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I am thrilled that these concerns were posted. I thought I was the only one who was not thrilled. I am not even thrilled with the new and updated ISTE standards -- it seems that everyone who wrote these new standards think that the old ones were already done -- Heck I am still arguing with some folks about what should be being done with the old standards -- In my personal opinion -- the new standards from AASL and from ISTE give an easy out for not using them at all. I hope since someone else brought this up it brings up some discussion on this topic Paula --- Susan Polos <spolos@OPTONLINE.NET> wrote: > Thank you, Sharon. I think you have beautifully > articulated concerns with > the new AASL Standards for the 21st-Century > Learner. I find myself not > wanting to share the these new standards with > administrators and teachers > because they do not compellingly and clearly support > the role of the library > media specialist as it has evolved in my district. I > didn't really know why > I was uncomfortable, since I do hold dear the > principled but vague picture > of idealized learning described and illustrated in > the new report. Now I > realize that there is a disturbing disconnect > between the role I have in my > building to support student achievement, which is > valued, and the role > described in the report, which is both more and less > than what I am now > doing. This thoughtful analysis is providing me with > a lot of good food for > thought.... > > Susan Polos > LMS > Mt. Kisco Elementary School > 47 W. Hyatt Avenue > Mt. Kisco, NY 10549 > spolos@optonline.net > spolos0882@bcsdny.org > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Grimes, Sharon L." <sgrimes@BCPS.ORG> > To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU> > Sent: Wednesday, January 02, 2008 3:00 PM > Subject: Reflection on AASL's new standards > > > It's been a little over two months since I returned > from Reno and the > unveiling of AASL's Standards for the 21st-Century > Learner. In that time > I've mulled over the implications of the new > standards; compared them to the > mandates of NCLB; tried to align them with NETS-S > and the national > curriculum standards for science, reading, math and > social studies; and > struggled to translate them into the behavioral > objectives required by our > school system...but still I do not feel that sense > of empowerment and > excitement I felt when I first read Information > Power: Building Partnerships > for Learning. Instead, I have come to wonder: "Are > the new standards a step > forward to a more holistic and comprehensive view of > learners, or a misstep > that will serve to marginalize our profession?" > > > > I did not begin with these misgivings; instead, I > initially felt the faint > stirrings of excitement when I first read the > "Common Beliefs." For me, > the nine belief statements that preface the > standards encapsulate the ideals > that both guide and inspire our profession: reading > is a window to the > world; inquiry does provide a framework for > learning; and school libraries > are essential to the development of learning skills. > But doubt crept in > when I noticed what is missing from the belief > statements and what is not > translated into action in the standards. My > misgivings solidified as I > considered how to teach the skills, dispositions, > responsibilities and > self-assessment strategies. And I was moved to > write, when I realized the > implications not only for teaching, learning and > collaboration, but also for > how school libraries and by extension school > librarians will be perceived. > > > > As AASL President Sara Kelly Johns notes in another > context, "In a time of > budget cuts and confusion about the role of library > media specialists," now > is most emphatically not the time to fail to embed > in national standards for > students' learning the critical importance of > equitable access and school > libraries; nor is it the time to fail to reaffirm > the vital role of library > media specialists. Unfortunately, only the belief > statements state the > critical role of school libraries and library media > specialists to student > achievement and belief statements are not standards. > Standards drive > instruction and assessment, not belief statements. > > > > Another problem is that not all of the belief > statements have been > translated into teachable and assessable standards > and indicators. Common > Belief # 2 states: "Inquiry provides a framework for > learning. To become > independent learners, students must gain not only > the skills but also the > disposition to use those skills, along with an > understanding of their own > responsibilities and self-assessment strategies." > "The disposition to use > those skills" is difficult and I would argue in some > cases impossible to > either teach or assess. For example, Standard 1.2.6 > states, "Display > emotional resilience by persisting in information > searching despite > challenges." How do you teach/assess emotional > resilience, especially at > the middle and high school levels when library media > specialists see > students sporadically and to complete a specific > task? > > > > Unfortunately, the problems with the Dispositions in > Action do not end with > the twinned problems of assess-ability and > teach-ability. Other problems > with Dispositions in Action include that it: > > · Prescribes the teaching of character traits > > · Usurps the role of parents > > · Not only usurps the role of parents, but > also may directly > contradict the cultural values and mores of many of > our minority students; > for example, Indicator 1.2.4 states, "Maintain a > critical stance by > questioning the validity and accuracy of all > information," which is most > distinctly a white American value > > · Can not easily or effectively be taught, > measured and assessed > although certainly any teacher worth his/her salt > already discusses and > illustrates the value of persistence, curiosity and > teamwork to name but a > few of the dispositions; the difference is that the > second occurs naturally, > in situ > > · Teaches dispositions that are not specific > to success in > information literacy > > > > While possession of the dispositions is certainly > desirable, our role is not > to mold character, but rather to educate minds to > employ the higher-order > critical and creative thinking skills that are not > only critical to our > students' successes, but also to maintaining the > stability of our democratic > society. > > > > In addition to teaching students how to use > higher-order critical and > creative thinking skills, we must also prepare our > students to use the > information literacy skills that are so critical to > their success in the > 21st-Century; to do that we need a clear definition > that provides guidelines > for instruction. Instead, Common Belief #6 states: > "The definition of > information literacy has become more complex as > resources and technologies > have changed." Neither the belief statement nor the > standards answer the > question, "What is the more complex definition?" > Based on the promise > === message truncated === Paula Yohe Director Of Technology/Library Media Center Dillon School District Two 405 West Washington Street Dillon, SC 29536 Phone: 843-841-3604 Fax:843-774-1214 paula_yohe@yahoo.com ____________________________________________________________________________________ Never miss a thing. Make Yahoo your home page. http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs -------------------------------------------------------------------- Please note: All LM_NET postings are protected by copyright law. You can prevent most e-mail filters from deleting LM_NET postings by adding LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU to your e-mail address book. 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