In this article, the author shares her experience in assisting seniors and two teachers at Kalamazoo (Michigan) Central High School when they joined a national contest to have the President of the United States deliver the commencement address to the class of 2010. One of the author's favorite memories surrounds the distribution of commencement…

Preservice school library media specialists will implement the AASL Standards for the "21st Century Learner" in their new roles. Drafted in 2007, the Standards reflect principles which school library media specialist must impart to learners to prepare them to be knowledge consumers, producers, and communicators in global environments.…

The author's school had just been labeled a failing school by No Child Left Behind when its new principal arrived in the fall of 2007. In this demoralizing climate, teachers can get frustrated and choose to give up, or they can rise to the challenge, create a plan for improvement, and plunge into uncharted waters. This article discusses how the…

As technology advances continue to impact K-12 schools, online education options offer alternative choices for both teaching and learning. Library media specialists, long committed to providing physical and intellectual access to instructional materials, have responded to changing needs in this online world. They had previously created a virtual…

IT HAS BEEN FOUND TO BE ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENTIFY "GOOD" CHARACTERISTICS OF ADMINISTRATORS AND TO TEACH THESE CHARACTERISTICS TO GRADUATE STUDENTS FOR ADMINISTRATION PREPARATION. THEREFORE, THE EMPHASIS OF THE MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY PROGRAM FOR EDUCATION MEDIA SPECIALISTS IS PLACED UPON PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE OF ADMINISTRATION…

In many ways, science classrooms and school library media centers are parallel universes struggling with their own reform issues and with documenting their own positive impacts. As the trend toward data-driven decisions grows in the school setting, it is increasingly important for every component of the learning environment to have demonstrable…

In presenting the Model Recognition Proposal for the Michigan Interorganization Committee for Continuing Library Education (MICCLE), the first part of this document describes the history and development of Continuing Education Units (CEU's), provides a brief analysis of Michigan's specific needs and programs for librarians and the types of…

NEWER MEDIA RESEARCH ATTEMPTS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION WHICH CAN DEEPEN, BROADEN, AND EXTEND ADMINISTRATORS' AND TEACHERS' KNOWLEDGE OF THE USE OF NEW MEDIA. MEDIA RESEARCH HAS NOT BEEN AN EFFECTIVE INSTRUMENT FOR DEEPENING THE CAPACITY OF EDUCATIONAL POLICY-MAKERS FOR SOUND JUDGMENTS IN THIS AREA. DIFFICULTIES OF POLICY MAKING ARE THE ATTRIBUTION…

Librarians can help kids expand their view of the world by introducing them to critical literacy. Critical literacy encourages readers to question an author's intentions and to examine issues from multiple perspectives to avoid simplistic statements. It supports a more complex and nuanced understanding of events, recognizing social and political…

No Child Left Behind and state testing mandate the study of government officials, at local, state, and federal levels, in judicial, legislative, and executive branches. At Wattles Elementary School in Troy, Michigan, test scores indicated that this was a weak area--not surprising since this always has been primarily a high school subject. In this…

If strong school library media centers (SLMCs) positively impact middle school student reading achievement, as measured on standardized tests, are they also beneficial for middle school science achievement? To answer this question, the researcher built upon the statistical analyses used in previous school library impact studies with qualitative…

This paper investigates the current teaching assignments of Michigan public school personnel in five categories (computer science, library media, vocational technical, industrial technology, and media specialist). The paper asks: How many of these professionals were employed in Michigan public schools in 1999-00? How many had endorsements for…

This report on school desegregation consists of two parts. Part one is made up of two case studies designed to explore the manner in which Federal and State compensatory education policies affect educational equity at the local level in two Michigan districts that have been desegregated for several years. The degree of educational equity in the…

Describes services of the New Media Information Center to media specialists in Oakland Schools, the intermediate school district (ISD) for Oakland County (Michigan). Highlights include database training videos; online database tutorials; full-text periodical articles; district database sheets; face-to-face workshops for media specialists and…