Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/11437
ing are authoritative, authentic and reliable places for informa- tion. W hen s tudents g o t o Google they may find 10,000 hits on a topic and encounter infor- mation overload and things that are of no value whatsoever for their project and paper. Librari- ans help students understand how to find information, evalu- ate information and utilize that information.” While students may prefer technology to books, Skannal encourages reading for pleasure. “Sometimes they will come to me and say, ‘I want a book,’ and I help them pinpoint the genre they might be interested in, such as adventure or science fic- tion. I will go through lists of books the students might like and recommend some books they might enjoy. Lots of stu- dents just go by the cover of a book, and I encourage them to read the summary and see if they might like the content.” Ellen Shimamoto, a teacher li- brarian a t Ga brielino High School, finds it ironic that her dis- trict reduced its middle school li- brarian from full time to half time — after building a brand-new li- brary on the site. Fortunately, she says, the San Gabriel School Dis- trict has not eliminated any li- brarian positions completely. Information literacy curriculum The San Gabriel Teachers As- sociation member received an In- novation Award from the Califor- nia School Library Association for integrating information literacy skills with classroom curriculum for f reshmen t aking a c areer course. As part of the class, stu- dents spend 12 days in the library learning strategies in r esearch, Web evaluation, taking notes, avoiding plagiarism and using da- tabases. Then they pick a career they are interested in and research the pathway to that career. They are asked to look 10 years into the future and write a letter and résu- mé for a job in a field they have supposedly prepared for. At the end of the course they are “inter- viewed” for the job to see if they’ve done their research. Shimamoto, who enjoys col- laborating with classroom teachers for the course, says students learn invaluable s kills they can use throughout high school and col- lege. “Kids will come back and say, ‘Now I know why you taught us Continued on page 37 Explore new possibilities in education. Discover how a credential or master’s degree from Azusa Pacific University can take your career to the next level and expand your impact in and outside the classroom.With programs for teachers and counselors, coaches and administrators, we’re confident APU has a degree for you. APU offers: • Convenient classes 1 night a week at 1 of 8 Southern California locations. • More than 36 credential andmaster’s degree opportunities. • Accelerated programs that allow you to earn your degree in just 12–18 months. • • • • Elsewhere in California: In the Tracy Unified School District, students are using Facebook in hopes of saving school libraries and librarian positions. Members of the Parent Faculty Association at Foothill Middle School in the Mount Diablo Unified School District organized a massive fundraising effort to keep the library staffed an ad- ditional day with a full-time certified librarian. School libraries are set to disappear in California’s Belmont- Redwood Shores School District as it plans to close all media centers; as a result, students will reportedly no longer be al- lowed to check out school library books. In Modesto, the school board voted to cut 8.5 library media teachers and eight library assistants. AZUSA | HIGH DESERT | INLAND EMPIRE | LOS ANGELES | MURRIETA ORANGE COUNTY | SAN DIEGO | VENTURA COUNTY | ONLINE • NCATE-accredited programs recognized by all 50 states and internationally. Classes start year-round. Contact us today! Call Click Email (800) 825-5278 www.apu.edu/education graduatecenter@apu.edu MAY 2010 | www.cta.org 23