AASL offers more professional development opportunities

If you are looking for any professional development workshops, there are 3 great ones starting this month. The American Association of School Librarians (AASL – a chapter of the American Library Association) has paired up with the University of North Texas and is offering 3 online courses. Registration opened March 27th and all classes begin on April 23. The registration fees range from $59.95 ($49.95 for AASL Members) to 19.95 each. The more expensive course is facilitated and the other two are self-paced.

Here are the course titles, along with the cost and scheduled class dates:

• “Create Compelling Programming in Your School Library” — 4/23 – 6/1/07 ($59.95) – facilitated
• “Reaching Reluctant Readers in the School Library Media Center” 4/23 – 5/18/07 ($19.95) – self-paced
• “Trends in Children’s Literature” – 4/23 – 5/18/07 ($19.95) – self-paced

For more information and to register for any of these courses, go to http://www.ala.org/aasl/eAcademy.

Thanks Donna, for the tip.

Catherine Nelson, School Library Media Specialist

SCASL Summer Institute 2007

Great professional development opportunity coming up June 12 at the summer institute. This year’s institute features Karen Lowe http://www.karenrlowe.com/ on the topic of Library Media Resource Alignment.  Download the flyer at http://www.scasl.net/SCASLSummerInstitute2007Flyer.pdf

 Objectives include:

• To assess the media center collection by matching it to the state curriculum

• To identify resources that need to be discarded as well as gaps and weaknesses in curriculum support

• To develop a five-year resource development plan

• To prepare a five-year budget plan to acquire needed resources

The Institute will be in Columbia at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center at 1101 Lincoln Street. Directions to Cola Metro are at http://www.columbiacvb.com/static/index.cfm?action=group&contentID=36&cID=36

Don’t miss this great professional development opportunity!  Cost is $50.00 (includes snacks and lunch!)