Top 25 Websites for Teachers

American Association of Libraries posts the Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning. Check out the list, and let us know if you use any of the sites professionally. Which sites pique your interest? Which would you explore using for your teaching? Another recommended site for teachers is PBS Teachers for featured teacher resources by grade level and subject area. Let us know what you find there that's of value to you. What are your favorite sites for teaching and learning? What would make your Top Ten list?

Where Goes the Librarian?

In the age of the Internet, school librarians are no longer responsible for solely shelving books and encouraging reading. They now also face the daunting task of teaching young students to do online searches and check the credentials of web authors.

In one case, a school librarian taught students a valuable lesson using a backdoor method. Confident that students accepted content on the Internet at face value, she designed a lesson using a website with conspicuously erroneous information. One bright student noticed the error at the bogus allaboutexplorers.com site, but most other students glossed over the claim that the Indians enjoyed cell phones and computers brought to America by Columbus.

Librarians today teach students how to use tools like PowerPoint and social networking sites for debate platforms and the sharing of creative writing. However, in the age of budget cuts, librarians may be the first on the chopping block.

For an overview on the status of school librarian, consult this front page story, "In the Web Age, Library Job Gets Update," which appeared in The New York Times, Feb. 17, 2009, . The photo is taken from the story. Also check out http://www.allaboutexplorers.com/ for a valuable site to use with students, and let us know what you think about the newspaper story and the Explorers’ site. Here is also the URL for the newspaper story, which might not be accessible without a password, but try, and still post your thoughts on school librarians today. When you visit the Explorers' site, be sure to check out "About This Site."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/16/books/16libr.html?_r=1&scp=2&sq=librarian&st=cse

Save Our Libraries

Now, you don’t have to leave home to check out books from public libraries. Better yet, you can forget those pest late fees. Libraries are now starting to offer books for download with expiration for loans built in, so access is denied after a pre-determined date, and no late fee is incurred.

For those with vision problems, libraries accommodate not only by offering audio books but also loan MP-3 players to listen to those books. Library videos also can now be checked out online, similar to movie online subscription services, but without the out-of-pocket fee.

To learn more about how public libraries are implementing technologies to accommodate patrons, check out this April 20, 2008 New York Times article. How do you think changes in the public library will affect school-aged children? What do you think your local public libraries should be doing technologically to make their services more attractive to this population? In general, what do you think of libraries offering more online services, which might affect their in-person patron services? Here is the link to The New York Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/20/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/20Rlibrary.html

Hope you can access it without having to log on. Even if you can’t access it, you can still post comments to the topics summarized in this blog posting. I have also heard that libraries might be opening cafes to duplicate the experience of bookstores with this amenity What do you think of that idea? What about ice cream parlors in libraries? Will that attract young patrons for the right or wrong reasons?

Picture on left from: http://www.aaronlouie.com/

Picture on right from: www.cfilibraries.org