Search

Study abroad is a popular enrichment of the U.S. postsecondary academic experience with short-term programs providing a cost-effective opportunity to enhance student international travel experiences. In this review, we critically examine a U.S. program we led to Finland with the goal of identifying the pedagogical features from that program that maximize and optimize student learning. We provided thirteen undergraduate and graduate students in a department of education at a mid-sized, public, land-grant university an opportunity to participate in a short-term, faculty-led study abroad program to learn about Finland's public, K-12 educational system. Program learning outcomes included comparing the country's top-ranked educational system with U.S. public K-12 education in order to enhance students' future teaching practices. The purpose of this essay is to deconstruct the pedagogical features from that program to identify what worked well and what could have been improved upon with the goal of providing a critically examined model for consideration and thereby enhance comparative educational practice for faculty-led study abroad programs.

One of the main responsibilities of school librarians is to teach students to evaluate the credibility of information. There is little evidence to suggest that students are being explicitly taught how to evaluate news obtained through social media. As avenues for giving and getting information evolve, so must ways of teaching students so that they will be prepared for college, career, and life. In addition to teaching systematic approaches to information evaluation, heuristics can be an efficient means to teach middle and high school students how to evaluate news obtained through social media in real time. A recent study (Spencer Johnson and Ann Ewbank, 2018) has established three underlying concepts that school librarians and teachers should address before teaching students how to use heuristics to evaluate news obtained through social media in real time: content, motivation, and credibility cues. By incorporating heuristics into the school library and classroom, students are being set up for success when they encounter news obtained through social media.

This modified case study examines how the members of the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians' Association (BCTLA), a Provincial Specialist Association (PSA) of the British Columbia Teachers' Federation (BCTF), work together to advocate for strong school library programs headed by a credentialed school librarian. Since 2002, despite nullification of a collective bargaining agreement that mandated a ratio of school librarians to students, the province has maintained 70 percent of its school librarian positions. The researcher found that the BCTF provides the structure and megaphone for advocacy, while the members of BCTLA are responsible for the "boots on the ground" advocacy. Members of BCTLA are passionate about the role of school librarians despite significant challenges. Two-way communication between BCTF and BCTLA is vital. Additionally, a strong personal connection exists among BCTLA members. However, despite consistent advocacy efforts made by BCTLA and BCTF, the organizations face an uphill battle in terms of having their efforts impact policy. Librarian interest groups can use the structure of the union to promote school library issues. If a union is not available, school librarians can use influence-building techniques and professional associations to effectively advocate for strong school libraries. Union activity in support of school libraries offers a promising opportunity for library advocates.

The number of U.S. school librarians has greatly diminished despite advocacy efforts on the local and national level. This case study investigated the factors that led governing board members in a mid-size urban high school district to retain certified school librarian positions despite a major economic crisis. Data were collected through school district documents and interviews with the district superintendent, a governing board member, the director of finance, a school administrator, and a librarian. Using an organizational decision-making framework, the researcher constructed the following values-oriented themes contributing to the retention of librarians: employee involvement, transparency in communication, trust between district leadership and the governing board, a commitment to the district's core values, and the value placed on the school library program by the district's stakeholders. Findings indicated that practitioners can advocate on the basis of organizational factors that contribute to school librarian retention. Future research should investigate additional school districts' decision-making processes in the retention of school librarian positions. All locations and names used in this study are pseudonyms. (Contains 1 figure.)

MySpace and Facebook are innovative digital communication tools that surpass traditional means of social interaction. However, in some instances in which educators have used these tools, public reactions to them have resulted in sanctions. With the notion that traditional ideas of privacy and teacher conduct are not yet defined in online worlds, the researchers developed a case-based reasoning intervention to support more informed decisions by preservice teachers. The case-based coursework led students to perceive a need for more definitive guidelines about their participation in social networking spaces. The findings have professional development implications for educators and educational institutions that wish to harness the positive potential of social networking tools without risking professional status. (Contains 11 tables.)

The authors' purpose in this article is to interrogate the mediated and political discourses that emerged alongside the "Flores v. Arizona" case. The authors endeavor to offer another voice, framework and approach that may help sustain a continuous, paramount conversation concerning the educational rights of English language learners and the ways in which the public rationalizes appropriate state provisions for such students. Therein, the manuscript operationalizes the rationalities that appear across pro-"Flore"s data (which consists of public opinion rhetoric positioned in support of the plaintiff and therefore in favor of appropriate state support for English language learners). The analysis of this data lays bare the echoes of the discursive regime surrounding the "Flores" case, a regime which unmasks neo-liberal rationalities for supporting English language learners. For example, the findings indicate that neo-liberal rationalities such as commodification, competition, risk, security, insurance and entrepreneurialism dominate the discursive landscape and eclipse alternative ways of arguing in support of students' rights to equitable and appropriate education, including social justice, pluralism and democracy.

This study investigates how place consciousness affects the advocacy practices of five rural/frontier Montana school librarians. Eighteen Montana rural/frontier school librarians were interviewed about their advocacy activities. A grounded theory analysis revealed that the recognition of community context is vital to effective school library advocacy. A secondary data analysis using narrative inquiry was conducted, resulting in five narratives anchored in the conceptual framework of place consciousness and using the hero's journey story structure to further explore how rural/frontier school librarians advocate for effective programs. Lessons learned about rural/frontier school librarian advocacy are shared, as are implications for practice and suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colleges of education are not using Facebook and other social media to their best advantage. Instead of building online communities, colleges of education tend to use social media merely for press releases. The innovative Facebook pages of five large corporations can serve as models for colleges wishing to improve their command of these media.

Social networking sites are interactive websites designed to build online communities for individuals who have something in common--an interest in a hobby, a topic, or an organization--and a simple desire to communicate across physical boundaries with other interested people. These sites are not unlike the old-fashioned "party line" telephones, but they leave a more permanent record of the conversations. The introduction of online social networking has created a cultural shift related to the idea of privacy: some people today are willing to expose more about themselves. Although social networking technology can benefit teachers, recent reports in the media have shown teachers being reprimanded for what school districts consider "inappropriate activity." In this article, the authors urge educators to consider the potential outcomes before they post. (Contains 23 notes.)

A worldview is composed of beliefs, values, and perceptions. It creates a lens through which individuals, organizations, and institutions analyze and evaluate their experiences and the world around them. As the authors think beyond their individual perceptions, they wonder about the worldview of their profession. They have wondered aloud (on more than one occasion) about whether or not there is (or should be) a teacher-librarian worldview. If there is one, of what beliefs and values does it consist? How do they learn it, and how do they pass it on to the next generation? How does it influence the way they perceive the world, and how does it influence their practice of teacher-librarianship? The have come to the conclusion that they do share a worldview that they believe may be unique to teacher-librarians. It includes a set of beliefs that originate in their philosophies of teaching and librarianship, beliefs that influence their practices and their involvement in their professional associations. With acknowledgment of the National Public Radio framework "This We Believe," the authors share what they believe about a teacher-librarian worldview in this article.

Advocacy groups of all types use social media to reach their constituents. However, are messages of library advocacy disseminated through social media reaching those who can become allies in the quest to save libraries? How far reaching are library advocacy messages? This study addresses the use of Twitter for library advocacy. A review of the literature outlining social network analysis and the use of Twitter for advocacy, procedures for using NodeXL (a software package for social media analysis), and a taxonomy of Twitter conversations are provided. An analysis of the spread of the hashtags #savelibraries and #getESEAright through Twitter is then given. Findings suggest that both hashtags had moderate success by spreading beyond the 'echo chamber'. Finally, recommendations for libraries, librarians, and advocacy groups are outlined., Introduction Advocacy groups of all types use social media to reach their constituents. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Tumblr are among the popular options for these [...]

In today's knowledge economy, both high school and university educators must ensure that students are equipped with the proficiencies needed to transition from high school to college and, ultimately, from college to the workplace. As librarians at Arizona State University (ASU), the authors sought to develop a local program that would support this goal. The Collaboration and Connection project teams ASU Libraries, ASU's Writing Programs, and ASU's Academic Success programs with area high school English teachers and librarians. The authors' goal was simple: Provide a forum that allows high school and university educators to engage in a dialog about how best to prepare students for university-level research and writing. In their area, few opportunities exist for high school and university faculty and librarians to get together and talk about student success across the "grade 12-13 gap." The Collaboration and Connection project creates that opportunity.

Acknowledging Arizona State University's (ASU) long-term goal of 100,000 students in online degree programs and recognizing the 8 new 100% online undergraduate programs slated to come online in 2010, ASU Libraries is planning for the continued integration and relevance of the library to online students and programs. During the summer and fall of 2009, the ASU Libraries Task Force for Online and Extended Education met to develop the elements of a Comprehensive Plan for Library Support of Online Programs. The plan includes: (1) guiding principles for library support of online and extended education; (2) a needs assessment and environmental scan; and (3) a sustainable and scalable plan for library support of the online programs. This article discusses the process of developing the comprehensive plan. KEYWORDS academic libraries, distance education DOI: 10.1080/01930826.2010.488996

The 65% Solution seems to be in the news on education these days. Some governors have endorsed it, a growing number of legislators are trying to legislate it, and, in more and more states, petitioners are trying to get it on the ballot. Backers want this initiative to be spread across the nation. In short, this movement hinges on a simple, but unproven, idea: student learning will increase if 65 cents on every educational dollar is spent directly in the classroom. This movement is backed by a group called First Class Education (FCE). FCE is the brainchild of Tim Mooney, a conservative Arizona political consultant, and it is financially backed by Patrick Byrne, CEO of Overstock.com. This group introduced the 65% concept and began its drive in Arizona. Unfortunately, the 65% Solution could spell the end to high quality library media programs because library media specialist positions are not considered to be "in the classroom" expenditures. In this article, the authors discuss why schools and library media specialists should be concerned, and steps that may be taken to preserve library media centers by backing an interpretation of the 65% Solution that recognizes the teaching role of library media specialists and includes salaries and library resources as essential additional components of "Instruction Expenditures."

ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 15, 2008, THE LIBRARY COMMUNITY WAS ASTOUNDED TO LEARN IN THE EAST VALLEY/SCOTTSDALE TRIBUNE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE THAT MESA PUBLIC SCHOOLS (MPS), ARIZONA'S SECOND LARGEST SCHOOL [...]

This study examines innovative technology uses of proficient doctoral students in action research and uses the findings for doctoral program planning and revision. The authors conducted an environmental scan of students' uses of technology to support their work throughout the dissertation process. They identified one to three students in each phase of the action research cycle, called "power users," who innovatively used technology. Rogers' (2003) theory of diffusion suggests that, as a result of the understandings from this study, the faculty-researchers are gatekeepers, responsible for systematically addressing the diffusion of technology. Recommendations include the adoption of a shared technology vision and leveraging the power users' skills through the doctoral program [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of eliminations in school librarian positions due to funding reductions in schools and school districts across the United States, library associations encourage school librarians to advocate for the profession. A U.S. national survey of 381 school librarians investigated present advocacy efforts, needs, obstacles, and successful methods. An overwhelming majority of school librarians believe that advocacy for the profession is important. Only half of the respondents reported engaging in advocacy activities. Respondents who reported position or funding threats were more likely to advocate and perceive a greater level of success in their advocacy efforts. The most frequent obstacles to advocacy were lack of time and lack of awareness. Future research should investigate advocacy impact on decision-making. Library associations are challenged to motivate school librarians to engage in the process of advocacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a combination of marketing, Web 2.0 tools, videoconferencing, face-to-face instruction and site visits, a library presence including systematic information literacy instruction is embedded into multiple programs at sixteen sites in a growing college of education with nearly 6000 students and over 115 full-time faculty members. As the needs of the students and faculty evolve, the library program responds. This article describes the education library liaison program for Arizona State University's College of Teacher Education and Leadership, including both successes and challenges, within the context of university, college, and library change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reviews the exhibition "Confucius Institute Exhibit" at the Noble Science and Technology Library at Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona.