Next Stop, New Orleans
The National Educational Computing Conference is dishing up a jambalaya of tech events for librarians
By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 5/1/2004
Not only will school librarians find an array of preconference workshops, but there'll be tons of sessions, ranging from online ethical behavior and expanding e-book collections to improving information literacy with handheld technology. And be sure to attend "District-Level View of an Information Literate Learning Community," a program hosted by School Library Journal Editor Evan St. Lifer about ways to promote collaboration at the district and building level.
Attendees will be pleased to see that ISTE officials have also created a Special Interest Group for media specialists (SIGMS) to help them better network. So spread the word: NECC isn't just for teachers and technology coordinators—it's a must-see event for media specialists. Here's a sampling of highlights from the June 19–23 gathering.
Saturday, June 19DigiTales I: The Art of Telling Digital Stories (8:30 a.m.–11:30 a.m.)
Sara Armstrong, an independent educational consultant, discusses multimedia tools that allow educators to help students deepen their understanding of content through storytelling. Fee required.
Teaching Students Right from Wrong in the Digital Age (9 a.m.– 4 p.m.)
Offering case studies and techniques, Doug Johnson, director of media and technology for the Mankato Area Public Schools in Minnesota, shows how to promote online ethics with your students. Fee required.
DigiTalesII: Beyond Words—Visual Essays and Reports (1:30 p.m.– 4:30 p.m.)
Bernajean Porter, author of Grappling with Accountability 2002: MAPPing Tools for Organizing and Assessing Technology for Student Results, explains how media communications, visual literacy, and information design skills can help students read and write effective visual essays and reports. Fee required.
Sunday, June 20Use Handheld Technology to Improve Literacy Skills (8:30 a.m.– 11:30 a.m.)
Kevin Oliver, director of the SEIR*TEC project, which promotes technology in schools, teaches ways to use handheld tools to build literacy in the context of a reading/writing lesson plan. Fee required.
Fostering Critical Thinking: Integrating Technology, Information Literacy, and Project-Based Learning (9 a.m.– 4 p.m.)
Sharon Sutton, coordinator of technology and outreach at Seeds University Elementary School at UCLA, examines the role of critical thinking in technology and information literacy. Fee required.
Monday, June 21Understanding Generation.com (11 a.m.– 12 p.m.)
Get updated by David Thornburg, adjunct professor of Communication and Arts at the University of São Paulo, on how to effectively reach today's tech-savvy kids in the classroom.
Teaching Zak to Think (12:30 p.m.– 1:30 p.m.)
Alan November, an education consultant with Building Learning Communities, offers step-by-step skills that will reveal the grammar and cross-referencing skills of the Internet.
eBooks: Expanding the School Library (2 p.m.– 3 p.m.)
Terence Cavanaugh, of the University of North Florida, talks about how to cost-effectively expand the school media collection with interactive eBooks.
A Day in the Life of an Educator's Handheld (2 p.m.– 3 p.m.)
Kathy Schrock, an administrator for technology at Nauset (MA) Public Schools, demonstrates how she uses her handheld computer as a personal, professional, educational, and communication tool in her daily life.
SIGMS Business Meeting (4:45 p.m.)
SIG Reception for All Members of SIGs (6:15 p.m.)
Tuesday, June 22Communication Is the Essence of Effective Learning (11 a.m.– 12 p.m.)
Kym Nadebaum, of the educational research facility Technology School of the Future, talks about how the digital era has spawned literacies that are critical to how our students communicate and understand the world.
Electronic Reference Service: A Teen's Eye View (12:30 p.m.– 1:30 p.m.)
Lesley Farmer, of the California State University at Long Beach, discusses how teens view electronic reference service and how school librarians can best serve this digital generation through electronic resources, portals, and 24/7 reference.
Visual Thinking, Visual Memory, Visual Learning (12:30 p.m.– 1:30 p.m.)
Hear Cheryl Lemke, CEO of the Metiri Group, a technology consulting firm, explain how cognitive and neuroscience research behind visual learning can improve your teaching and your students' learning.
The Learning Keystone: Thinking, Reading, and Technology Equals Information Fluency (2 p.m.– 3 p.m.)
Annette Lamb, of Indiana University–Purdue University at Indianapolis, explores ways to teach information literacy by using books, Web resources, and other technology.
Innovative Video in Education: Building Critical Literacy Skills (2 p.m.– 3 p.m.)
Bill Simpson, of the San Diego County Office of Education, explains how students access, analyze, evaluate, and produce video projects while applying visual, textual, and auditory literacy skills.
Creating a School Ecosystem for an Information Literate Learning Community (2 p.m.– 3 p.m.)
Sally Brewer, of the University of Montana, along with Joyce Valenza, of Springfield Township High School, identify the local stakeholders and their contributions to a collaborative school plan that improves student achievement. Learn how the roles of the various players interrelate.
District-Level View of an Information Literate Learning Community (3:30 p.m.– 4:30 p.m.)
School Library Journal Editor Evan St. Lifer explains how district- and building- level stakeholders can work together to meet today's challenges and long-term ways to promote collaboration
The Invisible Web: Lifting the Veil (3:30 p.m.– 4:30 p.m.)
Don Descy of Minnesota State University explains how to search the Invisible Web and how to find the information you want and need.
Wednesday, June 23Pathfinders: For Learners, By Learners—Tools for Building Research Skills (10:30 a.m– 11:30 a.m.)
Joyce Valenza and Michael Wagman of Springfield Township High School in Pennsylvania explain how Web-based pathfinders guide learners through myriad resources and achieve the goals of a traditional research paper.
Redefining Literacy for the 21st Century (1:30 p.m.– 2:30 p.m)
David Warlick, the owner and principal consultant of the Landmark Project, a professional development and Web design firm in Raleigh, NC, shows how to integrate a new literacy that recognizes the changing nature of information.
| Author Information |
| Debra Lau Whelan is SLJ's senior editor for news and features. |
