AASL requests member feedback on new Learning Standards draft
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), is releasing a second draft of its new learning standards and soliciting member feedback. The new draft document will be available for download via the AASL Web site, www.aasl.org, from January 16 to February 1, 2007.
AASL also will host an open forum on new learning standards at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, on Friday, January 19, at 4 p.m. The “AASL Open Forum on New Learning Standards” will be held at the Westin Hotel, Cascade Ballroom II and is open to anyone interested.
“AASL recognizes the changing role of school library media programs as we look into the future,” said AASL President Cyndi Phillip. “We believe that the changing educational environment, especially with the focus on 21st century skills needed for today’s workplace, makes it necessary to update current learning standards.”
The AASL Learning Standards Task Force, chaired by Gail Dickinson and Cassandra Barnett, began working on the first draft of the new Learning Standards in early fall of 2006. The first draft was available for review with feedback on the AASL Web site from November 6 through December 8, 2006. The Task Force reviewed and considered comments and reactions received from members and incorporated the feedback into the second draft of the Learning Standards.
Get the document at:
http://www.ala.org/ala/aasl/aaslproftools/learningstandards/standards.htm
The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library media services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change and develop leaders in the school library media field.
Sherry R. Crow
Colorado AASL Liaison
January 18, 2007 at 9:22 am
This is a huge improvement, in my opinion, over the first draft. I like the 4 standards. I like to think of them this way:
“Learners use 21st century information skills, resources and tools to:
-Learn
-Live
-Participate
-Grow
I really like the self-assessment strategies – because in a world where multi-tasking is becoming the expectation and the norm, I think we need to be constantly helping students to develop strategies to focus their information quests to achieve a successful end. However, I see several items in the category of “self-assessment strategies” that look more like “dispositions” to me.
-Nancy White, Academy School District 20
January 31, 2007 at 10:51 am
Thanks for those comments, Nancy. Did you send them in to AASL, or would you like me to do that?
Sherry Crow