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Shonda--Thanks for your comments! I don't think there
is a person on the AASL Board that would disagree with
you. There was what you would call a "lively"
discussion followed by the attempt to craft a positive
message that would give librarians a chance to worm,
wiggle and maybe even be invited to work on the state
level. Since they did not identify us in the national
plan as the tech-savvy professionals in schools, we
have to do that, claiming the label loudly.

And...we held up the way libraries are supposed to be,
the ones that are described by the Lance research
(well-stocked, well-staffed, etc.), not saying that
all libraries are like that YET. This gives one more
piece of ammunition for those whose libraries are not
the way they should be to go to their administrators
and school boards and work for increased funding and
technology.

As you stated, AASL does need to continue to work as
an organization, as do state and local organizations
to offer solutions to the implementation of this plan
(since it is not a draft anymore; AASL and its
Affiliate Assembly worked hard to give input to the
draft). ISTE needs to be reminded that school library
media specialists are 25% of their membership and need
to be included in their reactions and consideration. I
will cc Dawn Vaughn, President of AASL and Karen
Lemmons, president of the SIG-MS (media specialist
special interest group of which I am a member). Both
organizations, AASL and ISTE, have a reason to crank
up our perpetual and crucial efforts in an education
campaign to the public on how school libraries are
essential to literacies: language, computer and
information.

The "Heart of the School" article
<http://www.districtadministration.com/page.cfm?p=960>
posted a few days ago shows what happens when an
administrator makes the connection between strong
libraries and student achievement. The superintendent
tells of reading the Lance research and I'll bet that
research was brought to his attention by a library
media specialist in his school and/or the Delaware
School Library Media Association.  They used the AASL
@your libraryŽ toolkit to focus their legislative
campaign, resulting in substantial money for school
libraries and their collections. They were proactive
and this school is showing the results. (OK, Delaware
is in Region II and I think they are great! I'll admit
my bias.)

AASL is doing strategic planning right now and these
comments will help focus the planning.

Best to all the tech-savvy LMS's on this list (our
students need us to be teachers and coaches even
though most don't know it :-D),
Sara Kelly Johns, Region II Director, AASL Board


--- SBrisco <sbrisco021@CHARTER.NET> wrote:

> No, the AASL did not endorse the entire ISTE plan;
> they did, however,
> mislead anyone who reads their statement (in the
> first paragraph) by stating
> that libraries are poised to begin the process of
> implementing the
> recommendations made by ISTE.  For most individuals
> who quickly scan the
> document (administrators, budget directors, etc.) it
> appears that school
> libraries are doing fine and can continue to move
> forward.  Wrong.
>
> I don't think we are "throwing in the towel" through
> all of this discussion,
> but rather asking that we actually be "given the
> towel" to at least use once
> in a while---we aren't even mentioned in the ISTE as
> a part of the
> techno-savvy professionals that might be
> implementing these plans---it's
> only in the AASL statement that the librarian is
> mentioned as
> "techno-savvy"---and in many schools, it will be the
> librarians who will
> implement these programs, ready or not.
>
> I am optimistic that librarians will do something
> both individually and as a
> group to continue correcting these misled
> individuals and organizations;
> however, we first need to be recognized as a part of
> the answer to the
> problem.  I am finding that many professionals out
> there don't realize we
> have anything to do with technology implementation
> and so, we aren't
> included.  It's the traditional library mind-set
> that many can't release
> from their memory.
>
> It is that mindset that pulls us out of the entire
> program and causes furor
> among librarians who realize that "what keeps this
> boat afloat isn't the
> captain yelling the commands on deck....it's the
> thousands of individuals
> rowing below deck."
>
> Keep rowing....or we'll all sink!
>
> ~Shonda Brisco
> TVS MS / US Librarian
> Fort Worth, TX
> sbrisco021@charter.net
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sara Kelly Johns" <sarakellyjohns@YAHOO.COM>
> To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
> Sent: Thursday, January 20, 2005 5:22 AM
> Subject: Re: [LM_NET] AASL on National Education
> Technology Plan
>
>
> > The AASL Board did NOT endorse every word of the
> plan
> > but did decide to use what is in there to make the
> > connection between what we as library media
> > specialists do hold as important (information
> literacy
> > instruction, for instance) and the document (since
> the
> > writers did not. WE ARE the tech-savvy
> professionals
> > in the schools that students depend on daily to
> assist
> > them and it's time to point that out in a positive
> > statement to those who wrote that plan.
> >
> > I see the tenets of our Information Power
> standards
> > throughout the plan and do wish they were labeled
> as
> > such. But WE know it and need to USE this plan and
> our
> > activism (not our whining) to help shape the state
> > plans that must be written, state by state. It is
> > important to know the shortcomings of the plan in
> > relation to the state of the libraries we work in
> and
> > the necessity to teach those "tech-savvy" students
> how
> > to use and manage that information they locate so
> > easily.
> >
> > California libraries are in trouble, as are WAY
> too
> > many across the nation, but we cannot just throw
> up
> > our hands and give up, but use our passion (and I
> have
> > read lots of it in the reactions to the AASL
> statement
> > that have been posted) to get involved in the
> writing
> > of the state technology plans. They could actually
> > make a difference.
> >
> > Maybe I am one of those eternal optimists
> (probably
> > am) but I am also stubborn and will not give up
> any
> > opportunity to advocate for students and our
> > profession. My life would be lots less stressful
> if I
> > could "let someone else do it" but somehow I can't
> and
> > hope that those who are passionate about this
> > technology plan will not be "too busy" to find
> inroads
> > to participation on their state level. Debate and
> > discussion are healthy to this and all issues that
> > matter to our students.
> >
> > Best from the frigid Northeast, Sara Kelly Johns,
> > Region II Director, AASL Board
> > --- Peter Milbury <pmilbury@IIS.SYR.EDU> wrote:
> >
> >> 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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> >>
> >
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> >
> > =====
> > Lake Placid Middle/Senior HS LMC
> > 250 Main Street
> > Lake Placid, NY 12946
> > 518-523-2474, ext. 4132
> > FAX: 518-523-4861
> > johns@northnet.org
> > SaraKJohns@aol.com
> >
> > "Information is the currency of democracy." --
> Thomas Jefferson
> >
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=====
Lake Placid Middle/Senior HS LMC
250 Main Street
Lake Placid, NY 12946
518-523-2474, ext. 4132
FAX: 518-523-4861
johns@northnet.org
SaraKJohns@aol.com

"Information is the currency of democracy." -- Thomas Jefferson

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