Check It Out: October 24, 2018

But age matters, according to this new analysis, as younger adults were more likely than older Americans to correctly categorize all five of the factual statements, and also more likely to do so for the five opinion statements.

When looking at the 10 statements individually, younger adults were not only better overall at correctly identifying factual and opinion news statements – they could do so regardless of the ideological appeal of the statements.

Need a little inspiration for the coming school year?  How about a few fresh strategies for energizing your information literacy instruction and preparing your secondary learners for their academic experience?

A number of portals offer training and instruction for our students as well as a little retooling for us as professionals, all aligned with the ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries) Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, which, of course, resonate with our own AASL National School Library Standards.

Here’s a little round-up of the portals designed to support critical information skills.

Explore digital media resources for teaching topics in K–12 earth and space science. These free resources emphasize student engagement with the core ideas and practices of the Next Generation Science Standards and are supported by rich contextual materials.

In today’s politically charged climate, school librarians may feel vulnerable when we raise questions about equity, inclusion, and social justice. On the other hand, we cannot and should not avoid this fundamental question: Who does my school library serve?

School libraries can be equity hubs.  Scholars recognize equity as an interdisciplinary, system-wide goal, and school librarians are well placed to be equity leaders because of our connections to all learners. Paul Gorski and Katy Swalwell make an explicit call for interdisciplinary equity work in all content areas at all grade levels for students of all backgrounds. They remind us that “teaching for equity literacy is a political act—but not more so than not teaching for equity literacy” (2015, 39).

The National School Library Standards require school librarians to make equity a value that permeates the entire school library community. Creating displays to celebrate diversity is not enough. We cannot allow ourselves to approach diversity as a “social good,” in which isolated programs serve marginalized students without challenging the overall structures of oppression (Watt 2015, 9). Instead, the AASL Standards challenge us to embrace the systemic value of diversity as we work to remedy structural barriers to equity.

The current Nebraska Library Association President and Assistant Director of Gretna Public Library, Rebecca McCorkindale, has designed these fabulous graphics on inclusivity in libraries.  Check out more of her designs with the link below.

by Sarah McKibben for ASCD Education Update

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!" "Girls line up on the left and boys on the right." Repeated in classrooms every day, statements like these send a subtle message to students who might not relate to the gender binary: You're not included. Curriculum and instruction can reinforce that message, too, when gender stereotypes or inequities go unchecked in classroom texts, topics, and talk.

How, then, can teachers be more sensitive to the way gender is presented in their classrooms? By reflecting on how their own experiences with gender shape their practices and questioning the biases they see and hear, they can begin to shift the culture to be safer and more inclusive. These strategies can help teachers move from awareness to action.