Finally, a Tech Show for You

When the nation's largest educational technology conference recognizes the importance of library media specialists as technology leaders. And this summer's National Educational Computing Conference (NECC)—June 29 to July 2, at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle—aims to do just that. The 2003 NECC will feature an enhanced series of programs designed specifically for school librarians. The new sessions will offer strategies to increase your clout, savvy advice on the best ways to collaborate with colleagues, and information on the most recent Web-based and hand-held technologies.

Conference goers will also receive the latest scoop on learning and technology-related research. "There's wonderful research work being done in regional labs, universities, and government agencies about how kids learn from technology, but many people in the schools don't know about it," says conference program chair Anita McAnear, a member of the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), the conference's parent organization.

Last year's NECC in San Antonio drew a record 2,000 librarians and technology coordinators (or one out of every five attendees), and this year's ambitious program should attract even more. Here are some of the sessions you'll want to pay close attention to:

A full-day symposium called Unleashing the Potential of the School Library Media Specialist can help every media specialist become a stronger technology leader. Coordinated by Sally Brewer, a professor of library education at the University of Montana, the sessions will feature Joyce Valenza, a library media specialist at Springfield Township High School in Pennsylvania; Doug Johnson, director of media and technology for the Mankato (MN) Public Schools; and Mike Eisenberg, dean of the Information School at the University of Washington. Guest speakers will discuss the librarian's evolving technological role, the effective management of electronic media services, and strategies for building your influence schoolwide. (Valenza is also presenting a worthwhile workshop called Spreading the Gospel of Information Literacy: Schoolwide Initiative, Year Two, which will examine the benefits of a schoolwide information literacy program.)

The Power of Partnerships: Improving Student Learning Is a Team Game!, moderated by School Library Journal Editor Evan St. Lifer, is the first ever NECC Convergence Panel to bring together school administrators, technology coordinators, library media specialists, and teachers to discuss ways to boost student achievement. Topics will include collaboration among the school's essential players, integrating the library media specialist's instructional and technological expertise, and how to overcome longstanding barriers and misconceptions among the school's faculty. A reception hosted by SLJ for NECC's Special Interest Groups (SIGs)—including school librarians, technology coordinators, and administrators—will immediately follow the panel.

Lynell Burmark of the Thornburg Center for Professional Development insists that educators need to design lessons that will help kids understand the persuasive power of visual images. "Because so much of students' experience is shaped and surrounded by imagery, visual literacy truly has become the new currency of learning," she says. Burmark's one-hour workshop, Visual Literacy: What You Get Is What You See, will offer media specialists the tools they need to make visual literacy a compelling part of their lessons.

Two forward-thinking sessions you won't want to miss are 21st-Century Skills: Release and Discussion of the New 21st-Century Skills Self-Assessment Tool and 21st-Century Skills: Districts on the Move. The former workshop, led by consultant Ken Kay of Infotech Strategies, will show media specialists how to assess their students' technology literacy. The latter, presented by CEO Cheryl Lemke of the Metiri Group, an educational consulting firm, will discuss how to use technology to encourage students to become innovative thinkers and problem-solvers.

David Warlick of the Landmark Project, a professional development and Web-design firm, will explore The Art of Being Digital: Learning and Literacy in the 21st Century. Warlick believes that the Internet has transformed the way young people learn. "Expect to see shocking reasons why merely being able to read may actually be dangerous in the 21st century," Warlick says about his upcoming session. Now there's a provocative thought.

Wearing the Scholar's Hat: LMS Contributions to Technology Integration, a workshop presented by Janet Murray, a high school information specialist in Yokosuka, Japan, and Ferdi Serim, a consultant with the Online Internet Institute, will show media specialists how they can become indispensable members of their school's technology team.

And finally, Library System Administrator Karen Shull of the Richardson (TX) Independent School District knows firsthand the ins and outs of developing a comprehensive, districtwide Web site. Shull will share her hard-won insights in a presentation called Library Home Pages: Creating Equity Across a District.

For more information on NECC, visit www.neccsite.org. For registration information and fees, go to center.uoregon.edu/NECC/NECC2003/attendees/registration.