AASL Launches Wiki to Get Feedback on New Learning Standards
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Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 03/14/2007
The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has launched a wiki to get more media specialists involved in drafting new learning standards for school library media programs.
Since last year, the AASL Learning Standards Rewrite Task Force has been working hard to rewrite new standards, which will focus on the impact of technology on the profession as well as widespread curriculum changes. More specifically, it will outline "what a student has to know and be able to do, and what a library media program has to look like for the student to achieve that," says Julie Walker, AASL's executive director.
So far, the task force has presented two drafts—in November 2006 and at the American Library Association midwinter meeting in Seattle last January—and they've asked librarians to e-mail their comments and suggestions to AASL.
The idea to launch a wiki was a perfect way to get immediate feedback by inviting members to make live changes to the document. "The task force invites everyone interested to participate in creating this important document for our future," says Gail K. Dickinson, task force cochair. "We urge those who have already provided feedback on past drafts, as well as those who have not had a chance to comment, to use the wiki and add their ideas to the draft."
The task force has also posted two additional versions of the draft learning standards as read-only supporting documents. They are available on the wiki page.
Members of the task force will carefully consider all suggestions, and their deadline for this latest draft is March 15, 2007.
