Book Description
Based on the methods of the New York City Library Power Program, this is a practical handbook for revitalizing or rebuilding the school library. Putting the many facets of the media specialist's professional life into the context of a flexibly scheduled, collaboratively planned teaching program, the book offers simple strategies for effecting positive change. It covers such topics as the librarian's role as teacher, programming, assessment, collection development, facilities, technology, the library budget, support staff, and public relations. Written for the school library media specialist who has or plans to have a library that conforms to today's vision of an effective school library media program, this book places the library media center at the heart of the school's educational program and shows how to position the library as the catalyst for school reform. ... Read more

Book Description
Juice up your library programs with these lively, thematic, book-based activities for children in grades 4-8. Ten chapters focus on popular themes and study areas "Welcome to Victorian England", "Gross Science", "Discovering Family Roots", "Is This Goodbye? Endangered Animals", and more, offering an annotated list of select books and two complete programs for each theme. You'll find step-by-step instructions, materials lists, and all the reproducible patterns, scripts, and stories you'll need to make it happen. In each chapter, one program is suited to the needs of school libraries and the other is targeted at public libraries, although both can be adapted to either environment. Through reading, creative dramatics, puzzles, writing exercises, arts and crafts, and more, you can engage young learners while building their literacy and reading skills, and their love of books and reading. Designed for school and public libraries, these activities are great for after-school programs and also fit beautifully into classroom studies. Grades 4-8. ... Read more

Book Description
Your library or classroom will sizzle with excitement when you present these creative, book-based programs--and you just may have as much fun as the kids. Each of the ten chapters focuses on a popular theme or study area--"Tropical Rainforests," "Animals Down Under," "In the Know" (manners), and more--offering an annotated list of selected picture books and chapters books, and two complete programs with step-by-step instructions, materials lists, and all the reproducible patterns, scripts, and stories you'll need. Through reading, storytelling, puzzles, creative dramatics, writing exercises, arts and crafts, and more, you can engage young learners, while building their literacy and reading skills, and their love of books and reading. Children will delight in learning about amazing rainforest animals, performing a skit based on myths from ancient Egypt, writing their own fantasy stories, and holding a mouth-watering Medieval banquet. Designed for public and school libraries, these programs also fit beautifully into classroom studies. Grades K-6. ... Read more

Book Description
Hackman's practical ideas for integrating library information skills into the high school English curriculum emphasize the importance of teacher-librarian cooperation and curriculum match. This new edition also addresses the media specialist's challenge to help teachers feel comfortable with new technologies while incorporating them into the program. The author gives numerous examples of how the media specialist and English teacher can team up in composition, literature, and the performing arts-all taken from successful programs based on national, state, and regional standards. A useful resource for media specialists, teachers, library and education students, and school administrators. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Fairly General
The AWP guide is fine if you're looking for general information, but it doesn't go into a lot of depth about any of the programs. The standard guide that everyone recommends is Amy Holman's An Insider's Guide to MFA Programs, which is actually outstanding. The MFA Handbook by Tom Kealey is okay too, but it's pretty subjective and not always accurate and a lot of people seem to distrust it. I haven't actually seen it so I can't say, but that's what I've heard.

I don't think it would hurt to have the AWP Guide as a resource, but if you're only going to buy one I'd go with the Insider's Guide.

very limited helpfulness
Overall I cannot give this book higher than two stars, even if I did find it quite helpful because it could have been about twenty times more helpful than it was.

I think that this book did help me in some ways: it is a compact list of every place you can go for a writing program (at least probably 98% of what was available at the time of print). For example, I did a lot of research for M.F.A. programs, but I decided almost last minute, only a little while after I got this book, to go to an M.A. program instead, and this helped me to make the switch on a dime.

But as a previous reviewer noted, the information throughout is significantly lacking. It's inconsistent, says little beyond what can be found on websites, and often is somewhat misleading. However, in the book's defense, I got it as soon as it came out and, after I selected fifteen or so M.A. programs (a good number to apply to since each program is so selective and the faculty at each school will have different tastes) literally six of them changed to M.F.A.s this fall. So things change much more quickly than can be traced.

My advice: look at the colleges you're hoping to apply to and check if they have a (preferably national) literary journal, good faculty (read one or two of their short stories--if the style doesn't grab you right away, then move to someone else), and assistantships (you don't want to get out with a bunch of debt and no experience teaching in case that's what you need to do before your big break).


Bottom line: This book is helpful as a place to start--more so than gradschools.com--but ask professors, look up the MFA creative writing guide (just search amazon... it's by Tom Kealey, a former Stegner fellow at Stanford), and keep reading these professors works. This should not be more than the first resource you look at, and should certainly not be the last.

Where is the editor?
I bought this book for its graduate programs, and I am disappointed with what it has to offer.

This book is a collection of advertisement with minimum editing work. The inconsistency among schools is disturbing: Few schools list their tuition for year 2004-2005; some list their acceptance rates; some don't have their URLs listed; some (5 - 10%) don't have any information other than their names; some list low-residency under "Type of Program", some under "Length of Residency", and some bury the information in description.

There is very little effort put into the indices section. Schools are only listed by states and degrees, but not by emphases (fiction, nonfiction, poetry, etc.), length of residency, scholarship, literary magazines, etc. Unless you know which geographic area and degrees that you are interested in, you have to go through the whole section (231 pages).

I understand that books will always be outdated the day they come out (both U of British Columbia and U of Nebraska offer low-residency programs now), but the sloppiness of the book is troubling. ... Read more

Book Description
Numbers can provide concrete proof to demonstrate that a problem exists as well as evidence that steps are being taken to find solutions. Bradburn, chief consultant for library media programs for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, provides a much-needed format for taking data traditionally collected by library media specialists and showing how it can be used to talk about existing programs - or to document the need for a program change.

She addresses the use of statistics to justify the need for resources or to provide input for programs, ways to collect the data with limited time and staff, and the use of that data by systems or individual schools to argue for increased funding. Detailed information, clearly illustrated by examples and charts, is supplied on which data will best support a given need, collecting the data so they are reliable and useful, and interpreting and using them most effectively. "Hotspots" warn the reader of potential pitfalls in the use of these statistics. The major output measures are: media center use, materials use, materials availability, teaching availability, and staff development opportunities. Fully developed case studies illuminate the strategic use of output measures by the school library media specialist. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Must have source book!
Excellent source of data gathering charts that media specialists can use to justify budgets, staffing, scheduling and program curriculum needs to those in charge of school funding for libraries.Author allowsphotocopying of the forms so busy librarians don't have to develop them ontheir own.Great explanations on how to gather data, interpret it and useit successfully. ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Teacher Education Quarterly, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2007. The length of the article is 5452 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Breaking the language barrier: promoting collaboration between general and special educators.
Author: LeAnne Robinson
Publication: Teacher Education Quarterly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 34Issue: 3Page: 83

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
Start here to find children's books that illustrate reading and language arts concepts and show you how to increase vocabulary through word play. The wide range of books discussed not only reinforce instructional objectives, but provide students with meaningful and enjoyable practice of those objectives. The manual's unique organization categorizes books according to reading/ language arts concepts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

SO useful
If you are wondering whether or not to buy this book... buy it!! It has been SO useful to me.It is so easy to give it to a parent volunteer to do with a small group of kids for a (WORTHWHILE!) center.I always wanted to do more Making Words activities with my students, but it was always such a pain to get out the right letters for 24 students and then put them away when done.This makes it super easy because the letters are already on the page, the students justcut them out themselves.And it really is a complete making words activity because after you make the words, you sort them, and then transfer them to help you spell a word in a sentence. The words are just perfect for my average 1st grader, and I got the 2nd grade book for my advanced students. (Great way to differentiate). The students love seeing if they can figure out the secret word.As you can see, I can't say enough good things about this book.

A good hands on teaching tool
As a teacher in a four blocks classroom, I was "strongly encouraged" to use this text.It was not until I used the third grade edition last year that I saw how well it worked.This year, I am back in grade one and have an incredibly sharp group of students.They want to keep making words once the lesson is done!I only wish the third graders I taught last year had been fortunate enough to have had this concept when they were in first grade.

WOW!
This book is wonderful! It contains 50 lessons for making words. It comes complete with a teacher script; you also have the option of using your own letter tiles or cutting out the tiles at the top of each lesson. Once I started using this in my classroom, my students reading grades soared. They were able to break words apart for easier decoding. ... Read more

Book Description
Want a quick way to check to see whether a student has read a book? This is it. Quizzes contains objective reproducible tests for well-known children's books, all of which are likely to be found in school and public libraries. Titles include award winners and runners-up; classics; popular books; and books by such children's authors as Cleary, Fox, and Norton. With a new organization and layout, this revised edition offers users an improved and more durable resource. Flexible and convenient, the reproducible tests are great for helping track independent reading programs. ... Read more

Book Description

My experiences as a secondary school teacher and as a WAC program coordinator tell me that this is a book that will serve us well. I am happy to recommend it to anyone who wants to know how a WAC program can be started in a high school.

- Alabama English

In Programs and Practices contributors describe and critique various ways that writing across the curriculum (WAC) has been incorporated into schoolwide, districtwide, and statewide programs. WAC efforts, which most often begin with small groups of teachers working in a limited number of classrooms, can and often do expand and become the catalyst for systemic change. In these pages readers will find the philosophical foundations for WAC programs and numerous specific classroom applications that provide the explanatory power of practical experience. In addition teachers and administrators will discover ways others are nurturing WAC by creating environments in which WAC becomes central to an institution's educational mission. They will also discover how individual schools, school districts, and state agencies have begun to institutionalize WAC.

Book Description
Securing the interest of energetic, independent middle school students is one of the greatest challenges of school librarians. In this book--the third in the Library Programs That Inspire Series--acclaimed authors Patricia Potter Wilson and Roger Leslie bring you some of the best programming ideas to motivate your middle school patrons and encourage lifelong learning. Examples of successful programs from award-winning "Blue Ribbon" middle schools across the nation provide the necessary inspiration to create library events that will get the attention of even your least interested students. Find out which programs are most effective, innovative, and entertaining--without draining your resources and energy! ... Read more

Book Description

This highly useful book is premised on a truism few teachers would argue with: Every community is a treasure trove of history, architecture, art, music, languages, literature, folklore, and science. By exploring their communities through language-centered activities, students of all ages can become not only deeply aware of the meaning and nature of community and their places in it, but also of the role of language arts in human affairs.

Book Description
How can you make your school library media program more successful? This timely book identifies current trends and thinking about library media specialists as change agents and their roles in school improvement, curriculum design, collaboration with teachers, and building information literacy. Reprinted from recent issues of Emergency Librarian, 39 enlightening and exciting articles offer stimulating discussions on learning theories, flexible scheduling, new technologies, thematic units, new partnerships, and more. Articles are organized into seven sections: foundations, the school context, role clarification, information literacy, collaborative planning and teaching, program development, and accountability. Essential professional reading, this book can also be used as a school media textbook in library schools. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Bottom Line: Read It Or Get Left Behind!
This is an impressive collection of previously published articles concerning school librarianship. All thirty-nine papers originally appeared in the journal, Emergency Librarian; one third also appeared previously in The School Library Program in the Curriculum. Each article still merits reading (or rereading) and is as relevant today as it was when first published. However, the organization of this new collection makes this experience even more worthwhile.

The editor, Ken Haycock, has arranged the articles into seven parts: Foundations; School Context; Role Clarification; Information Literacy; Collaborative Planning and Teaching; Program Development; Accountability. Haycock is to be commended for conceptualizing the collection in this manner, and then for selecting such a fine assortment of articles for each of the various parts. The list of authors includes some of the most respected names in the field of school librarianship; their individual contributions to the professional literature are numerous and this resulting collective effort is very impressive.

Each part is introduced by a knowledgeable editor who manages to provide readers with succinct, yet thoughtful commentaries. These introductions are as highly recommended as the selected articles as they create the necessary unifying dimension for this large collection. The fourth part of the collection is a good example of this fine editing. Information Literacy includes eight chapters or articles beginning with Christina Doyle's "classic" paper, Information Literacy in an Information Society. In his introduction to this section, Haycock weaves a fine historical account of the evolution from "library skills" to "information skills and strategies" to our more recent understanding of information processes built on student information-seeking behaviors blended with subject area standards for problem-solving, decision-making and content. The contributors' articles that follow Doyle's paper examine issues such as the need for developing learners' information literacy in the electronic learning environment, and developing school-based learning strategies. The concluding article, by David Loertscher, is a perfect conclusion for this key part of the book. All That Glitters May Not Be Gold focuses the reader on the need to develop engaging, authentic assignments, and on the need for adequate time on task for learners to evaluate and use information effectively.
Although many of us have encountered most of these articles before, this new presentation is certainly recommended reading. It may not be the best title for novices in school librarianship (or for introductory level courses in the field) but it should provide essential reading for more experienced practitioners.

Definitive Works in the Field of School Librarianship
This work is a compilation of articles written for the popular professional journal Emergency Librarian (recently changed to Teacher Librarian). The thirty-nine articles included were written by experts inthe field of school librarianship or education from Canada, the UK and theUSA.

The focus of the work is to demonstrate how effective school libraryprograms have positive impacts on student achievement, effective use ofinformation, reading motivation, and quality of experiences. Discussion onlearning theories, new technologies, partnerships, and thematic units.

Quality programs include:-a stated aim,-a clear definition of therole of the library professional,-collaboration/team teaching, -systematic teaching of the information process, flexible scheduling, -evaluation.

This collection is organized into seven sections:TheFoundations,The School Context,Role Clarification,InformationLiteracy,Collaborative Planning and Teaching,Program Development: ASystematic Approach, and Accountability.

Each section has anintroduction explaining the intent. The editor points out some of theimportant aspects of each section. Many articles are detailed with tablesand figures. Although the table of contents lists articles only by title,each article includes the author's name and short bios can be foundelsewhere in the work. The index is very comprehensive.

Article authors(all well known in the field of teacher librarianship) included are: BevAnderson, Liz Austrom, Mark Beasley, Martha Blake, Paul Brandt, KathyBrock, Jean Brown, Karen Buchanan, Susan Casey, Ray Doiron, ChristinaDoyle, Rita Dunn, Mary Tarasoff Egan, Mike Eisenberg, Sonya Emperingham,Doris Epler (Dorwart), Mary Ann Fitzgerald, Ken Haycock, Barbara Howlett,Doug Johnson, Ruth Law, David Loertscher, Josette Lyders, Michael Marland,Mary Megee, Antoinette Oberg, Dianne Oberg, Carol-Ann Page, Patti HurrenPlotell, Linda Rafuse, Bruce Sheppard, Debra Simmons, Sharon Straathof,Julie Tallman, Jean Donham van Deusen and Patricia Wilson.

This work isvery well done. It can be added to the list of definitive works in thefield of school librarianship. It would be of benefit to any professionalin the field, whether attempting to build a quality program, enhance anexisting program or refining a top-notch program. I would also recommendthis work to teacher-librarian training programs.

Reviewed by PeterGenco, Library Media Specialist and Technology Team Leader at Fairview HighSchool near Erie, PA, USA. email: pgenco@iu05trc.iu5.org ... Read more

Book Description
School library media teachers and administrators can use this comprehensive tool to assess the current performance of--and set objectives for--school library media programs. The handbook covers the roles of administrators and other staff; administrative functions (like budgeting, ordering and processing, facilities, library policies, scheduling, school/public library cooperation); collection management (such as evaluating collection development and integration, censorship policies, layout of materials, overdues and losses); instructional elements (including student learning and library staff's professional development); and technology (purchase and use of computer hardware and software). Ideal for structuring evaluation plans and as a text for education instructors, the book also contains appendixes with sample evaluation forms, sample job descriptions, and a glossary of terms. ... Read more