"Well-stocked and well-staffed school library media programs are
strategically poised to support the major action steps
and recommendations identified in the plan."
That was the first sentence in the AASL report that made me stop reading and
say, "WHAT?" aloud. (Had I missed something in the ISTE report? Weren't we
ignored in that report...along with students with disabilities who might
need to have some plan in place for future access to information through
technological advances----but that's another digital divide that remains
open.) Am I SO far behind the rest of the nation that I am not ready to
move forward as AASL states?
My library is definitely not well-stocked and not well-staffed....
...as far as being "strategically poised to support the major action steps
recommended...." unless those steps involve tossing someone the keys to
the door and watching as they eliminate the library program altogether
because technology has surpassed print in the eyes of those who adore it,
then perhaps we are "poised" to be destroyed (and I can't imagine how
libraries and librarians are surviving on life-support in California with
the cuts that have been made there!)
I agree. I am angry with the AASL statement that basically lies (to
teachers, administrators, parents, librarians, and students) by stating that
"we" are ready to move forward with the ISTE plan! WAIT! Stop this train!
We are NOT ready! We need as much funding in our programs as the technology
departments receive and we need multiple staff members to help us as we
coordinate library programs, provide direct services for students, and team
collaborative efforts with our teachers! We need books! We need people!
We need money! We need help!
I feel like I'm telling someone I'm ready to go to war....and I have a
pocket knife (with one blade) in my back pocket....if that hole hasn't
gotten larger since the last time I checked!
We are not ready! (Is anyone listening??)
~Shonda Brisco
Trinity Valley MS / US Librarian
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco021@charter.net
----- Original Message -----
From: "Peter Milbury" <pmilbury@IIS.SYR.EDU>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, January 19, 2005 10:14 PM
Subject: Re: [LM_NET] AASL on National Education Technology Plan
> Dear LM_NET,
>
> The AASL statement says: "Well-stocked and well-staffed school library
> media programs are strategically poised to support the major action steps
> and recommendations identified in the plan."
>
> I would like to invite all who had a part in writing the National
> Education Technology Plan to come to California and see for themselves how
> the above statement is a ludicrous fantasy. (The AASL Board can come too!)
> It sounds like the writer is living in another world or another lifetime.
> Out here it is like an underdeveloped country with regards to school
> libraries. We have been decimated!
>
> The AASL wrote: "As the technology plan illustrates in its description of
> ideal information management, school libraries are an integral component
> in connecting all information and technologies."
>
> I tried and tried to find that statement in the Technology Plan, but it
> did not seem to appear. In fact, in the entire document I found no mention
> of "school libraries", and the word libraries only showed up four times.
> Try taking a look at it.
> See: http://www.nationaledtechplan.org/theplan/NETP_Final.pdf
>
> Nor does the term "information literacy" show up. Only once does the term
> "computer literacy" appear. And the Plan makes the colossal mis-statement:
> "Todays students, of almost any age, are far ahead of their teachers in
> computer literacy. They prefer to access subject information on the
> Internet, where it is more abundant, more accessible and more up-to-date."
>
> Does the above statement imply "more up to date than their libraries"? Who
> in the world that works with students on a daily basis would ever agree to
> such a statement? What an absurdity!
>
> It is so sad to see the AASL's bland reaction to this mediocre document!
> Even worse for ISTE, who gloats over their participation in the creation
> of the plan. What a disappointment!
>
> Peter Milbury, LM_NET Co-Moderator pmilbury@iis.syr.edu
> School Librarian/CA TeleMentor, Chico HS, Chico, CA
> ............................................................
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