Education Commons^™

Collaboration: Advocacy For School Change, Cynthia Strong

Cynthia Strong

Adolescent literacy is a looming issue in secondary schools. Being able to read, comprehend, and write is imperative for students to understand the content of their classes and textbooks. According to Michael Kamil, professor of psychological studies in education and learning at Stanford University, "we almost need a trauma center to take care of this problem, it's that serious for kids that can't read...It's the number-one factor standing in the way of their graduating" (Manzo-Kennedy). Given the importance of literacy, this article provides a story of how a high school media specialist on the east coast sought to collaborate with …

Another Look At African Cultures Through Picture Books, Dorothy N. Bowen

Dorothy N. Bowen

I realized how difficult it is to describe what life is like for a child growing up in Africa when I was asked to make a presentation to two 6th grade classes. In the course of the presentation, I said, "Africa is not a country:' I had to smile to myself as I saw the shocked look on the face of a little girl sitting right in front of me. Her mouth dropped open and I knew that she thought I had made a very great error.

To "Keep The Past In Lively Memory": William Carl Bolivar's Efforts To Preserve African American Cultural Heritage, William Welburn

William C Welburn

The contributions of William Carl Bolivar, a Philadelphia African American bibliophile and journalist, are considered. Bolivar’s interest in historical documentation shaped his sense of interconnectedness with the collective memory of Philadelphia’s black community. His collecting interests are manifested in his column published in the Philadelphia Tribune, in his contributions to the American Negro Historical Society and other social and cultural organizations in Philadelphia, and in a published catalog of portions of his collection. Bolivar’s network of collectors and associates formed a “nucleus for a larger effort” to preserve African American cultural heritage. Their collecting efforts formed the foundation for black …

Addressing Sensitive Issues Through Picture Books, Dorothy N. Bowen, Melissa Schutt

Dorothy N. Bowen

it was a Wednesday morning, and the class of pre-service elementary teachers was discussing sensitive topics in children's picture books. Melissa had prepared several tables with representative literature dealing with topics such as divorce, adoption, sexuality, religion, and death, and students were reading and discussing the books. Suddenly Dorothy noticed a student clutching one of the books to her chest and smiling. Dorothy walked over to her and the student said, "I love this book. There were no books like this when I was a little girl."

Könyvtárszakon Amerikában: Feljegyzések Az Iskolapadból. [Class: A Guide Through The American Library School. In Hungarian]., Judit H. Ward

Judit H. Ward

The author presents her experience with American higher education as a career changer and new immigrant, while trying to navigate through the maze of library school and find a new job.

Information Literacy For Branch Campuses And Branch Libraries, James Hooks, Carl Rahkonen, Chris Clouser, Kelly Heider, Rena Fowler

Kelly Heider

Reference Librarians Speak For Users: A Learning Commons Concept That Meets The Needs Of A Diverse Student Body, Jeffrey A. Franks, Michael P. Tosko

Jeffrey A Franks