Describes the planning and introduction of model activities that integrate subject-specific critical thinking skills through library media skills instruction. Activities for the English curriculum are described for grades 9-12 and include the roles of the library media specialist, teachers, and students. Student reactions are also described.…

Suggests ways that the school library media specialist can help students become more successful as users of online information. Four types of barriers to becoming informed are described: (1) indicative access barriers (indexing systems and relevance); (2) physical access to documents identified in a search; (3) linguistic barriers; and (4)…

Discusses authentic assessment and its possible uses in school libraries. Highlights include restructuring and authentic schools; authentic assessment techniques; motivation; increasing thinking skills; creative research products; roles of the library media specialist in authentic assessment; and an appendix with seven annotated curriculum…

Explains how media specialists can use departmental meetings to develop and promote better public relations within the school community. Topics include changes in the media center; new programs or services being offered, including new software and Internet resources; teacher requests for materials to support their curriculum; and interlibrary-loan…

Describes a survey of Kentucky high school library media specialists that was conducted to determine what kind of electronic resources were available for research needs and what instruction they were provided with regarding the retrieval of electronic information. Discusses implications for academic librarians who may be instructing college…

Explains how media specialists can play an active role in providing staff development that helps teachers use technology to teach in a changing learning environment and integrate technology in the curriculum. Highlights include key research about staff development, the changing role of the media specialist, and examples of successful staff…

Considers the effects of an electronic environment on students and the role of the school library media specialist in student achievement. Topics include how students learn differently as a result of computer access; interactivity in mass media; political aspects of educational technology; and whether technological changes are good or bad. (LRW)

Describes an integrated curriculum project for fourth graders in a Hawaiian elementary school with a highly transient population. The project, ALOHA (Active Learners on Hawaiian Adventures) was developed to motivate students in learning about Hawaii's culture and ecosystems. Cooperation between the library media specialist, technology coordinator,…

Discusses the role of administrators and media specialists in the successful use of technology in schools and explains the TSSA (Technology Standards for School Administrators) project. Topics include hardware needs; applications, including software and Internet connectivity; teachers' technology use; and professional development for staff,…

When James Conant, former president of Harvard University, took on the topic of teacher preparation in his 1963 report "The Education of American Teachers," he demanded sweeping change. Conant's reform agenda, which focused on reshaping the educational establishment in America, took on the National Education Association and National…

Purpose: Residents in rural communities in the United States, especially ethnic minority group members, have limited access to primary and specialty health care that is critical for diabetes management. This study examines primary and specialty medical care utilization among a rural, ethnically diverse, older adult population with diabetes.…

Describes a program developed to help school principals understand the importance of school library media specialists based on "Information Power." Explains modules on academic achievement and school libraries, information literacy and academic standards, library collections and flexible access, and revitalization and evaluation of…

Using Nicholl's (1989) and Dweck's (1999, 2002) theories on ability as conceptual frameworks, this study explored teachers' and students' conceptions of ability in elementary physical education. Participants were 8 physical education specialists from five public schools and 160 students from their second- and fourth-grade classes. Teacher and…

It is essential for all students to become life long information users in order to become quality citizens in today's information world. In this paper, a school library media specialist illustrates how she and other school district librarians planned and implemented a redesign of the school library facility and a change in the library program. The…

These three newsletter issues provide organizational news from the program that awards the Child Development Associate (CDA) credential to caregivers. Each issue provides a CDA profile of an exceptional educator or caregiver. The March issue introduces the new director of the Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition and describes…