On March 3rd, via it's website, the White House posed the question, "What does a 21st century education mean to you?" Make Your Voice Heard The White House has asked that responses be submitted via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. So link now to post your own response to the White House: On Twitter On Facebook On LinkedIn Thank you for speaking out in support of 21st century readiness for every student. P21 has answered: The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has worked to answer this question by building strategic partnerships between business, education and local, state and federal government stakeholders. We have found that, to ensure 21st century readiness for every student, we must fuse the three Rs and four Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, and creativity and innovation). It is clear that our country will continue to compete in a global economy that demands innovation - our education system must keep up. To that end, P21 and its members - which represent every sector of society - provide tools and resources to help stakeholders fuse the three Rs and four Cs. Leading districts and schools are already doing this. Local, state and federal governments must craft policies that support this change for every school. That is why it is so important now, as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act becomes reauthorized, for our federal policymakers to support and incorporate the fusing of the three Rs and the four 4Cs throughout that Act to ensure every child owns the outcomes that will enable them to be college and career ready upon graduation.

MEMO will pay for your reserve teacher if you attend Library Legislative Day!

Here is your opportunity to get all the info you need, here: http://mnlibraryassociation.org/news-and-events/calendar/event10_0224/

Something New for you to do and/or share with your colleagues:

A New Year Means New Things!

...On a Stick, that is. February 3 marked the kickoff for the latest version of 23 Things On a Stick self-paced on-line learning brought to Minnesota library staff by the seven multicounty, multitype library systems (multitypes). With this version of 23 Things On a Stick there are no registration requirements, no blogging, no deadlines--and no prizes, either.

The 2010 version takes the form of Things On a Stick News, a monthly newsletter sent to subscribers' emails. Each newsletter highlights two or three Things that can be used in libraries or at home for productivity, creating content, organization, communication, and more. The newsletter itself highlights the Things; further detailed descriptions of the Things and how to use them are archived on Things On a Stick News Archives blog.

You can subscribe from the Archives blog or from a newsletter issue. Please share the newsletter with your colleagues & others who may be interested. The subscription is free and all are welcome to use this easy method of keeping up with new tools and ideas.

Links
Archives Blog
http://thingsonasticknews.blogspot.com/

Newsletter Archive
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs095/1102349987427/archive/1102969343602.html

The ISTE Media Specialists SIG (SIGMS) announces the 3^rd annual “Technology Innovation Award”. This award is quickly becoming recognized as a premier award to honor school librarians for their outstanding work in integrating technology into teaching and learning in their schools. Sponsored by Linworth Publishing, Inc. and Follett Software Company, the award will be presented to two teams of a school librarian and collaborating teacher who have conducted an exemplary technology program extending beyond the library to meet the needs of classroom students and teachers. The purpose of this award is to identify, promote, and sustain excellence in collaborative and innovative technology-based projects driven by the school library media center in support of curricular and instructional needs in elementary, middle, and high schools.

Awardees will be notified in April and highlighted atISTE’s annual conference and exposition in Denver Colorado, June 27—June 30, 2010. In addition, winners will:

· Receive a one-year membership to ISTE (2 per team)

· Be featured in an article by Library Media Connection and Learning and Leading with Technology magazines

· Receive a $1,000 cash award payable to the school media center (1 per team)

· Receive a $1,000 ISTE annual conference travel stipend, if attending the conference, for each team

· Receive an ISTE's annual conference registration for each team member, if attending the conference

· Receive a $1,000 professional library from Linworth Publishing (1 per team)

· Receive a one-year subscription to Library Media Connection magazine (1 per person)

· Receive an inscribed award plaque (one per team)

· Receive promotional opportunities

It is not necessary to be a member of ISTE to apply. Please share news of this award with any interested colleagues and forward to appropriate listservs.

The deadline to apply is March 31^st. Access the application at: http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Membership/SIGs/SIGMS_Media_Specialists_/TechnologyInnovationAward/Technology_Innovation_Award.htm

Best regards,

Diversity Education

Students are invited to attend five diversity education sessions during the spring semester, sponsored by the Office of Institutional Diversity.

All five sessions will take place in the Centennial Student Union. They include:

• “Language of Respect” Wednesday, Jan. 20, 2-3 p.m., CSU 201, presented by Wanda Viento (Women’s Center);
• “Universal Design for Learning” Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2-3 p.m., CSU 201, presented by Julie Snow (Disability Services);
• “Safe Zone” Friday, March 19, 2-4 p.m., CSU 204, presented by Jessica Flatequal (LGBT Center);
• “African American Women in the Leadership Race and the Hurdles That Have to be Jumped” Thursday, March 25, 10-11 a.m., CSU 204, presented by Maria Baxter-Nuamah (Multicultural Affairs);
• “Violence-Free Zone” Tuesday, April 27, noon-2 p.m., CSU 201, presented by Lauren Pilnick (Women’s Center).

Minnesota Reading Corps - Opportunity

Minnesota Reading Corps, an AmeriCorps program, is helping ensure that all Minnesota children become successful readers by third grade. You can be part of this successful organization by becoming a Reading Corps member.

To begin serving in August, complete an online application. You can be one of 675 people, like current member Cyre, who will serve one year in a local elementary school or preschool. Cyre says, “You build your confidence, you get a real chance to be a positive force in a child's life, you become involved with your community, and you join a national organization of people who want to make this world a better place.” Apply and learn more at www.MinnesotaReadingCorps.org.

During a year of service, you will build career skills and real responsibility, network with professionals, and add an impressive name to your resume. Other benefits include a living allowance, Education Award of up to $4,725 and health insurance for full time members.

Find out more at www.MinnesotaReadingCorps.org and read our blog at www.mnReadingCorps.blogspot.org.

Anna Peters, Recruitment and Outreach Coordinator
Minnesota Reading Corps
Minnesota Literacy Council
651-251-9059
apeters@theMLC.org
www.MinnesotaReadingCorps.org

Education and the Technological Singularity

You are invited to the next Horizon Forum meeting!

Education and the Technological Singularity

January 27, 2010

11:30am - 1:30pm

250 Wulling Hall (U of M East Bank)

At the next Horizon Forum, you are invited to join the discussion, moderated by Arthur Harkins and John Moravec, with special guests, as we probe into the deep future of education.

The New York Times’ John Tierney published an interview with Ray Kurzweil on accelerating change:

Now, [Kurzweil] sees biology, medicine, energy and other fields being revolutionized by information technology. His graphs [of accelerating technological change] already show the beginning of exponential progress in nanotechnology, in the ease of gene sequencing, in the resolution of brain scans. With these new tools, he says, by the 2020s we’ll be adding computers to our brains and building machines as smart as ourselves.

What does this mean for schools today? Kurzweil's vision of the Singularity is criticized for being technologically deterministic. But, are there relevant social and cultural aspects related to the human experience? At the Horizon Forum's next open roundtable, will explore what changes could take place in our schools and learning institutions within the next 35 years as technology transforms the human mind and human potential... and what we can start doing today!

Lunch and validated parking will be provided. Please RSVP your attendance by 10am on January 25 to Carole MacLean at cmaclean@umn.edu or call 612-625-5060.

Scholarship Opportunity

Coughlan Companies, Inc., the parent company of Capstone Publishers and Mankato Kasota Stone, Inc., announces a new scholarship program to assist full-time college students. Starting in 2010, Coughlan Companies will offer up to 16 scholarship awards in the amount of $2,500 each to qualified applicants. Students majoring in the following areas of study, who also meet additional requirements, are invited to apply: preschool education, elementary education, library science, English language and literature, or design.

visit www.coughlancompanies.com/communitygiving.htm. Applications will be accepted starting January 11, 2010, and must be postmarked by March 1, 2010. Scholarships will be awarded by April 16, 2010.