As educators, it’s essential that we teach our students how to become informed citizens–to examine evidence and argument related to the issues that shape political opinion and decisions. It’s as Common Core as it gets.
New York’s Folly: A Lack of Vision at the City’s Dept. of Education | Editorial
By on August 30, 2013 Leave a Comment
As students around the country return to school, those in New York City are facing a future without certified school librarians, as the NYC Department of Education (DOE) has asked to be excused from a decades-old state mandate on minimum staffing requirements.
Trouble: Learning from the New York State Common Core Assessments | Consider the Source
By on August 22, 2013 4 Comments
The first round of Common Core assessment results are in. What do they tell us, and what should librarians be asking? Marc Aronson weighs in.
Ferment: Where, When, and Why Great Minds Gather | Consider the Source
By on August 12, 2013 Leave a Comment
What if we said it doesn’t matter what you are teaching—we want your students to examine and understand how thinkers and creators come together to argue, share, compete, build, and yield exponential leaps in thinking, creativity, and invention?
CC’s Seventh Shift | On Common Core
By on July 29, 2013 Leave a Comment
The very language of the Common Core State Standards calls for librarians’ key skills: research; equipping students to access, evaluate, and synthesize information; and strengthening literacy. Paige Jaeger, a coordinator of school library services in Saratoga Springs, NY argues that librarians can build a strong case for a seventh shift in the CCSS: research.
A Common Core Approach: ‘Teaching with Text Sets’
By on June 27, 2013 Leave a Comment
The authors of the Common Core State Standards don’t spell out how text should be taught–that’s been left up to teachers and curriculum developers. A new book offers a framework for developing a content-rich, standards-based curriculum.
Vulcanizing Vocabulary: Librarians Lead Path to Achievement | On Common Core
By on June 25, 2013 1 Comment
The Common Core State Standards place strong emphasis on vocabulary, and librarians are in a prime position to actively support this shift. This month’s “On Common Core” column shares how, including selecting read-alouds with robust language, helping students find engaging (and challenging) nonfiction books that match their interests, carefully choosing titles for reading lists, and initiating independent reading incentives.
IMLS Says Libraries Key to Early Learning
By on June 20, 2013 Leave a Comment
The Institute of Museum and Library Services and the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading today unveiled a new report on the role of museums and libraries in early learning, and issued a call to action for policymakers, schools, funders, and parents to include these institutions in comprehensive early learning strategies.
A Classic Summer: Pair Audiobooks and Films to Spark Discussion and Writing | Listen In
By on June 13, 2013 Leave a Comment
These audiobook versions of time-honored classics shine a spotlight on language, lyrical expression, and character development. Try pairing them with their film adaptations for excellent compare and contrast opportunities.
Reading Nonfiction for Pleasure | On Common Core
By on June 1, 2013 Leave a Comment
How can we use the summer to provide kids with more opportunities to grow confident as nonfiction readers? The authors offer suggestions and recommend a few reading lists to share with students.
The Road Ahead: Common Core Insights | Consider the Source
By on May 29, 2013 2 Comments
What lies ahead for teachers and librarians just embarking on the Common Core journey? Marc Aronson shares his thoughts and insights.
College Readiness: Librarians Can Help the Transition | On Common Core
By on May 21, 2013 1 Comment
Education buzzwords—whole language, multiple intelligences—come and go, but 45 states chose to adopt the Common Core Learning Standards. The questions educators now face are what types of instruction help students develop these skills? And how do librarians insert themselves into these critical discussions?
Constellations | Consider the Source
By on May 14, 2013 1 Comment
The focus on the close reading of texts suggests a new idea to SLJ’s columnist—an idea that taps librarians’ expertise and offers an exciting approach to inquiry.
20 Outstanding Nonfiction Books | Core Essentials
By on May 7, 2013 2 Comments
Author and Common Core expert Kathleen Odean reveals great titles to tap as you work with the new standards.
Nonfiction as Mentor Text: Style | On Common Core
By on May 2, 2013 2 Comments
Authors of nonfiction for young readers model specific writing styles and techniques that demonstrate a command of the written word, engage and hook readers, and help to explain and contextualize important concepts.
Nonfiction for Teen Readers | JLG’s On the Radar
By on April 30, 2013 Leave a Comment
By the time students reach grade 12, the Common Core State Standards require that 70% of their reading should be nonfiction. In order to fulfill this requirement in content area subjects, students will need to read more than their textbooks. Luckily, nonfiction writers for teens continue to create amazing narrative nonfiction that supports science and social studies, and that our kids will want to read.
SLJ Resources for National Poetry Month
By on April 22, 2013 Leave a Comment
April is National Poetry Month, and SLJ has compiled a list of tools and creative ideas for celebrating. From poetry slam best practices to Common Core curriculum connections, this roundup is chock-full of ways to approach the poetic form with kids all year long.
Serving the CCSS and Youth | On Common Core: Part 6
By on April 22, 2013 Leave a Comment
What resources do librarians have in their collections that meet the goals of the Common Core initiative? How will the Common Core State Standards influence the decisions school and public librarians will be making as they continue to develop their collections? What specifically should educators be looking for in the resources they select? Join Kathleen Odean, librarian, speaker, reviewer, university instructor, and the author of guides to children’s titles as she discusses the books that engage children and meet the goals of the CCSS. Archive now available!
We Are Not Alone: National Curricular Reform Around the Globe | Consider the Source
By on April 18, 2013 Leave a Comment
In adopting the Common Core State Standards, U. S. educators are part of a larger educational reform movement. From England to Japan countries around the world are debating a national curricula. Why are so many nations considering one? And where does the impetus to do so come from? Marc Aronson ponders these questions in his latest Consider the Source column.
SLJ Reviews Gobstopper and Subtext: Apps that Enable Interactive Classroom Reading
By on April 15, 2013
The ability for teachers and students to embed their own content into digital texts, write notes, and get feedback on student reading—classroom reading just got a lot more dynamic. SLJ columnist Jeff Hastings test driives Gobstopper and Subtext.
