A key aspect I take from this discussion is the importance of having good signage, and I think shelf guides with words on them do add a useful element for library users browsing for information...For more information on Teen Read Week, please visit www.ala.org/teenread
There are suggestions for activities, top teen reading picks, and a "sample proclamation" !
"Reading is dying in our schools. Educators are familiar with many of the factors that have contributed to the decline — poverty, second-language issues, and the ever-expanding choices of electronic entertainment. In this provocative new book, Kelly Gallagher suggests, however, that it is time to recognize a new and significant contributor to the death of reading: our schools.
In Readicide, Kelly argues that American schools are actively (though unwittingly) furthering the decline of reading. Specifically, he contends that the standard instructional practices used in most schools are killing reading by:
Kelly doesn't settle for only identifying the problems. Readicide provides teachers, literacy coaches, and administrators with specific steps to reverse the downward spiral in reading—steps that will help prevent the loss of another generation of readers."
Click on the picture to enlarge a summary of key findings :Burke's Ning exceeded his expectations for a virtual meeting ground. In roughly six months, The English Companion Ning, which Burke refers to as "the world's largest English department, without the meetings," catapulted to close to 6,000 members of all ages and levels of teaching experience from five continents. "What's kind of fascinating and scary about Web 2.0 and Ning is that you can create it quickly and before you know it, its got a huge following," he notes.
Nings have borrowed the tools of Facebook and MySpace—the ability to post a personal profile, upload media, and have multiple asynchronous and synchronous conversations—while allowing for the customization around a particular subject. Members contribute content, while the administrator can meddle as little or as much as he or she wants. Members return not only to post, but also for the opportunity of discovery.
I noticed in Take Note Kerikeri a two pack of large laminated maps - one of New Zealand, one of the world, for $20. It reminded me of a great activity that Robyn at Oruaiti School did, where she taped a map of NZ to the large table in the non-fiction area and then put a relevant book on display or made a "quiz" - find Lake Taupo, which island is Christchurch on, find 5 towns beginning with W, etc. It was as popular as Where's Wally ! You could make it a competition where the week's entries go in a box for a draw, or it could be a different question each day... Robyn changed the maps each term.Each month, the National Literacy Trust (in the UK) interviews a well-known figure in the world of reading and literacy. Here, international bestselling author Tommy Donbavand talks about how to get kids excited about books, the necessary trend for authors to embrace new media and the importance of setting up a positive school reading environment.
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/About/interview_tommydonbavand.html
When asked "If you could change one thing about schools what would it be?" his answer started, "Tough question! When I arrive at a school for a visit, I immediately get a sense of whether it is a 'book school' or not. From shelves of books in prominent, easy to reach places to wall displays and more - book schools appreciate the importance of reading and writing and help bring stories to life. Some other schools, however, simply don't do it that way...
And on the subject of technology he has this to say... "I appreciate that some people fear the use of new media will lead to the death of books (it won't, of course) but, simply put, a story is a story whether it's read from the pages of a novel, between the covers of a comic or by browsing a website. Teachers, librarians and authors should capitalise on this explosion of technology rather than try to fight it." and "I see the proliferation of blogs and social networking sites as vital to the future of books. Children embrace new media as a completely natural method of communication and, as that's where our potential readers are, that's where authors should be as well."
Andrea Lunsford isn't so sure. Lunsford is a professor of writing and rhetoric at Stanford University, where she has organized a mammoth project called the Stanford Study of Writing to scrutinize college students' prose. From 2001 to 2006, she collected 14,672 student writing samples—everything from in-class assignments, formal essays, and journal entries to emails, blog posts, and chat sessions. Her conclusions are stirring.
"I think we're in the midst of a literacy revolution the likes of which we haven't seen since Greek civilization," she says. For Lunsford, technology isn't killing our ability to write. It's reviving it—and pushing our literacy in bold new directions."....
