Media matters, Vol. 7, Issue 3 (Oct. 2008)

Inside this issue:
You and your 2 principal

Authors,

3

Corduroy and

more

Georgia Sites 4

Monster Re- 5 lease Party

SAT Online 6

North Georgia 7 RESA
Georgia Stu- 8 dent Media

NAEP

8

GaETC

9

Picturing Amer- 10

From Parapro to 11 Media Specialist

Tommy Johns 12

Diane Shore

13

GALILEO

14

39 clues

15

Helen Ruffin

16

Reading Bowl

TIE Network

17

Calendar

18

Media Matters
Volume 7 Number 3

October 2008

Are you ready for Teen Read WeekTM?

From vampires to recipes, adventures to technology, this year's theme should appeal to a wide range of interests. Books With Bite @ your library is the Teen Read Week theme and will be celebrated on October 12-18.
Check out the Peach Award for Teen Readers list for some great titles!

Join the TIE Network GPB Needs YOU! (more information on page 17)

Page 2

Media Matters

Thanks to Doug Johnson and Linworth Publishing for permission to reprint Doug's article "No Principal Left Behind" from his Head for the Edge column, March 2003.
Doug has 10 tips for the school Library Media Specialist to help inform and educate your school administrator about good school libraries and the positive impact they can have on students. You will find one tip each month in this newsletter.

Tip #3.
You need to view you and your principal as allies.
You need your principal's support, of course, for funding, program building, and helping influence other staff members. Did you ever think that your principal may need you too? As cheerleader and co-conspirator for change efforts. As staff development resource for new programs. As an educator who can positively affect the learning environment of the whole school. As a researcher for best practices information. How exactly does your principal rely on you? Are you important enough to be listened to?
Next month: Know your principal's goals and interests.

A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him......... David Brinkley
Information is the currency of democracy. Thomas Jefferson

Volume 7 Number 3
Georgia Principal Writes Book!
C.L. Dunn, principal of Northwest Elementary in Chatsworth Georgia, has written a book called The Troll on Trial. This retelling of the three billy goats gruff tells the Troll's side of the story. You can contact Mr. Dunn at Read and Imagine Books. 706-847-0414 or cldbooks@live.com

Page 3

Jumpstart Read for the Record !
Jumpstart's Read for the Record was held on October 2nd around the United States. Over 450,000 people read Corduroy to children (in groups of 35 or less).
Did you read Corduroy to a group of students? GaDOE employees read to over 1,200 students around the state.
Didn't know about the Jumpstart program? Maybe you can participate next year!

We don't buy glasses; we buy vision. We don't buy awnings; we buy shade. We don't buy a newspaper; we buy information. It isn't the product we want. It's what the product will do for us. We buy something or pursue something, not because we want the thing itself, but because we want what that thing will give us or do for us.
Max Anders, The Good Life: Living with Meaning in a Never Enough World

Page 4
Sue Killcreas has an awesome website for her Valley Point Middle School Media Center in Whitfield County. Check it out at: http://edtech.dscettc.org/skillcreas/

Media Matters

Volume 7 Number 3
A child's life is like a piece of paper on which every passerby leaves a mark. Chinese proverb

Page 5
We will lead the nation in improving student achievement.
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF
EDUCATION
Judy Serritella Phone: 404-657-9800
Fax: 404-656-5744 E-mail: jserrite@doe.k12.ga.us
1754 Twin Towers East 205 Jesse Hill Jr. Drive Atlanta, Georgia 30334

Page 6

Media Matters

SAT Online Prep Course available free for all Georgia students, grades 9-12
For the fourth consecutive school year, the state has made available to all Georgia students, grades 9-12, the SAT Online Course. This web-based, personalized online course offers students review lesson and quizzes designed by the maker of the SAT exam, an immediate essay scoring feature and 6 full-length SAT tests with immediate scoring and individualized reports for students and teachers. Each public high school in Georgia receives instructions in August for registering all students in SAT Online.
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Page 7

Media Matters

North Georgia RESA Library Media Consortium Meeting

The North Georgia RESA Media Consortium had Delicious Training in September. Media Specialists and Coordinators learned about Del.icio.us-- a website that allows you to store and sort your bookmarks.
To celebrate the Del.icio.us training, media specialists brought in books and corresponding goodies. Check out the titles and yummy refreshments in these pictures.

Experience excellence.....explore opportunities....realize potential!

Volume 7 Number 3

Page 8

Information concerning the 2009 Georgia Student Media Festival is now updated and posted at: http://www.gait-inc.org/ GSMF/index.htm
The Georgia Student Media Festival is sponsored by the Georgia Association for Instructional Technology and the Georgia Library Association, in partnership with Georgia Public Broadcasting.
Over 3,000 K-12 students participated in the Georgia Student Media Festival during 2007-2008. We hope even more will take part this year. Examples of previous winners are also available on the website.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact any of us on the website!
Dr. Gordon N. Baker Director of Libraries Clayton State University gordonbaker@clayton.edu

What Do You Know About NAEP?
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Assessments are conducted periodically in mathematics, reading, science, writing, the arts, civics, economics, geography, and U.S. history. Assessments in world history and in foreign language are anticipated in 2012.
http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/
Georgia's profile: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/profile.asp

Page 9

Media Matters

GaETC

Believe it or not, GaETC 2008 is less than four weeks away! If you and your colleagues haven't registered, now's the time to do so. The deadline for pre-registration rates is October 10th so act now to save $$. You can pre-register online or by mail/fax by going to http://www.gaetc.org/reginfo08.htm

Don't miss out on this great opportunity to network with thousands of Georgia educators --teachers, administrators, technology coordinators, library media specialists, curriculum specialists, teacher educators, industry representatives, and students from all over the state!! We'll all gather for a wonderful professional learning opportunity at the Georgia International Convention Center near the airport.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER The conference keynote speaker is RON CLARK!! Ron is the best-selling author of The Essential 55 and the inspiration for the film The Ron Clark Story starring Matthew Perry. His honors include the Disney American Teacher of the Year and he has been featured on both the Rosie O'Donnell Show and the Oprah Winfrey Show where he was dubbed the show's first "Phenomenal Man." As a teacher, his classes have been invited to the White House three different times to be honored by the president.

FEATURED SPEAKERS

Patrick Crispen Chris Moersch Tony Vincent Brent Williams

Steve Dembo Bernajean Porter David Warlick Tammy Worcester

TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP FORUM The Technology Leadership Forum is a new addition to the GaETC schedule. It will be held Tuesday, November 4, with sessions customized specifically to meet the needs of technology leaders and district level technology staff. The full-day schedule will open with Kathy Cox, State Superintendent of Schools, include a luncheon with a guest speaker, and conclude with a reception at 5:00 p.m. in the exhibit hall. This forum is an additional fee which can be combined with a full conference registration. Sessions will continue in the Technology Leadership strand during the conference Wednesday, November 5 - Friday, November 7.
WORKSHOPS Workshop registration is also available. We have a wide range of workshop topics on the latest issues and trends in educational technology. Please go to the following URL to view the workshop titles and descriptions - http://www.gaetc.org/ workshops08/1workshops08.htm

Volume 7 Number 3

Page 10

NooftOe cthtoebdeera3d1lisnte!

Picturing America

Great art speaks powerfully, inspires fresh thinking, and

connects us to our past.

Picturing America, an exciting new initiative from the National Endowment for the Humanities, brings masterpieces of American art into classrooms and libraries nationwide. Through this innovative program, students and citizens will gain a deeper appreciation of our country's history and
character through the study and understanding of its art.

The nation's artistic heritage--our paintings, sculpture, architecture, fine crafts, and photography--offers unique insights into the character, ideals, and aspirations of our
country.

Picturing America, a far-reaching new program from the National Endowment for the Humanities in cooperation with the American Library Association, brings this vital heritage to all Americans.

By bringing high-quality reproductions of notable American art into public and private schools, libraries, and communities, Picturing America gives participants the opportunity to learn about our nation's history and culture in a fresh and engaging way. The program uses art as a catalyst for the study of America--the cultural, political, and historical threads woven into our nation's fabric over time.

Collectively, the masterpieces in Picturing America, used in conjunction with the Teachers Resource Book and program Web site, help students experience the
humanity of history and enhance the teaching and understanding of America's past.

The submission deadline for the current application period is October 31, 2008.
Institutions that have previously received Picturing America are not eligible to receive a second award. If you would like to review an application submitted under our previous deadline (April 15th, 2008), go to:

http://picturingamerica.ala.org/application/2008/

Page 11

From ParaPro to Media Specialist: True Stories from the Library Media Centers of Georgia

Media Matters

Anne Nechvatal Media Specialist Silver City Elementary Forsyth County
Some of my fondest memories of my mother include visiting the public library with her when I was a little girl. We would go on Saturday afternoons every other week or so and we would come home with arm loads of library books for me and my four sisters. Undoubtedly, my love of reading was fostered by those experiences. My inspiration to pass that love on came from teaching my own children to read and trying to motivate them by researching children's literature and helping them choose books they would enjoy.
When my children entered elementary school I began volunteering and substituting in their school library and I found myself sharing what I had learned about children's books with their classmates, teachers and other parents. I was very excited when I was offered the media paraprofessional position at their school. I felt I had found my niche. The media specialist agreed with me and with a few encouraging words from her, I decided to go back to college to become a media specialist. I began working on my M.Ed. at UWG and completed the program in 18 months, while raising two children and continuing to work. There were some stressful days, but I wouldn't change a minute of it.
All of my hard work paid off when I was offered my first media specialist position at Silver City Elementary in Cumming, GA. I couldn't have asked for a better situation. There is a very strong sense of community and everyone is dedicated to student achievement. My main focus is building a collection that will support my students' educational needs and encourage a passion for reading. Hopefully, I will be able to instill the same love of reading and learning that I found as a child in my students.
Please share these inspiring stories with your parapro. We may have many more future Library Media Specialists just waiting for those little words of encouragement.

Volume 7 Number 3

Page 12

www.tommyjohnspresents.com

"That's a GREAT Idea!" By Tommy Johns, GLMA, GLA

As a school assembly presenter, I go into over a hundred media centers and public libraries each year, and I have come to the conclusion that librarians and media specialists are among the most resourceful people among us! I have seen some incredibly creative people solve problems relating to space, location, scheduling, budgeting, reading incentives, planning, collaboration and more. In this column, each issue, we will look at a few of these great ideas and see why they might work for you too!

#1 Ginger Kelly, a media specialist in Hoover, AL schedules the last hour of every Friday to plan, gather, and prepare for Monday. No check out, no classes, no interruptions. She and her paraprofessional look ahead to the next week and "get a grasp" on what's coming up for the week and beyond. Sometimes she takes stuff home with her, and sometimes not, but she has the peace of mind all weekend that she is ready for Monday. She knows that she can walk in and in just a few minutes she will be ready to begin the day and the week. Blocking off one hour on Friday pays her and her school back in amazing ways for the entire upcoming week!

#2 Heather Marshall, media specialist in St. Simon's Island, GA was so excited about the GA Book Award Nominees in 2007 that she got the teachers reading them. Then she started an AR point race between the teachers who participated. Marshall said, "It was so great. The students loved that their teachers were reading and taking AR tests and it sparked more classroom competition and it seemed as though from Kindergarten through 5th grade, everyone was reading great books!"

#3 An Alabama Library Media Specialist asks the local service clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, Civitan, Optimists, etc.) for funds to sponsor reading assembly programs and author visits. Most service clubs love to be involved in education, and reading is such a basic need, it's hard to say no. She makes up posters indicating sponsorships, sends out press releases before the programs to local media, invites members to attend to see what their investment has provided. She does all this to let the club know they are appreciated and to get them as much publicity as possible for their gifts. "And," she says, "ALWAYS send a thank you note with photos after the program."

Let me know what GREAT ideas you have implemented and/or have seen, and we'll include them in a future article. E-mail me at tommy@tommyjohnspresents.com.

Tommy Johns is an Atlanta based school show presenter who travels all over the southeast encouraging kids to read. Find out more at www.tommyjohnspresents.com

Page 13

Media Matters

This Thanksgiving, Turn Your Students into History Detectives
Diane Z. Shore
What really happened at the First Thanksgiving? How many people were there? How long did it last? What did they eat? Turkey and dressing and pumpkin pie? Did they play football? That's what award winning children's author Diane Z. Shore asks students before sharing her new historical picture book, This Is the Feast (HarperCollins), the story of the first Thanksgiving, illustrated by Megan Lloyd (The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid Of Anything).
While doing research for this book, Shore spent several days at Plimoth Plantation, the living museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts that is a re-creation of the original settlement of Plimoth Colony established in the 17th century by European colonists. "It was like traveling back in time," exclaims Shore. "I met Master Carver and Goodwife Billington, and asked them all about that first year in the New World. I even played stool ball!" Shore discovered that she actually knew very little about the First Thanksgiving and the events leading up to this harvest celebration. She also found that what she did know was not entirely accurate.
Because many myths surround the First Thanksgiving, why not use this historical event to turn your students into historians. Historians are like detectives. They make guesses and then find out if those guesses are correct. First, ask your students what they know, or what they believe to be true about the First Thanksgiving. Ask them what they want to know. Then read This Is the Feast. Shore packs a lot of information in the book and answers many questions, but at the same time arouses curiosity, which sparks further questions, particularly in older students. Take a trip to the library. Gather up non-fiction books and materials on the events of 1620 and 1621. Several colonists kept diaries which have been translated into modern English and published in book form. This is a wonderful example of a primary resource (information by people who were there.) The internet, though not a primary source, has many Thanksgiving websites that may answer a lot of your questions, too. Just make sure you go to a reliable source. Plimoth Plantation's website www.plimoth.org is chock full of historically accurate information. But be warned, once you turn your students into history detectives, they may not want to come back to 2008!
Book of the Month
Does your school participate in a Book of the Month program? If you order 30 or more copies from Let's Read books, you'll receive a 50% discount (plus shipping.) E-mail Diane at dzshore@bellsouth to place an order.

Volume 7 Number 3

Page 14

GALILEO Training Comes To Your Desktop
Money and time are two things we need most and seem to have least. GALILEO can't add hours to your day, but online training opportunities will save you travel time and money. Online classes are presented by various trainers covering different topics and databases. The technology is easier than you think, and the payoff in better familiarity with GALILEO is a great benefit.
Online classes use various online classroom products, including Wimba, Interwise, and WebEx. Some of the products include audio through your computer (Voice over IP or VoIP); some use the phone. Some may require a plug-in download, and some may need to update a plug-in that you already have on your computer. All offer phone numbers to tech support in case you run into problems.
Classes are scheduled at various times of the day and days of the week in order to satisfy as many schedules as possible. One participant, who attended an online class behind her glass wall in the media center, suggests putting up a sign that says, "I am attending an online class" to let students and teachers know you aren't just talking on the phone and surfing the Web.
Upcoming classes are scheduled for the following topics:
Orientations to the K-12, Scholar, and Library interfaces (held monthly) SIRS Discoverer SIRS Researcher Encyclopaedia Britannica EBSCOhost 2.0
You can see the schedule and register for a class at http://www.usg.edu/galileo/help/ library/training/
If you have suggestions for training you would like to see presented in the future, please let GALILEO know by using the "Contact Us" link on the GALILEO web site at http://www.galileo.usg.edu

People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou

Media Matters
A guide to Scholastic's THE 39 CLUES
What is The 39 Clues? The 39 Clues is a groundbreaking, multi-platform new series aimed at 8-12 year olds. The program and story spans ten books, hundreds of trading cards, and an online game where readers play a part in the story and compete for over $100,000 in prizes*. The series will be launched on September 9, 2008. The $10,000 Grand Prize will close on December 31, 2010, and the winner will be announced on March 9, 2011.
What's it about? The Cahills are the most powerful secret family the world has ever known. For example, Mozart, Napoleon, and Winston Churchill were all Cahills. But now, the source of the family's power is known only to the last surviving matriarch, Grace Cahill. The story begins when she dies and, in her will, leaves her heirs a choice. They can either receive a million dollars and walk away. Or they can receive a Clue. The first Cahill to assemble all 39 Clues hidden around the world will discover what makes the family so powerful a reward beyond measure. It's Cahill versus Cahill in a race to the finish, with readers hot on the heels of the main characters, fourteen year-old Amy Cahill and her 11-year-old brother, Dan. Sharp-eyed readers will uncover secrets and leads embedded in the books, cards, and the website.
Who is writing it? Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, has outlined the ten-book story arc and kicks off the action with Book One: The Maze of Bones (Published Sept. 9, 2008). Gordon Korman will write Book Two: One False Note (Published Dec. 2, 2008), Peter Lerangis will write Book Three (Published March 2009), Jude Watson will write Book Four (Published July 2009); Patrick Carman will write Book Five (Published September 200), and more of today's top-selling children's book authors will complete the ten book series.
How do kids play the game? Kids visit the website and discover they are lost members of the Cahill family. They get assigned to one of four family branches, and then compete against other kids and against characters to find the 39 Clues, which are hidden in the books, trading cards, and website. Finding Clues and earning points makes players eligible to enter to win prizes.*
How do kids collect the cards? There will be hundreds of cards to collect in The 39 Clues. Every book will come with a set of six cards. All copies of Book 1 (Book 2, Book 3, etc.) will include the same six-cards for each reader, but each set of book cards will have a unique Identification (ID) number. Entering that ID number online will automatically load the six-card set into the reader's exclusive online card collection. [Note: Library editions do not include cards.]
How does the website work? The website - www.the39clues.com - is Cahill-central for kids. They will create accounts where they can track their points and their Clues, manage their card collections, dig through the Cahill archives for secrets, and travel the world to discover Cahill artifacts, interview characters, and hunt down the Clues. This site is far beyond any other bookrelated promotional website, because it stands as a game experience on its own.
Where can I get further information? Teachers and librarians can go to www.the39clues.com and click on 39 Clues in the News.

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Media Matters

Important Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Information!
On behalf of the Southern Regional HRRB Steering Committee I strongly urge all school teams in Georgia who wish to participate in the 2009 Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl to go to the website (http://www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/hrrb/registration/index.php?level=team ) and register your team.
Because of the increasing number of schools that wish to participate and the limited amount of space at the bowls, some tough decisions of who will participate are having to be made. The deadline for team registration is November 1. Please do not delay! Register your team today!
Donna Milner

The Drill Bit Rule: You don't buy a drill bit because you want a drill bit; you buy it because you want a hole. You don't buy technology because you want technology; you buy it because you want a more effective school.
Rule of Restructuring Education with Technology: Machines are the easy part; people are the hard part.
GaMedia List Service!
The wonderful GaMedia List Service has returned.
As you probably know, the server for the Georgia Media list ceased working at the beginning of the summer, after 8 years of faithful service. (The list service itself is 12 years old.) O.P. Cooper has things ready to resume.
To get started, however, he needs everyone to subscribe again. User data backup files were corrupt, and they could not with certainty rebuild them, so O.P. opted to just get a fresh start.
The link to the page for information and to subscribe to GeorgiaMedia is:
http://www.georgiamedia.net/mailman/listinfo/members
Note this change: to post a message to the list, send mail to members@georgiamedia.net.

Volume 7 Number 3
TIE Network (continued from Page 1)

Page 17

The GPB Technology in Education (TIE) Network is Georgia's own professional network of educators who are passionate about integrating technology into the classroom to enhance student performance. Currently, the TIE Network has over 900 members who contribute to the community blog, share resources online through the TIE Network website and attend regional events hosted by Georgia Public Broadcasting.
One of our goals is to recruit at least one TIE Network member from every school district in Georgia by December 31, 2008. We currently have members representing 116 of the 181 school districts in the state. In order to reach 100 % participation of all Georgia school districts, we need your help! If you are an educator in one of the districts listed below, we'd love for you to join the GPB TIE Network.

Bacon County Ben Hill County Bleckley County Brantley County Buford City Burke County Butts County Calhoun City Candler County Charlton County Chattahoochee County Chickamauga City Clay County Commerce City Crawford County Dade County Decatur City Decatur County

Dodge County Macon County

Stewart County

Dooly County Marion County

Talbot County

Early County Mitchell County Taliaferro

Echols County Montgomery

County

Elbert County County

Taylor County

Emanuel

Morgan County Toombs County

County

Oglethorpe County Trion City

Fannin County Peach County

Turner County

Floyd County Pelham City

Vidalia City

Haralson

Pierce County

Walker County

County

Pike County

Webster County

Jeff Davis

Quitman County Wheeler County

County

Rabun County

Wilcox County

Jefferson

Randolph County Wilkes County

County

Schley County

Wilkinson

Jenkins County Seminole County County

Johnson County Social Circle City Worth County

Lincoln County

GPB wants to encourage all educators in Georgia to join! The GPB TIE Network is an invaluable resource community for classroom teachers, graduation coaches, media specialists, technology specialists and administrators alike. As a TIE Network member, you can connect with other educators around the state to find out what exciting projects others have created, download these resources and use them in your own classroom.
We invite you to visit our online professional community at www.tienetwork.org where you can join the group and become a contributing member of the GPB TIE Network.

October 2008
Georgia Department of Education

Su nday

Mond ay

Tuesday

S eptemb er S M TW T F S
123456 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Nov emb er
S M TW T F S
1 2345678 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

Wed nesday
1
1890: Yosemite Nati onal Park estab lis hed

Thu rsday

Fr iday

2

3

1492: Columbus Natalie Savage

reaches the new Carlson:1906-

world

1997

Satu rd ay
4
Donald J. Sobol: 1924-
Robert Lawson: 1892-1957

5

6

7

Louise Fitzhugh: 1683: First

Alice Dalgliesh:

1928-1974

Mennonit es

1893-1979

arrive in America

8

9

10

Fai th Ringgold: 1936: Hoover DamJames Marshall :

1930-

begi ns transmit - 1942-1992

R. L. Stine:1943- ting el ectricity to

Los Angeles

11
2002: Jimmy Carter wins Nobel Peace P rize

12 13

1492: Columbus 1792: White

reaches new

House corner-

world

stone laid

14
E. E. Cummi ngs: 1894-1962
Lois Lenski: 1893-1974

15 16 17

Barry Moser:1940-Oscar Wilde: 1854-1903: Nathanael

1900

West i s born

18
Susan Jeschke: 1942-

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

Ed Emberley:1931-Nikki Gri mes:19501959: GuggenheimN. C. Wyeth:1882-Michael Crichton: 1901: A teacher is 1881: Pablo

Museumopens 1945

1942-

the first person Picasso born

in NYC

to go over

Niagara Falls in

a barrel

26 27

Steven Kellogg: Dylan Thomas:

1941-

1914-1953

28
1886: Statue of Liberty dedi cated

29 30

1618: Sir Walter 1811: Sense and

Raleigh

Sensibilit y is

executed

p u b lis h ed

1929: Stock market

cras h es

31
Katherine Paterson:1932-

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter. e e cummings