HIT---->AASL Session Summaries

[Donna Baumbach 407-823-2056 <BAUMBAD@MAIL.FIRN.EDU>]

Attached are the summaries I received from fellow LM_NETters of AASL
sessions for those unable to attend.  Please remember that you can still
see postings from Bill Erbes "Virtual Conference" at gopher.rsa.lib.il.us
(use GUEST to get in.)

Thanks to those who submitted them.  I learned something from each one and
I WAS able to attend AASL.  There's never time to get to everything you
want, is there?

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FROM:  Ruie Chehak, Metro High School, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
<CHEHAKR@crpl.cedar-rapids.lib.ia.us>

I have two favorite sessions.  The first was entitled Transformational
Leadership.  Russ Pieken, Kansas City and John Mooy, Seattle area were the
presenters.  My school is starting a self study and so this information was
of particular interest to me.  We work on concensus at our school but
sometimes there needs to be a leader to get us moving in any direction.
One idea that I really liked from this presentation was how we all look at
things differently and they are all right ways to look at something.  One
example was from a basic skills tests that we all love so much.  Four
words, owl, chicken, horse and bluebird were in a list.  In a regular  test
you would choose the word that does not belong.  In our test, we had to
pick at least two that didn't belong and defend our answers.  It was
amazing to hear the different answers and the responses.  It was
interesting to hear  so many responses that were all okay.  It really gave
all of us insight to the fact that we need to be ready to work on
transformation and that our students can look at things from such different
perspectives and still be right about things.

The second presentation was Barbara Stripling's presentation on authentic
assessment.  I do not have my notes with me right at the moment so I will
send this to you now and send information later.  Hopes this helps.

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FROM:  Carol Mann Simpson, Facilitator - Library Technology, Mesquite, TX
<csimpson@tenet.edu>

The most intriguing session I attended at AASL was presented by Joy
McGregor of Texas Women's University.  The title, "But I changed some of
the words" refers to the topic of plagiarism.  Joy's research is only in
the preliminary report stage, but she has evidence of widespread copying in
"research" done by high school students.  She also found that students with
the most blatent plagiarism received the highest grades!  I'm fascinated by
her research and its implications for us in teaching information skills,
and I look forward to more detailed results in the future.

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FROM:  Paula Galland - Glynn Co. Schools - St. Simons Isl., GA
<paula@freenet.fsu.edu>

Though this is not really about an AASL session, it IS about an AASL
convention activity - one I especially enjoyed.

For several years, AASL has had a "Dinner with a local librarian" night at
the their conference.  This year the three of us from my school district
decided to take advantage of this opportunity during our first night in
Indianapolis.  We choose a Mexican restaurant in a lovely neighborhood
north of the city center. A school bus picked us up at the convention
center and took us on the 30 minute ride to our restaurant.  A local
librarian served as a tour guide for our bus ride, pointing out interesting
landmarks along the way.  What a thrill it was for all of us "over 40"
crowd to have the bus stop with flashing lights and STOP sign to let us off
right in front of our restaurant.  Traffic stopped in both directions to
let a bus load of full-grown librarians cross the street.  Only one
motorist honked his horn!

We had three nine-person tables at the restaurant and my friends and I
decided to each sit at a different table to see what we could learn from
our other table-mates.  What a great time we had "picking brains" from all
over the country.  I even met one of my LM_NET imaginary friends. We, of
course, discussed library media matters all evening and left feeling that
AASL had already been a success, though the conference had not yet begun.
--
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Several sessions stand out in my mind.  During the very first concurrent
session of the conference, I attending Floyd Pentlin's session
"Implementing Telecommunications in a High School Library Media Center."
In this session, Pentlin traced the rapid development of telecommunications
in his media center and shared lessons he had learned from personal
experience.  Pentlin has two internet stations near the OPAC and other
electronic reference sources for students to use in finding information as
well as a number of other stations for general use.  Pentlin shares my
philosophy that technology is not an additional responsibility to the
library media specialist's job; it IS the job (the responsibilities
change.)  Most of all, I admired his spirit.  Where other library media
specialists might say, "I can't because....(I don't have enough
computers....I only have one modem...I don't know how...it's the technology
coordinator's job...we have too many students...students will abuse the
privilege...the science teachers want to handle this...etc. etc...loosely
translated as "I won't!")", Pentlin has made it happen!  He has integrated
the internet and its resources into his media center and expanded his
students' concept of information sources.

The second session I really appreciated was Janis Bruwelheide's "School
Library Media Specialist and Professional Courses over METNet."  Janis has
been teaching courses to several remote sites via distance learning in
Montana.  In just a few minutes, she was able to sum up her experiences
with valuable pointers NONE of us should have to learn the hard way!  Some
of her "pearls" include:  You cannot have enough monitors or microphones.
Unlikely people want to teach on the system.  Students need to sign
releases to be on camera.  Plan for the system to break down (it will).
Sometimes video is not necessary; audio alone can carry the instruction.
Preparing and delivering a distance ed course takes time and a half.  Get
print materials out in time.  Force students to talk.  Watch out for
"stars."  Get visitors to announce themselves.  Give every site a fair
shake.  Don't have faculty running the equipment.  Work hard to maintain
the personal touch.  Remember this is LIVE television.  And my favorite
quote, "There's a lot of dirt between light bulbs in Montana;" hence the
need for distance ed.  (Janis, come back to Florida!  There's a lot of dirt
between light bulbs here, too!)

I came in late to Carol-Ann Page's session on Creating Change...but in the
few minutes I was there I took away several good ideas to use in my job
right now!  Imagine if I'd been there the whole time!  It's probably not
fair to write a summary, but the points she made while I was there were
worth sharing.  Criteria for success:  Make sure everyone (including you)
understand the mission of the library media center.  Make sure your role is
well defined--be high profile and accountable.  Make sure there is a deep
structure to support the mission and the role:  a plan for information
skills, an infrastructure to support the integration of those skills into
the school curriculum.  Infrastructure includes a vehicle for planning,
scheduled planning time, a flexible schedule, and the support to implement
resource based learning experiences.


Donna Baumbach
University of Central Florida
College of Education
baumbad@mail.firn.edu