Be Quite! I'm Listening!

Be Quiet! I'm Listening! - Incorporating Recorded Books into K-12 Literacy Strategies
Sponsored by Recorded Books

Audiobooks are a research-validated tool for improving vocabulary, comprehension and literacy skills for young readers of all abilities. Especially effective with emerging, reluctant and ESL readers, recorded book programming is simple to incorporate into the classroom curriculum, and easy on the pocketbook too.

This is a great webcast offered by School Libary Journal. There were some great ideas batted about and wonderful support for the use of audiobooks as a means to increase reading levels, reading for pleasure, and ultimately reading test scores.

Education Secretary supports school librarians

US News and World Report has a great article on the plans Education Secretary Arne Duncan has for the future of our schools. By mentioning librarians in the fight for better education it seems that Secretary Duncan has made himself an ally to all those school librarians and media specialists who fear the elimination of their jobs because of budget cuts and short-sighted policy decisions.

Newly minted Education Secretary Arne Duncan has big plans for improving the nation's schools. His first order of business is drumming up support for a stimulus measure that includes an unprecedented $140 billion for education. The 44-year-old former leader of Chicago Public Schools says the money will modernize schools, help stave off teacher layoffs, and spur meaningful reforms. "The fact is that we are not just in an economic crisis; we are in an educational crisis," he says. "We have to educate ourselves to a better economy."

Duncan says a large chunk of the $140 billion destined for education will help states maintain and create jobs. "My concern is that hundreds of thousands of good teachers, not just bad teachers, are going to go, and that would be devastating," he says. "It is to no one's advantage if class size skyrockets or librarians get eliminated or school counselors disappear." More

Online Tutorials

I thought that it may be a good idea to do teacher in-service programs online. This is my first foray into the online tutorial world. I think it's a good initial performance. Please tell me your thoughts. Eventually, I'd like to graduate to a school version of enotes.