How to use this Page

ALSC compiles survey information from online course participants. These reviews routinely cite the friendly, hard-working instructors as one of the top reasons they enjoyed their courses. Here are some other things people had to say about ALSC online courses:

“I am very excited about using what I have learned at my library.”

“The course far exceeded my expectations.”

“I have highly recommended this mode of immersive learning to the management at my library.”

Real ALSC online learners! Haven’t tried ALSC online courses? There are four great opportunities. Courses start Monday, January 16, 2012. Get registered today!

Children with Disabilities in the Library
6 weeks, January 16 – February 24, 2012

This course will examine how schools handle students with disabilities, exploring ways that the library might be able to assist each child. It will take a look at inclusive programming, assistive technologies, staff attitudes and legal considerations.

Connecting with ‘Tween Readers
4 weeks, January 16 – February 10, 2012

This course will examine the characteristics that make tweens unique; why children of this age group are particularly vulnerable to aliteracy; and unique activities and programs (including popular technologies) libraries can offer to keep these children on the path to becoming lifelong readers.

Information Literacy – From Preschool to High School
6 weeks, January 16 – February 24, 2012

Participants will learn about examples of successful programs, appropriate skills for appropriate ages, creation and presentation of programs as well as marketing of those programs.

Out of this World Youth Programming
6 weeks, January 16 – February 24, 2012

This course will provide innovative ideas and suggestions on how to plan, promote, execute and evaluate your programs to work for you and your patrons.

To register, visit the ALSC Online Education site.
Questions? Please contact ALSC Program Officer Jenny Najduch at [email protected] or 1 (800) 545-2433, ext. 4026.

When you think about winter, think about online courses with ALSC!

ALSC has four great options, from exploring connections with tweens to making your library services more accessible to children with disabilities. Participants can bring back a stack of new planning ideas for their library! From programming to literacy, these courses are a great way to wow your users and impress your director.

Registration is open. Courses start January 16. Explore descriptions below:

Information Literacy – From Preschool to High School
Instructor: Maryann Mori, January 16 – February 24

Out of This World Youth Programming
Instructor: Angela Young, January 16 – February 24

Children with Disabilities in the Library
Instructor: Katherine (Kate) Todd, January 16 – February 24

Connecting with Tween Readers
Instructor: Edward T. Sullivan, January 16 – February 10

Detailed descriptions and registration information is on the ALSC website at www.ala.org/alsced. For more information, contact ALSC Program Officer Jenny Najduch at [email protected] or 800-545-2433 ext. 4026.

You’re busy, I know. But if you (or, even better, your library) has $95.00, and you can spend a few hours a week over the course of a month, the return on your investment can be great! I just finished another ALSC Online Course, Series Programming for the Elementary School Age, with instructor, Lisa Shaia.

I would venture to guess that most of us who are working in public libraries can draw a crowd of preschoolers to library programs. But how many of us are successful at attracting older children to library programs on a regular basis? It’s one thing when Mom is making the choices. It’s quite another when a child is beginning to make his own choices. Library programs may not be high on his wish list of fun things to do.

But what if your library were offering

• a Mysterious Benedict Society weekly club?
•  a Geronimo Stilton Club?
• 39 Clues?
• American Girls?

  Suppose each weekly club meeting featured music, book activities, fun, “take-homes,” and  more?

Now your chances of drawing a school-aged crowd have grown exponentially. If you’re a school media specialist, now you’ve got a great after-school program.

These are just some of the multi-week “clubs” created by the members in my most recent course. Not only do we each have our own 4 to 8-week program ready to go for the winter, but we also shared our creations. Was it a lot of work? Actually, yes, it was; but the payoff is worth the effort. And, admit it, if you’re like me, without a course like this to prod you along, you might not attempt a 4-week club for school-aged children.

My new club will debut in February, and I think the local kids will appreciate the effort. Remember, professional development isn’t just for us, it’s for them.

What can you learn this winter for your library’s kids?

The ALSC Online Education Winter 2012 classes are posted now. Choose one and give it a try! You won’t be sorry.

Series Programming the Elementary School Age
Instructor: Lisa M. Shaia
September 26 – October 21

What better way to take advantage of the most popular children’s book series than by running series-specific program at the library! This online course from ALSC will bring the kids in flocks and droves to your library! Presented by Lisa M. Shaia, children’s librarian at the Oliver Wolcott Library in Litchfield, Conn., this four-week course is the definitive “how to hook kids” for libraries.

A few series covered: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Magic Tree House, Spiderwick, American Girl, and that’s just the beginning! Mastering these series is a step towards leading popular and successful discussions, and firmly entrenching kids in your book clubs. Parents will thank you, kids will thank you, and the library will never be the same!

All this week, the ALSC Blog will be featuring one online course for Fall 2011. To sign up for an online course, check out the ALSC online education page: http://www.ala.org/alsced.

Questions? Contact Program Officer Jenny Najduch, [email protected] or (800) 545-2433 ext 4026.

Reading Instruction and Children’s Books
Instructor: Katherine (Kate) Todd
September 26 – October 28

Join ALSC in learning more about the way kids and interact with children’s books in Reading Instruction and Children’s Books, a five-week online course. Taught by Katherine (Kate) Todd, professor at Manhattanville College, this energetic course reveals all different methodologies for unlocking early-reading.

Participating in this online course is a fantastic way to recommend the right book to kids and parents. When they’re done, learners will be able to assess the proper levels of books that equate to grade levels. This class should be a hit with anyone interested in acquiring new skills in reading instruction!

All this week, the ALSC Blog will be featuring one online course for Fall 2011. To sign up for an online course, check out the ALSC online education page: http://www.ala.org/alsced.

Questions? Contact Program Officer Jenny Najduch, [email protected] or (800) 545-2433 ext 4026.

The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) announces the release of the new Fall 2011 Online Education Course schedule. ALSC is offering five courses, each of which begins September 26.

Each of the five courses addresses a different topic and includes ideas for librarians and children’s literature enthusiasts. The courses run four to six weeks long and are administered through Moodle, ALA’s online learning platform. Through Moodle, participants will interact with other course members, read articles and resources and share class assignments.

Connecting with ‘Tween Readers (four weeks, Sept. 26 – Oct. 21) examines the developmental needs and abilities that make this age group (children 10 – 12 years old) unique. Participants will discuss why tweens are particularly vulnerable to illiteracy, and what types of activities and programs (including the utilization of currently popular technologies) libraries can offer to keep these children on the path to becoming lifelong readers.

---

The Caldecott Medal (six weeks, Sept. 26 – Nov. 4) investigates how the winning book is selected each year and what characteristics are important in picture book art. What makes picture book illustration distinguished? And how has that definition changed over time? Learn about how the award has transformed the publishing world over time, and how to look critically at picture book art.

---

Series Programming for the Elementary School Age (four weeks, Sept. 26 – Oct. 21) examines series book and why kids love them! This course provides the tools necessary to establish series clubs at the library to get more children reading and using the library. Programming with trivia, games, music and reading will have children clamoring to come back to the library each week.

---

Introduction to Graphic Novels for Children (six weeks, Sept. 26 – Nov. 4) opens children’s literature to graphic novels, an emerging trend in children’s publishing. Students will be educated in what resources are available to locate children’s graphic novels, how to evaluate these books, how to start or develop a collection and how to market the collection and provide programming to patrons. Funding and cataloging will also be discussed.

---

Reading Instruction and Children’s Books (five weeks, Sept. 26 – Oct. 28) provides children’s librarians with an understanding of different methodologies for reading instruction and ways that the grade-level of reading materials is determined. Books, periodicals, websites and other material that children need to read will be evaluated from these perspectives. Librarians will be encouraged to develop strategies for explaining these grading formulae to parents and to communicate more effectively with teachers as a result of their understanding.

In addition to these five courses, ALSC is also offering two webinars in August that are perfect learning opportunities before the school year starts. These one-to-two hour webinars are offered at specific times and offered through Ado

In two weeks, ALSC is offering back-to-back – one on Tuesday, one on Wednesday – webinars which offer great back-to-school planning ideas. Both webinars are a fantastic way to open up the school-year and a gread lead-in to a new semester of ALSC online courses, which start September 26th!

Leveling Easy Readers
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 @ 1 PM CT (2 PM ET, 12 PM MT, 11 AM PT)

Leveling Easy Readers is an examination of books focused on emergent literacy. In this webinar, participants learn the criteria for placing these materials in different levels. With strategies for selecting and organizing these materials, this session is highly valuable for children’s librarians.

Newbery and Caldecott Mock Elections Toolkit
Wednesday, August 24, 2011 @ 12 PM CT (1 PM ET, 11 AM MT, 10 AM PT)

This webinar takes you behind the process of running a mock election at your library. Mock book award programs can develop multiple skill areas, including reading motivation, critical thinking, and interpersonal communication, both for young readers and for professional staff.

[ALSC Note: A discount on the Newbery and Caldecott Mock Election Toolkit webinar is available to anyone who purchases the Newbery and Caldecott Mock Elections Toolkit digital download, now available at the ALA Store]

Fall 2011 Online Courses Announced

ALSC has also recently announced the release of the 2011 Fall Online Course schedule. Five courses are being offered, between four and six weeks long. Courses start September 26. For more information see the Fall 2011 Online course flier!

The questions are familiar to children’s librarians:

• “Where are the ‘K’ books?”
• “My son has a Lexile of 850. The teacher wants him to read a book on his level.”
• “Can you tell me which book has the most points on the Accelerated Reader test?”

These are examples of questions that result from instructional systems used by schools. These instructional programs incorporate leveling methods which attempt to identify books that match a student reading level. Leveling strategies are well documented for teachers and classrooms.

Since 2008, I have been teaching an ALSC online course, Reading Instruction and Children’s Books. Librarians who enrolled in this course have explored methods of calculating readability using mathematical formulas such as this one:

The mathematical formulas for calculating reading level are based on numbers such as word length, sentence length, sentences per paragraph and pages per book. Reading levels are communicated to students by sorting books into bins, preparing book lists, searching databases or publishing numbers on book covers.

Publishers put large numbers on covers of their beginning book series in an attempt to attract emergent readers. Here are some examples from five series with level 1 on their covers:

An examination finds that the difficulty of text varies from one publisher to another and even varies within books of the same series. Lisa Taylor, who took my course in 2009, wrote in Children & Libraries about “The Conundrum of Choosing Book Levels” (Winter 2010, pg. 84). She discussed publisher numbering of easy books and asked, “…why one publisher’s Level 1 may be so different from another.”

This year I have been teaching the ALSC webinar, Leveling Easy Readers. I started by searching Library Literature, the Wilson database that indexes over 155 library periodicals, for articles on leveling. I was surprised to find that nothing has been published about how this topic applies to libraries. This was particularly perplexing to me since I recall discussions with librarians who indicated they have been leveling their books for several years, are currently designing a leveling system or are partnering with local schools to provide access to leveled books and quizzes.

I have begun to collect some examples of leveling from public libraries and have made them available on a wiki: http://leveling.pbworks.com. If your library has a leveling system or you have a story to share about leveling, please send it to me at [email protected] so that I can add it to the leveling wiki.

Kate Todd has worked as a librarian for The New York Public Library and Manhattanville College. She is currently working on independent projects, including online teaching for ALSC. Her webinar, Leveling Easy Readers, will be offered on Tuesday, August 23 at 1:00 pm Central time.

As we get into August, it’s a great time to consider becoming an ALSC member. For one thing, ALSC is starting to accept committee assignments, so new members can volunteer to help out in a number of key areas. ALSC is also preparing to start accepting applications for professional awards and grants. Every year, ALSC gives away over $82,000 in grants, awards, and scholarships.

New members can also forward to joining one of the largest organizations dedicated to children’s librarianship in the world. Still not sure? Here’s just a quick list of some awesome benefits to ALSC membership:

• Discounts on ALSC’s fun, convenient and informative online education courses
• The opportunity to connect with thousands of other librarians, academics, and children’s librarians via ALSC’s social media networks
• Become involved in one of many committees including the prestigious Newbery and Caldecott selection committees
• A subscription to ALSC’s academic journal Children and Libraries and to ALSC’s quarterly newsletter ALSConnect
• A discount on professional development opportunities like ALSC National Institute and Annual Preconference
• Reduced rates on ALSC publications, such as the recently released El día de los niños/El día de los libros: Building a Culture of Literacy in Your Community through Día or In the Words of the Winners: The Newbery and Caldecott Medals, 2001-2010

It’s important to remember that membership with ALSC can also be discussed in terms of the quality of relationships and interactions with other members. Every member that joins ALSC becomes a part of a community of professionals and advocates.

Consider joining ALSC today. For more information on how to become a member, check out the ALSC Membership Page. Should you have any questions, you can also contact ALSC Membership Specialist Dan Rude at [email protected] or 800-545-2433 ext 2164.

Today, Monday, July 11 is your last opportunity to sign up for ALSC online education courses. Choose from one of five great options, sure to fill your summer with engaging dialog and great planning ideas.

Classes run between four to six weeks and all learning is facilitated through Moodle, ALA’s online learning platform. Participants interact with fellow learners at a comfortable, easy pace. Still not sure? Check out the exciting reviews ALSC’s online courses have received in the past.

To learn more about upcoming courses, including the Fall 2011 schedule of online courses, check out ALSC’s online learning site. For more information about signing up, contact ALSC Program Officer Jenny Najduch at [email protected] or 1-800-545-2433 ext. 4026.

Sign up soon!

There’s a lot to pack in a summer. Trips, conferences, and meetings can all take a lot of time and travel, but continuing education doesn’t have to. Consider ALSC online courses this summer: you can learn at home or on the road with ALSC flexible online format. This summer there are five great choices:

Information Literacy – From Preschool to High School
Instructor: Maryann Mori, July 11 – August 19

The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future
Instructor: Kathleen T. Hornung, July 11 – August 19

Out of This World Youth Programming
Instructor: Angela Young, July 11 – August 19

Reading Instruction and Children’s Books
Instructor: Katherine (Kate) Todd, July 11 – August 12

Series Programming for the Elementary School Age
Instructor: Lisa M. Shaia, July 11 – August 5

Can’t sign up this summer? Check out ALSC’s Fall 2011 courses which start September 26.

ALSC also has two important dates for you to remember: July 7 and July 22. That’s when the organization plays host to two great webinars:

Leveling Easy Readers
Thursday, July 7, 2011 at 1 PM CT (2 PM ET, 12 PM MT, 11 AM PT)
Instructor: Katherine (Kate) Todd

Family Programs on a Shoestring @ your library
Friday, July 22, 2011 at 12 PM CT (1 PM ET, 11 AM MT, 10 AM PT)
Instructor: Angela Young

Detailed descriptions and registration information is on the ALSC website at www.ala.org/alsced. For more information, contact ALSC Program Officer Jenny Najduch at [email protected] or 800-545-2433 ext. 4026.

You might be looking forward to Annual Conference, but don’t forget that summer online courses from ALSC follow quickly behind. Starting on July 11, ALSC offers five great choices for professional development seekers. The five courses are run asynchronously, meaning that you great a great learning experience that’s centered around your schedule.

Information Literacy – From Preschool to High School
Instructor: Maryann Mori, July 11 – August 19

The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future
Instructor: Kathleen T. Hornung, July 11 – August 19

Out of This World Youth Programming
Instructor: Angela Young, July 11 – August 19

Reading Instruction and Children’s Books
Instructor: Katherine (Kate) Todd, July 11 – August 12

Series Programming for the Elementary School Age
Instructor: Lisa M. Shaia, July 11 – August 5

Detailed descriptions and registration information is on the ALSC website at www.ala.org/alsced. For more information, contact ALSC Program Officer Jenny Najduch at [email protected] or 800-545-2433 ext. 4026.

On Wednesday, June 15, 2011, ALSC presents Leveling Easy Readers, an hour-long webinar that guides students through emergent reading. The program begins at 1 PM CST (2 PM EST, 12 PM MT, 11 PM PST).

Participants will learn strategies for selecting, organizing, and offering easy readers in the library. Leveling Easy Readers is taught by Katherine (Kate) Todd, Adjunct Instructor at Mahattanville College.This webinar is open to all librarians, academics, and children’s literature enthusiasts.

Leveling Easy Readers
Wed., June 15 @ 1 PM CST

Webinars are $45 for members and students, $55 for non-members, and $195 for groups. For more information on ALSC webinars and online courses, please see the ALSC Professional Development page. For questions, please contact ALSC Program Officer Jenny Najudch, [email protected] or (800) 545-2433 ext 4026.

Whether you’re looking for lively discussion, new programming ideas, or just want to brush up before summer, ALSC has something for everyone.

With five excellent choices for your professional development needs, our spring online courses are sure to please. In addition to ALSC’s short webinars, these five-to-six week long courses give students more opportunities to interact with their peers in a convenient online atmosphere. The five courses include:

The Caldecott Medal (May 2 – June 10)
Instructor: Kathleen T. Hornung

Children with Disabilities in the Library (May 2 – June 10)
Instructor: Katharine (Kate) Todd

Introduction to Graphic Novels for Children (May 2 – June 10)
Instructor: Janet Weber

Out of This World Youth Programming (May 2 – June 10)
Instructor: Angela Young

Reading Instruction and Children’s Books (May 2 – June 3)
Instructor: Katharine (Kate) Todd

For more information on these courses and special rates for ALSC members, please visit the ALSC online education site. Questions? Please contact ALSC Program Officer, Jenny Najduch, [email protected], or 800-545-2433 ext. 4026.

Children’s librarians, award enthusiasts, and book lovers: there’s only one week left to sign up for ALSC’s online education courses!

Registration continues for the four Winter 2011 courses: Information Literacy – From Preschool to High School, Out of this World Youth Programming, Introduction to Graphic Novels for Children, and the Newbery Medal: Past Present and Future.

These courses begin Feburary 7, 2011, so registration closes on Monday, January 31, 2011. Please sign up now to guarantee yourself a spot!

Detailed descriptions and registration information is available on the ALSC Web site at www.ala.org/alsced. Fees are $95 for personal ALSC members; $145 for personal ALA members; and $165 for non-members. Questions? Please contact ALSC Program Officer Jenny Najduch at [email protected] or 1-800-545-2433 ext. 4026.

With the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego fast approaching already here, it’s time to start thinking about continuing education. Opportunities like Midwinter and ALSC’s online courses go hand-in-hand! Please be reminded that the registration deadline for ALSC’s popular online courses is Monday, January 31, 2011. Courses run from February 7 through March 18.

You wouldn’t want to miss out on this winter’s great offerings of courses including:

Information Literacy – From Preschool to High School
Instructor: Maryann Mori, Director, Waukee Public Library

Out of This World Youth Programming
Instructor: Angela Young, MSLS, Youth Services Librarian, Lorain Public Library System

Introduction to Graphic Novels for Children
Instructor: Janet Weber, MLIS, Youth Services Librarian, Tigard Public Library

The Newbery Medal: Past, Present, and Future
Instructor: Kathleen T. Horning, Director, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, University of Wisconsin- Madison

Online classes are a great way to keep current on the latest trends in youth services, as well as offering you some great inspiration for programming ideas. Our experienced instructors consistently receive rave reviews from students.

Registration is now open for all of our courses. To register, please visit ALA’s online registration page. Follow up your Midwinter experience by signing up for a class!

Registration is now open for the ALSC’s winter Online Education courses.  All five courses being offered begin on Feb. 1 and last four to six weeks, depending on the course.  Course space is limited, so please register early to reserve your spot.  Don’t miss this great opportunity to liven up your library this winter!

 The winter course selections are: Connecting with Tween Readers; Information Literacy—From Preschool to High School; The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future; Reading Instruction and Children’s Books; and Series Programming for Elementary School Age. Discounted rates are available for ALSC members. 

 Courses are taught asynchronously using Moodle, an online learning community.  A certificate of completion will be sent to participants upon successful completion of the course.  Detailed descriptions and registration information is available on the ALSC Web site.  Fees are $95 for personal ALSC members; $145 for personal ALA members; and $165 for non-members. 

For more information, contact ALSC Deputy Director Kirby Simmering at [email protected].

(For those non-Yiddish-speaking folks, nosh means to eat- or more precisely, to have a snack, a munch, a little tidbit of something yummy….)

Having just finished up the ALSC Online Course The Newbery: Past, Present, and Future (taught by K.T. Horning a.k.a. “K.T. the Magnificent”) I’ve been awash in a veritable feast, a smorgasbord if you will, of Newbery books, articles, and discussions.  (Btw, if you have the opportunity to take this online course, I highly recommend it.  Not only did it encourage me to read some of the older Newbery books I’d long neglected, but the insights from fellow children’s librarians from around the country was fascinating.  Discussions ranged from racism and sexism in early Newbery winners to popularity versus quality debates to planning mock-Newbery programs.)

While taking the course, my co-workers and I were also in the middle of planning our own mock-Newbery program for kids ages nine to twelve.  In terms of planning, the best part of the process has been compiling a giant list of potential 2010 Newbery winners, and weeding that list down to a manageable size that  1) fits in with our budget and 2) offer the boys and girls in our group a nice selection of different genres.  We began our giant list by writing down any books (fitting the Newbery criteria) that we loved.  Then we expanded our search by looking at what other major libraries doing Mock-Newbery programs were considering (such as the wonderful lists on the ACPL blog).  We have not yet decided on our final shortlist, but I have my own list that I am prepared to defend come harvest time!  Here are the titles on my personal list:

Anything but Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin

The Girl Who Threw Butterflies by Mick Cochrane

The Problem with the Puddles by Kate Feiffer

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Tate

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Slob by Ellen Potter

The Brooklyn Nine by Alan Gratz

The Prince of Fenway Park by Julianna Baggott

The Outlandish Adventures of Liberty Aimes by Kelly Easton

So, go on- have a nosh- and share your own favorite little morsels from this year so far…….

by Lisa Taylor

I just completed another great ALSC online class, Reading Instruction and Children’s Books, taught by Kate Todd.

While I learned a lot about reading and “leveling” methods, I also learned that librarians across the country are frustrated with the publishers of “easy reader” books. Not only do they use widely different methods of classifying the “level” of each book, they neglect to tell us which method they use (Lexile, Flesch-Kincaid, whim?)!

Why is one publisher’s Level 1 book so different from another’s? I vented my frustration in this open rap to the publishers of easy readers. One of my clever classmates, Leslie Bolinger, suggested a title – “O Publisher, O Publisher, How Do You Rate?”

Librarians –

we’re a scientific bunch.

We need more to go on

than just a hunch.

We help children find books.

Some use the 5-finger rule.

We help teachers and parents

and we work with school.

“This Level 2 is too easy?

Well, this one’s just right!

Here’s another Level 2 -

Too hard! Not quite.”

Is it Lexile? Is it ATOS?

Is it Flesch-Kincaid?

Please don’t keep us guessing,

‘cause we need your aid!

Tell us how the books are leveled

all across these lands,

and we’ll make sure they end up
in just the right hands!

*******
Lisa Taylor
Youth Services Librarian
Barnegat Branch
Ocean County (NJ) Library
http://theoceancountylibrary.org/

Start the school year off on the right foot by taking an online education course from ALSC! Starting in October, ALSC is offering two engaging courses that will enhance your skills and knowledge.

The two fall courses being offered are: “The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future” and “Children with Disabilities in the Library.” Registration is now open, and discounted rates are available for ALSC members. Courses begin the week of Oct. 5 and run through Nov. 13, 2009.

“The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future,” discusses different aspects of the award, the history of the medal and how it’s changed over time.  Participants are given an opportunity to read, discuss and consider past and present Newbery winners with their colleagues from across the nation. The instructor of the course is Kathleen T. Horning, director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

“Children with Disabilities in the Library” will discuss the individual needs of disabled children and how libraries might be able to assist each child. This course will look at inclusive programming, assistive technologies, staff attitudes and legal considerations. Participants will collaboratively develop strategies for determining needs and identify resources that can be consulted when a child requires help. The instructor of the course is Katherine Todd, adjunct instructor at Manhattanville (N.Y.) College.

Courses are taught asynchronously using Moodle, an online learning community. A certificate of completion will be sent to participants upon successful completion of the course. Detailed descriptions and course registration information is available on the ALSC Web site at www.ala.org/alscevents. Fees are $95 for personal ALSC members; $145 for personal ALA members; and $165 for non-members.

The world of online education has been making great advances behind my back!  ALSC has offered online professional development courses, but I hadn’t taken advantage of any until recently when a class on the history and process of the Newbery Medal appeared.  It turned out to be an amazing opportunity for research, reading, debate and stimulation.  I would highly recommend challenging yourself with one of the courses.  The tools for administering online education are maturing into an ideal process for fashioning your own continuing professional growth.

K.T. Horning (this year’s Arbuthnot Lecturer) has constructed a class on the history of the Newbery Award called “The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future.”  What a fulfilling class this was.  We had an opportunity to read many Newbery winners and honors from the earliest decades (starting with the 1920’s) through the most current medalists, and then compare and contrast them.  We were tutored in reviewing our reading with each other and debated in online forums about what we loved in our youth vs. what we saw with more experienced eyes.  We had guest lecturers who joined us and enriched each unity.  Personally, the most fascinating part of the course was the fascinating array of primary source materials K. T. put together to compliment our Newbery reading: original critical research from the era, advertising copy, reviews and professional journal articles.  Reading critical reviews, both modern and dated, lead us to discover there is nothing new in the current debates and deepened our critical faculties.  Amazing work that was also great fun!  Consider taking one of the online classes from ALSC soon.  I certainly plan to treat myself to many more in the future.

Kathy Shepler
Aurora School
Oakland, CA

I just completed the ALSC online course titled, “The Newbery Medal: Past, Present and Future.”  I am so happy that I decided to participate in this class and I highly recommend that everyone interested in the Newbery Medal take this course when it is offered again.

This class gave me an excuse to do something that many children’s librarians wish to do–read lots of Newbery Medal winning books.  There were times that I read five books in one week, but I was having so much fun that I didn’t want to stop.

Along with reading and discussing books from each decade of the award, we read many articles about the history of the award and perceptions over time.  We read about how the committee works, how authors and publishers respond to the award, and various praises and complaints about winners throughout the years.  Reading and discussing these articles alongside the actual books made for a very rich experience.  I feel that I have a much deeper understanding of the award and how it has changed over time.  I had no idea how much controversy this award has stirred up over the years.  I have always had a great respect for the members of the Newbery Committee, but knowing the history has strengthened the respect for their charge each year.

I will admit that I was originally a little apprehensive about taking an online class.  I was worried that the online atmosphere would not lend itself to discussions about books.  I am happy to say that I was wrong.  The online discussions were enlightening and the Moodle software made it very easy to follow each topic.

A word of advice for those of you thinking about taking this class–for every bit of effort you put into the class, you will be rewarded tenfold.  I recommend logging in to the class at least once a day.  That may sound like a lot, but you’ll never have so much fun doing homework.

Many thanks to K.T. Horning for this opportunity!

Julie Dietzel-Glair
Enoch Pratt Free Library
Baltimore, Maryland

There are almost as many ways to learn to read as there are learners.  And there is a method to make each one of them easier!  As I discovered in the four week long ALSC course, Reading Instruction and Children’s Books, one size does not fit all for learning to read.

Instructor Kate Todd, who was a children’s librarian at New York Public Library for more than 25 years, shared her insight and her resources with a variety of students in this class.  Our class roster included librarians from all over the country; and some from outside of the U.S. as well.  We hold a variety of positions and have varying levels of experience in the field.  In our discussions on the various assignments we discovered common issues, concerns and much knowledge to share.  We were an excellent and communicative group, willing to agree, disagree, and learn from one another.  The group projects Ms. Todd has us work on reinforced the idea of sharing our experiences.  The research material she provided to us gave us a great starting point, but also required that we have fun (i.e.: use our research skills) in finding more.  In addition to our research skills, for many of us our technology skills were stretched and honed as well.  One of the assignments required us to create a wiki–a new experience for me and a number of the other students.  Help was always and readily available–both from other students and from our instructor!

Another very useful aspect of this course was the methods of determining reading level for childrens’ materials, for everything from a paragraph to a Web site.  (This blog entry, for example, I now can easily determine has a readability level of 9.8.)  In each lesson, the real-world, current applications of this skill were a big part of our discussion, making this course much more applicable to what I do on a daily basis than some I have taken in the past.  For anyone who works with children, parents or teachers regularly, I would highly recommend this course.  In the short time since the course was completed, I have made use of the information we covered several times in my interactions with coworkers and library patrons.  This was my first ALSC online class, but I am very likely to pursue others in the future!

Jennifer H Beach
Kenton County Public Library, Erlanger Branch
Erlanger, Kentucky