptom severity, functional impairment, and parental burden in predicting the use of specialist child mental health services over a 4-year period. Method: Between 1999 and 2000, parental Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires were completed on a community-based sample of 1,168 (40% response…