Education innovation: A case study in what not to do

"There is no body of evidence that iPads will increase math and reading scores on state standardized tests. There is no evidence that students using iPads (or laptops or desktop computers) will get decent paying jobs after graduation.
These are the most common reasons boards of education and school administrators across the nation give for buying tablets for K-12 students. But not in LAUSD.
Acquiring 1:1 iPads for students, according to the LAUSD press release is to: “provide an individualized, interactive and informative-rich learning environment” for every student. One would have to assume that such an “environment” would lead to gains in test scores. But it is an assumption. Since many low-income families do not have computers at home or Internet connections, providing iPads is a worthy reason — what used to be called “closing the digital divide“ — for the large expenditure.
On what basis, however, will the district determine whether to move to Phase 2 of the plan? Again, according to the official press release, the assessment of this first phase “will include feedback … from teachers, students, parents and other key stakeholders.” That’s it. No hard data on how often the devices were used, in what situations, and under what conditions. Nor mention of data on student outcomes.
Now, informal surveys of teachers and school administrators show mixed reactions, even disaffection for iPads in classrooms."

Education innovation: A case study in what not to do

Como matar uma biblioteca escolar: 10 passos simples de dar

7. Don’t invite public library staff to visit your school and promote summer reading programs or special events. This will draw attention to all the wonderful things that don’t happen at your school any more. Keep all public library references to ebooks and resources on the down-low. If your students think a library has a real function and role in their learning, they’re just going to want those school library doors open longer.

How to Kill a School Library: 10 Easy Steps | School Library Journal

UP - PLACES - Plataforma de Acessibilidade

Quantas vezes ficamos sem entender um vídeo por não termos acesso ao som? Quantas vezes seria interessante ter o livro que estamos a ler, em áudio, para o continuarmos a ler enquanto conduzimos? Cada vez mais a informação que produzimos/disponibilizamos deve ser pensada para diferentes utilizadores e diferentes contextos de uso. Quanto mais versátil ou flexível o formato, mais útil e eficaz poderá ser, efetivamente, para TODOS. 

Com o objetivo de contribuir para um design que se quer cada vez mais universal, o presente tutorial disponibiliza orientações para a criação de documentos digitais acessíveis formatados em Word 2010, PowerPoint 2010 e formato HTML para utilização na Web. 

O desafio era, por um lado, poder aqui dar a conhecer as ferramentas que as aplicações já disponibilizam para criar acessibilidade, mas que, por desconhecimento geral, simplesmente não se utilizam; por outro, como é o caso do capítulo relativo ao HTML, rever a utilidade de aspetos fundamentais e mostrar estratégias úteis na criação e disponibilização de informação.

UP - PLACES - Plataforma de Acessibilidade

Australia, Curriculum, 2013

Resourcing and supporting the Australian Curriculum from Australian School Library Association

REAtar – Parceria entre a Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal e a Rede de Bibliotecas Escolares

Logo Recursos Educativos Abertos tecnologias e aprendizagem em rede (Portugal, 2013)

Inês Cordeiro (Diretora da BNP) e Teresa Calçada (Coordenadora Nacional da RBE) assinaram uma carta de compromisso no dia 19 de Novembro.

Notícia : REAtar – Parceria entre a Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal e a Rede de Bibliotecas Escolares

Literacia social e emocional

Funders and Founders Notes - 10 Scientific Ways To Be Happy from Buffer...

Ter ou não ter bibliotecário escolar / professor bibliotecário qualificado, a tempo inteiro e com equipa de apoio faz mesmo diferença no sucesso educativo!

RESEARCH (2012) CONCLUSION

This study adds to the evidence that all K–12 students need and deserve quality school library programs with full-time certified staff. Students are more likely to succeed when they have library programs that are well staffed, well funded, technologically well equipped, well stocked, and more accessible. And, the neediest learners may benefit the most from trained librarians and quality library programs.

However, much work still needs to be done to use this research to reach influential stakeholders who control the future of school library programs and their staffing. While many states are pursuing state reforms and regulations, this doesn’t negate the role of the individual school librarian to learn and share these findings locally. Everyone needs to nurture library champions who will defend the position that all K–12 school students need and deserve full-time school librarians and well-resourced school libraries in order to develop the skills needed to be productive in the 21st century.

Latest Study: A full-time school librarian makes a critical difference in boosting student achievement | School Library Journal (Março 2013)

De um dos comentários:

Actually, there are two points that I saw in the article which highlight ‘some of the activities of librarians do within their schools to make these students perform so much better in school’ as you requested.

- teaching the Standards for the 21st-Century Learner, and

- teaching inquiry-based learning.

You can see the information in the section titled “The role of the school library program and academic standards”. The information mentions “dramatically higher scores” and students being less likely to score below basic.

Also, I think you are correct that the “cataloging and shelving” activities you mention do not make the difference in student achievement. That is probably why schools where the full-time librarians have support staff do better than where there is no support staff (because the support staff would be doing the cataloging and shelving type activities and the librarian would be spending more of his/her time teaching the 21st century skills and inquiry-based learning activities that make the difference).

Coisas práticas

Retirado daqui

Mais recursos dentro do espírito da "make culture": http://www.teachthought.com/learning/24-unique-maker-education-resources-teaching-learning/

Ten Takeaway Tips for Teaching Critical Thinking | Edutopia

Ten Takeaway Tips for Teaching Critical Thinking | Edutopia

"One of the nicest things you can do for someone is to shut up and listen to them … and even write down what they say while they’re watching you." (from a comment)

Dia Nacional das Biblioteca Escolares / Mês Internacional das Bibliotecas Escolares, em cartazes (Portugal)

Five Questions for Elementary Teacher Neme Alperstein | Teaching with the Library of Congress

Five Questions for Elementary Teacher Neme Alperstein | Teaching with the Library of Congress: "I teach fifth grade gifted and talented students in a New York City public school, P.S. 174 William Sidney Mount. We’re in the borough of Queens, in an area considered to be one of the most diverse in the nation.  Our library circulation is one of the largest in the country (we like to think the largest, but I haven’t seen that statistic). Our school library has just been redone and our collection is digitally available. We also can order online books that are delivered to us through the NY Public Library at no cost.  Sets of books are available and we use this to bolster our work with the Library’s resources."

(...)

We are also participating in the Web Archive-it project and so the students reflect on why preserving primary sources is so crucial.  My best answer in the class was, “We don’t know why we will use them yet and may find new questions to ask. We can only do that if we preserve primary sources so we can use them in the future.”    Students constructing a story as “primary source detectives”  has appealed to colleagues because of what it can bring to the classroom.

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