Literacy does not happen in a single lesson or course. There are no shortcuts to gaining mastery over a skill set, whether it is reading literacy, information literacy and research skills, online literacy and digital citizenship, or visual literacy. School librarians dream about a perfect integrated curriculum: there is ample time for…

Coming of age themes are common in young adult novels, and graphic novels in particular often address these issues as illustrated memoirs. This article explores engaging and interesting graphic novels about growing up, useful resources for school librarians and other educators using this format, and the value of using graphic novels to support…

Besides being a social experience, tabletop games can serve as intrinsic educational tools that tap into students' needs and interests, inspiring them to find motivation in applying new knowledge to their academic work. Why? Because, as with school, every game has a very specific set of rules by which participants must abide. Experiences with…

This article explores all the actions and opportunities school librarians take to reinforce reading instruction and reinforce learners' growing reading skills. It also details ways to enhance reading instruction through technology and makerspaces.

The creation and identification of high-yield practices for empowering students to think, wonder, and own their learning is a high priority for school librarians who value instructional leadership. Future-ready librarians are working to create flexible learning environments in which their students design solutions, consider possibilities, and…

Picture a professor of library and information science working in her office on the fourth floor of the university library. She is away from student traffic and relatively isolated from other faculty on campus. Nevertheless, the professor has much to be proud of as she uses computer technology to reach, teach, and interact with enrolled students…

Most, if not all, school librarians concur that funding has been their major problem in recent years. State and local budgets have been slashed, grant money is spread thin, yet still the bar remains high for school librarians to remain on the cutting edge of information trends, issues, and technology, and to provide training for teacher colleagues…

Parents and caregivers can maximize children's engagement with educational television programming by co-viewing and discussing concepts and issues during and following episodes, and parents and caregivers can poach ideas and processes from these programs and apply them to their own interactions with children. School librarians might also consider…

Children's cognitive skills change substantially from the time they enter school at about the age of five to when they graduate from high school a dozen years later. Some changes can be attributed to the school curriculum, but others are part of children's developmental evolution as they mature and interact with the world. Rather than reviewing…

Suggests that professional planning, not high-stakes testing, "an Industrial Age solution to an Information Age problem," is the key to education's future. Proposes that the day for school library media specialists and teachers should be equally divided between teaching and professional planning-four hours of instructional supervision and four…

Outlines myths about gifted readers. Suggests that librarians are vital in nurturing gifted children by developing collections which respond to high abilities and diverse intelligences while honoring the chronological age of these readers, by creating responsive learning environments and using flexible teaching strategies, and by supporting…

An English instructor notes that educators must re-examine their methodology and allow for students to be engaged as full partners in the learning process. She provides examples of activities and projects from a course about the intersection of language and culture and suggests that self-directed learning will equip students for college level…

Describes the design of a short course on electronic searching for high school students. Identifies seven steps for students to apply to an electronic search. Discusses planning the approach to instruction (a syllabus and workbook, goals, educational objectives, and evaluative criteria). Presents a 10-day schedule that organizes the seven steps…

Presents a dramatization of a high school library in 1968, a place with wooden bookcases, card catalog, wooden furniture and tiptoeing librarian through 30 years of changes to a library media center with banks of computers, librarian-teacher cooperation, emphasis on authentic assessment, and the satisfaction of librarian, teachers, and students…

Combines the results of action research in the high school library media center with conclusions in the professional literature to argue that systematic formal instruction in electronic search skills is necessary for awareness of library media software and competence in its use. Focuses on the why, what, where, and how of teaching electronic…