Friday, December 30, 2011

Humans have the need to read

The Guardian: 2011 December 30

It doesn't matter if books are delivered in print or by smartphone, the main thing is to get lost in reading them

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Students take field trip to virtual rain forest without leaving the classroom

The Globe and Mail: 2011 December 21

The classroom lights are off. On the walls, insects flit under a rainforest canopy and animals hide among the trees. The Grade 10 students can hear the sounds of Borneo.

Monday, December 19, 2011

E-Book Readers Face Sticker Shock

E-Book Readers Face Sticker Shock

The Passive Voice: 2011 December 15

Cheap new e-readers are expected to be one of the hottest gifts this holiday season. But new owners of Kindles and Nooks may be in for sticker shock on Christmas morning: The price gap between the print and e-versions of some top sellers has now narrowed to within a few dollars—and in some cases, e-books are more expensive than their printed equivalents.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Public education is under 'serious attack'


I try to stay positive even though public education is under serious attack. School libraries across the province are an endangered species.

In the past 10 years or so we have lost half the staff that supports special-needs kids in our school.

Cheriee Weichel Teacher librarian, Charles Dickens school, Vancouver


Monday, December 12, 2011

Literacy scores rise as reading fun drops

National Post: 2011 December 12
The report also cites school libraries as a "largely untapped resource" in terms of building students' enjoyment of reading.

"Unfortunately, the percentage of elementary and secondary schools with teacher-librarians continues to decline in Ontario," the report notes.