# data[].attributes.body
It's all about partnerships!

# data[].attributes.headline
alsc: Association for Library Service to Children

# data[].attributes.subject
alsc: Association for Library Service to Children

# data[].attributes.body
Resources on Partnerships

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A list of resources by subject area for librarians serving youth.

Access | Advocacy | Book Lists | Common Core State Standards | Competencies for Librarians Serving Children | Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act | Copyright | Digital Media | Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion | Early Literacy | Environmental Scan | Intellectual Freedom | Junior Maker Space | LIS Educators | Mentoring | Partnerships | Programming and Services for Youth | Research | School Age Programs and Services | Services to Special Population Children | Summer Reading | Technology

Access

Access to library materials should not be restricted for any reason. Unfortunately, children and teens suffer when policies are put in place that hinder their access to all types of information. Several sections of the ALA Web site pertain to access and intellectual freedom and revolve around The Library Bill of Rights. Sections of importance to children and those who serve them are:

Free Access to Libraries for Minors
Access for Children and Young Adults to Nonprint Materials: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (Adopted by ALA Council, 1989/Amended, 2004)
Access to Electronic Information, Services, and Networks
Access to Library Resources and Services Regardless of Sex, Gender Identity, or Sexual Orientation
ALSC and Equity of Access Presidential Initiative

"Giving Children Access to Print Materials Improves Reading Performance," June 2010
An article from Reading is Fundamental, highlighting the positive outcomes for children who have an abundance of materials from which to choose.

Advocacy

Everyday Advocacy is a website offering a collection of resources designed to empower librarians and library staff to take action in their libraries, communities, and beyond. Advocacy is so important, but that doesn't mean it has to be intimidating. Everyday Advocacy highlights ideas and tips that are quick, easy to implement, and highly doable. The site's goal is to develop powerful advocates for children and library service to children. This go-to resource is for both day-to-day advocacy and crisis advocacy, providing resources that address a variety of advocacy circumstances.

Check out helpful information and resources posted by the Advocacy & Legislation Committee on the ALSC Blog.

How Americans Value Public Libraries in Their Communities. This report is part of the Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project, which is exploring the role of libraries in the lives of individuals and communities.

In 2014, the ALSC Emerging Leader Team E examined methods of appraising and communicating the full range of youth services and the resulting outputs and outcomes. Their final report, entitled Ask, Assess, Advocate: Demonstrating the Value of Library Youth Services, was submitted to the ALSC Board of Directors and available for download as a PDF.

Librarians are called to embrace diversity and inclusion. Many of us take action by "Reading Without Walls" for "Windows and Mirrors" because we agree #WeNeedDiverseBooks. What do these mean, what does the research say, and what can we do to be more proactive and informed in advocating, decision-making, and working with all stakeholders to promote diverse literature? We present our perspectives and action steps to bring diverse literature front and center in libraries and classrooms. Check out this recorded session from the 2018 ALSC Institute. Video recording sponsored by the Carole D. Fiore Leadership Fund

Book Lists

Through its many book lists, ALSC promotes literacy, reading for enjoyment, and books.

Common Core State Standards

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) have been adopted in a majority of states, and librarians and teachers are scrambling for resources and knowledge to embrace the new paradigm. In response, ALSC's School-Age Programs and Services Committee has compiled a list of essential resources (articles, blogs, websites), which provide a starting point for becoming more familiar with CCSS in order to gain confidence in serving the educational community.

During the spring of 2014, the AASL/ALSC/YALSA Interdivisional Task Force on Common Core developed a toolkit and webinar on the common core and the public librarian.

Competencies for librarians serving children in public libraries

Children's librarian must do more than simply provide age-appropriate service. Effective library service for children entails a broad range of experience and professional skills. ALSC's Competencies seek to define the role of the librarian serving children. Use the Competencies to develop job descriptions for your open positions or as a training resource with your youth services staff.

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)

In 2008, the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act was passed as a way to protect children from the harmful effects of lead. One of the consequences of its passage was concerns raised about library books.
In-depth and up-to-date information from the US Consumer Product Safety Commission
ALSC's last CPSIA Update -- 6/1/2009
Copyright

Cornell University Copyright Information
Current copyright information for all ages.

What Youth Librarians Need to Know about Copyright
Information about copyright issues for children's librarians.

Digital Media

Digital Media Resources
A go-to list of current articles, blog posts, and websites, about iPads, tablets, eBooks, apps, and more, for children's librarians navigating their way through the evolving digital landscape.

This webpage provides resources to help support children's librarians in their role as media mentor to children and their families. - The number of children and families who use digital media is growing, and children require mediated and guided experiences with digital media for the experiences to translate into positive and productive digital literacy skills. Libraries have the capacity to support families with all their literacy needs, traditional and digital.

Young Children, New Media & Libraries 2018 Survey Infographic
ALSC's first national survey of libraries and new media, administered in 2014 (see below), demonstrated a strong commitment among libraries to providing a range of technology for families with young children. An updated and expanded 2018 survey delivers exciting results that provide compelling, widespread insights into the changes to this still largely uncharted and disparate landscape. This inforgraphic summarizes the findings.

Young Children, New Media & Libraries 2014 Survey Infographic
Between August 1 and August 18, 2014, 415 children's librarians responded to a survey of 9 questions concerning the use of new media with young children in libraries. The survey was created as a collaborative effort between Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), LittleeLit.com, and the iSchool at the University of Washington. Preliminary finding are presented through this infographic created by ALSC's Public Awareness Committee.

Ebook Resources for Libraries
Compiled by the ALSC Children & Technology Committee and presented at the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting.

Slides and audio from Sue Polanka's Leadership and ALSC presentation at the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting.

Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion
Social Justice in Youth Librarianship Resources:
ALA & ALSC Strategic Plans
As represented in both the ALA Strategic Plan and the ALSC 2017-2020 Strategic Plan, ALA and ALSC are working to expand our membership so it is more reflective of the communities we serve and ensuring that the library profession has the tools needed to advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion in all areas of librarianship and our library communities. Here are the objectives for ALSC's startegic direction in Diversity & Incusion:
Toxic Stress in the Library: The Upstream Impact of Life Adversity on Children

Increase diversity in ALSC membership and reduce barriers to participation as measured against the Diversity in ALSC baseline survey by September 2019. Transforming ALSC

Expand opportunities for existing members from underrepresented experiences to serve in ALSC activities, as measured by longitudinal studies and/or focus groups, by September 2020. Transforming ALSC

Increase the cultural competency of library staff serving youth by developing an accessible online cultural competency training series by September 2018. Transforming Children's Librarianship

Listen to Dr. Nicole Cooke; Assistant Professor and Program Director for the Master's of Library and Information Science at the School of Information Sciences, at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, presenting research in the areas of diversity and social justice in librarianship during the 2017 Leadership & ALSC meeting

Access ALSC's archived August 2017 community forum discussing social justice in youth librarianship with Dr. Nicole Cooke, Assistant Professor and MSLIS Program Director at the School of Information Sciences, at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and Jessica Anne Bratt, Youth Services Manager for the Grand Rapids Public Library and co-founder of Libraries4BlackLives. Please note access to this forum is limited to ALSC members using your ALA login and password

"3 Ways to Speak English" by Jamila Lyiscott and the Anderson Cooper Doll Test

Talking About Race in Storytimes

R. David Lankes on Racism, Ignorance, and Librarianship

Equality is Not Pie; Libraries and the Insidiousness of Subtle Racism

This Is What (Straight, Cis, Capitalist, Christian, White Male) Democracy Looks Like

2019 Arbuthnot Lecture with Dr. Debbie Reese: "An Indigenous Critique of Whiteness in Children's Literature"
The impact of stress toxicity on the lifespan of children can be observed throughout educational and community settings, affecting families disproportionally over time. In this presentation, Dr. Janina Fariñas and Johanna Ulloa Girón MSW, will introduce how current knowledge on toxic stress and its impact is shaping the way Public libraries provide services and programs for children and their families. The presentation will offer a brief overview of the research, as well as clear, practical approaches for implementing solutions that support the critical role of libraries in diverse communities.

View Dr. Janina Fariñas and Johanna Ulloa Girón's Leadership & ALSC Midwinter 2018 presentation. Please note, due to technical difficulties the concluding five minutes of the presentation are not on the video recording.

Blogger and educator Debbie Reese, PhD, founder of American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) blog, delivered the 2019 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture on April 13, 2019. Dr. Reese is a longtime advocate for Native representation and is a former teacher and university professor. She earned her PhD in Education from the University of Illinois, where she also helped establish the Native American House and American Indian Studies program. Dr. Reese also holds an M.Ed degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University. She is tribally enrolled at Nambe Owingeh Pueblo in New Mexico.

As part of ALSC's commitment to diversity in library programming and material collections for children, an Action tab was developed on our Día website as a clearinghouse of multicultural resources for youth service librarians. Resources in the Action section fall under categories including advocacy tools, action steps, awards, Day of Diversity materials, professional development, and more. Content in this section includes free webinars, links to useful articles and websites, ideas on how YOU can move the diversity needle forward, and so much more!

Serving Diverse Communities Resources

Early literacy

The Babies Need Words Every Day initiative, created by the ALSC Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee, represents ALSC's commitment to bridging the 30 million word gap. Launched in August 2015, the visually appealing posters deliver simple, effective rhymes, games and other ways for parents and caregivers to communicate with babies. A customizable book list provides suggestion of books that parents can request at their local library. Over the course of the year, ALSC will encourage librarians to get the word out to their community partners about these free resources to engage them in the effort to bridge the word gap.

The Importance of Play in Early Literacy
As part of the partnership with LEGO® DUPLO®, ALSC is committed to examining the role of play in early literacy. This web resource provides programming ideas, a librarian toolkit, and a white paper that addresses the importance of play in the lives of young children.

Environmental scan

The 2016 ALSC Emerging Leaders Team created an environmental scan [PDF] for the ALSC Board of Directors. The group gathered research on the trends and needs that will impact the future of youth services. This document presents the results of the group's research. This research includes qualitative data gathered from a specialized survey created by the EL group, quantitative data from the survey, case studies gathered in literature reviews, and interviews with ALSC members and other stakeholders from around the country.

Intellectual freedom

Intellectual freedom is the right of all individuals to read, view, or listen to whatever materials they choose and to speak and write the beliefs and opinions they hold. Intellectual freedom is the basis of democracy and is the core concept upon which libraries are built.

The American Library Association affirms that all libraries are forums for information and ideas, and that these basic policies should guide their services, as outlined in the Library Bill of Rights.

Kids! Know Your Rights (PDF)
A publication created for children and young people, introducing concepts central to intellectual freedom and the library's role in protecting First Amendment Rights.

Know Your Kids' Rights (PDF)
A publication created for parents and caregivers, introducing concepts central to intellectual freedom and the library's role in protecting First Amendment Rights.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom
Established December 1, 1967, this office is charged with implementing ALA policies concerning the concept of intellectual freedom. This site includes contact information for OIF staff. Do not hesitate to contact this office; the OIF works for you, as a paying member of ALA and its divisions! Also of interest in this section is basic information, publications, policies, statements and guidelines which can be found in Intellectual Freedom.

Check out resources and helpful information posted by ALSC's Intellectual Freedom Committee on the ALSC Blog.

A caution against ratings in a Booklist article, " Three Bombs, Two Lips, and a Martini Glass Revisited," (March 31, 2016) by ALSC Past-President Pat Scales.
Intellectual Freedom Tool Kit Cooperative Children's Book Center IF Resources Strategies for dealing with challenges to library materials Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Guidelines, policies, and other materials to help librarians and others deal with challenges can be found at:

Challenges to books and other library materials
Coping with Challenges: Kids and Libraries
Support for dealing with or reporting challenges to library materials

What You Can Do and How to Organize
Celebrate the freedom to read, seek ways to combat censorship, and join other advocates of intellectual freedom.

Expurgation of Library Materials
The expurgation of library materials is a violation of the Library Bill of Rights. Expurgation as defined by this interpretation includes any deletion, excision, alteration, editing, or obliteration of any part(s) of books or other library resources by the library, its agent, or its parent institution (if any).

Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
Contains information for librarians implementing CIPA filtering at their libraries, including a legislative history of CIPA.

Privacy Resources for Librarians, Library Users, and Families
Educational resources for parents and children.

Junior Maker Space

The Association for Library Service to Children is happy to be working with LEGO Systems, Inc. to bring Junior Maker Spaces to libraries across the country. This project will focus on giving children ages 4 to 6 areas to make and create in their local libraries.

LIS educators

ALSC offers the following resources to professors of library and information science that will help classes and students dig deeper into the field of library service to children.

Mentoring

ALSC Mentoring Program
The ALSC Mentoring Program matches mentors and mentees for one year of collaboration. The program, which is open to members and non-members, is intended to help build a new collection of leaders in the field of library service to children.

Partnerships

AASL/ALSC/YALSA Interdivisional Committee on School/Public Library Cooperation Resources
* Toolkit including context and suggestions for creating partnerships of all sizes
* List highlighting past successful partnerships between school & public libraries

Programming & services for youth

Curiosity Creates began as a grant-funded project and has since turned into a proclamation for librarians doing innovative work with children. In 2015, ALSC used an $800,000 grant from Disney to issue 79 minigrants of up to $7,500 each to public libraries for the implementation for creativity programming. ALSC also developed resources that will continue to support the ongoing work of librarians seeking to start similar programs in their communities. Visit the Curiosity Creates page to view a video compilation of some of the grant-funded programs, download the informative best practices resource, Curiosity Creates: Innovative Library Programming for Children, and learn about the 79 library recipients. ALSC librarians are also welcome to share their creativity programming ideas and photos on twitter using the hashtag #alsccreates.

The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Material Collections for Children
The Importance of Diversity in Library Programs and Material Collections for Children white paper explores the critical role libraries play in helping children make cross-cultural connections and develop skills necessary to function in a culturally pluralistic society. This white paper, written for the Association for Library Service to Children by Jamie Campbell Naidoo, PhD, was adopted by ALSC's Board of Directors on April 5, 2014.

Kick Start Your Programs for School-Age Kids
A wealth of programming ideas for school-age children from public and school librarians compiled by ALSC's School-Age Programs and Services Committee. (2012)

Public awareness

Kids! @ your library
ALSC's 2006-2010 public awareness campaign generated a tool kit filled with resources to help librarians position their library as a valuable and important community center for kids and their families. Although the campaign is no longer active, many of the tool kit resources are still relevant and valuable and can be found here.

Research

School Age Programs and Services

Check out resources and helpful information posted by the School Age Programs and Service Committee on the ALSC Blog.

Service to Special Population Children

Access Inclusive Spaces and Services for Children of All Abilities Community Forum presented by Jason Driver, Renee Grassi, Eva Thaler-Sroussi, and ALSC President Nina Lindsay. (please note, access is limited to ALSC members using their ALA username and password) - January 2018

Library Services to Special Population Children and Their Caregivers: A Toolkit for Librarians and Library Workers - created January 2015
This toolkit is designed to help librarians develop or enhance library services to special populations of children and families. It is the culmination of a year-long project by the ALSC committee, Library Service to Special Population Children and Their Caregivers. The resource covers a variety of special populations including home school families and Spanish-speaking families. For each special population, there is a brief introduction; subject headings and keywords for catalog and online searching; resources for further study including organizations, online and print resources; subject matter experts within the library community; and examples of existing partnerships between libraries and community organizations.

State and local conferences

ALSC Roadshow
ALSC provides funding to members who represent the division at local and state conferences through a program called ALSC Roadshow. Members can apply for funding by presenting a program, hosting a social event or staffing a booth.

Summer reading

Summer reading is an integral part of most public libraries. But what's the importance of these programs? Find out more below.

Dominican University study on the impact of summer reading programs
The Graduate School of Library and Information Science at Dominican University received a National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for a three-year research study (2006-2009) to answer the question: do public library summer reading programs impact student achievement?

The Importance of Summer Reading: Public Library Summer Reading Programs and Learning
This research paper and bibliography was created by the New York State Library and focuses on the advantages of reading over the summer months, access to books, time spent reading, and use of public libraries during the summer months.

Technology

Children are bombarded with choices about where to get their information. Librarians and parents can help them find the best materials by accessing some of the following resources, as well as informing them about the way children access the Internet.
Web Resources about the Internet & Technology
Technology Statement
ALSC's technology statement affirms its commitment in supporting children and parents in their use of technology.

Check out resources and helpful information posted by the Children and Technology Committee on the ALSC Blog.

Navigating the 'Net with Your Kids (PDF)
An informative PDF brochure for parents (downloadable).

Children and the Internet: Policies that Work
A collaborative electronic publication from ALSC and the Public Library Association

Guides to Cyberspace for Parents and Children
Links to resources that have useful information for librarians and parents about online safety.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
-association for library service to children

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Professional Tools for Librarians Serving Youth

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A list of resources by subject area for librarians serving youth.

# data[].attributes.headline
Webinar on Closing the Gap: Digital Equity Strategies for the K-12 Classroom

# data[].attributes.subject
Webinar on Closing the Gap: Digital Equity Strategies for the K-12 Classroom

# data[].attributes.body
by Future Ready Schools; coming soon on May 29, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Guests Michael Coats, Systems Infrastructure Manager and Cloud Solutions Architect, Southwest MiTech Dr. Travis Paakki, Senior Director, Portland Public Schools (OR) Thomas C. Murray, Director of Innovation for Future Ready Schools®, Alliance for Excellent Education (@thomascmurray) School and district leaders often are asked to do more with less, particularly when it comes to technology and [...]

# data[].attributes.body
Librarians Network

# data[].attributes.body
Pew Research

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Some 15% of U.S. households with school-age children do not have a high-speed internet connection at home, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of 2015 U.S. Census Bureau data. New survey findings from the Center also show that some teens are more likely to face digital hurdles when trying to complete their homework.

School-age children in lower-income households are especially likely to lack broadband access. Roughly one-third of households with children ages 6 to 17 and whose annual income falls below $30,000 a year do not have a high-speed internet connection at home, compared with just 6% of such households earning $75,000 or more a year. These broadband disparities are particularly pronounced for black and Hispanic households with school-age children - especially those with low household incomes. (The overall share of households with school-age children lacking a high-speed internet connection in 2015 is comparable to what the Center found in an analysis of 2013 Census data.)

This aspect of the digital divide - often referred to as the "homework gap" - can be an academic burden for teens who lack access to digital technologies at home. Black teens, as well as those from lower-income households, are especially likely to face these school-related challenges as a result, according to the new Center survey of 743 U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 conducted March 7-April 10, 2018.

At its most extreme, the homework gap can mean that teens have trouble even finishing their homework. Overall, 17% of teens say they are often or sometimes unable to complete homework assignments because they do not have reliable access to a computer or internet connection.

This is even more common among black teens. One-quarter of black teens say they are at least sometimes unable to complete their homework due to a lack of digital access, including 13% who say this happens to them often. Just 4% of white teens and 6% of Hispanic teens say this often happens to them. (There were not enough Asian respondents in this survey sample to be broken out into a separate analysis.)

Teens also differ by income level when it comes to completing assignments: 24% of teens whose annual family income is less than $30,000 say the lack of a dependable computer or internet connection often or sometimes prohibits them from finishing their homework, but that share drops to 9% among teens who live in households earning $75,000 or more a year.

Other times, teens who lack reliable internet service at home say they seek out other locations to complete their schoolwork: 12% of teens say they at least sometimes use public Wi-Fi to complete assignments because they do not have an internet connection at home. Again, this problem is more prevalent for black or less affluent teens. Roughly one-in-five black teens (21%) report having to at least sometimes use public Wi-Fi for this reason, including 10% who say they often do so. And teens whose family income is below $30,000 a year are far more likely than those whose annual household income is $30,000 or higher to say that they do this (21% vs. 9%).

Lastly, 35% of teens say they often or sometimes have to do their homework on their cellphone. Although it is not uncommon for young people in all circumstances to complete assignments in this way, it is especially prevalent among lower-income teens. Indeed, 45% of teens who live in households earning less than $30,000 a year say they at least sometimes rely on their cellphone to finish their homework.

These findings reflect a broader discussion about the digital divide's impact on America's youth. Numerous policymakers and advocates have expressed concern that students with less access to certain technologies may fall behind their more digitally connected peers. There is some evidence that teens who have access to a home computer are more likely to graduate from high school when compared with those who don't.

The Center's survey of teens does show stark differences in teens' computer access based on their household income. A quarter of teens whose family income is less than $30,000 a year do not have access to a home computer, compared with 4% of those whose annual family income is $75,000 or more.
Note: See full topline results and methodology here (PDF).

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nearly one-in-five teens can't always finish their homework because of the digital divide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Some 15% of U.S. households with school-age children do not have a high-speed internet connection at home, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of 2015 U.S. Census Bureau data. New survey findings from the Center also show that some teens are more likely to face digital hurdles when trying to complete their homework.

# data[].attributes.headline
Kent School District in WA is thinking creatively about bringing Internet access to those who don't have...

# data[].attributes.subject
Kent School District in WA is thinking creatively about bringing Internet access to those who don't have...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On a Wednesday night in October in the Birch Creek community center, high school and middle school students came to shoot hoops, go to Girl Scout meetings, and do their online homework assignments.

A dozen students clustered around laptops set up on heavy-duty folding tables near an Internet kiosk the school district had installed two years earlier. The kiosk resembles an ATM and includes a wireless Internet hotspot, as well as a built-in computer with a touch screen that any community member can use to access news on the district and that parents can use to access a district program called Skyward, which provides grades and attendance records for kids.

Muhsin Shamdeen, a 12-year-old seventh grader and aspiring professional skateboarder, was working on a letter to President Barack Obama about Christopher Columbus, with help from a community center staffer.

Using an online version of SparkNotes (her teacher had suggested consulting the guide), Ayan Mohamed, a 15-year-old sophomore immigrant from Somalia, sat working on an end-of-quarter essay.

In class the computer helps when there's something confusing, Mohamed said, pointing to a page she had pulled up explaining some research relevant to an essay she was working on. "You can look it up right there," she noted. The paper happened to be about technology's impacts and disappointments as portrayed by the books they'd read for the course.

The kiosks, in theory, won't cost the district any money in the long run. They sold for $7,000 upfront, but the district hopes to recover the money by income from business partners who'll get to advertise on them. And they're located in places already wired for the Internet, so there's no ongoing expense for the district.

The kiosk program is novel, but it has a couple wrinkles. For example, while the kiosk was working that evening, it had just been put back online for the first time in two weeks. Before then, he system had gone down, likely after it was unplugged during a cleaning. Still, It turned out the outage hadn't been much of an impediment because Kent Youth and Family Services, which runs programs for students at the Birch Creek community center, had installed a separate Wi-Fi network there a year and a half ago. (The other two community centers had Wi-Fi set up two months ago.)

Of course, overlap isn't a terrible issue to have when it comes to fickle Wi-Fi networks-but it's a situation the district's technology chief was wholly unaware of, calling it "good feedback," when he learned about it from me. The kiosk is, after all, a pilot for the district that's designed to iron out the kinks before being put up all around town.

Still, if the idea is to reach kids who don't have access after school hours, students point to another challenge: Unlike their peers in, say, public housing, the kids without Internet access at home generally live scattered across the district.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
What Happens When Kids Don't Have Internet at Home?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On a Wednesday night in October in the Birch Creek community center, high school and middle school students came to shoot hoops, go to Girl Scout meetings, and do their online homework assignments. A dozen students clustered around laptops set up on heavy-duty folding tables near an Internet kiosk the school district had installed two years earlier.

# data[].attributes.headline
Access to Library Resources and Services

# data[].attributes.subject
Access to Library Resources and Services

# data[].attributes.body
ALA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Digital Divide | Economic Barriers to Information Access | Net Neutrality | Prisoners' Right to Read

"Libraries are innately subversive institutions born of the radical notion that every single member of society deserves free, high quality access to knowledge and culture." Dr. Matt Finch

"All information resources that are provided directly or indirectly by the library, regardless of technology, format, or methods of delivery, should be readily, equally, and equitably accessible to all library users." ALA Core Values

Equity extends beyond equality-fairness and universal access-to deliberate and intentional efforts to create service delivery models that will make sure that community members have the resources they need. Often these needs are different not only as the result of race and ethnicity but also owing to religious beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identification, socioeconomic status, or physical ability.

Libraries are major sources of information for society and they serve as guardians of the public's access to information. The advent of the digital world has revolutionized how the public obtains its information and how libraries provide it. As the digital world continues to evolve, libraries help ensure that people can access the information they need - regardless of age, education, ethnicity, language, income, physical limitations or geographic barriers. Core values of the library community such as equal access to information, intellectual freedom, and the objective stewardship and provision of information must be preserved and strengthened, now more than ever.

For intellectual freedom to flourish, opposition to censorship of materials is not enough. Access to materials, without prejudice, to every member of the community must also be assured. As one of the core values of librarianship, 'Equality of access to recorded knowledge and information' which involves 'insuring that all library resources are accessible to all overcoming technological and monetary barriers to access' goes hand in hand with democracy and freedom.

ALA Statements and Policies on Access

Equity and Access in the ALA Policy Manual
Timeline of Equal Access in Libraries
Access to Digital Information, Services, and Networks: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights(2009)
Freedom of expression is an inalienable human right and the foundation for self-government. Freedom of expression encompasses the freedom of speech and the corollary right to receive information. Libraries and librarians protect and promote these rights by selecting, producing, providing access to, identifying, retrieving, organizing, providing instruction in the use of, and preserving recorded expression regardless of the format or technology.

Interpretation Q&A - As librarians, we have a professional obligation to strive for free access to all information resources. However, many of the questions concerning digital information will not have a single answer. ALA recognizes that each library needs to develop policies in keeping with its mission, objectives, and users. Librarians also need to be cognizant of local legislation and judicial decisions that may affect implementation of their policies.

Access to Library Resources and Services Regardless of Sex, Gender Identity, Gender Expression, or Sexual Orientation: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (2008)
The American Library Association stringently and unequivocally maintains that libraries and librarians have an obligation to resist efforts that systematically exclude materials dealing with any subject matter, including sex, gender identity, or sexual orientation.

Restricted Access to Library Materials: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (2014)
Libraries are a traditional forum for the open exchange of information. Attempts to restrict access to library materials violate the basic tenets of the Library Bill of Rights.

Services to People with Disabilities: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (2018)
ALA recognizes that persons with disabilities are a large and often neglected part of society. In addition to many personal challenges, some persons with disabilities face economic inequity, illiteracy, cultural isolation, and discrimination in education, employment, and the broad range of societal activities. The library plays a catalytic role in their lives by facilitating their full participation in society.

Technology Access and Assistive Technology
Resources provided by the Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA)

Universal Access
Resources provided by the Public Library Association (PLA)

Access to Research Materials in Archives and Special Collections Libraries (2009)
Joint statement by the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) and Society of American Archivists (SAA)

Publications and Articles

Managing Barriers: Provision of Information Access for Underserved Groups (2015)
By Nicole Askin

Webinar - Picture Books and Challenges; Dealing with Controversial Topics in Children's Collections (2015)
Librarians are tasked with providing a wide variety of viewpoints and information. Sometimes there are conflicts with where and how children's books are cataloged to accommodate what parents and caregivers feel is right for their children. How do we balance open access, accurate classification, and ease of use for all families without discrimination?

Imagining Fairness: Equality and Equity of Access in Search of Democracy (2002)
By Jorge Reina Schement

Rocks in the Whirlpool (2002)
By Kathleen de la Peña McCook

Digital Divide

Digital divide is a term that refers to the economic and social inequality between demographics and regions that have access to modern information and communications technology and those that don't. The digital divide typically exists between those in cities and those in rural areas; between the educated and the uneducated; between socioeconomic groups; and, globally, between the more and less industrially developed nations. Even among populations with some access to technology, the digital divide can be evident in the form of lower-performance computers, lower-speed wireless connections, lower-priced connections such as dial-up, and limited access to subscription-based content.

According to recent studies and reports, the digital divide is still very much a reality today. A June 2013 U.S. White House broadband report, for example, showed that only 71% of American homes have adopted broadband, a figure lower than in other countries with comparable gross domestic product. Closing the digital divide would improve literacy, democracy, social mobility, economic equality and economic growth.

Publications and Articles

Pew Research on Digital Divide (2017)

Without a Net: Librarians Bridging the Digital Divide (2011)
By Jessamyn West

Infographic: Public Libraries Help Build Digitally Inclusive Communities (2011)
By the Office for Research and Statistics
The results of the Digital Inclusion Survey show that public libraries lead the way in providing a wide range of technologies and digital content. Millions of people use these resources to enhance their digital literacy skills, and support education, employment, civic engagement, and health purposes. In doing so, public libraries are essential to building digitally inclusive communities.

Economic Barriers to Information Access

Through a common mission, publicly supported libraries provide free, equal , and equitable access to information for all people of the community that the library serves. Libraries need to regularly monitor their programs to make sure they are not, and will not be, limiting access to library services by imposing a fee for any potential user.

People experiencing poverty or homelessness constitute a significant portion of users in many libraries today and this population provides libraries with an important opportunity to change lives. As the numbers of poor children, adults, and families in America rises, so does the urgent need for libraries to effectively respond to their needs.

Access to library and information resources, services, and technologies is essential for all people, especially the economically disadvantaged, who may experience isolation, discrimination and prejudice or barriers to education, employment, and housing.

ALA Statements and Policies on Economic Barriers to Information Access

Library Services to the Poor in the ALA Policy Manual

Economic Barriers to Information Access: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (1993)
A democracy presupposes an informed citizenry. The First Amendment mandates the right of all persons to free expression, and the corollary right to receive the constitutionally protected expression of others. The publicly supported library provides free, equal, and equitable access to information for all people of the community the library serves. While the roles, goals and objectives of publicly supported libraries may differ, they share this common mission.

Publications and Articles

The Librarian's Guide to Homelessness: An Empathy-Driven Approach to Solving Problems, Preventing Conflict, and Serving Everyone (2018)
By Ryan Dowd
In this book Dowd, executive director of a homeless shelter, spotlights best practices drawn from his own shelter's policies and training materials. Filled with to-the-point guidance that will help frontline public library staff and managers understand and serve this population better.

Hunger, Homelessness & Poverty Task Force
By the ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table
In 1996, members of the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) formed the Hunger, Homelessness & Poverty Task Force to promote and implement Policy 61, Library Services for the Poor and to raise awareness of poverty issues.

Outreach Resources for Services to Poor and Homeless People
By the ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services

Poverty, Democracy and Public Libraries (2001)
By Kathleen de la Peña McCook
In this chapter the socio-economic context of poverty is explored to gain an understanding of the role librarians can play today to provide opportunity for poor people to participate in democracy. A brief review of key writing and documents that define public library service is provided to establish the historical foundation.

Net Neutrality

Net neutrality is the principle that internet service providers (ISPs) must enable access to all content and applications regardless of the source and without favoring or blocking specific services or websites.

The ALA has been on the front lines of the net neutrality battle with the FCC, Congress and the federal courts for more than a decade, working in coalition with other library and higher education organizations as well as broader coalitions of net neutrality advocates.

Net Neutrality Principles

Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom (2014)

Ensure Neutrality on All Public Networks: Neutrality is an essential characteristic of public broadband Internet access. The principles that follow must apply to all broadband providers and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who provide service to the general public, regardless of underlying transmission technology (e.g., wireline or wireless) and regardless of local market conditions.

Prohibit Blocking: ISPs and public broadband providers should not be permitted to block access to legal web sites, resources, applications, or Internet-based services.

Protect Against Unreasonable Discrimination: Every person in the United States should be able to access legal content, applications, and services over the Internet, without "unreasonable discrimination" by the owners and operators of public broadband networks and ISPs. This will ensure that ISPs do not give favorable transmission to their affiliated content providers or discriminate against particular Internet services based on the identity of the user, the content of the information, or the type of service being provided. "Unreasonable discrimination" is the standard in Title II of the Communications Act; the FCC has generally applied this standard to instances in which providers treat similar customers in significantly different ways.

Prohibit Paid Prioritization: Public broadband providers and ISPs should not be permitted to sell prioritized transmission to certain content, applications, and service providers over other Internet traffic sharing the same network facilities. Prioritizing certain Internet traffic inherently disadvantages other content, applications, and service providers-including those from higher education and libraries that serve vital public interests.

Prevent Degradation: Public broadband providers and ISPs should not be permitted to degrade the transmission of Internet content, applications, or service providers, either intentionally or by failing to invest in adequate broadband capacity to accommodate reasonable traffic growth.

Enable Reasonable Network Management: Public broadband network operators and ISPs should be able to engage in reasonable network management to address issues such as congestion, viruses, and spam as long as such actions are consistent with these principles. Policies and procedures should ensure that legal network traffic is managed in a content-neutral manner.

Provide Transparency: Public broadband network operators and ISPs should disclose network management practices publicly and in a manner that 1) allows users as well as content, application, and service providers to make informed choices; and 2) allows policy-makers to determine whether the practices are consistent with these network neutrality principles. This rule does not require disclosure of essential proprietary information or information that jeopardizes network security.

Continue Capacity-Based Pricing of Broadband Internet Access Connections: Public broadband providers and ISPs may continue to charge consumers and content, application, and service providers for their broadband connections to the Internet, and may receive greater compensation for greater capacity chosen by the consumer or content, application, and service provider.

Adopt Enforceable Policies: Policies and rules to enforce these principles should be clearly stated and transparent. Any public broadband provider or ISP that is found to have violated these policies or rules should be subject to penalties, after being adjudicated on a case-by-case basis.

Accommodate Public Safety: Reasonable accommodations to these principles can be made based on evidence that such accommodations are necessary for public safety, health, law enforcement, national security, or emergency situations.

Maintain the Status Quo on Private Networks: Owners and operators of private networks that are not openly available to the general public should continue to operate according to the long-standing principle and practice that private networks are not subject to regulation. End users (such as households, companies, coffee shops, schools, or libraries) should be free to decide how they use the broadband services they obtain from network operators and ISPs.

ALA Statements and Policies on Net Neutrality

Net Neutrality. ALA Washington Office

Net Neutrality: An Intellectual Freedom Issue. ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee

Publications and Articles

A Library Perspective on Network Neutrality (2006)
By Mike Godwin
The American Library Association is a strong advocate for intellectual freedom, which is the "right of all peoples to seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction." Intellectual freedom is critical to our democracy, because democracy relies on an informed citizenry. The Internet connects people of diverse geographical, political, or ideological origins, greatly enhancing everyone's ability to share and to inform both themselves and others.

Prisoners' Right to Read

ALA Statements and Policies on Access

Prisoners' Right to Read: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (2019)
The American Library Association asserts a compelling public interest in the preservation of intellectual freedom for individuals of any age held in jails, prisons, detention facilities, juvenile facilities, immigration facilities, prison work camps and segregated units within any facility.

Resolution on Prisoners' Right to Read (1982)

Publications and Articles

Securing Prisoners' Right to Read: A Process with Milestones but No Finish Line (2010)
By Diane Walden

Your First Amendment Right to Freedom of Speech and Association
By Jailhouse Lawyer's Handbook

Assistance and Consultation

The staff of the Office for Intellectual Freedom is available to answer questions or provide assistance to librarians, trustees, educators and the public about access to library resources and services. Areas of assistance include policy development, equity of access, and professional ethics. Inquiries can be directed via email to oif@ala.org or via phone at (312) 280-4226.

Updated April 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Access to Library Resources and Services

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Digital Divide | Economic Barriers to Information Access | Net Neutrality | Prisoners' Right to Read "Libraries are innately subversive institutions born of the radical notion that every single member of society deserves free, high quality access to knowledge and culture."

# data[].attributes.body
Assessment and collaboration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In the same issue of KQ, the literacy coordinator for Bismarck Public Schools Misti Werle shared her leadership in implementing and evaluating instructional partnerships in her district. Writing along with middle school librarian Kat Berg and English language arts teacher Jenni Kramer, Misti shared a "Levels of Library Services and Instructional Partnerships" document that guided Bismarck school librarians in serving as equal instructional partners.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
AASL

The AASL National Conference & Exhibition is the only national conference devoted solely to the needs of school librarians. The conference is held every two years and coordinated by a member-committee composed of association leaders from across the nation. While it is the primary continuing education activity of the division and a leading professional development event for school librarians, the AASL national conference is also an excellent educational and business forum for the entire library community.

The next national conference will be held in Louisville, KY, November 14-16, 2019.

ALA

Held each January, the ALA Midwinter Meeting offers an opportunity for volunteer leaders to gather and conduct the 'business' of the association. In addition to meetings (Board of Directors, strategic planning, Affiliate Assembly, committees, etc.). Midwinter also offers programs, discussion groups, and events. The exhibit hall hosts author-related and other events, in addition to hundreds of exhibiting companies.

AASL holds meetings and hosts ticketed events at the ALA Midwinter Meeting.

Held in during the summer, the ALA Annual Conference not only facilitates the 'business' of the association, but offers programs, discussion groups, and sessions. A range of preconferences from ALA divisions and offices offer convenient, relevant professional development and networking. The exhibit hall hosts author-related and other events, pavilions, and stages in addition to hundreds of exhibiting companies. Special events provide networking, social, and informal opportunities.

AASL holds meetings and hosts events (ticketed and non-ticketed) at the ALA Annual Conference.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The AASL National Conference & Exhibition is the only national conference devoted solely to the needs of school librarians. The conference is held every two years and coordinated by a member-committee composed of association leaders from across the nation.

# data[].attributes.body
Parent Advocate Toolkit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
American Association of School Librarians (AASL)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In today's changing economy the need for creative thinking, problem-solving, and information literacy skills is growing. How you can help your child succeed in this changing global economy where many of us are deeply concerned that the United States is not preparing our young people with the skills they need to compete? The development of social technology tools has created an interconnected global society where learning, social, and work environments have moved across physical boundaries. To successfully navigate through these fluid boundaries, learners must embody characteristics of global citizenship and be skilled users of information technologies. By the end of the 20th century society had shifted from the Industrial Age, which centered around jobs in manufacturing, to the Information Age, in which jobs require innovative thinking and problem-solving skills, effective communication skills, teamwork, and the ability to manage information effectively (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2008). As a result, the aptitudes learners need to be successful in work and in life have evolved to include high-level thinking skills, innovation skills, and collaborative teamwork. In 2009, AASL revised the mission of the school library program to reflect the expanding responsibilities of the school librarian in helping learners develop the skills needed to be successful in work and in life in the twenty-first century the revised mission statement states, "The mission of the school library program is to ensure that students and staff are effective users of ideas and information.

The school librarian empowers students to be:
Have you investigated whether your school is staffed by a full-time certified school librarian who is uniquely trained in helping students, teachers, and other school and community leaders develop the knowledge, abilities, and attitudes that are crucial to their success in the 21st century?
When students are taught through their most appropriate learning style, the results include higher achievement, better learning attitudes and fewer discipline problems. The school library is the essential place in the school that provides an environment for exploration and the opportunity to use a variety of materials to meet specific learning styles. Necessary to that environment is a certified school librarian that is specifically trained to examine how students learn, and to respond to individual instructional needs of the student as they encounter information in whatever form it presents itself.

Steps YOU can follow for improving reading, creative thinking, problem-solving skills and information literacy education in your schools:

Get Organized

Visit your school librarian. Find out what kind of library program is available at your school. Does your school have a certified school librarian? School libraries are critical for student achievement, research shows that students in schools with good school libraries learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized test scores than their peers in schools without libraries, and more than 60 studies have shown clear evidence of this connection between student achievement and the presence of school libraries with qualified school librarians.
Tips for Open House Night/Back to School Night

visit your school library/librarian

ask for a demonstration of databases your child will be learning to use

ask if there is a possibility for a parent learning night

ask if you can link your PTA/PTO web site to the librarians Web site

invite the librarian to come to your PTA/PTO meetings, ask for a workshop from her/him about what your child will learn in the school library

ask if there are book clubs, book discussions, tech clubs, etc.

find out if there are book fairs planned and if you can help out

ask what you can do as a parent to raise awareness in the community about how important you think a good school library program is to your child's achievement

Get the Facts

Obtain a copy of the AASL's National School Library Standards and familiarize yourself with its content.

Learn and absorb: Read and learn about information literacy and share that knowledge with other parents and the community.

Focus on state and local issues

Find out what classroom curriculum is being taught that requires research skills and if the students have the resources to accomplish the tasks set before them, including an information specialist in the form of a full time certified school librarian. The changing role of technology in education has increased the need for information literacy educators. Students and their teachers are more accustomed than ever in having technology as part of their learning and teaching. As technology becomes more advanced, there is the thought that users will no longer require assistance to use it (Gillian, 1996); however, as the World Wide Web has continued to develop in complexity, we see there is an even greater need for information and library work in our schools. Students are struggling to figure out what they need, where to find what they need and beyond that, to interpret what they have found. The school librarian is especially trained to teach the skills these students need to be successful.

You can find out what classroom curriculum is being taught by asking your child's teachers at open house. Many class curriculums can be accessed from district websites and all states post their curriculum standards on their Department of Education Web sites. Be an investigator. Get the facts.
Where to find some of the facts you are looking for: Informative video clips to help learn what the new school library looks like:
Go to Existing Resources & Organizations for additional tools to inform.

Analyze Your Situation

Take stock of what your school's library programs currently offer, and what they don't offer. Is your child being taught to solve problems, imagine, explore, investigate, and question in order for them to develop mental habits that will help them to think creatively on their own? Are they being taught by a qualified school librarian? Determine if classroom curriculum requires research in collaboration with the school librarian. Learn what (or who) should be added: for example, more (or different) teacher training and assistance. Learn whether your school lacks the necessary resources to accomplish the goals, and what can be done to get those resources.

Make a Plan

Find out what your state and U.S. Department of Education has earmarked as funds for teacher training and other types of assistance.

Send valentines to your congressmen during February letting them know you love your school library/librarian.

Send valentines to your administration and your board of education during National School Library Month (April) to let them know how much you love your school library/librarian.

Put together a parent wiki, so ideas can be posted and you have ideas that you can act on. If you don't know how to get a wiki started, ask your librarian if he/she can help you. The sharing of ideas can generate action. You will need to share emails and phone numbers with each other to celebrate the good things taking place in your school library or if a crisis hits, to be ready to take action.

Educate for Action

Take your case to the public:

attend town hall meetings and be prepared to make a statement in defense of your child's library program

attend board of education meetings, ask questions, keep your child's library program at the heart of education, thank boards of education if they are strong supporters of the program, be prepared to educate them if they are not strong supporters.

attend board of education meetings when things are good, tell the board you appreciate their vision of strong library programs, bring student work that was done in the library and show it off.

invite board members to story time at your child's school library or invite them to come and see a research project your child is involved in, or to hear the author who is visiting or to be a part of the book clubs or book discussion groups, whatever it is that is worthy of an invitation. And keep inviting them!

Have volunteers write letters, blog to the local newspapers, or send postcards to decision makers telling them why school libraries and your plan in particular is important for education.

Speak to your principal (see the principal attachments below) about strengthening the school library program and information literacy skills for your children's future. Ask if your school is teaching guided inquiry.

Be a voice for information literacy before community and civic groups.

Additional information on legislative issues can be found at Legislative Initiatives.
Tips for advocating for your school library

Find out what issues are important and what resources are available from your school library state association

Find out what key issues are important to your state department of education and local department of education then frame your advocacy around those issues. It is not a good idea to start out with I feel that..., a stronger position would begin with "the board of education endorses....

Don't forget to find out what is important to your child's principal who directly influences the environment your child will be learning in. Speak to your principal regarding the importance of a good school library program for your child's education. Most educational opportunities (technology literacy, information literacy, 21st century learning skills, media literacy etc.) can be tied back to essential involvement of the school library staffed by a full time certified school librarian.

When you are launching a letter writing campaign or speaking at a board meeting, focus on a key issue. When you are not focused, the audience you are addressing cannot focus or will focus on the easiest problem to solve and not the most critical. Most of the time, it is important to keep your letter or speech short by sticking to the point you want to make, and always be gracious and say thank you.

Communication IS critical and many times a handwritten note outweighs a mass produced email or postcard. And a personal visit is even better, but don't just drop by, make an appointment, and bring along printed material that staff can read later. When you finish, be sure to summarize.

Be Persistent

Find out what the objections are to a high-quality school library and information education in your school community and respond to each objection. You may not carry the day on your first try, but don't give up.

Some questions parents might have:

(taken from Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries)

Isn't everything available on the Internet? Why do we need a school library?
A school library is more than books, it is the place where inquiry and critical thinking takes place. It's a learning hub with a full range of print and electronic resources that support student achievement. These resources include books, magazines, videotapes, computers, databases and much more. More importantly, there is a school librarian to assist students with their information needs and help teachers develop projects that engage students in developing critical learning and research skills.
Why do we need a school librarian? Can't we use volunteers?

School librarians have advanced education degrees as teachers and librarians.

They have teaching degrees and are experts in children's and young adult literature, as well as information science.

They know what kids like to read and what is appropriate at different stages of their development.

They promote reading as a foundational skill for learning, personal growth, and enjoyment.

Their program provides instruction that addresses multiple literacies, including information literacy, media literacy, visual literacy, and technology literacy.

Their program models an inquiry-based approach to learning and the information search process.

They understand how information is organized and how to find it in print and electronic formats.

They are there to help classroom teachers teach and students to learn using a variety of resources.

Few volunteers have the expertise to do all of these things.

School librarians teach the information literacy curriculum.

They are specifically trained to teach information literacy.

They also teach ethical and skilled use of technology.

School librarians are trained to teach proper Internet searching so that students are equipped with efficient ways to search for needed information.

School librarians teach evaluating information, especially information from the Web, for accuracy and impartiality.

Classroom teachers are not trained in this field and do not have the knowhow to teach all aspects of this curriculum.

School librarians teach all stages of the research process from understanding the task to putting together a finished product.

School librarians collaborate with teachers to help create real-world tasks that motivate students. They design projects that teach students how to locate and use the best information available. School librarians implement reading incentive programs and introduce students to new genres of literature. Their knowledge of children's literature helps foster an appreciation of reading and literacy.

School librarians catalog books and keep the circulation and cataloging databases current provide collection analysis and orders and process books and other materials (digital and print) to keep the collection current and in line with the state curriculum requirements and local curriculum matters.

Isn't it true students don't use the library anymore?
On the contrary! School libraries are filled with students throughout the day -- reading books; logging on to the Internet; receiving help with their research projects; studying; collaborating on projects with other students; and more.

Research demonstrates that an aggressive school library program boosts student achievement. Today's school library programs are focused on helping students learn to think in more complex ways, to instill students with a love of reading and literature, and to prepare them to become information and technology literate, while enabling students to become independent life long learners.
Some possible talking points to ask at a Board of Education meeting if your school library program is in crisis:

1. How will you guarantee that my child will have the necessary library information seeking skills or information literacy and technology skills needed to move to the middle school, high school, or college?

2. I am interested in hearing who will choose the resources for the school library, both for the curriculum support and to develop a love of reading for pleasure.

3. Will the person filling in or overseeing of the library, have any professional background/education to do this job effectively?

4. Will there be a "paid employee" in the library every day? What will the title of that person be?

5. Will any new materials be chosen for the elementary (middle/high) school libraries? Who will make this decision? How will they know if those resources are already part of the library collection? There is an automated catalog in our elementary (middle/high) school libraries, who will be entering the data for the new resources coming in?

6. New books are published every year. School librarians keep abreast of these publications through journals, catalogs, workshops, professional organizations and conferences. Who will be doing this part of their job? If there is no one, won't my child be at a disadvantage when placed against children who benefit from these contacts?

To Encourage Endorsement of School Library Legislative Initiatives

Consider sending a delegation to Washington, D.C. on National Library Legislative Day. Work with this idea on a state level through your state library association and your school library association. Encourage state associations to partner with your PTA for presentations at Legislative Day.

Existing Resources & Organizations

1. The 21 Century Skills Map (Partnership for 21st Century Skills)
The Partnership for 21st Century Skills has emerged as the leading advocacy organization focused on infusing 21st century skills into education. The organization brings together the business community, education leaders, and policymakers to define a powerful vision for 21st century education and to ensure that students emerge from our schools with the skills needed to be effective citizens, workers, and leaders in the 21st century.

2. What the research says School Libraries Work by Scholastic
Studies talk about student achievement while principals and schools look at test scores. This research foundation paper, updated from the 2006 edition of School Libraries Work!, brings together position statements from a variety of organizations and findings from nearly two decades of empirical studies that cite the measurable impact school libraries and librarians have on student achievement.

3. State School Library Associations
This is a list of school associations and their Web addresses.

4. AASL's Learning Standards and Program Guidelines
The Standards for the 21st-Century Learner offer vision for teaching and learning to both guide and beckon our profession as education leaders. AASL's guidelines, Empowering Learners, advances school library programs to meet the needs of the changing school library environment. Finally, Standards for the 21st-Century Learner in Action includes indicators, benchmarks, model examples and assessments to support school librarians and other educators in teaching the essential learning skills defined in the learning standards.

5. AASL Position Statements
You will find AASL's position statements on this page on many topics such as, School Librarian's role in reading, strengthening student interest in learning and access to resources and services in the library program.

6. Institute for Library and Information Literacy Education (ILILE)
The Institute for Library and Information Literacy Education provides local, regional and national leadership in fostering valuable collaboration among teachers, school librarians and academic faculty who work together to promote information literacy in the K-16 classroom.

Important AASL/ALA resources for advocacy:
Other resources for advocacy:
Standards per state model (are very different). You can find these models by going to state department of education Web sites.

Question to ask, Who is teaching our students research process skills?

ALA Press Release: Spokane Moms Win State Funding for School Libraries
ABC Channel 5/KSTP TV INVESTIGATION: Outdated library books
NY Times article and video: In Web Age, Library Job Gets Update

YouTube: Letter to Governor John Corzine

New Jersey Association of School Librarians: This wiki is designed for librarians to advocate for their libraries but has useful talking points and templates for letters to legislator's, etc.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In today's changing economy the need for creative thinking, problem-solving, and information literacy skills is growing. How you can help your child succeed in this changing global economy where many of us are deeply concerned that the United States is not preparing our young people with the skills they need to compete?

# data[].attributes.headline
Check out this real, virtual school library!

# data[].attributes.subject
Check out this real, virtual school library!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Virtual Library website is a curation of resources and tools to assist students, educators, parents and the community.

# data[].attributes.body
Interesting...promoting school libraries in general, physical and virtual spaces.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Librarianship Kim Lindskog| March 28, 2018

Kim Lindskog, Library Support Specialist for Parkway Schools in Missouri, shares four outreach strategies for promoting school library programs.

In my previous post, Promoting School Library Resources and Services with Today's Digital Tools, I shared strategies for librarians to build capacity and influence their communities in ways that impact digital age learning and promote the broad reach of their library program. Now let's shift the lens to outreach as a way to encourage engagement in the lifelong learning process and cultivate innovative library programming.

Successfully meeting the needs and supporting the goals of the school community while maintaining a flexible and fluid program requires collaborative leadership. This includes reaching out to various groups and stepping out beyond the library walls.

The library is a bridge between classrooms and home, so how do we identify pathways that forge meaningful connections between our program and students, teachers, and parents? This is a big challenge and a question that I regularly address. My role is to empower librarians to provide leadership, awareness, and community connection. This is work that leads to purpose-based libraries, instructional partnerships, and professional growth as we continue on the journey to digital age learning.

While a variety of strategies can help us be responsive to the community, there is no right or wrong way to accomplish this task. The following outreach strategies are examples of how Parkway librarians are responding to the community and keeping a finger on the pulse of their buildings.

Librarians on the Move

Many Parkway librarians cultivate instructional partnerships to advocate for their students and programs through intentional meetups that spark collaboration. This might include the "five minutes of harassment" in the morning before school or the "pop-up library picks" that bring resources and the library to student team areas.

The "five minutes of harassment" is a great way for the librarian to target a grade level or team before or after school (for just five minutes) and ask students one or two thoughtful questions that lead to deeper learning, critical thinking, creativity and innovation. The conversation might revolve around the use of physical or virtual spaces, exploration of content and resources, or authentic learning opportunities available in the library.

Librarians who want to empower students to be self-directed learners, as well as avid readers, may take the " popup library picks " approach where the librarian decorates a cart and brings resources (magazines, mobile makerspace items, e-book login information, etc.) to student classroom areas. This type of outreach not only connects the librarian and the program to student interests, but also improves the equity of access that promotes lifelong learning for all students. Moving beyond the library's four walls expands the reach of the library and illustrates how flexible and fluid the program is in creating relationships that ignite student learning.

Purposeful outreach opportunities create ongoing collaborative networks and educate the community about modern library practice.

Reading Roundtables

School libraries consistently look for avenues to advocate for student reading and literacy through their programs. After observing many of our school libraries and the way that they conduct student book clubs, I wondered, "What if we took our time and space to promote the love of reading and celebrate collaboration among our parents or staff members with a book club?" One avenue might be through regularly scheduled PTO meetings or at lunch-and-learns with staff members.

What if we invited parents to use the school library to build awareness and advocacy? This could be as simple as a corner where parents could read, conduct research, and access resources through the school day or during after-school meetings. This type of interaction could, in turn, build other types of community connections and an understanding of what a dynamic learning space the library is to the school setting.

Adult Maker Challenges

Another way to reach out to the community is at parent conferences or curriculum nights. Recently, we held a middle school literacy evening where parents could stop by the library and try out some of the available maker activities. If you're thinking of hosting a similar event, consider activities such as mapping with Ozobots, playing Sphero shuffleboard, or programming a Parrot Mambo Fly Drone to land in specific quadrants on a tic-tac-toe board.

So how do you get them to the library? The smell of popcorn - yes, the smell of popcorn will bring in passersby. After the visit be sure to give parents a one-sheet infographic and menu about your library ( read my previous post).

EdTech Demos

Faculty, district committee, or board of education meetings offer librarians another opportunity to connect with community members and encourage them to leverage school library resources and educational technologies. When presenting a teaching and learning resource at a faculty meeting, consider using an innovative tech tool that the audience may not have seen before. Even if they are not interested in the library resource, they may want to learn more about the tech tool.

The IAT (Innovation Action Team) is a district committee of Parkway Schools that meets once a month. This team includes an open invitation to all building leaders including administrators, librarians, and instructional coaches with the hope that information on technology, instruction, and authentic use of technology are explored and brought back to individual buildings. This is the perfect place for librarians to establish collaborative leadership through sharing innovative practices, such as WeVideo and green screen editing, the Breakout Edu immersive learning games platform, or Google Expeditions, a virtual reality teaching tool.

Imagine the possibilities if librarians took students to a board of education meeting and each member was handed a Sphero and asked to program it with the help of an elementary, middle, or high school student. This type of outreach provides the opportunity for dialogue about programming that transcends the library walls and cultivates support for digital learning.

Student outreach at your library takes planning and requires a vision, but they accomplish fantastic results when executed as a part of a strategic plan to lead beyond the library and make our stories visible. Best of all, these purposeful outreach opportunities create ongoing collaborative networks and educate the community about modern library practice. This shared sense of purpose and commitment toward teaching and learning in the digital age can be achieved by libraries that make a concerted effort to establish and foster partnerships throughout the community.

For more best practices, download EBSCO's white paper, "Advocacy and the 21st Century School Librarian: Challenges and Best Practices."

Advocacy, Librarians, Schools

Download the White Paper

Library Support Specialist

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Outreach Strategies for Promoting School Libraries

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Librarianship Kim Lindskog| March 28, 2018 Kim Lindskog, Library Support Specialist for Parkway Schools in Missouri, shares four outreach strategies for promoting school library programs. In my previous post, Promoting School Library Resources and Services with Today's Digital Tools, I shared strategies for librarians to build capacity and influence their communities in ways that impact digital age learning and promote the broad reach of their library program.

# data[].attributes.body
Physical and virtual space...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
As a Future Ready Schools® (FRS) district, Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) served as the host of the recent Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools (League) meeting. The theme of this meeting was focused on equity and showcased the many ways BCPS is making strides toward providing access and opportunity for all students. Access and opportunity are the hallmarks of BCPS's school library program and visiting district leaders engaged in programming organized around the theme of "innovative libraries."

BCPS's superintendent, Dr. Dallas Dance, is a champion of the district's school library program. Our school system's philosophy regarding school libraries-and their place at the heart of student learning-is affirmed by a staffing model, which ensures that all schools are staffed by a full-time certified school library media specialist. Our long collaboration with neighboring Towson University enables us to recruit teachers who have a passion for school libraries and are invested in matriculating for a master's degree. To date, 75 percent of our school library media specialists are a product of this collaborative professional development effort.
Over the past several years, BCPS has made significant strides in rebranding the role of the school library media specialist. We have examined our past and set a path to the future. Our collective experience, systemic initiatives, and our work with Future Ready Librarians affirms the district's growth and drives its continuing evolution. The transformation of teaching and learning toward customized and personalized student learning happening in all BCPS classrooms is equally evident in our school libraries. For BCPS, school library media specialists are critical instructional partners in its schools.

Uniquely qualified to teach information and technology literacy, BCPS library media specialists have knowledge and experience of the ever-changing information landscape, regularly collaborate with and offer professional development support to their colleagues, and are experienced in the use of technology tools for teaching and learning. They support communities of learners from preschool to college- and career-ready high school seniors by delivering instruction that focuses on student needs. As instructional partners with colleagues, they design and facilitate inquiry-driven lessons that require students to communicate, collaborate, think critically, and create.

BCPS's library spaces have shifted into physical and virtual "learning commons" in order to support student inquiry and collaboration both during and outside of the school day. Today's twenty-first-century learners enjoy learning spaces that meet their needs; therefore, our school library media specialists manage these programs and spaces with careful consideration of the physical spaces, collections, technology, and delivery methods to best accommodate our constituents. Makerspaces have been created in many of our school libraries to provide students with hands-on, interest-driven, collaborative learning opportunities that socialize learning and design.

The League's fall meeting attendees were provided with an opportunity to observe instruction, interact with students and staff, and participate in a showcase of program elements. BCPS highlighted its continued progress to connect to the "gears" of FRS and the Future Ready Librarians framework as our school libraries support learning and advocacy.

District leaders explored our connections to FRS via

physical spaces designed for inquiry and collaboration;

instructional partnerships and curriculum-aligned inquiry-based lessons;

a year-long independent research course designed for high school students;

resources for digital citizenship and digital leadership;

professional development resources for school library media specialists;

curated resources and digital tools for teaching and learning; and

BCPS's public library partnership

BCPS's strategic plan regarding twenty-first-century teaching and learning is characterized by a student-centered model, where all students are engaged in constructing meaning through research, exploration, problem solving, creation, and communication of new knowledge. We see school libraries, highly effective school library programs, and the critical role of qualified library media specialists as essential to this work. We are proud to share BCPS's progress and gather feedback as we continue to create FRS library programs. We hope you'll continue to follow our progress on Twitter via #bcpslms.
ABOUT FRAN GLICK
Fran Glick serves as coordinator of the office of digital learning for Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS). She is a former elementary teacher and elementary and secondary library media specialist. In her current role, Glick supports instructional technology and the K-12 school library program for BCPS. She was a member of the Standards and Indicators Task Force for the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and contributor to Standards for the 21st-Century Learner in Action (AASL, 2009). Glick is a passionate advocate for re-imagining school librarians and libraries.

Social Sharing

Options: Facbeook, Twitter, Linkedin, Pinterest...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Future Ready Librarians View Innovative Libraries First Hand in Baltimore County - Future Ready Schools

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
As a Future Ready Schools® (FRS) district, Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) served as the host of the recent Digital Promise League of Innovative Schools (League) meeting. The theme of this meeting was focused on equity and showcased the many ways BCPS is making strides toward providing access and opportunity for all students.

# data[].attributes.body
And from New Zealand...

# data[].attributes.headline
Where to start creating your virtual library space?

# data[].attributes.subject
Where to start creating your virtual library space?

# data[].attributes.body
ALA is always reliable!

# data[].attributes.body
Worth checking out

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Grants for Librarians | Scholastic.com for Librarians

# data[].attributes.body
So important to understand these funding formulas if you are in CA

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.provider_name
CSLA - California School Library Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
On January 25, 2014, CSLA hosted a webinar presented by Art Davis, Director of the Regional System of District and School Support for Region 7 in California, on Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Local Control Accountability Plans implementation.

Here is a link to the recording.

Here is a link to a Dropbox folder containing the presentation file, as well as additional support materials generously provided to us by Art Davis.

Here is a letter Jane Lofton, 2012-2013 CSLA President, wrote to the President of the State Board of Education regarding LCFF implementation. Members are welcome to use this letter as a template for their own advocacy efforts.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
LCFF & LCAP - CSLA - California School Library Association

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On January 25, 2014, CSLA hosted a webinar presented by Art Davis, Director of the Regional System of District and School Support for Region 7 in California, on Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) and Local Control Accountability Plans implementation. Here is a link to the recording.

# data[].attributes.body
#FundLibraries

# data[].attributes.body
Great resources for members and non-members on their site!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Good school libraries are essential to a good education!

# data[].attributes.headline
Center for American Progress: "A Quality Approach to School Funding"

# data[].attributes.subject
Center for American Progress: "A Quality Approach to School Funding"

# data[].attributes.body
Eye-opening and shocking, but VERY informative article!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Middle school students use microscopes to conduct a scientific experiment. (Getty/Hero Images)

Introduction and summary

In 1968, a sheet metal worker named Demetrio Rodriguez decided to file a lawsuit against the Edgewood Independent School District, a high-poverty district located just outside of San Antonio, Texas, serving a predominately Mexican American population. Rodriguez, the father of four children enrolled in the Edgewood district, was frustrated that the schools were dramatically underfunded and marred by dilapidated facilities and weak instruction.

As part of his suit, Rodriguez joined 15 other parents who sued the state for an inequitable system of financing public schools. The case was filed under Rodriguez's name because he had been a longtime, leading voice in the community for equal rights. The suit, San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, eventually landed in the Supreme Court.

The court's decision, however, did not live up to the dream of equal educational opportunity for which Rodriguez and the other parents had hoped. The court struck down the case, arguing that education was not a guaranteed, fundamental right under the U.S. constitution and that Texas' school finance system did not violate any protected rights.

Dollars must be at the start of every conversation around equity. Funding is a central component to providing a high-quality education and often leads to improved outcomes. A 2016 study found that, between 1990 and 2011, states that reformed school finance policies in order to allocate more funding to high-poverty school districts narrowed the achievement gap by an average of one-fifth.

But allocating equal funding for every student does not guarantee that all students will have a rigorous educational experience. School finance reform must focus on the quality of every school, from the excellence of the instruction to the rigor of the classes.

This idea is at the heart of this report. The authors argue that the efforts to resolve inequities through the courts or with legislation need to move beyond funding. Furthermore, reforms must focus on both funding levels and equal access to resources shown to be fundamental to a quality education. True educational equity will require two central reforms. First, there needs to be additional resources-not the same resources-in order to meet the needs of at-risk students. Second, there should be accountability frameworks to ensure that the key ingredients to student success-access to early childhood programs, effective teachers, and rigorous curriculum-are available to students irrespective of their race, zip code, or economic status.

The authors came to these conclusions after examining the remedies implemented at the state level in response to a court order or as a result of political pressure created by state litigation. Past cases, which have focused on the equity or adequacy of school funding, have increased resources for low-income students but have not consistently ensured that all students have access to a high-quality education. Moreover, in some instances, remedies implemented under these frameworks have led to unintended consequences, including the leveling out of education funding in cases that focus on equity of dollars alone.

Overview of the findings

Based on an analysis of school finance litigation and research on school funding, the authors found the following:

Money matters for student achievement. A growing body of evidence shows that increased spending on education leads to better student outcomes. When states invest in their public schools and create more equitable school finance systems, student achievement levels rise, and the positive effects are even greater among low-income students. States, districts, and schools must spend their money wisely, targeting their funds toward evidence-based interventions, such as high-quality early childhood programs. Overall, efforts to cut funding for education or services that support children are short-sighted and defy current research.

Students in high-poverty communities continue to have less access to core academic services that increase student outcomes. Core services that have a significant influence on instructional quality and student performance are systematically unavailable to students in low-income schools relative to students in higher-income schools. These critical services include early childhood education, quality teachers, and exposure to rigorous curriculum.

Districts, states, and the federal government play crucial roles in equity. States will have the greatest opportunity to guarantee that all students under their purview have access to a high-quality education, but local, state, and federal governments all play important roles in minimizing inequities in education funding.

Historically, the federal government has focused its investment in supporting education and related services on the most at-risk children, and it can uniquely address inequities in per-pupil spending across states. While students within the same school district can receive starkly different levels of funding, the widest variation in per-pupil spending exists across state boundaries. The differences in average state per-pupil spending ranges from around $5,700 to $17,000.

While state legal cases have been powerful in closing spending gaps, litigation is inadequate. School funding advocates have won a slew of court cases over the past four decades. Many fiscal equity lawsuits were important and led to additional resources for students; however, some cases had unintended consequences on overall levels of spending, for example, in California. In many cases, a state's political climate and fiscal capacity proved to be just as important-if not more important-than court rulings in deciding fiscal reform.

Evaluating school finance policies based on equity or adequacy is insufficient. The most common frameworks used in state school finance cases-evaluating school funding policies based on their "equity" or "adequacy"-do not acknowledge that students in poverty need more from their schools than their more affluent peers. Moreover, neither framework requires courts and policymakers to consider the quality of education, including teachers, curriculum, programs, and social supports.

Next steps

The school funding debate is as important today as it was in 1968 when Rodriguez demanded a better education for his children. Given these findings, the authors recommend principles to guide a new framework for school finance reform: a high-quality finance system. While the past few decades of state litigation focusing on equity or adequacy have increased awareness of the importance of fiscal equity, policymakers must refine the debate in order to achieve a high-quality education for all students.

The authors propose that the following key principles should guide school finance reform at the federal and state levels:

School funding systems should ensure equal access to core educational services. School equity debates must go beyond funding, and states and local actors must support access to robust services. The Supreme Court of New Jersey described this issue well: The focus should shift from "financing [to the issue of] education itself." In other words, advocates should be focused on the quality of educational opportunities as the driving goal of an equitable education financing system. Using this as a model, advocates should prioritize increased access to high-quality educational opportunities that raise student achievement as part of an equitable education financing system.

School funding should provide significant additional resources for low-income students. It costs more to educate low-income students and provide them with a robust education. To overcome issues of poverty, low-income students need significant additional funds. Research shows that increases in school spending result in greater educational and economic outcomes for all students, but these were "more pronounced for children from low-income families." Additional funding should help to attract highly qualified teachers, improve curriculum, and fund additional programs such as early childhood education. Weighted student funding-which differentiates school budgeting based on the demographics that each school serves-can fund quality programs that will have the greatest impact on the student population.

Outcomes-based accountability should serve as a check on school funding systems. Student achievement and outcomes matter. Any approach to supporting school finance reform should ensure that the money supports the resources, programs, and services that all students need to be prepared to fully participate in the workforce and their community. Policymakers must simultaneously refine education standards so they are aligned to the changing society and implement rigorous accountability systems to assess if schools are meeting these goals. States should use these outcomes, rather than dollars or other inputs, to evaluate if schools are providing all students with a high-quality education.

Education and child welfare programs should be fully funded. Research shows that money matters, especially for students in poverty. States should restore, and exceed, funding to pre-Great Recession levels to allocate sufficient funding. In addition, the federal government should maintain or increase funding for necessary programs to support children and working families. Federal funding accounts for 38 percent of states' education budget-and 8.5 percent of overall spending for public education-so significant cuts to federal programs have severe and lasting effects on the services and opportunities that states can offer to all students.

The argument for a new framework for school finance reform

A high-quality education is fundamental to our modern economy and democracy

The goals of public education must evolve with the changing world, and today, schools must prepare students for college, career, and civic engagement.

A just K-12 public schooling system should meaningfully prepare all students, including the most disadvantaged, for their roles in public service or democratic governance. This is key to ensuring America's next generation of leaders serve, defend, and represent the various interests of society. Not surprisingly, the nation's military also depends on well-educated students. Without a robust education system, the armed forces would lack qualified recruits.

The strength of the economy is also closely tied to education. Recent studies show that gross domestic product (GDP) has a strong relationship with educational outcomes. Moreover, education's importance to the economy continues to grow. In the 1970s, the majority of jobs were available to individuals with a high school diploma or less. Today, virtually all well-paying jobs require some college. By 2020, only 36 percent of all jobs will require a high school diploma or less. During the recent economic recovery, 95 percent of the jobs created went to workers with postsecondary education or training.

Persistent inequities in education funding: The local, state, and federal role

After 50 years of state school finance litigation and school finance reform, some states have minimized inequities in per-pupil education across districts within state lines. However, significant inequities remain. Local, state, and federal governments all contribute to overall education funding and perpetuate some of these inequities. As a result, local, state, and federal actors must all work to revamp school funding systems with a focus on quality. States, specifically, will have a central role. The right to an education rests with the state, as articulated in state constitutions, and local and state governments provide the vast majority of school funding. Meanwhile, the federal government must continue to focus its funding and support on high-poverty schools and address inequities that exist across state lines.

Funding inequities with local and state contributions

New analyses disaggregate the allocations of local, state, and federal governments. Data compiled by the Urban Institute show that local education funding across the country is still highly regressive-although it has become slightly more progressive between 1995 and 2015. Students in poverty continue to receive less funding than their more affluent peers. High-poverty school districts in only four states-Minnesota, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Vermont-receive more local funds per pupil than more affluent districts.

The federal role: Addressing inequities across state lines

Times have changed dramatically since the Rodriguez decision, and there is deepening consensus that federal government has an important role in supporting the education of students with the greatest needs.

The rise of a new equity divide

While some states have made progress in addressing disparities within states, unequal access still exists within states. At the same time, inequities are greatest across states lines, as per-pupil spending across states varies dramatically.

Although school finance advocates and policymakers often compare spending between the poorest and wealthiest districts within a state, the differences in district-level spending across states are far starker. On average, school districts in the United States spend about $11,885 per pupil-the cost of living adjusted for the 2012-13 school year. However, some districts spend twice as much as districts in other states. For instance, the per-pupil spending among the 100 largest districts ranged from $6,798 in Texas' Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District to $20,331 in New York City Public Schools. These disparities persist even when taking into account districts with similar enrollment sizes and demographics.

The research: Money does matter

These extreme spending inequities have an impact, and a large body of research suggests that money does matter in education. When school districts spend money wisely, they have better outcomes, including higher test scores, increased graduation rates, and other improved indicators of student achievement. More money also helps ensure that students have schools with better facilities and more curriculum options. This has clear implications for the public school system, as students who do not get their fair share of dollars do not get an equal chance to compete with their more advantaged peers.

Another recent NBER study confirmed this idea that fiscal reforms in adequacy cases have led to more progressive funding systems and increased student outcomes. In this study, researchers found that over the past 25 years, fiscal reforms-either as a result of a court order or a legislative effort-improved states' education spending priorities and reduced funding disparities between high- and low-poverty districts. These reforms also contributed to student gains in reading and mathematics, with the largest increases among low-income students.

There are dramatic gaps in access to core educational services

Inequities go beyond money. Core services, which make a huge difference in instructional quality and student performance, are systematically unavailable to students in low-income schools relative to students in higher-income schools. Put simply, school funding debates must go beyond the raw numbers and evaluate whether students have equitable access to the resources needed for success, including early childhood education, quality teachers, and exposure to challenging curriculum.

Higher-poverty schools also have fewer experienced teachers and greater teacher turnover. In school year 2012-2013, there was 22 percent teacher turnover in the highest-quartile-poverty schools, whereas there was only 13 percent turnover in schools with less than 34 percent of students in poverty. Teacher experience most significantly increases effectiveness in the first five years in the classroom, but teachers with 20 years or more of experience achieve larger student gains, on average, than teachers with five years or less of experience. Moreover, high teacher turnover creates instability and negatively affects student achievement within schools.

In some states, such as New York, the issue is particularly pressing. According to a 2018 study from The New York Equity Coalition, "White students had 230 percent more opportunities to earn college credit than their Latino and Black peers, despite representing only 8 percent more high school enrollees."

Studies by the federal government demonstrate that the unequal access to rigorous courses is a national problem. Data from the 2015-16 school year show that high schools with higher percentages of black and Latino students offer math and science courses at a lower rate relative to all high schools. The difference is greatest in terms of access to advanced mathematics, calculus, and physics.

Furthermore, an analysis of the cost of different interventions found that transitioning to higher-quality curriculum provides a higher return on investment than many other reforms-for example, almost 40 times the return of class-size reduction. Adopting rigorous curriculum, however, requires thoughtful selection of instructional materials and additional intensive academic services to students so they can meaningfully access more challenging coursework.

School finance litigation: Powerful yet inadequate

Litigation has heightened awareness of the importance of fiscal equity in education and spurred necessary change in states across the country. The U.S. Supreme Court struck down San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez by arguing that education was not a guaranteed federal right. Some litigants continue to attempt to overturn Rodriguez in order to establish a federal right to education, but until then, many advocates turn to the states. Numerous state courts have reinforced meaningful provisions in state constitutions and required legislative action to improve educational opportunities for all students. Advocates in various states have taken different approaches to advance equity-some with success and some with unintended outcomes.

The following section describes the decision in Rodriguez and examines examples of the different approaches that advocates have used to advance school finance reform within states. The authors highlight some of the unintended outcomes, as well as the most positive aspects of the remedies, in order to inform a new framework for a potential federal right moving forward.

Where it all began: San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez

In Rodriguez, the plaintiffs argued that education was a fundamental interest under the U.S. Constitution because of its vital importance to both the right to vote and freedom of expression. In other words, the plaintiffs contended that education was a constitutional right because a certain level of education is necessary for the proper exercise of these rights.

The debate over equity: First generation of school funding reform

Two of the earliest and best-known instances of state equity cases occurred during the mid-1970s. Both cases resulted in victories: one in California ( Serrano v. Priest) and the other in New Jersey ( Robinson v. Cahill). In both cases, the respective courts used state constitutional provisions requiring equal protection to strike down local property tax-based systems and to order states to build new funding systems that did not heavily rely on a district's property wealth.

Following these successes, equity cases were brought in virtually every state. Many states have modified, although not completely eradicated, their property tax-based systems by increasing the state's share in total education spending. As a result, resource differences among districts in some states have declined.

However, in other states, equity cases have had a negative impact on total spending due to the narrow focus on ensuring parity among districts within a state. In California, the Serrano cases provide the most notorious example. The frame of equalized funding pitted high- and low-wealth districts against each other. Therefore, rather than lifting up the system as a whole, it drove toward the lowest common denominator.

In 1976, the California court's ruling in Serrano declared that the state's school finance system violated the Equal Protection Clause and was unconstitutional. Following Serrano, California prioritized a property tax-based solution that would close spending gaps between poor and wealthy districts. The court ordered the state to equalize property tax rates and revenues between districts so that, by 1980, disparities in per-pupil spending levels would be no more than $100.

In 1978, Proposition 13, a resolution that placed a cap on property tax rates and restricted annual increases on property value, limited the opportunity to use tax cases as a means to equalize school funding. Instead, local districts could only rely on state revenue for funding parity, making it nearly impossible for any district to pay for new policies and initiatives.

California's primary concern was equity of per-pupil funding levels, not the adequacy of funding levels. By 1986, more than 90 percent of California students resided in school districts with a per-pupil funding disparity of less than $100 between them. But the victory was shortsighted. The state and districts lowered their overall expenditures, and California no longer led the nation in education spending. In fact, in 1965, before the Serrano ruling, California ranked fifth in the nation in per-pupil spending, but by 1995, the state fell to 42nd. As a result, student achievement also began to drop. In 2017, California ranked 44th based on NAEP scores, graduation rate, college readiness, and access to preschool. In 2013, California implemented a new policy to tackle school funding and created the Local Control Funding Formula-a formula that is not based on property taxes and provides additional resources for students in need of additional supports, including those from low-income families, English language learners, and students with disabilities.

Similarly, in Texas, the Edgewood Independent School District v. Kirby case, which was filed after the Rodriguez decision, turned the issue of school finance into a zero-sum game. In 1989, the court ruled the state finance system unconstitutional on grounds of equity. In response, the Texas Legislature attempted to reduce differences in local tax revenues by recapturing a wealthy district's excess revenues and redistributing them to poorer districts-in what some label a "Robin Hood" approach-or by placing a cap on districts' property taxes.

The state legislature also attempted to place a cap on a district's property tax rates as a way to restrict wealthier districts from raising too much in revenue. However, in Neeley v. West Orange, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that this was essentially a statewide property tax, which is prohibited in the state constitution.

Little is likely to change. In 2016, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that the state met its minimal constitutional duty and that the court should not "usurp legislative authority" in deciding how Texas allocates funds to education.

In the end, equity cases spurred policy change to minimize funding inequities. Yet in some states, the focus on equal dollars, rather than the quality of services provided to students, led to a leveling out of public investment in education. In later cases, litigants and courts moved beyond the concept of equal funding levels, instead adopting "adequacy" as the framework.

Issues of adequacy: Second generation of school funding reform

Over the past few decades, an increasing number of state fiscal cases have focused on issues of adequacy, or a minimum amount of per-pupil funds. These cases rely on states to articulate clear educational goals for all students, identify programs or resources to meet those expectations, and allocate the funds to support necessary inputs. In some cases, this frame has created a context for weak policy, as courts have interpreted "adequate" to mean a bare minimum defined by the state. However, in several cases, this frame has driven efforts to articulate what level of funding and what types of resources are necessary to ensure equal educational opportunity. Cases in New Jersey and Massachusetts provide examples of the latter.

Abbott v. Burke: Raising the bar for school funding in New Jersey

Abbott v. Burke is often cited as a success story under an adequacy framework. Although the road to advocacy was a long one, which involved a series of compliance suits following the original court decision, the ultimate remedies implemented were substantial.

Abbott focused on New Jersey's poorest urban districts-28 districts at first, later expanded to 31. The plaintiffs argued that the state was failing to provide high-poverty districts with the funds necessary for a "thorough and efficient education," which was required by the state constitution. While Abbott was decided on adequacy grounds, the court orders called for reforms that both equalized funding across districts and provided funds for specific programs-above and beyond equalization.

In the initial rulings, the court explicitly called for "parity," or equality, in funding. Following the first major Abbott ruling in 1990, the New Jersey Legislature responded with the Quality Education Act (QEA). While the QEA did not give the Abbott districts full equity, it substantially improved funding for the districts. In 1996, the state legislature made another attempt to equalize funding with the Comprehensive Education Improvement and Financing Act, but the court found this effort insufficient. The court also continued to order parity in foundation funding, and by the 1997-98 school year, state aid increased by $246 million.

In later rulings, the court began mandating funding for specific programs that could improve student outcomes and close achievement gaps. In the 1998 Abbott V decision, the court mandated full-day kindergarten, half-day preschool, whole-school reform for elementary schools, college-transition programs for secondary schools, and other supplemental programs in Abbott districts. The court also granted districts the right to seek additional funding for on-site social services and other supplemental programs as needed.

In 2000, the court clarified its requirements on the implementation of "high-quality preschool" in the Abbott districts, including clear standards, a qualified teaching staff, and smaller class sizes. A series of later Abbott rulings also focused on the provision of state funding to schools for renovations and constructions. In 2008, the legislature earmarked almost $3 billion to help build schools in the state's cities.

The Abbott decisions have been critical in improving both fiscal equity and school quality in the state. New Jersey's approach was aggressive and expansive, and the court was actively involved in enforcing parity and providing increased resources to under-resourced districts. The court even asserted its new focus on quality, stating, "The comprehensive whole-school reform and supplemental programs approved by the Court amount to a marked shift in emphasis from financing as such to education itself."

New Jersey consistently ranks high in education performance and quality, as well as progress in narrowing the achievement gap. Many observers believe that the fiscal remedies established by Abbott have helped to increase student outcomes in the state.

McDuffy v. Secretary of the Executive Office of Education: Equitable school funding in Massachusetts

One hallmark of the bill was its introduction of a foundation formula, which aimed to bring all Massachusetts school districts to an adequate level of per-pupil funding by 2020 or over a seven-year phase-in period. By 2000, all districts were at or above their targeted foundation level. By 2002, the total funding doubled to nearly $3 billion. In 2005, the court ruled in Hancock v. Commissioner of Education that the state had established a system that sufficiently addressed inequities and met the constitutional standard.

To be sure, adequacy has its limitations as a policy. When defined narrowly, the reforms can serve as a barrier to progress. For instance, the U.S. Supreme Court discussed adequacy in Rodriguez but held that "the State's contribution ... was designed to provide an adequate minimum educational offering in every school in the State." Similarly, in Connecticut Coalition for Justice in Education Funding v. Rell, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled that the state allocated sufficient funding for minimally adequate facilitations, materials, curricula, and teachers, ultimately determining that decisions about the types of services a district provides were "quintessentially legislative in nature."

Recommendations

The nation needs a third way to understand school funding. Drawing from this analysis, the authors recommend that school finance reform emphasize a high-quality education program for all students. To reach this aim, students with greater needs must receive additional funding, and that funding needs to be targeted at the reforms that matter. Finally, accountability systems and academic standards are necessary to measure quality and shine a light on inequities.

Putting forth a federal high-quality finance system: The third wave of school finance

The following principles should guide school finance reform based on quality at the federal, state, and local levels, but states must drive reform to school funding systems, as local and state dollars account for the vast majority of overall education funding.

School funding systems should ensure equal access to core educational services. School equity debates must go beyond funding, and states must support equal access to robust services. The New Jersey Supreme Court described this issue well in the Abbott ruling: The focus should shift from "financing [to the issue of] education itself." The New Jersey court minimized educational disparities by requiring the legislature to implement high-quality policies and programs that are linked to improved student outcomes.

Specifically, policymakers should fund critical programs to increase the quality of all teachers. Policymakers and school funding advocates should protect and increase funding for teacher compensation and professional development, targeting low-income schools. Programs designed to reduce the cost of teacher preparation-such as the federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) loan forgiveness program-should be enhanced for those willing to teach in high-poverty schools.

Access to rigorous standards, curricula, and courses is also a key ingredient to a high-quality education. At a minimum, states should ensure that all students have access to algebra in eighth grade and to Advanced Placement (AP) or similar rigorous courses in high schools.

Finally, policymakers and school funding advocates must ensure equitable access to early childhood programs and other programs that offer child care. This would require federal and state governments to increase their investment in early childhood in order to ensure that all families, regardless of income, are able to access high-quality early childhood programs. Moreover, to improve the quality of all early childhood programs, public investment should incentivize programs to adopt rigorous standards and offers teachers in early childhood programs a suitable wage.

School funding should provide extra money for low-income students and end across-state inequities. In order to overcome issues of poverty, low-income students need additional funds. Some research shows that students in poverty require twice the funding as students from affluent backgrounds. These dollars should attract effective teachers, improve curriculum, and fund programs such as early childhood education.

Weighted student funding can help navigate the balance between higher-quality and better supports. Under this program, districts give low-income students, students with disabilities, and other at-risk populations extra "weights" so that additional funding is provided above the base per-pupil level. Funding is allocated to schools based on the number and demographics of students they serve. Weighted student funding models provide principals with discretion over the use of schools' budgets. Principals can build their school budget, staff, and program options to best serve their students.

Several states, including California and Rhode Island, have rolled out comprehensive school funding reforms that include weighted student funding. The impact of these programs is yet to be determined, but early results show at least some promise. California's new policy, it seems, has had a positive impact on high school graduate rates. Specifically, the graduation rate of high-need students who received an additional $1,000 in per-pupil spending from the state increased by an average of 5 percent.

Weighted student formulas should be tied to accountability frameworks that look at outcomes as well as equal access to core services, including early childhood education, effective teachers, and rigorous college- and career-ready curriculum.

Outcomes-based accountability should serve as a check on school funding systems. Fiscal reform must include efforts to increase the rigor of academic standards and strengthen accountability provisions. Such reforms make more data available to evaluate the quality of every public school and ensure that students are held to the same high levels of performance-irrespective of their race, income, or ZIP code.

Indeed, research has shown that states that adopt rigorous academic standards are more successful in increasing outcomes of low-income students. For example, a 2016 analysis found that states that fully embrace standards-based reform are more successful at improving the academic outcomes of low-income students, while states that are more resistant to adopting rigorous assessments post poorer results.

In other words, school funding reform is not a replacement for accountability systems. ESSA requires all states to adopt rigorous standards and hold schools accountable for student performance. It also maintains a requirement that every school must disaggregate student performance by student population-such as students from low-income families, English language learners, homeless and foster youth, and more.

Relatedly, weighted student funding also works best in conjunction with other reforms that emphasize quality and outcomes. In the last decade, many districts have implemented weighted student funding, including Houston, Baltimore, and New York City. The districts that have also included thoughtful indicators on student performance and maximized principal budget autonomy appear to be most successful in narrowing achievement gaps.

Given the level of flexibility afforded to local actors in most weighted student formula frameworks, accountability for outcomes is essential to ensuring that the additional resources reach the students most in need. In addition, there must be a check to ensure that weighted formulas increase access to fundamental core services such as early childhood education.

Accountability systems should also require districts to report transparent school-level outcome data. School report cards should specify students' outcomes as well as the availability and quality of core services that research shows are essential to provide a high-quality education. Such reporting must also be married with efforts to turn around low-performing schools and ensure support for schools that need the most help.

Education and child welfare programs should be fully funded. Both research and successful school finance reform show that money matters. Federal, state, and local policymakers should maintain or increase investments in education and child welfare programs. This is particularly important following the economic downturn in 2008, which negatively affected education funding as most states cut funding for education. As of 2015, 29 states had yet to restore funding to pre-2008 per-pupil funding levels.

When considering creating equitable services and opportunities for all students, federal, state, and district actors must preserve funding for education and other funding streams that meet children's needs.

Conclusion

Since Rodriguez, state litigation and legislative action have increased awareness of the importance of fiscal equity in education. Much can be learned from these efforts, and it is clear that neither equity nor adequacy alone is enough. Looking forward, federal, state, and local governments should learn from certain states' successes in order to develop funding systems that focus on quality and outcomes. School finance systems should be progressive and student-centered. States must set clear expectations, align funding and programming with these standards, and recognize the extra support that disadvantaged students need in terms of effective programs.

Justice Marshall once argued, "Sometimes history takes things into its own hands," and no doubt, he was right. Yet at the same time, policymakers-especially those at the state level-must take school finance into their own hands and do right by students.

About the authors

Carmel Martin is a distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress.

Ulrich Boser is a senior fellow at the Center.

Meg Benner is a senior consultant at the Center.

Perpetual Baffour is a former research associate at the Center.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Introduction and summary In 1968, a sheet metal worker named Demetrio Rodriguez decided to file a lawsuit against the Edgewood Independent School District, a high-poverty district located just outside of San Antonio, Texas, serving a predominately Mexican American population.

# data[].attributes.headline
U.S Department of Education Report on inequity

# data[].attributes.subject
U.S Department of Education Report on inequity

# data[].attributes.body
Report from 2011, but even more relevant in 2019.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today, the U.S. Department of Education announced that it will launch a new grant program to provide additional funding to school districts that have funds withheld by their state or are otherwise financially penalized for implementing strategies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance, such as universal indoor masking.

# data[].attributes.body
The author is from Brazil and shares stories...interesting.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Just as the futures of students depend on their schools, so do the future of schools depend on the students. Most students in classrooms today were born at the turn of the millennium. The world is changing rapidly, demanding new knowledge and skills, and offering new learning environments and ways of learning. Yet educational institutions often continue to look at reality through the rear-view mirror.

In Brazil, my home country, this contradiction has created additional challenges that sit alongside the chronic problems which have long jeopardized the quality and equity of public education. While solutions to many of these issues remain elusive, one thing is certain: we will continue to struggle to move forward without the active participation of students in the process. In this case, involvement means not only understanding how new generations learn, but also relying on their collaboration to introduce in schools innovations with which their teachers are unfamiliar.

Many of the main trends in education are intrinsically related to increased student participation in the educational process. Personalized learning, for example, requires that the individual characteristics of students are increasingly considered, and that they have greater autonomy and flexibility when choosing what and how to learn. New technologies have also created conditions for students to become more autonomous and to make choices.

Hands-on learning fosters authorship through encouraging students to put their knowledge and skills into practice by creating projects and products. Curricula focused on 21st century skills also call for more active pedagogical techniques, which not only broaden student engagement, but also develop their critical, creative, and purpose-based abilities, allowing them to remain proactive throughout adulthood.

Even tendencies in school management and the school environment require the greater engagement of students in the decisionmaking processes, with more horizontal and collaborative relationships between educators and pupils, as well as spaces and infrastructures that are more connected with the reality of today's generations.

More than a practice, participation must be understood as a principle capable of reorienting the way students are involved in their pedagogical process. Only then will it be incorporated into schools not as an occasional event, but as a value inherent in the school community.

Promoting student participation, therefore, requires the willingness of administrators and teachers to share information and power. Openness, dialogue, understanding, and cooperation are key factors in this process, which must balance the responsibilities of educators with contributions from students.

On the one hand, it is vital not to underestimate the potential of the students, even when they are young children or seem unengaged. But it is also important not to romanticize such learners, nor make participation a burden. Engagement needs to make sense and match the abilities of students, as well as collaborate with their learning and development, which are the key goals of every school.

Participation should also consider the students' culture, rather than forcing them to fit into models of the adult world. A playful approach, as well as art, culture, and digital media are some of the elements that can enhance the contribution of children, adolescents, and young people. The intention is to take these young people seriously, but also to respect their own forms of organization, expression, and contribution.

Student engagement is strengthened when the school creates opportunities for listening, choosing, co-authoring, and co-responsibility.

Listening: Consulting students about their own educational process, when they share opinions on a variety of subjects from everyday issues, such as school infrastructure and classroom activities, to more complex matters such as changes in curriculum and school organization.

Choosing: Allowing students to make choices regarding their educational process, whether choosing between different pedagogical activities or ways of learning, or selecting the subjects they wish to study, to mention just a few examples.

Co-authoring: Fostering the participation of students in learning processes that stimulate authorial productions, starting with simpler creations and progressing to involvement in the elaboration of more sophisticated projects such as writing a book, producing a video, or solving a problem in the community.

Co-responsibility: Engaging the students as agents of innovation in education, promoting their participation in discussions and initiatives aimed at improving their daily school life or even creating solutions to more challenging educational problems.

Everyone can be an agent of positive change at school and in the community if they are encouraged to empathize with, be concerned about, and commit to common issues and collaboration. Teaching institutions that foster this kind of attitude in their students not only rely on their contributions to strengthen their own schools, but also prepare them to be proactive citizens outside the school environment.

Since 2015, Instituto Inspirare has promoted a range of initiatives to encourage the participation of Brazilian students in improvements in education. The Our School In (Re)Construction survey heard from 132,000 students about their current school reality and their ideal school. The Make Sense platform, meanwhile, stimulates educational systems to listen to students and involve them in design thinking workshops to solve the problems of their schools in tandem with educators. The initiative has resulted in creative and interesting solutions that encourage and support school principals and teachers to visualize ways that educational institutions can be relevant and engaging for students.

After joining the Make Sense, a group of middle schools from Alagoas State in the Northeast of Brazil heard from their students that classes were boring and too disconnected from their lives. One of the solutions prototyped to solve the problem was the Box of References. The idea was to invite the students to make a list of their favorite songs, books, blogs, YouTubers, celebrities, and deposit them into a collector box. Teachers would then use the lists to better understand their students and design learning activities connected to their interests. Although simple, the solution proved to be very effective in engaging students and improving their relationship with their teachers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Many students are unengaged in their learning-how schools can create opportunities for participation

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Just as the futures of students depend on their schools, so do the future of schools depend on the students. Most students in classrooms today were born at the turn of the millennium. The world is changing rapidly, demanding new knowledge and skills, and offering new learning environments and ways of learning.

# data[].attributes.headline
Nice article on Content Creation and Curation (from sproutsocial.com)

# data[].attributes.subject
Nice article on Content Creation and Curation (from sproutsocial.com)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
With increased competition and ever-changing algorithms that reward brands that get a ton of engagement, the ability to feed your audience with content is more important than ever.

However, coming up with original content to share on social media on a consistent basis requires creativity, money and a good amount of time. And even then there's no guarantee the content you create will actually resonate with your audience.

In order to keep your audience engaged without spending all your resources on creating original photos and videos, it's extremely helpful to learn how to curate content like a pro.

We'll show you how to curate content in five simple steps. Then we'll go over an example of what the process would look like with a real business. By the end, you'll be able to schedule a full month's worth of engaging content in less than an hour. Let's dive in.

Step 1: Decide How Much You Want to Curate

Your first step is to come up with your "golden ratio" of original and curated content. What percentage of your content will be original, and how much be curated from somewhere else.

You'll want to figure this ratio out per network as well. For instance, you might curate more content on Twitter than you do on Instagram.

There isn't a single answer to how much content you should curate, but Curata did some research into what top content marketers do and found this mix:

65% originally created content

25% curated content

10% syndicated content

Again, this isn't universal, but it's a decent starting point.

Step 2: Create Categories

The next step is to create some categories or topics for the content you're going to curate. Otherwise, you'll end up sharing the same content over and over again, which gets boring.

There are a few different routes you can take, depending on your brand. Some companies only share content strictly related to their industry. For instance, Onsen is a brand that sells bathroom towels. Their Instagram feed is a mix of original and curated content focused on bathroom design and products.

But on the other end, you have companies like SanDisk that go a bit more broad. As you can probably imagine, data storage isn't the most visually appealing industry in the world. So Rather than restricting themselves to their specific industry, SanDisk goes a little more broad when curating content and posts visually stunning photographs.

At first, it might seem odd that a memory storage company is sharing outdoor photos on Instagram. But since a good chunk of their customer base consists of photographers that use their products to store pictures, it works well.

Step 3: Find Your Sources

You know how much you're going to curate, and your topics of interest. The next step is to figure out where you're going to get the content you're curating.

The most important thing to keep in mind is variety. Curating content from a variety of sources keeps your feed fresh and also gives you opportunities to build relationships with multiple content creators.

Here are some of the most popular ways to source content:

Re-share Other Social Media Posts

One of the biggest benefits of content curation is it saves time. And if you want to make curating content even quicker, this is probably the option for you. Pretty much every major social network has a way for you to quickly reshare content someone else has published onto your own feed.

Whether it's a Retweet, Repin, or Facebook share, you can curate content with a couple clicks on most platforms.

One minor exception to this is Instagram. While the app has reportedly been testing a Regram button, it's not official yet.

Luckily you don't have to wait. Sprout's mobile app has a feature that allows you to share other user's Instagram posts to your own feed, with just a few taps.

Resharing other people's posts is great for user-generated content (UGC). If you have an active community on social that loves to show their brand loyalty, why not shine some light on them?

You can make it easy to curate user-generated content by creating a branded hashtag for people to use. Or just encourage people to tag you in photos or videos mentioning your product.

This is a strategy food and beverage company Huel uses to engage with customers and share how people use their products.

Manual Research

The next approach is more time consuming, but gives you a little more freedom with the content you share. If you're constantly reading articles related to your industry, you can use a tool like Pocket to bookmark the page.

Then when you schedule content for the week or month, open up the Pocket app to look for content to curate.

The problem is that process can be a little tedious.

A simpler way to manually curate content is to use Sprout's browser extension ( sign up for a free trial to test it out). With the extension, you can schedule or publish content right from your browser.

Feedly

Another popular option for curating content is to use a tool like Feedly. Feedly is an aggregator that allows you to see the latest posts from your favorite websites.

You can add all the different websites you want to curate content from into Feedly, and then share them to your social media channels.

One cool thing about using Feedly to curate content is that it's integrated with Sprout. But you can also use it as a standalone tool to publish directly to your social channels.

Sprout's Content Suggestions

If you really want to save time and streamline the way you curate content, here's an even better option.

You can use Sprout Social's new Content Suggestions feature to get a library of content to curate. The great thing about Content Suggestions is it recommends content based on what has been highly shared.

One of the biggest struggles of sharing content in general is trying to pinpoint what will resonate with your audience. With Content Suggestions, you can curate articles that have already been proven to work well on social, so there's less guess work.

Repurpose & Curate Your Own Content

Curating doesn't have to always mean sharing content from sites other than your own.

Instead, you can repurpose your own content and curate it across your social feeds. In fact, 29% of leading marketers reuse and repurpose content.

Repurposing could be as simple as turning a blog post you wrote into custom images that can be shared on Facebook and Instagram. Check out our guide below for more ideas on how to repurpose content.

Step 4: Share

We touched on this a bit in the previous step, but now it's time to share the content you're curating. The most important thing to keep in mind here is to add some personalization when you curate. It doesn't have to just by a copy and paste job.

For instance, if you use our browser extension (or most other social media scheduling tools) the default copy for tweets, LinkedIn posts and other channels is typically the title of the page you're sharing.

But you're not obligated to stick to that. Customize it to fit your brand's voice and personality.

For instance, Evernote curates content from websites related to creativity and productivity. Rather than sticking to just using the standard title, they come up with their own copy to spice up the tweets.

It's also helpful to plan ahead and build curated content into your content scheduling routine.

One tactic you can use is to schedule out your calendar with your own content first, including promotional content or specific campaigns. Then, you'll be able to fill in the gaps with curated content.

Having that aerial weekly or monthly view of your social media calendar makes it easy to vary up your calendar and avoid sharing content about the same topics over and over again.

Step 5: Analyze

This is the step that marketers tend to skip. They share the content and never think about it again.

But remember, just because you shared content doesn't mean people saw it, yet alone engaged.

Digging into your social media analytics to see what's working and what's not can give you insight for the future.

For instance, you might notice that a certain category of content doesn't perform as well as others. So you could adjust your strategy to cater to the type of content your audience resonates with the most.

On a regular basis, go through and look at which Tweets, Facebook posts or Instagram posts drive the most engagement. Then use that data to curate more content.

How to Curate Content in Sprout Social

Now that you know the steps, let's walk through an example of what the process could look like using a hypothetical company-a coffee shop called Sprout Coffee.

Sprout Coffee is a fictional coffee shop looking to expand the content they share on Instagram and Twitter. Since they don't have a huge team to create a bunch of original content, they want to start curating content from other sources as well.

Deciding How Much to Curate

Since their primary social channels are Twitter and Instagram, they've decided to post 60% original content and 40% curated from other sources.

Most of their curated content will happen on Twitter, while Instagram will primarily be original content with UGC mixed in.

Planning Their Content Categories

Now it's time for Sprout Coffee to figure out what type of content they're going to curate and categorize it. Since they're a trendy coffee shop with loyal customers, we'll use these categories for curated content:

Coffee facts

Photos from customers inside the shop (UGC)

Local neighborhood events

Art and culture

With this mix, they'll be able to share a good variety of entertaining and informational content from multiple sources.

Finding & Sharing Content

The next step is to look for content sources. Based on the categories we decided on, we could use any of the sources we mentioned earlier.

But just to keep things simple, we'll walk through how to curate articles from other websites and UGC from customers.

First, we'll use Sprout's Suggested Content feature to find articles to curate on Twitter. So we'll head over to the Publishing tab and click Find Content. Then we'll choose the Arts & Entertainment category.

Now we have a few subcategories to pick from. Since a lot of people like to go into coffee shops and read, let's focus on books. So we'll check that box, and Sprout will give us a list of relevant articles from around the web.

The article about International Book Giving Day looks perfect! So we can hit Send to Compose, type out our copy for a tweet and schedule it.

You can repeat that process for as many articles as you want to curate.

Next, let's look at how we could use Sprout to curate UGC from Instagram.

We'll start by using the Smart Inbox. We can create a branded hashtag #Sproutcoffee, and filter in only messages that contain the hashtag on Instagram.

And just like that, we have a stream full of content we can repost as UGC. Check out this post to learn how to Regram content with Sprout.

Repeat that a few times and you can easily fill up your social media calendar with curated content for weeks, or even months in advance.

Curating Content Doesn't Have to be a Pain

Using the steps in this guide, you can easily curate content for your social channels without taking up an entire day. It all comes down to understanding your audience, using the right tools and constantly analyzing your results.

Do you have any tips on how to curate content? Leave a comment and let us know!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With increased competition and ever-changing algorithms that reward brands that get a ton of engagement, the ability to feed your audience with content is more important than ever. However, coming up with original content to share on social media on a consistent basis requires creativity, money and a good amount of time.

# data[].attributes.headline
Education Week webinars about Literacy, or by topic

# data[].attributes.subject
Education Week webinars about Literacy, or by topic

# data[].attributes.body
Good PD also!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Free professional development: Browse Education Week's collection of webinars on literacy and English/language arts. These virtual broadcasts address boosting student proficiency in reading, writing, and literacy through different types of instruction, including instruction aligned to the common-core standards. All webinars are accessible for a limited time after the original live streaming date. Participation certificates are not provided, but viewers receive a post-event confirmation email.
For information about our next upcoming webinar, visit our main webinar page.
Literacy as a Tool for Student Engagement
Content provided by ThinkCERCA.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Student achievement doesn't happen without student engagement. Research shows that when students are actively engaged in the learning process, they retain information better, are more likely to be hopeful for the future, and have a greater chance of attending higher education.

While district administrators know that student engagement is critical, they also know it can be difficult to find ways to support classroom engagement from the central office.

Join this webinar with the Executive Director of Research at ThinkCERCA Chris Balow, who will explain how district leaders can use a literacy initiative to cultivate student engagement. By emphasizing reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills across the curriculum, educators can provide students abundant opportunities to collaborate with peers, develop deeper connections to learning, and see the real-world applications of their classroom instruction.
Presenter:
* Chris Balow, Ph.D., Executive Director of Research, ThinkCERCA

View this on-demand webinar now.
Building Community Around Essential Literacy Experiences
Content provided by Heinemann.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

From assessment to classroom instruction to intervention, essential literacy experiences are grounded in the common language and instructional approaches that unite teaching and learning. Implementing a literacy system rooted in coherence builds a community of learners that empowers every teacher, every student, every day with high-impact teaching, high-quality texts, and highly engaging talk -together towards a literate life. Join literacy leaders Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell as together they explore the essential literacy experiences that are critical for nurturing lifelong readers and writers.
View this on-demand webinar now.
Live Webinar With Fountas & Pinnell: Levels Are a Teacher's Tool, NOT a Child's Label
Content provided by Heinemann.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

All children deserve access to an authentic, rich, and diverse text base-including a robust classroom library where levels have no place. The books in a classroom library are not there for the purpose of "practicing reading," but rather to create lifelong readers who have the power of choice, the ability to make decisions about books, the freedom to have opinions, the opportunity to think critically, and the pleasure of reading for a sustained time every day. Levels have a critical place in the hands of teachers who understand their complexity and use them to make good decisions in instruction. Advocating for the appropriate use of levels in our schools and within our classrooms is both a challenge and an opportunity.

Join literacy leaders Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell as together we untangle common misconceptions around text levels and explore practical tips for nurturing student agency and communicating progress.
Presenters:
* Irene C. Fountas, professor, Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass.
* Gay Su Pinnell, professor emeritus, School of Teaching and Learning, Ohio State University
Moderators:
* Erika Denn, director, Fountas & Pinnell Marketing
* Samantha Garon, director, Fountas & Pinnell Marketing
View this on-demand webinar now.
Cross-Curricular Instructional Principles to Prepare More ELA Students for AP and College
Content provided by SpringBoard.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

This webinar will introduce the College Board's Shared Instructional Principles that have been identified across curriculums to prepare more students for AP and college success. By building in a common set of routines and approaches, beginning in middle school, more ELA students can be prepared to complete college-level work in high school.

Participants will learn tips and tricks to apply the four principles to their own classroom instruction. Join SpringBoard Teacher of Distinction Amanda Shackelford to review strategies for incorporating Close Observation & Analysis, Higher-Order Questioning, Academic Conversations, and Evidence-Based Writing into your classroom.
View this on-demand webinar now.
Live Webinar With Fountas & Pinnell: Getting Practical About a Multi-Text Approach to Literacy Instruction
Content provided by Heinemann.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

All children deserve access to an authentic, rich text base in their classroom. The texts they encounter in their literacy education must be varied, well-written, engaging, accessible, and plentiful. Creating a rich text base of high-quality books in the school and within each classroom takes time, planning, and collaboration among the school team; however, it is also a critical, "must have" element in supporting children's literacy learning.

Join literacy leaders Irene C. Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell as they will explore practical tips for how to build variety in the classroom text base, and how to lift learning with different texts for different purposes.
Presenters:
* Irene C. Fountas, professor, Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass.
* Gay Su Pinnell, professor emeritus, School of Teaching and Learning, Ohio State University
Moderators:
* Erika Denn, director, Fountas & Pinnell Marketing
* Samantha Garon, director, Fountas & Pinnell Marketing
View this on-demand webinar now.
Develop Your Teachers Into Literacy Experts
Content provided by Voyager Sopris Learning.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Young learners who struggle to read need more than books to achieve literacy. They need teachers who know how to teach the foundational skills of reading and comprehension of academic language. When teachers understand the WHY behind the HOW of teaching reading, students make greater gains-and are on track for lifelong success.

Join this webinar to learn how a Louisiana district achieved incredible K-3 literacy results and continues to make great strides in improving reading and literacy, intervening before students fall too far behind. You will gain strategies to help:

* Address the professional development piece of your reading initiative.
* Equip your teachers with the skills to teach early foundational reading.
* Empower your teachers to set all students on a trajectory toward grade-level reading proficiency.
Presenters:
* Kimberly Bennett, deputy assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, Rapides Parish School Board, Alexandria, La.
* Alana Cohen, district ELA curriculum specialist K-5, Rapides Parish School Board, Alexandria, La.
* Louisa Moats, renowned literacy expert and author of LETRS® (Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling)
Moderator:
* Caroline Wynne, senior marketing communications manager, Voyager Sopris Learning®
View this on-demand webinar now.
Reaching English-Language Learners to Ensure Equity for All
Content provided by Illuminate Education.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.
View this on-demand webinar now.
Planting the Seeds of Reading Comprehension Using the Foundational Skills
Content provided by Curriculum Associates.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

"We wish every dedicated primary grade teacher to find the enjoyment of teaching reading foundations tied to real applications in reading texts with children and in writing words, phrases, sentences, captions, stories, poems, and other writing products. When students use these foundations in reading and writing, they are empowered and enjoy the real reasons humans read and write."

-Dr. D. Ray Reutzel

Join early literacy expert Dr. D. Ray Reutzel for a discussion about the latest research on foundational reading skills instruction for young children, with strategies to support teaching the following skills in the classroom:

* Concepts About Print
* Letter Recognition
* Phonological Awareness
* Phonics
* Word Recognition
* Oral Reading Fluency
View this on-demand webinar now.
Creating a Collaborative Classroom to Actively Engage Students in ELA and Math Learning for Grades 6-12
Content provided by SpringBoard.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Studies show that "students who work in collaborative groups tend to be more satisfied with their classes, complete more assignments, and generally like school better" (Summers, 2006). Group work also leads to an increase in student responsibility and ownership of their success in the classroom and beyond.

Join SpringBoard product managers and former SpringBoard teachers to learn how the English Language Arts (ELA) and Math instructional programs for grades 6-12 foster collaboration in the classroom while encouraging students to work toward established goals.
View this on-demand webinar now.
A Blueprint for Language and Literacy Learning
Content provided by Heinemann.
Envision the ideal design for literacy and language instruction in your school.
* What does it look like?
* What student resources and professional learning opportunities propel learning?
* What are your beliefs and vision for the literacy lives of students in your school?

Turning a vision into action requires the process of design-a plan for a system that works in a coherent way. The pursuit of coherence starts with a common vision, a culture of collaboration, and a commitment to authentic literacy learning.

Join literacy leaders Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell as together we will explore how to lift students' learning beyond the walls of the classroom with texts and a blueprint for teaching that create authentic experiences in reading, thinking, talking, writing, and reflecting to realize what it truly means to live a literate life.
Presenters:
* Irene C. Fountas, professor, Lesley University in Cambridge, Mass.
* Gay Su Pinnell, professor emeritus, School of Teaching and Learning, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Moderators:
* Samantha Garon, director of marketing, Heinemann
* Stephanie Tucker, marketing manager, Heinemann
View this on-demand webinar now.
How Can Your District Spot-and Support-Diverse Gifted Students?
Underwriting for this webinar has been provided by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

It can be hard for academically advanced English-language learners to show what they can do before they have mastered the language, and new evidence suggests they are underrepresented in gifted programs in nearly every state. But identifying and serving advanced ELLs can not only help districts respond to new federal reporting requirements, but build a stronger gifted program too. That's why the 36,000-student Tulsa, Okla., district is experimenting with more-diverse testing, greater parent outreach, and closer observation to fill equity gaps in the district's advanced programs.
View this on-demand webinar now.
Building a Community of Readers-Driving Student Engagement Through Collective Impact
Content provided by myON.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Achieving grade-level reading proficiency by third grade, when the focus shifts "from learning to read to reading to learn," is a reliable indicator of success in school and in life. Because learning happens 24/7 year around, families and communities play an important role in extending the school day, reinforcing what's learned in the classroom and opening up additional opportunities, through formal and informal activities.

Building communities of readers is everyone's responsibility-and ensuring that our collective efforts deliver intended results for students, schools, and communities is equally important.

Learn how our personalized approach to literacy, based upon cutting-edge technology and results-oriented research, ensures that every learner is engaged and supported in ways that foster and measure their growth.
Presenters:
* César Morales, superintendent, Oxnard School District, Oxnard, Calif., and a 2017 Education Week Leader To Learn From
* Todd Brekhus, president, myON
Moderator:
* Holly Yettick, director, Education Week Research Center
View this on-demand webinar now.
Building Bridges to Success for English-Language Learners
This webinar is sponsored by Middlebury Interactive Languages.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

New research from the Center for Promise, the research arm of America's Promise Alliance, finds that schools and educators who want to boost the prospects for English-language learners should take stock of what is happening in their lives both inside and outside the classroom. Drawing on student data and interviews with English-learners, the researchers explored why the students may struggle to achieve English proficiency and identified steps that educators can take to knock down barriers ELLs encounter on the road to earning a diploma. Join us for a conversation with researchers and educators to explore how to build bridges, not barriers, to success for English-learners.
View this on-demand webinar now.
Engaging the Eye: Building Literacy Via Visual Art
Content provided by Great Minds.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Just as great literature provides rich content for inquiry and analysis, fine art offers powerful opportunities to cultivate literacy skills and build content knowledge. Through the study of painting, sculpture, and architecture, all students-particularly struggling readers and English-language learners-can become more insightful readers, effective communicators, and analytical thinkers.

In this interactive webinar, Lynne Munson and Rachel Stack of Great Minds discuss and model art instruction with an 8th grade teacher, highlighting how the study of visual art builds cultural knowledge and fosters academic achievement for the widest range of learners. Learn from these leaders as they demonstrate how to leverage visual art to build skills, increase cultural literacy, and strengthen standards-based instruction.

The written word isn't the only text for the classroom! Let art expand your students' skills and world of knowledge.
View this on-demand webinar now.
Read, Write, Succeed: Models for Advancing Student Writing
Content provided by Great Minds.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Each year droves of high school graduates enter college or the workforce unable to write as well as professors or employers expect. Writing can be one of the most difficult skills to teach, often because it is siloed and taught as a stand-alone skill, apart from quality content.

In this interactive webinar, the co-founders of the Vermont Writing Collaborative and a 4th grade teacher share classroom-tested methods that advance student achievement by intimately connecting deep content knowledge with explicit writing frameworks. Learn what experts and the best writing teachers in America know: that content and structured instruction work hand-in-hand. Empower students to successfully leverage the power of great content and structure to improve their writing-paving the way for college and career success.
View this on-demand webinar now.
Acing the Test: Strategies for Supporting Student Achievement
Content provided by Great Minds.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

What will the next generation of high-stakes assessments require? The answer might surprise you.

Learn how teaching strategies that provide access to complex, content-rich, grade-level texts effectively position students to be successful readers, communicators-and even test takers.

In this interactive webinar, David Liben of Student Achievement Partners and Rachel Stack of Great Minds highlight how book-based lessons engage all learners, build knowledge, and set students up for academic achievement. Using real-world examples, these leaders will demonstrate how you can leverage the power of close reading, curated texts, and vocabulary practice as paths toward student mastery.

Leave the test prep packets and disconnected basals behind and focus on how meaningful instruction, based in knowledge-building text, are the key to making the grade.
View this on-demand webinar now.
Intervention for Young English-Language Learners
Content provided by Istation.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Learn how blended learning supports reading intervention and instruction for English-language learners (ELLs). Covering computer-adaptive assessments and instruction, dual-language instructional specialist Lisa Capra introduces ways educational technology supports data-driven instruction and traditional face-to-face approaches.

This webinar provides a case study and shows educators how the School District of Palm Beach County in Florida launched a reading intervention program in more than a dozen elementary schools. Take a look at the program and see how students embark on a path toward biliteracy through educational technology and blended learning. Also, examine the rewards of data-driven instruction and learn what it takes to launch an effective intervention program that works for young English-language learners.

Webinar presenters will share:

* Ways RtII/MTSS supports students in English-language learners.
* How blended learning supports intervention and instruction for bilingual children.
* Results schools can expect.
* Best practices and lessons learned.
* Steps to take to launch similar initiatives.
View this on-demand webinar now.
Prioritizing Language Learning in the Standards Era
Content provided by Middlebury Interactive Languages.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

As our students prepare for a future where the world is more connected than ever before, second language acquisition is top of mind for many educators. Numerous studies have shown significant benefits from language learning, including better career prospects, improved academic performance, and enhanced empathy and creativity. Unfortunately, the realities of the modern school day, with numerous state and federal standards and mandates, often squeeze out language instruction from the schedule-despite significant interest from educators and parents in making language learning more accessible. Still, some schools, districts, and even states have committed to making language learning a top priority. Join us for this webinar discussion led by statewide policymakers and school administrators on how schools can balance these challenges and make language learning available for all students.
View this on-demand webinar now.
High-Impact Instructional Strategies: Two Perspectives on Aligning Literacy Initiatives With Higher-Order Expectations
Content provided by McGraw-Hill Education.
Download the PowerPoint presentation.

PreK-12 literacy leaders are rethinking their initiatives to drive student gains in language arts, and to deliver the ELA instruction required for each student to be masterful and future-ready.

Rising educational expectations, increasing accountability, equitability for diverse populations, and new technologies are creating opportunities for gaining growth and higher outcomes for every student. Leaders are advancing their ELA curricula to ensure instruction and assessment are consistent, coherent, rigorous, and relevant.

Gain actionable frameworks and strategies for developing holistic literacy instruction so all students can excel as literate, responsible global citizens.

Join literacy curriculum experts Douglas Fisher, Ph.D., professor of educational leadership at San Diego State University, and Shawn Mahoney, Ph.D., chief academic officer at McGraw-Hill Education, to discover proven methods and high-impact solutions to enrich school and district literacy initiatives.
View this on-demand webinar now.
English-Language-Learner Literacy Under the Every Student Succeeds Act
Part of the Inside ESSA Webinar Series This webinar is sponsored by Middlebury Interactive Languages.
This webinar took place on October 6, 2016 @ 2 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

As many states experience growth in their English-language-learner populations, changes required by the federal Every Student Succeeds Act will give this group of students a higher profile and reflect their growing importance in measuring overall student achievement. That's in part because schools' accountability for the progress that English-learners make in learning the language is now integrated into Title I, the federal program under which the performance of all other students is scrutinized. But the change doesn't come without complications. Some state education agencies are still unsure how they will interpret and implement the law's mandates. Join us for a conversation with English-language-learner administrators from the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C., and Roseville, Minn., school districts to examine their plans for adjusting to the new federal law.

Early Literacy Instruction: 10 Research-Informed Practices That Can Change Every Classroom
Content provided by BloomBoard.
This webinar took place on September 26, 2016 @ 2 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

As in many states, far too many of Michigan's children are not reading proficiently by the end of grade three-and the situation continues to worsen. Addressing this problem can require broad and significant improvement in instructional practices. Toward that end, an Early Literacy Task Force (ELTF) in Michigan identified 10 research-informed classroom literacy instructional practices for Pre-K and 10 such practices for K-3 that can have a meaningful impact on student literacy. In this presentation, Nell Duke, Susan Townsend, and Naomi Norman will share these instructional practices, and discuss how the ELTF is working to make them a focus of professional development throughout the state of Michigan. These practices can be used by educators nationwide to make similar changes in their states.

ESSA Explained: Inside the Nation's New K-12 Law
This webinar is sponsored by Instructure. Underwriting for this webinar has been provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
This webinar took place on May 25, 2016 @ 2 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

The Every Student Succeeds Act, signed into law in December, is poised to shake up the landscape for states and districts on everything from school accountability to testing, teacher policy, and funding. This latest version of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act shifts significant K-12 responsibility away from the federal level. States will set their own academic goals for students, within certain federal boundaries, and have more control over how to turn around low-performing schools. But there are plenty of other changes to come, and regulations under the law are still being hammered out, while members of Congress watch the rollout, many of them looking to keep the U.S. Department of Education on a tight leash. Join members of the Education Week government and policy staff for a conversation about key aspects of ESSA and what's in store for state and district leaders.
Presenter:
* Andrew Ujifusa, assistant editor, Education Week
Moderator:
* Mark W. Bomster, assistant managing editor, Education Week

English-Learners and the Common Core: New Instructional Strategies
This webinar is sponsored by Middlebury Interactive Languages. Underwriting for this webinar has been provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
This webinar took place on April 28, 2016 @ 3 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

As many educators are discovering, Common Core State Standards pose particular challenges for English-language learners in both language arts and mathematics, and yet the standards documents themselves provide little guidance for how teachers can help their ELLs meet the new objectives. In this webinar, veteran teachers Larry Ferlazzo and Katie Hull Sypnieski, authors of the forthcoming Navigating the Common Core With English Language Learners, will offer practical guidance on integrating the standards into instruction for ELLs. The authors will discuss research and developments in ELL education, examine the standards in depth with eye towards challenges and opportunities for ELL students, and provide targeted scaffolding techniques and instructional activities. The goal will be to give attendees a better understanding of how and when to adapt instruction under the common core to the particular needs of English-learners.
Presenters:
* Larry Ferlazzo is an award-winning English and Social Studies teacher at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, Calif., and the author of Education Week Teacher's blog Classroom Q&A With Larry Ferlazzo.
* Katie Hull Sypnieski teaches English and English-language development at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, Calif., and is the co-author of Navigating the Common Core With English Language Learners.
Moderator:
* Anthony Rebora, managing editor, Education Week Teacher; assistant managing editor, Education Week

Demystifying the Role of Reading Comprehension in the Common Core
Content provided by Curriculum Associates.
This webinar took place on April 5, 2016 @ 2 p.m. ET

Culture Change: Expanding World Language for Young Learners
Content provided by Middlebury Interactive Languages.
This webinar took place on March 15, 2016 @ 2 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

The United States is trailing the European Union and other competitor nations in the number and growth of bilingual residents. But beyond economic competitiveness, too many students are missing out on the significant cognitive and cultural benefits of second language acquisition, which include increased scholastic success, heightened sympathy for others, and increased creativity. Part of this language deficit can be attributed to tight school budgets and schedules that have created a dearth of early language programs in American schools. However, some progressive educators and political leaders are working to reverse this trend by implementing innovative, culturally authentic programs for elementary and middle schools. This webinar will bring together some of these innovators for an engaging discussion on successful strategies for bringing flexible, culturally-authentic, and academically-rigorous world language instruction to young learners.

Teaching Reading Like a Champion: A Look at Doug Lemov's New Book
Underwriting for this webinar has been provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
This webinar took place on March 7, 2016 @ 3 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Doug Lemov gained international fame with the release of his first book, Teach Like a Champion. In a new book, he and two of his Uncommon Schools colleagues dive into the instructional tactics behind effective reading instruction. Using the Common Core State Standards as a framework, the book tackles text selection, close reading, nonfiction, vocabulary, and a range of other literacy topics. While most of the tips are geared toward middle and high school English teachers and reading specialists, the authors say there's something in there for anyone teaching reading.

In this webinar, the authors of Reading Reconsidered will discuss some of the key insights from their five years of research on what the best reading teachers are doing.
Presenters:
* Colleen Driggs, director of professional development, Teach Like a Champion team, Uncommon Schools
* Doug Lemov, managing director, Uncommon Schools, and head of the Teach Like a Champion team, a professional development arm for the 44-school charter network
* Erica Woolway, chief academic officer, Teach Like a Champion team, Uncommon Schools
Moderator:
* Liana Heitin, assistant editor, Education Week

Read for Success: Improve Reading Proficiency and Combat the Summer Learning Slide
Content provided by Reading Is Fundamental.
This webinar took place on November 4, 2015 @ 2 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Read for Success is a groundbreaking program intervention designed to combat summer learning loss and help early elementary students excel at reading. Tested over a two-year period as part of an Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, RIF's evidence-based model is proven to increase students' reading proficiency and curb the "summer learning slide"-a contributing factor to the achievement gap. Over the two-year study, 57 percent of students saw gains in reading proficiency through access to high-quality books, enriching resources, books for summer reading, and professional development.

In this interactive webinar you'll learn about the research and efficacy of Read for Success and key components of the program, hear testimonials and best practices from educators using the program, and learn how school systems can implement Read for Success to improve reading proficiency and motivate students to read, learn, and grow.

For more information, visit www.rif.org/readforsuccess.

New Strategies for Reading Aloud to K-2 Students
Underwriting for this webinar has been provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
This webinar took place on June 18, 2015 @ 2 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

The old-fashioned classroom K-2 read-aloud is changing. For decades, these cozy gatherings have focused on the story line, the sound of words, and developing a love of reading. But in the wake of the common core, K-2 teachers are refining their approach, crafting questions that guide children back to the text to build vocabulary, content knowledge, and evidence-based understanding of the text. Join us for a lively discussion with a teacher who's using that approach, and a leader of an initiative that helps teachers collaborate to build an online storehouse of free read-aloud lessons.

No More Word Lists: Teaching Vocabulary in Context
This webinar is sponsored by Amplify. Underwriting for the content of this webinar has been provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Rather than introducing vocabulary through word lists and sentence writing, some literacy experts are now saying the best way to teach new words is by teaching students about the world. By embedding vocabulary instruction in social studies and science units, and by having students read multiple texts about a single topic (for instance, coral reefs or the Great Depression), students may ultimately acquire more academic words.

In this webinar, literacy researchers Gina Cervetti and Tanya Wright will discuss their findings on vocabulary acquisition in the content areas, and special education teacher Jodie Westmont will explain how she uses "text sets" developed around a single topic to teach her students new words.
Presenters:
* Gina Cervetti, assistant professor of literacy, language, and culture, University of Michigan's school of education
* Tanya Wright, assistant professor of language and literacy, Michigan State University's college of education
* Jodie Westmont, special education teacher, Washoe County school district, Reno, Nev.
Moderator:
* Liana Heitin, assistant editor, Education Week

Del Mar Schools Improves Students' Writing Skills With Google for Education
Content provided by Google for Education.
This webinar took place on May 27, 2015 @ 2 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Making Complex Texts Compelling to Middle-School Students
Content provided by Amplify.
This webinar took place on May 12, 2015 @ 2 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

With all the changes happening in middle school students' lives, keeping them engaged can be challenging. How can you help them stay focused to develop the close-reading skills required by new, more rigorous standards? Amplify Learning's Chief Executive Officer Larry Berger and Chief English Language Arts Officer Deborah Reck will discuss strategies for making great literature compelling for middle school students. They'll share key insights on the best ways to help students make meaning of complex texts and get the motivation to dig more deeply, read more critically, and write more vividly about great literature and non-fiction. They will also address how to accomplish these same goals with English Language Learners, and how all of these strategies have been used to create Amplify's all-digital core curriculum for middle school ELA.

Closing the Achievement Gap for ELLs Through Technology & Proven Language Pedagogy
Content provided by Middlebury Interactive Languages.
In this interactive webinar from Middlebury Interactive Languages, leading English Language Learning (ELL) educators and language experts will discuss how to apply seven proven pedagogical principles of language learning to meet the educational needs of all non-native speaking populations, the nation's fastest growing school population. This webinar will provide teachers and administrators with real-world advice on how to develop and implement ELL solutions that integrate cultural understanding, new digital tools, and rigorous curriculum models in blended learning environments.

Deepening and Widening the Way We Teach Writing in K-5
Content provided by Curriculum Associates.
Reading to Learn: Creative Supports Beyond 3rd Grade Retention
Underwriting for the content of this webinar has been provided by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. This webinar is sponsored by Amplify Assessment.
This webinar took place on November 19, 2014 @ 2 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Students who aren't reading well by 3rd grade are four times less likely to graduate high school by age 19, studies show. That's why 33 states and Washington, D.C., have passed laws intended to ensure proficient reading by 3rd grade. Join D. Ray Reutzel, the director of the Early Childhood Center at Utah State University, and Krista Calvert, the project manager of the Literacy Lab Classroom Cohort in Kansas City, Kansas, for a discussion on going beyond retention to use creative ways to help students cross the bridge from "learning to read" to "reading to learn."

Mastering the Most Challenging Standards With Rigorous Instruction
Content provided by Curriculum Associates.
This webinar took place on October 29, 2014 @ 2 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

Based on independent research and results from over 750,000 students, the most challenging reading standards for students have been identified. This webinar will discuss the practical instructional ideas to help teachers and administrators conquer the rigor needed to master these standards. The discussion will specifically relate to determining central ideas or themes and summarizing details, analyzing text structure, integrating and evaluating content in diverse media and formats, and analyzing similar topics and themes across texts. Participants will pinpoint which standards are the most challenging, where students struggle the most, and be able to better focus their instructional time to master these standards.

Every Child Reading: Linking Knowledge and Practice to Support School Systems
Content provided by Learning Ally.
This webinar took place on October 28, 2014 @ 2 p.m. ET

Download the PowerPoint presentation.

How can teachers ensure that all children, including millions impacted by dyslexia-the most common type of reading disability-learn to read and write proficiently? To close the literacy achievement gap, support measures must be embedded in schools and include all stakeholders-administrators, teachers, parents, and children. Acclaimed educator and researcher Margie Gillis will share her precedent-setting work with schools, districts, state departments of education, and policymakers to advocate on behalf of all children and protect their right to learn to read well. Her work centers around five essential school priorities:

* Supporting school leadership
* Using data transparently for accountability
* Coordinating a multitier system of support
* Providing embedded professional development based on best practices
* Engaging parents and families

This free one-hour webinar is sponsored by Learning Ally, a national nonprofit providing resources, training, and technology for teachers and schools; and 80,000 human-voiced audiobooks for students with learning & visual disabilities.

Teaching Social Issues in the Common-Core Era
This webinar is sponsored by Teaching Tolerance, a Project of the Southern Poverty Law Center.
The Common Core State Standards in English/Language Arts, as well as other college-and-career-ready standards, place strong emphases on critical literacy, cross-curricular learning, and cultural understanding. This webinar will explore how some educators are using those levers to create interdisciplinary units that integrate a variety of texts and learning methods to help students delve into social issues, including identity, cultural history, diversity, and civic engagement. The presentations will address issues such as instructional relevancy and student engagement, as well as boosting students' proficiency in close reading, critical thinking, and social-emotional understanding. The guests will also reflect on the challenges involved in developing interdisciplinary literacy units, teaching social topics, and transitioning to new standards.
Presenters:
* Ruchi Agarwal-Rangnath, adjunct professor, elementary education, San Francisco State University; author, Social Studies, Literacy, and Social Justice in the Common Core Classroom: A Guide for Teachers
* Erin Angell, high school English teacher, Palo Alto High School, Calif., and co-creator of the Social Justice Pathway curriculum
* Eric Bloom, high school history and economics teacher, Palo Alto High School, Calif., and co-creator of the Social Justice Pathway curriculum
Moderator:
* Anthony Rebora, managing editor, Education Week Teacher

Meeting the New Writing Expectations: Preparing Teachers and Students for Success
Content provided by Curriculum Associates.
The Most Challenging Instructional Shifts in the CCSS for English/Language Arts
Content provided by Curriculum Associates.
The Common Core State Standards emphasize several challenging shifts that require students to think differently, teachers to change instructional strategies, and administrators to reconsider the support needed in order to enable success. In this webinar, we will discuss four of the most challenging shifts, including:

* Emphasis on Academic Vocabulary
* Complex Text
* Close Reading
* Greater Emphasis on Informational Text

Participants will learn what these shifts really mean; how the various ELA standards connect to support them; and practical applications for addressing the shifts in the classroom.

More Time for Reading: How Florida Schools Are Using a Longer Day to Bolster Literacy Instruction
Underwriting for the content of this webinar has been provided by the Ford Foundation.
In 2012, Florida required its 100 lowest performing elementary schools to add an extra hour to their school day, with the time to be used for intensive reading instruction. Early results suggest the initiative may be paying off. An elementary curriculum director from a large district and a principal from a small district share their strategies for making the most of the additional time.
Presenters:
* Debbie Battles, elementary curriculum director, Palm Beach County school district, Fla.
* Harriet Taylor, principal, Springfield Elementary School, Panama City, Fla.
Moderator:
* Catherine Gewertz, associate editor, Education Week

Wanted: Teachers with Knowledge of Language and Dyslexia
Content provided by Learning Ally.
Dyslexia, the most common type of reading disability, affects millions of students across the U.S. However, many myths and misunderstandings around dyslexia impede teachers' and parents' access to information and effective interventions. In this one-hour webinar, leading researcher and educator Dr. Louisa Moats will define dyslexia, provide essential facts, and discuss groundbreaking practices in professional development to help teachers learn what they need to know to help students with this condition succeed in the classroom.

This webinar is presented by Learning Ally, a national nonprofit organization that has helped millions of K-12 and college students who read and learn differently due to dyslexia, visual impairment, and other disabilities. Through its support programs for teachers and parents, with a library of over 80,000 downloadable human-narrated audio textbooks and literature titles, Learning Ally enables students with print disabilities to succeed.

Helping At-Risk Students Develop Literacy Skills
This webinar has been sponsored by Nuance.
Students with disabilities and other children at risk of reading difficulties may require different teaching strategies and additional scaffolding to reach their full potential, particularly in an era of common standards. Join Peggy Coyne, a research scientist at the Center for Applied Special Technology in Wakefield, Mass., and Lori DiGisi, a curriculum coordinator for Framingham Public Schools in Massachusetts, for a discussion of how teachers can use differentiated instruction, universal design for learning and assistive technology to help struggling readers at all grade levels.
Presenters:
* Peggy Coyne, research scientist, Center for Applied Special Technology, Wakefield, Mass.
* Lori DiGisi, STEM coordinator, Framingham Public Schools, Framingham, Mass.
Moderator:
* Christina A. Samuels, staff writer, Education Week

Time for a Change: A Proven Solution for Blended Project-Based Learning
Content provided by Educurious.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Literacy and English/Language Arts Webinars

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Free professional development: Browse Education Week's collection of webinars on literacy and English/language arts. These virtual broadcasts address boosting student proficiency in reading, writing, and literacy through different types of instruction, including instruction aligned to the common-core standards. All webinars are accessible for a limited time after the original live streaming date.

# data[].attributes.body
It's always good to consider the pros and cons--in this case of tech in the classroom

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Technology in education is the biggest change in teaching we will ever see. For years, policy makers, teachers, parents and students alike have been weighing the potential benefits of technology in education against its risks and consequences.

Prior to March 2020, some would say that technology allowed you to experiment in pedagogy, democratize the classroom and reach Generation Z students. Others may have argued that technology in the classroom could promote cheating. But after 2020, technology in education has become essential-especially as the COVID-19 pandemic forced higher ed and public schools to swap face-to-face instruction for distance learning.

Below, we share 20 best practices for using technology in the classroom-and offer workable solutions that will help you meet the needs of your students. You can also download our free guide, which highlights how five acclaimed educators use technology to help their students excel in any course.

How technology can support learning outcomes for today's students

Students are digital natives. They've grown up with technology; it's woven into their lives. In fact, it's one of the basic 21st-century skills that they'll need in school and the workplace.

Technology integration in the classroom now begins during elementary school and carries through to high school and higher education. But using computer technology in the classroom isn't just about digital devices in class-it relates to anything that facilitates an interaction between teacher and student. Technology in education programs could be seen as a culprit, or it could be harnessed to improve student engagement and effectiveness-and that's what we'll discuss below.

"Digital education is generating new learning opportunities as students engage in online, digital environments and as faculty change educational practices through the use of hybrid courses, personalized instruction, new collaboration models and a wide array of innovative, engaging learning strategies," says David Goodrum, Director of Academic Technology and Information Services at Oregon State University.

"Furthermore, a 21st century view of learner success requires students to not only be thoughtful consumers of digital content, but effective and collaborative creators of digital media, demonstrating competencies and communicating ideas through dynamic storytelling, data visualization and content curation," Goodrum says.

Types of classroom technology

Education technology allows you to engage, interact with, and inspire students in and out of your class. Plus, certain types of technology tools like podcasts or video streaming platforms can help meet the unique learning styles of your cohort. Many of the technologies below are used to operate online education programs-including lectures, labs, group meetings or class tutorials. Plenty of higher education institutions have already integrated some of the following technology tools into their degree programs today.

Learning management systems (LMS) such as Canvas, Moodle and Blackboard allow you to manage courses, assign homework and tests, and track student grades.

Digital courseware such as ebook products by Pearson, McGraw-Hill and Macmillan can be used to create and distribute teaching resources (such as textbooks or question packs) to students as a way to create engaging homework experiences.

Classroom response systems including iClicker and Poll Everywhere help students reflect on their learning via polls or discussions in class.

Virtual classroom tools like Microsoft Teams and Zoom are used to host synchronous online lectures and let participants engage in breakout rooms or 'share their screen' with one another.

Remote proctoring software like Proctorio and Honorlock help maintain academic integrity by monitoring student behavior during tests and flag behavior indicative of cheating.

This article looks at the pros and cons of using technology in the classroom. We'll also share the advantages and disadvantages of technology in the classroom when incorporating new digital teaching and assessment techniques into your lesson plans.

8 pros and cons of using technology for student engagement

The pros:

1. Technology in the classroom helps ensure full participation

Online polling and other digital tools help to engage all students, including shy students who wouldn't normally raise their hands in class. Online engagement systems allow you to regularly check in with students for feedback on course materials and assignments. Student insights can also be used to help spot areas where learners might be struggling.

Student response systems help learners measure their understanding of a topic while professors can see what areas they need to review. For instance, iClicker offers questions that may be multiple choice or true or false. Students are then asked to identify a correct answer to a question in exchange for participation points from a professor. Clickers, virtual classroom software and assessment platforms like Socrative or Kahoot! can make for great engagement tools for educators looking to enhance their lectures. Student response systems help foster digital citizenship in the classroom and give students an opportunity to engage in class and get rewarded for it at the same time.

Another active learning technique that education technology can facilitate is offering students quizzes (not for credit). At the beginning of the class, students can gauge familiarity with a subject by taking a quick, anonymous quiz on the topic you're teaching-and this can also inform and direct what you need to focus on. At the end of the class, facilitating the same quiz again allows all students to gauge what they do and don't understand.

2. Using technology in the classroom allows you to experiment more in pedagogy and get instant feedback

Technology allows for more active learning. You can increase engagement through online polling or asking quiz questions during online lectures, with instantaneous results. If you're using a digital textbook, subject matter is dynamic and timely with embedded links to relevant materials or immersive multimedia.

Whether adding a single tool for a specific project or term, or making a more dramatic change such as a flipped classroom, being well-versed in technology can help build credibility with students and even fellow colleagues. Video conferencing software, live polls and discussion boards are all ways to form feedback loops with your students. An LMS such as Moodle and polling software like Poll Everywhere can also help educators get an instant understanding of student comprehension.

3. There are countless resources for enhancing education and making learning more fun and effective

From apps and e-textbooks to organizational platforms, there's no shortage of tools that can transform the classroom. Some instructors are turning toward classroom 'gamification,' the use of competitive scenarios, and the distribution of points and rewards to make the online classroom more fun and engaging. The key to ensuring these methods are also effective is designing them to support your course learning objectives. Digital storytelling, where students use simulations to immerse themselves in a fictional environment, can make learning more exciting and relatable for students. Gamification also allows for interactive lessons and can reduce passivity in the classroom.

Some gamification activities introduce healthy competition to your class. In role play, for example, students are asked to pose arguments on behalf of historical figures. Technology can greatly aid the implementation of classroom games, while students may be incentivized to complete their assessments. Blended learning can also play an effective role here, whereby student curriculum is partially delivered in person and partially via digital means.

4. Technology makes it simple for students to collaborate and engage in group work outside of class

Gone are the days when one student was tasked with creating a PowerPoint presentation for a group. Through technology, students can start working on a project together in class and seamlessly collaborate, communicate and bounce ideas off one another using social media, interactive whiteboards and more. Physical and social barriers no longer exist, letting students work together from anywhere and at any time. Technology has also enabled students to engage in spontaneous discussions and find instant answers to problems or questions they may have about a topic.

The cons:

5. Technology in the classroom can be a distraction

Tech savvy students may find it hard to concentrate in class when a wide range of digital devices are around them. It can be hard to keep students' attention while lecturing behind a screen, but James Lang, Professor of English and the Director of the D'Amour Center for Teaching Excellence at Assumption College, has a solution. Lang argues that change renews attention-meaning that if students are starting to tune out, it's time to incorporate opportunities for class discussions. Lang calls these moments 'signature attention activities' as they are designed to spark engagement in the midst of a slump.

Matthew Numer, an assistant professor in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dalhousie University, says in an article for The Chronicle of Higher Education that banning laptops is an "insult" to students. "Our students are capable of making their own choices, and if they choose to check Snapchat instead of listening to your lecture, then that's their loss. Besides, it's my responsibility as an educator to ensure that my lecture is compelling. If my students aren't paying attention, if they're distracted, that's on me." To Numer, students glancing at their mobile devices may indicate that a course's curriculum and instruction needs to be revamped.

This makes the notion of creating a structure and culture of respect all the more important from day one. Identify specific projects, opportunities for breaks and your intentions for participation and engagement using technology in the classroom. Creating expectations and guidelines for students-and sticking to them-will be important for them in respecting your boundaries.

6. Technology can disconnect students from social interactions

Many people are skeptical of technology and what it does to students', and everyone else's, ability to verbally communicate.

By creating assignments in class that use both technological tools as well as oral presentations and group collaboration, student learning has the potential to become more dynamic and interactive. Participation can also go beyond verbal communication. Consider how your LMS, discussion board or live chat can be leveraged to increase student engagement.

7. Technology can foster cheating in class and on assignments

Students have always found ways to cheat, but the digital age makes it even easier-from copying-and-pasting someone else's work to hiring an essay-writer from an online essay mill. Here, digital technology could end up hindering students' professional development.

While technology could be seen as yet another avenue for cheating, it's possible to structure assignments and exams in a way that makes cheating difficult. Alternatively, you can make exams open-book and focus on problem-solving and mastery rather than retention. Some classroom software allows you to set questions that are subtly different for every student, making them focus on the technique rather than the answer. Ed tech software such as Turnitin is already well-established in most higher education settings. With COVID-19, some institutions have relied on proctoring software to maintain academic integrity from a distance. These assistive tools can help professors maintain academic integrity.

8. Classroom technology doesn't necessarily make students more accountable

While it can certainly help, technology use in the classroom doesn't always mean students are more likely to stay on top of their deliverables. For example, it can be tricky to know if your students are viewing the full lecture recordings or coming to class having completed their assigned readings. Social media and other ed tech platforms don't necessarily indicate completion. Some LMS providers may show if a student has opened a file, but that only says so much. Whether students have reviewed, absorbed and are able to retain that information is a question that-like traditional learning materials-not all classroom tech can solve.

7 pros and cons of using classroom technology to increase flexibility

The pros:

9. Technology can automate a lot of your tedious tasks

Automation can speed up tedious, time-consuming tasks, such as keeping track of student attendance and performance. Engagement tools can help streamline grading for writing assignments, discussions and participation, as well as answer common student questions, which otherwise could seem daunting due to their objective nature.

The canonical example of this? One professor at Georgia Tech coded an artificially intelligent teaching assistant. ' Jill Watson' was able to answer a selection of student questions and pass any that she couldn't handle to a real person. Integrating technology in the classroom has the potential to reduce the amount of time spent on minor tasks.

10. Technology in college classrooms gives students instant access to fresh information that can supplement their learning experience

There is value in having textbooks and course materials that are always up to date, which can even include additions suggested by students. This also fosters a more collaborative learning environment-students can share information, work together on group projects and interact with their instructor online. Collaboration between professors and their students is put into practice through a learning management system (LMS) such as Moodle or Blackboard, where professors upload new content for students to review online.

Educational technology enables students to engage in an ongoing cycle of learning: before, during and after class. Student response systems such as clickers can also help learners apply their understanding of concepts covered in class and can indicate areas that need to be reviewed. For Generation Z, technology is arguably the best way to meet student needs. Demian Hommel, Senior Instructor of Geography and Environmental Sciences and Marine Resource Management at Oregon State University, uses a classroom response system to poll students every few minutes during lectures. "Using technology to help students understand the trends and patterns that are going to affect them is transformative," he says.

"Using technology to help students understand the trends and patterns that are going to affect them is transformative." -Professor Demian Hommel

11. Students have the choice to learn in real time or at their own pace

Using technology in the classroom has given students more choice in, and control over, their learning experiences. Learning tools have also given professors the flexibility in how to deliver their lectures or labs. For instance, students can tune into live-streamed lectures hosted at a specific time, while others can view lecture recordings on their own if they're unable to attend a live session. Plus, real-time lessons in online learning can help students feel a great sense of belonging and camaraderie that would otherwise be lost.

Asynchronous learning provides a new level of flexibility for both students and educators. For example, instead of waiting for students to show up at your office, host your office hours via Zoom and let your students know that they're free to drop by during a given time frame. Additionally, technology can be used to help students take asynchronous tests. Just make a test available on your LMS for a 48-hour period so that students can take their assessment at a time and place that works for them.

12. Address the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) guidelines with thoughtful technology use

Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework for ensuring your course delivery meets the needs of all students. It's the ultimate way to provide flexibility in how, when and where learning takes place. The three tenets of this framework are providing multiple means of engagement, representation and expression.

In order to represent content in a variety of ways, you might consider complementing a textbook reading with a podcast. Alternatively, multiple ways of expressing students' understanding could mean offering students learning opportunities through journal articles or video reflections. Finally, multiple forms of engagement might mean gauging students' interests at the start of the term through icebreakers or a student interest inventory-and then use these insights to tailor your units of study accordingly.

The cons:

13. Lesson planning might become more labor-intensive with technology

The task of adapting technology into your classroom can seem daunting or overwhelming. In many ways though, using technology can become as natural to you as any daily activity.

When you're choosing classroom technology, it's important to engage with the software vendor and make sure you have the appropriate level of support in place. Some questions you should ask include whether they supply training or onboarding, and what their reliability statistics and support functions are. After all, you don't need to be the person all the students come to if the technology goes offline.

The most important factor is to allow yourself time to learn how to use a new ed tech tool and make sure you ask for, and receive, the support that you need.

14. Students don't have equal access to technological resources

An online education should be accessible to students. But some students can't afford iPads or even the textbooks required for class. Others simply do not have reliable Internet access. Point these students in the direction of your institution's library or community resources, or create assignments that allow them to work in groups and share resources. You might also consider using open educational resources (OER), which provide a cost-effective alternative to the traditional college textbook. Don't make technology the focus of your class, and don't make it a barrier. Incorporate it in a holistic and inclusive manner-and ensure you do your part to find equitable learning solutions.

15. Technology in education can create privacy concerns

Video conferencing or web-hosting solutions have brought with them some concerns around data protection. For example, do platforms offer end-to-end encryption in basic plans provided to students? Social media handles set up as part of a tutorial or learning activity can also lead to student information being accessed by a wider audience than intended. What's more, Zoombombing-disruptive intrusions into a video conference call-became a common occurrence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

And though they maintain academic integrity, remote proctoring solutions can make test-takers feel uncomfortable. Students may not want to have their homes shown in front of a proctor and being monitored can increase stress and anxiety.

5 pros and cons of using technology to aid instructional design

The pros:

16. We live in a digital world, and technology is an essential life skill

Being digitally literate is more than obtaining "isolated technological skills," according to the NMC Horizon Report: 2017 Higher Education Edition. Rather, it's about "generating a deeper understanding of the digital environment, enabling intuitive adaptation to new contexts and [the] co-creation of content with others." Here, the traditional whiteboard is almost extinct, while technology has never been more essential in the virtual classroom. Creating presentations, learning to differentiate reliable from unreliable sources on the Internet and maintaining proper online netiquette are all vital skills that students will learn to develop in the classroom.

Technology use can also help universities deliver a better return on the investment students pay for their education-as well as make learning relevant to a primarily Generation Z audience. Mobile technology in classrooms is a must-have if students want to be prepared for almost any career today. Student achievement may be boosted if they have the means to continue working on projects outside of the classroom.

17. Classroom technology is a cost-effective alternative to traditional course materials

Technology can help save students hundreds during a semester. Rather than asking students to buy a copy of five different textbooks, some professors might want to direct students to their institution's library or adopt open source textbooks.

Using technology in the classroom has its benefits for the environment as well. Institutions can reduce the amount they spend on ink and paper by distributing important documents in a centralized digital location. As opposed to asking students to buy a print book from your campus bookstore, authoring your own digital, interactive book can help students save big. Katie Thompson-Laswell, Senior Instructor of Human Development and Family Science at Kansas State University, was able to save her students $70 on course materials in the spring 2019 semester. Two years later, new cohorts of students continue to enjoy a low-cost, interactive homework experience from anywhere.

The cons:

18. The quality of research and sources students find may not be credible

The Internet is a blessing and a curse. Your students may need guidance on identifying legitimate and unreliable sources. Many colleges have writing centers that can help with this. You can also use OER-ranging from lecture notes, examinations, assignments and textbooks-and adapt them to fit the needs of your course and students. How can you tell if content is written by a competent authority? Use these tips to find effective OERs. Top Hat's Catalog-filled with hundreds of low-cost, interactive textbooks-is also a reliable source of OER you can use, regardless of your discipline or teaching modality.

19. Some classroom technologies could eventually replace professors

Classroom technology has helped position educators as a 'guide on the side' versus a 'sage on the stage.' But that shift in the role that professors play has the potential to put them on the sidelines-especially with online learning. Technology has automated many learning processes such as grading. With asynchronous online learning especially, it's possible that students could now have little-to-no interactions with their educators compared to their experiences in the traditional classroom.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), which prioritize unlimited participation and open access, let students gain an unrestricted learning experience without a professor present. Platforms like Coursera let students watch on-demand video lectures from leading universities and companies for a fraction of the cost of a university degree. These platforms even offer selective degree and certificate programs. Other platforms like LinkedIn Learning prioritize skill-based learning, which allows students to complete courses or learning modules at their own pace-without the guidance of an instructor.

20. Institutions' lack of IT support can make it challenging to evaluate and implement new classroom technologies

Where do you begin if you're new to teaching? Educators may understandably feel overwhelmed when adopting new tools and platforms to meet the needs of their Generation Z students. While colleges may have a site-wide license for a particular LMS, educators are often left to their own resources to decide how to bring their material to life. Depending on the scale and quality of instructional design services offered at their institution, this can be a lengthy and uneasy process.

How classroom technology can help you meet your teaching goals next semester

This past academic year has highlighted the essential role that technology plays in student learning. No matter where you're teaching next semester, the best practices for using classroom technology below can help make your course more engaging, interactive and active. For additional advice, download our free guide on how to effectively use technology in your next face-to-face, hybrid or online classroom.

Eliminate distractions in class

1. Use frequent polls to make sure students pay attention-and to hold them accountable
2. Begin lessons with a game or icebreaker to encourage focus and collaboration from the start of class

Allow students to learn at their own pace

1. Adopt a flipped classroom model where students can view lecture modules and complete quizzes in advance of live lectures
2. Complement live activities with self-paced exercises such as blog posts or video journal responses, which students can share in your LMS

Create a classroom environment where students feel comfortable speaking out

1. Incorporate an anonymous discussion board during in-class polls
2. Ask your teaching assistants to respond to, and acknowledge, students' contributions in and out of class

Help students stay accountable for their learning outside of your classroom

1. Adopt or author your own digital interactive textbook that includes comprehension questions throughout
2. Keep a digital repository of discussion board prompts or quiz questions and re-quiz students on these concepts in future homework assignments to check for subject mastery

Provide instant feedback on student performance

1. Consider employing low-stakes, multiple choice quizzes that can be auto-graded
2. Grade assignments using a built-in rubric in your LMS and provide personalized feedback upon student request

Technology in the classroom: The final verdict

It's clear that the benefits of technology in the classroom outweigh the cons. But the key to technology in the classroom is always going to be the teacher-student relationship, because that's where the education happens. Technology can be a highly effective tool, but that's all it is-a tool. In today's hyper-connected world, sensible use of technology can enhance education. By using technology as an aid in the classroom, educators can create memorable and impactful learning outcomes for their diverse group of college students. For best practices on how to integrate technology in your classroom next semester, download our free guide packed with tips and tools five professors have used to give their course delivery a boost.

References

1. Kelly, R. (2018, January 11). 7 Ed Tech Trends to Watch in 2018. https://campustechnology.com/Articles/2018/01/11/7-Ed-Tech-Trends-to-Watch-in-2018.aspx?Page=1

2. Dhami, H. (2020, August 13). James Lang's Distracted: Why Students Can't Focus and What You Can Do About It. [Blog post]. https://tophat.com/blog/james-lang-distracted/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to Take Advantage of Ed Tech In The Classroom | Top Hat

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Get best practices for enhancing technology in your classroom. Plus, download Top Hat's free guide to make ed tech tools work for your course.

# data[].attributes.headline
--from Common Sense Education?! Ideas for using Twitter in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.subject
--from Common Sense Education?! Ideas for using Twitter in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.body
I love Common Sense Media!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Quick ideas you could implement in your classroom tomorrow.
This post assumes you already know the basics of how to use Twitter. You know what a hashtag is and what purpose an @mention serves. If you need a general overview of how Twitter works and why it's useful for teachers, we recommend starting here. You can also consult our review of Twitter, as well as the many Teacher Reviews.
Many educators are using Twitter in new and exciting ways with their students. Here are seven ideas you could implement tomorrow, assuming your students are old enough and your school allows it.

1. Use Twitter Lists to engage with people and topics of interest. From TeachHub's 50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom " ask students to "set up Twitter lists following feeds relevant to their career goals and to keep a daily journal on any trends that crop up along the way." A step further would be to have them reach out and ask an expert a question.

2. Participate in KQED's weekly Twitter activity, DoNow. Students are encouraged to read about an issue or watch a video on KQED's website, and then respond using a specified hashtag. By learning about a current topic and responding to it publicly, students have an opportunity to practice civic engagement and learn valuable digital citizenship skills simultaneously.

3. Create a chat between multiple classrooms at school. Carrie Kamm reported on the TeachingChannel blog how teachers in Chicago Public Schools are using Twitter creatively. One teacher reported that her elementary school students used hashtags to carry on a multi-classroom and multi-grade level conversation. "We had a great [chat] going this year between our first and fourth graders: both have hermit crabs in their classrooms and they discussed the behaviors they observed!"

4. Host a live chat during a significant news event. "I have hosted live tweet discussions during significant events with my students," writes high school teacher Kyle M. in our Twitter teacher reviews. "The state of the union addresses and presidential debates were great opportunities for students to engage in a dialogue with each other about what they were hearing/watching on the TV." Kyle goes on to explain that for students who are accustomed to using Twitter socially (about 26 percent of teens) that using it in an academic way requires an adjustment.

5. Have students write for their peers. Reaching out to other students beyond classroom walls is exactly what over 50 classrooms are doing in New Zealand through @KidsEdChatNZ. Every Wednesday from 2 to 3 p.m., elementary school kids respond to questions using their classroom's account and a specific hashtag. Sometimes using TweetDeck, they then watch as other students' responses pop up in real time, responding and collaborating about interesting topics.

6. Use Twitter as an opportunity for critical thinking and analysis. This infographic from TeachThought includes some novel ideas for Twitter-based activities. For example, ask students to "identify five ways tone can be conveyed in a Tweet" or to "analyze a popular tweet for bias." Ask them what they think sponsored Tweets are for? Have they ever been misled by a tweet? Why do rumors spread so fast on Twitter? Encouraging analysis of tweets turns students into educated users and spurs critical thinking about social issues along the way.

7. Use Twitter to write a Short Story. Think 140 characters are too few for creative writing? Think again. "There is also a very specific activity I like to do with Twitter [called] 'Twisters,' which are short (very short) stories that are written in 140 characters or less," writes Silas B. Silas shows students a few examples like @Arjunbasu, @Veryshortstory, and @Gumballfiction, and then encourages them to try their hands at writing their own. "It's a great way to get students to think about what they DON'T need."

Twitter's super-short format doesn't mean it's short on learning potential. Using it as a tool to engage students in the ever-changing world lets them become part of the conversation, and is one small way to make their voices heard. Just make sure that your students are taught the relevant Digital Literacy and Citizenship skills if you are inviting them to use social media at school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
7 Ideas for Using Twitter in the Classroom | Common Sense Education

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This post assumes you already know the basics of how to use Twitter. You know what a hashtag is and what purpose an @mention serves. If you need a general overview of how Twitter works and why it's useful for teachers, we recommend starting here.

# data[].attributes.headline
6 simple but important tips in teaching responsible content creation

# data[].attributes.subject
6 simple but important tips in teaching responsible content creation

# data[].attributes.body
I appreciate the brevity here from eLearning Industry.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Preparing students to create digital content is more important than ever, as technology becomes more prevalent in schools and the need to prepare students for the 21st century workplace is more pressing.

6 Points To Consider When Preparing Your Students To Produce Digital Content

To get sense of the importance of digital content creation in today's classrooms, take a look at the Common Core Anchor Standard that calls for students to produce writing in a digital format:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.6
Use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Here are some things to consider when shifting your classroom into the digital age, and preparing your students to become capable digital content creators.

1. Distinguish between digital content consumption and digital content creation.
Do you know the difference between using devices such as iPads and other tablets as consumption devices versus leveraging them as creation devices? While simply giving a student access to an app or an educational game does expose students to technology, it may not lead to the higher level thinking that should be the goal of incorporating technology into the classroom. While there are plenty of great applications that are useful to students to consume content, using applications that allow them to create and share content can completely change what a student's end product is. This can be as simple as using an online storyboarding tool for students to collaborate, or as advanced as using video editing software to create a digital story as a book report.

2. Student ownership of content.
It has long been thought that a student centered project that ends with them creating a piece of material engages the student because of the sense of ownership to the final piece. This has not changed today; yet, in a world where students are surrounded by digital content and rich media, it may be more engaging and motivating for them to create projects that are digital and can compete with the digital world they live in.

3. Same skills and content, different medium.
The process of research, planning, scripting, storyboarding, and presenting information has not changed in the digital world. What has changed is the medium in which we have students create the projects. Building a diorama in a shoe box or creating a poster board may have been something we all did in school, and the research that goes into these projects remains extremely valuable. In today's digital world, we can replace these projects with online tools to create multi-media posters that can include interactive web links, videos and more. These tools are more engaging to students simply because they incorporate technology into the creation process. For example, when I was in high school (circa 1999) I wrote articles for the school newspaper, which was then printed and distributed. Today, I would most likely be writing articles for a classroom blog or website. The process I go through to write the article is the same - only the medium has changed.

4. Global access.
Now that the medium has changed, so has who can access it. My high school newspaper probably did not make it past the cafeteria, but with an online blog and social media, the range of people who can obtain access to student created content can literally be global. While it was very unlikely that another student from Australia could have read my high school newspaper, today being able to comment back and forth on my article with a student from across the globe is a very real possibility. Giving students a louder voice with their creations allows them to see how small the world can be, thanks to the internet.

5. Digital citizenship.
Along with the benefits that digital content creation brings, there are also new responsibilities. There are many facets to being an upstanding digital citizen, and one of the most important when it comes to digital content creation is proper sourcing and citations. Would you allow a student to write a research paper and not source or cite their research? If not, then why allow students to use an image or video without citing the source, just because they were able to find it through Google images?
While a student may not be penalized for using a copyrighted image in your class, they would be in the workplace. Understanding the rules around using "creative commons" or royalty free media is just as important a skill as the project itself.

6. Preparing students for the 21st century workplace.
It is a safe assumption that technology and digital content will not just disappear once the student reaches the workforce. In fact, it will most likely be a prominent skill that is in high demand by employers. With many online creation tools lending themselves to collaboration between two people without ever needing to actually be together, putting students into this situation as early as possible will not only give them the technology skills to create digital content, but the interpersonal skills it takes to be able to collaborate through technology.

Keep these concepts in mind when teaching students how to approach creating digital content, from activities as simple as formatting a letter, to drafting an email, to creating multi-media projects, and more. The sky is the limit when it comes to digital content creation; and the classroom is an important place for students to learn the skills they'll need to communicate and thrive in today's digital world.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Preparing Students To Produce Digital Content - eLearning Industry

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Preparing students to create digital content is more important than ever, as technology becomes more prevalent in schools and the need to prepare students for the 21st century workplace is more pressing.

# data[].attributes.body
ITSE might be an organization worth joining!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The ISTE Standards provide the competencies for learning, teaching and leading in the digital age, providing a comprehensive roadmap for the effective use of technology in schools worldwide. Grounded in learning science research and based on practitioner experience, the ISTE Standards ensure that using technology for learning can create high-impact, sustainable, scalable and equitable learning experiences for all learners.

For over 20 years the standards have been used, researched and updated to continuously reflect the latest research-based best practices that define success in using technology to learn, teach, lead and coach. The standards have been adopted in all 50 U.S. states and many countries throughout the world. Aligned to UNESCO's Sustainable Development Goals, the standards are available in eight languages.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The ISTE Standards are a framework for students, educators, administrators, coaches and computer science educators to rethink education and create innovative learning environments. The standards are helping re-engineer schools and classrooms worldwide for digital age learning.

# data[].attributes.body
I like eSchool News!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A new report examines how giving students the power to explore digital technology improves learning

Today's students are creating learning cultures in which they are digital creators, and this transformation is benefiting districts across the nation, according to a new report.

A new EdTechNext report from CoSN notes that creative endeavors such as building learning apps and games, along with digital design and innovations, are causing many schools to transform into "nerve centers for creativity."

"Digital creativity is not just an idea. It is a powerful way of learning that is enhancing student engagement and preparing them for their college and career paths in modern, 21st century environments," said Norton Gusky, Co-Chair, CoSN's Emerging Technologies Committee.

The report highlights various examples of how school systems are encouraging students' digital creativity in an effort to demonstrate how this digital creativity improves engagement, personalizes learning, and promotes collaboration and expanded learning opportunities.

It also offers educator-provided tips to help others lead and promote digital creativity throughout their school systems:
* Start with something you do well.
* Start with conversations.
* Start young.
* Mine out-of-school programs for ideas.
* Encourage digital creation and regular instruction.
* Get creative with space, scheduling, curriculum and assessment.
* Get creative with professional development.
* Redefine collaboration.
* Communicate and engage with parents.
* Connect your efforts to college and career
readiness.

The latest edition of the EdTechNext report is made possible by AT&T, Avaya, BestBuy, Brocade, CDW.G, Cisco, Dell, ENA, Filewave, Fortinet, Google, Google Fiber, iBoss Security, iDentityAutomation, itslearning, JAMF Software, Juniper Networks, Lenovo, Lightspeed Systems, McGraw Hill, Microsoft, Nutanix, Pearson, Presidio, Promethean, Qualcomm, ReverTech, Safari Montage, Samsung, SchoolDude, SchoolMessenger and Sunesys.

To read the full report, visit: cosn.org/ed-tech-next-reports.
Material from a press release was used in this report.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to help students become digital creators

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Today's students are creating learning cultures in which they are digital creators, and this transformation is benefiting districts across the nation, according to a new report. A new EdTechNext report from CoSN notes that creative endeavors such as building learning apps and games, along with digital design and innovations, are causing many schools to transform into "nerve centers for creativity."

# data[].attributes.headline
RENAISSANCE has a blog and offers a free guide to digital literacy.

# data[].attributes.subject
RENAISSANCE has a blog and offers a free guide to digital literacy.

# data[].attributes.body
Yes, digital literacy matters!

# data[].attributes.headline
Encourage digitally literate and responsible students.

# data[].attributes.subject
Encourage digitally literate and responsible students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
A strong understanding of digital citizenship is essential for students of all ages to be able to make smart choices online and in life. Meanwhile, technology is constantly changing and becomes outdated quickly, so there are always new and important skills that must be taught.

The new, free K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum from Common Sense Education has lessons for all ages to address the current technology landscape. Common Sense Education's Kelly Mendoza, senior director of education programs, and Jamie Knowles, senior manager of educator learning programs, reviewed the new curriculum in a recent webinar hosted by edWeb called " Digital Citizenship: New Lessons for a Changing World ."

Research from Project Zero at the Harvard Graduate School of Education shows that educators' top concerns regarding digital citizenship are cyberbullying, sexting, fake news, and digital well-being. While the first three may cover some of the more obvious issues seen today, digital well-being examines screen time in general and what kids are using that time for.

"Not all [screen time] is created equal, and we really need to get kids thinking about balance in their lives and really thinking about what [quality screen time is] to them" Mendoza said.

The new curriculum has lessons for each grade level and also includes new resources, slides, and flexible documents that can be added to Google Drive or downloaded in various other formats.

The curriculum addresses six core topics:

Media balance and well-being

Digital footprint and identity

Privacy and security

Relationships and communication

Digital drama, cyberbullying and hate speech

News and media literacy

Here's a closer look at how the curriculum covers some of these topics.
Digital drama, cyberbullying and hate speech
These lessons start in the younger grades with identifying and defining bullying behaviors, how they can occur, and how they make people feel. The higher grade levels have more complex discussions of the factors that can lead to bullying, different forms of bullying, and how to de-escalate harmful situations. The lessons at each level encourage students to be upstanders and teach them how to address situations as they occur.
Media balance and well-being
High school students spend an average of nine hours a day on entertainment media, so media balance and well-being is a topic of growing importance. It's not necessarily about teaching kids what they should or shouldn't do, but rather teaching them to reflect and evaluate how they spend their time. The lessons include guiding questions on topics like how media affects how they feel, the impact media has on their lives, and the impact media has on those around them.
News and media literacy
This topic is divided into three subareas: news literacy which looks at misinformation, credible sources, and validating news with secondary sources; media literacy, which dives into navigating photo and video manipulation, particularly in advertising; and creative credit, which explores online content creator rights and responsibilities as a consumer of online content. The lessons here help students learn to navigate their way around trustworthy vs. untrustworthy sources and learn more about being media creators and consumers.

When having a smartphone or tablet in hand becomes second nature for kids of all ages, strong digital citizenship skills are necessary for good decision making. A comprehensive digital citizenship curriculum can help students learn to use technology and participate online responsibly.

Learn more about the digital citizenship curriculum from Common Sense Education, here .
About the webinar presenters Kelly Mendoza, senior director of education programs, oversees education program and content strategy for Common Sense Education, including the Digital Citizenship Curriculum, interactive games, and online professional development for K-12 schools. Her goal is to create curricula and programs that help schools create a positive culture around media and technology. She also has developed education resources and curriculum for Lucas Learning, the Media Education Lab, and PBS's Frontline . Kelly has a Ph.D. in media and communication from Temple University. Follow her on Twitter at @kellymendoza . As senior manager of Educator Learning Programs for Common Sense Education, Jamie Knowles creates online professional development services for teachers. Prior to his work at Common Sense, Jamie taught middle school English in Oakland, California, for eight years. For the 2016-2017 school year, Jamie received an Excellence in Teaching award and was one of three finalists for Teacher of the Year in Oakland Unified School District. While teaching, Jamie also successfully implemented a $200,000 school-wide blended-learning program funded by the Rogers Family Foundation and led professional development on a wide range of teaching strategies. Jamie holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Eugene Lang College and a master's degree in philosophy and education from Teachers College at Columbia University. Join the community Digital Learning & Leadership is a free professional learning community where you can share, learn, and discuss ideas and best practices to enhance teaching with technology. The aforementioned broadcast was hosted by edWeb.net and Common Sense Education and sponsored by Symantec . A recording of the edWebinar can be found here .

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
New 'digital citizenship' curriculum helps students become responsible tech users | EdScoop

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
A strong understanding of digital citizenship is essential for students of all ages to be able to make smart choices online and in life. Meanwhile, technology is constantly changing and becomes outdated quickly, so there are always new and important skills that must be taught.

# data[].attributes.headline
Create partnerships with students over online book creation!

# data[].attributes.subject
Create partnerships with students over online book creation!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Book Creator - Love Learning - Book Creator app

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Teachers love it. Students love it. Book Creator is the simplest, most inclusive way to create content in the classroom.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Summits

Our next Teach to Lead Summit is in San Jose, CA with a focus on STEAM.

Submit your good idea to participate by July 9!

Teach to Lead Summits allow participating teachers, principals, districts, supporting organizations and states to:

Share ideas and best practices and learn from examples of existing teacher leadership efforts;

Identify common challenges and create concrete, actionable teacher leadership plans to address them locally;

Network and build relationships with other educators and leaders in their region; and

Identify promising ideas for follow-up support through future engagement events.

Teacher Leadership Summits are two-day regional convenings to help spotlight and advance the groundbreaking, teacher-led work that is happening in states, districts, and schools across the country. During a summit, teams of educators convene to think deeply about a problem of practice - an idea for how to improve learning in their school, district, or state context - and to work as a team to plan solutions.

"After 24 years of teaching, I've never been more excited to be in the classroom." - Summit participant

What is a Teach to Lead® Summit?
Summits assist teams of educators to incubate their good ideas using a logic model. Every team must include, if not be led by, active classroom teachers. Logic models can be designed to address a range of topics, but all must use teacher leadership as a key strategy and empower teachers in their communities to lead change.

These thoughtfully developed logical models, or action plans, outlining concrete outcomes-based solutions, can then be brought back to teams' communities to clearly communicate project goals and rationale and build support among key stakeholders.

Over the course of two days, teams network with and get feedback from other teacher leaders and experts, have focused time for collaboration, and participate in targeted skills development sessions designed to increase project success. While most of the Summit is dedicated to intensive team work, Summits are enriched by speakers ranging from world-renowned experts to middle school students to better support, inspire, and inform participants on the importance of advancing collaboration, equity, leadership, and the teaching profession.

Where are Teach to Lead Summits? Teach to Lead will host our 15th Teacher Leadership Summit in Nashville, TN on April 27-29, 2018.
The Nashville summit will provide teachers and their supporters with time to collaborate, as well as skills and professional consultation, to incubate innovative ideas that can make a positive impact for students in their schools, communities, districts, and states.

While the idea submission process is now closed, you can follow the work being accomplished on Twitter at #TTLSummit.

Previous Summits have take places in every region of the country from Long Beach, CA and Tacoma, WA to Boston, MA and Louisville, KY.

Four Teach to Lead Summits have had specific focus areas - including one in Washington, DC on Teacher Preparation and another in Chicago, IL on Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity. All Teach to Lead Summits help spotlight and advance groundbreaking, teacher-led work happening in states, districts, and schools across the country.

"For the first time, I felt like I was at a conference where people were supporting my agenda, not expecting me to support theirs."

- Summit participant

Questions?

Read our frequently asked questions.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Summits Teach to Lead Summits allow participating teachers, principals, districts, supporting organizations and states to: Share ideas and best practices and learn from examples of existing teacher leadership efforts; Identify common challenges and create concrete, actionable teacher leadership plans to address them locally; Network and build relationships with other educators and leaders in their region; and Identify promising ideas for follow-up support through future engagement events.

# data[].attributes.headline
Book on Coaching Leadership by Jan Robertson (New Zealand)

# data[].attributes.subject
Book on Coaching Leadership by Jan Robertson (New Zealand)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
ERIC - ED573998 - Coaching Leadership: Building Educational Leadership Capacity through Partnership. Second Edition, New Zealand Council for Educational Research, 2016

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
"Coaching Leadership" is about building leadership capacity in individuals, and in institutions, through enhancing professional relationships. It is based on the importance of maximising potential, and harnessing the ongoing commitment and energy needed to meet personal and professional goals. This book is for anyone interested in developing leadership--their own and others.

# data[].attributes.headline
Book on Instructional Coaching by Jim Knight

# data[].attributes.subject
Book on Instructional Coaching by Jim Knight

# data[].attributes.body
Looks like an interesting opportunity for more partnerships with teachers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
An innovative professional development strategy that facilitates change, improves instruction, and transforms school culture! Instructional coaching is a research-based, job-embedded approach to instructional intervention that provides the assistance and encouragement necessary to implement school improvement programs. Experienced trainer and researcher Jim Knight describes the "nuts and bolts" of instructional coaching and explains the essential skills that instructional coaches need, including getting teachers on board, providing model lessons, and engaging in reflective conversations.

# data[].attributes.headline
Conference on Project Based Learning (PBL) in Napa Valley, CA

# data[].attributes.subject
Conference on Project Based Learning (PBL) in Napa Valley, CA

# data[].attributes.body
Hey, it's just an hour away!

# data[].attributes.headline
WebJunction's Blog on selected topics: Digital Inclusion

# data[].attributes.subject
WebJunction's Blog on selected topics: Digital Inclusion

# data[].attributes.body
Where you can subscribe to the blog topic of your RSS feed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Does your community know the incredible role your library plays in bridging the digital divide and advancing digital inclusion? Do they understand the difference between the existing digital divide and the value of achieving digital inclusion? The re...

# data[].attributes.headline
Professional Development Resource through School Library Connection online on Twitter

# data[].attributes.subject
Professional Development Resource through School Library Connection online on Twitter

# data[].attributes.body
@SLC_Online

# data[].attributes.headline
Check out the Toolkit for School-Public Library Partnerships from AASL/Yalsa

# data[].attributes.subject
Check out the Toolkit for School-Public Library Partnerships from AASL/Yalsa

# data[].attributes.headline
Here's the Facebook group of the Global Family Research Project offering new ideas to engage libraries with families and youth through art.

# data[].attributes.subject
Here's the Facebook group of the Global Family Research Project offering new ideas to engage libraries with families and youth through art.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Global Family Research Project, Cambridge, Massachusetts. 3,204 likes · 30 talking about this · 8 were here. At GFRP, we connect people and knowledge to create equitable learning pathways-both in and...

# data[].attributes.headline
Public Library forges relationships with a public elementary school.

# data[].attributes.subject
Public Library forges relationships with a public elementary school.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
ala public library and school library collaboration toolkit

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
blast: bringing libraries and schools together

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
committee on school/public library collaboration

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Powered by Partnerships: Winning Formulas for School-Public Library Collaborations

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Joining forces provides ways to share resources, ideas, and programming to better serve students and promote reading. A new partnership toolkit from ALA offers strategies.

# data[].attributes.headline
Research study of  NYPLs partnering with parents of Pre-K for All initiative through Project Based Learning!

# data[].attributes.subject
Research study of  NYPLs partnering with parents of Pre-K for All initiative through Project Based Learning!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
san jose state university dr. martin luther king jr. library

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Home Page for SJLibrary.org, a collaboration of San Jose State University and San Jose Public Library system.

# data[].attributes.headline
An article called "COPPA" in the classroom from IAPP.

# data[].attributes.subject
An article called "COPPA" in the classroom from IAPP.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
In April, with little fanfare, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) updated its guidance on COPPA and schools. In a year when privacy concerns are blamed for the collapse of multimillion dollar, multistate educational technology venture inBloom, best practices for online student privacy are particularly timely. Although the FTC's " Complying with COPPA: Frequently Asked Questions" page represents staff opinions and seeks merely to clarify existing standards, it gives educators, tech vendors and website and app designers a valuable new tool to help them " make the grade."

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) has provided the baseline for children's privacy in the U.S. since 1998. The law, enforced by the FTC, imposes strict parental notice and consent requirements "on operators of websites or online services directed to children under 13 years of age, and on operators of other websites or online services that have actual knowledge that they are collecting personal information online from a child under 13 years of age." Schools, acting in loco parentis, have long been able to provide such consent in educational contexts.

As PCs, tablets and smartphones permeate classrooms, bringing the web to students in school, the big question for education has become, how and when can schools provide such consent on behalf of students' parents? While the FTC's new guidance addresses some of these issues, like any good teacher, it raises new issues in turn and sparks broader discussions about educational privacy. A redlined comparison of the new and previous versions of the guidance prepared by Covington & Burling LLP is available here.
Authorization
Although the FTC's guidance is clear that schools have some authority to consent to the collection of student data, who precisely should be providing that consent had been an open question until now. When whole districts adopt educational social networking platforms at the same time as teachers are assigning educational apps to their students, online vendors have struggled to figure out who can consent on behalf of school children-should they look to individual teachers? School administrators? District officers?

The FTC's updated FAQ answers this question by providing a new "best practice." The agency's recommendation is that " schools or school districts decide whether a particular site's or service's information practices are appropriate, rather than delegating that decision to the teacher." While individual teachers are still not necessarily precluded from consenting on behalf of their students, the agency's promotion of privacy as a high-level, institutional accountability feature clearly extends beyond the commercial setting and into the public sphere.

The FTC's new guidance also notes that many schools have formal processes for assessing vendors' privacy practices "so that this task does not fall on individual teachers' shoulders." However, Prof. Daniel Solove has recently claimed, "There is no privacy infrastructure in K-12 schools ... Any company trying to do business with K-12 schools where privacy is involved is like a company trying to build a world-class research facility in the middle of an untamed jungle."

Because of the lack of resources and training for privacy in education, often it is in fact individual teachers who make such decisions on the ground. Schools seeking to improve their privacy practices and policies should take heed of the FTC's guidance and vest the authority to consent to student data collection in trained, institutional staff members.
Authentication
Of course, once a school has identified who should be providing consent, there remains the problem of verifying that they are the ones giving it. COPPA requires website and online service operators to obtain "verifiable parental consent," i.e., to ensure that children are not simply impersonating their parents-or teachers-to gain access to a site or service. This raises two distinct problems: first, how to authenticate the identity of the party that appears to be manifesting consent on behalf of a student and, second, how to verify that party has appropriate authority within the school hierarchy to manifest consent.

For online operators, then, what should constitute satisfactory proof they are dealing with an authorized school official? Additions to the guidance indicate "the operator's method must be reasonably calculated, in light of available technology, to ensure that a school is actually providing consent, and not a child pretending to be a teacher, for example."

This language mirrors that of the "verifiable parental consent" COPPA requires in other contexts. A traditionally onerous process, verifying parental consent has involved having signed consent forms returned by mail, fax or scans; requiring credit or debit cards in monetary transactions, or having parents call a toll-free telephone number or video-conference with trained personnel. However, as InsidePrivacy notes, "the FAQ does not explicitly state that the school's consent must be provided through one of the limited methods outlined in the COPPA Rule or approved under the new voluntary parental consent process." The issue remains open and will doubtlessly occupy decision-makers in the foreseeable future.

Implementing authentication methods will likely remain an obstacle until privacy infrastructures are better embedded in K-12 institutions. At the same time, this authentication burden may help drive schools to shift online consent decisions away from individual teachers and toward centralized district or school authorities.
Commercial Uses
Perhaps the foremost privacy concern voiced by parents, educators and legislators is the appropriation of student data for commercial use. Today's schools are storehouses for massive amounts of highly sensitive and personal information, including demographic, family, financial, health, behavioral and aptitude data. Such focused information could prove invaluable to marketers, for instance, and as the educational technology market reaches approximately $8 billion, the number of interested parties will only increase. But it is the perceived threat that technology could turn classrooms into showrooms that has prompted state legislators into action and haunted Big Data educational ventures like inBloom.

For its part, the FTC's position is clear in its updated FAQ: Schools' ability to consent to the collection of children's data "is limited to the educational context-where an operator collects personal information from students for the use and benefit of the school, and for no other commercial purpose." Further, the agency added new language emphasizing that where "a students' personal information is used in connection with online behavioral advertising, or building user profiles for commercial purposes not related to the provision of the online service ... the school cannot consent on behalf of the parent." Of course, websites and online services may still use children's data for such commercial purposes if they obtain verifiable consent directly from a parent.

Notwithstanding the FTC's strong position against commercial use of student personal information, a recent study by the Fordham Center on Law and Information Policy indicates schools are woefully behind the curve in negotiating for privacy protections from their service providers. In its survey of 20 public schools districts' contracts with their cloud computing vendors, 27 percent of those agreements offered services free of charge, meaning "the personal information of students is likely being commercialized in some way to support the provision of the service to the district." More worryingly, "None of the contracts specifically prohibited the sale and marketing of children's information."

While the FTC's authority to regulate privacy in schools is generally presumed to begin and end with COPPA (its remit is commercial, not public, entities), Solove and Prof. Woodrow Hartzog have also recently made an interesting argument to extend the FTC's reach by expanding vendors' responsibilities under Section 5 of the FTC Act. Under their theory, the FTC's body of consent decrees establishes that "there is a standard of care when it comes to contracting" that might oblige private entities to protect students' privacy-or that might recognize students as third-party beneficiaries entitled to privacy protections during such deals. If that were the case, then even where a school was not yet up to the task of protecting students' data on its own, the students' privacy welfare would still be looked after by private entities, and the FTC, further abating commercialization concerns.
Conclusion
Obtaining and providing proper consent under COPPA is just the first step to bringing Big Data and new online tools and technologies into classrooms. Just like in any good educational video game or adaptive learning program, once you've mastered one privacy skill, you will advance to more difficult tasks-like FERPA, the 800-pound gorilla of education privacy law. Indeed, schools and vendors are urged to master not only their COPPA responsibilities but also those under FERPA and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment, not to mention state privacy laws and a veritable avalanche of state legislative bills in the works-on last count, 82 bills pending in 32 states. For help, they can now turn to new guidance, " Protecting Student Privacy While Using Online Educational Services," issued by the Department of Education in February.

The FTC's COPPA in schools guidance makes it easier for schools and businesses to ensure that they are bringing online sites and technologies into classrooms in a way that properly protects students' privacy. Even so, questions remain about what proper COPPA compliance will look like in educational contexts and how schools can improve their privacy infrastructures. Parents, educators and businesses will doubtlessly have homework of their own to do to make sure they get it right.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
In April, with little fanfare, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) updated its guidance on COPPA and schools. In a year when privacy concerns are blamed for the collapse of multimillion dollar, multistate educational technology venture inBloom, best practices for online student privacy are particu...

# data[].attributes.headline
How do you make your business compliant with COPPA?

# data[].attributes.subject
How do you make your business compliant with COPPA?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under 13, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children's privacy and safety online. For example, if your company is covered by COPPA, you need to have certain information in your privacy policy and get parental consent before collecting some types of information from kids under 13.

Effective July 1, 2013, the FTC updated the COPPA Rule to reflect changes in technology. Violations can result in law enforcement actions, including civil penalties, so compliance counts.

Here's a step-by-step plan for determining if your company is covered by COPPA - and what to do to comply with the Rule.

Table of Contents

Step 1: Determine if Your Company is a Website or Online Service that Collects Personal Information from Kids Under 13.

COPPA doesn't apply to everyone operating a website or other online service. Put simply, COPPA applies to operators of websites and online services that collect personal information from kids under 13. Here's a more specific way of determining if COPPA applies to you. You must comply with COPPA if:

Your website or online service is directed to children under 13 and you collect personal information from them.
OR
Your website or online service is directed to children under 13 and you let others collect personal information from them.
OR
Your website or online service is directed to a general audience, but you have actual knowledge that you collect personal information from children under 13.
OR
Your company runs an ad network or plug-in, for example, and you have actual knowledge that you collect personal information from users of a website or service directed to children under 13.

To determine if you're covered by COPPA, look at how the Rule defines some key terms.

"Website or online service"

COPPA defines this term broadly. In addition to standard websites, examples of others covered by the Rule include:

mobile apps that send or receive information online (like network-connected games, social networking apps, or apps that deliver behaviorally-targeted ads),

internet-enabled gaming platforms,

plug-ins,

advertising networks,

internet-enabled location-based services,

voice-over internet protocol services,

connected toys or other Internet of Things devices.

"Directed to children under 13"

The FTC looks at a variety of factors to see if a site or service is directed to children under 13, including the subject matter of the site or service, visual and audio content, the use of animated characters or other child-oriented activities and incentives, the age of models, the presence of child celebrities or celebrities who appeal to kids, ads on the site or service that are directed to children, and other reliable evidence about the age of the actual or intended audience. If your website doesn't target children as its primary audience, but is "directed to children under 13" based on those factors, you may choose to apply COPPA protections only to users under age 13. If that's what you decide to do, you must not collect personal information from any users without first collecting age information. For users who say they are under age 13, don't collect any personal information until you have obtained verifiable parental consent.

"Personal information"

Each of these is considered personal information under COPPA:

full name;

home or other physical address, including street name and city or town;

online contact information like an email address or other identifier that permits someone to contact a person directly - for example, an IM identifier, VoIP identifier, or video chat identifier;

screen name or user name where it functions as online contact information;

telephone number;

Social Security number;

a persistent identifier that can be used to recognize a user over time and across different sites, including a cookie number, an IP address, a processor or device serial number, or a unique device identifier;

a photo, video, or audio file containing a child's image or voice;

geolocation information sufficient to identify a street name and city or town; or

other information about the child or parent that is collected from the child and is combined with one of these identifiers.

"Collect"

Under COPPA, you're collecting information if you:

request, prompt, or encourage the submission of information, even if it's optional;

let information be made publicly available (for example, with an open chat or posting function) unless you take reasonable measures to delete all or virtually all personal information before postings are public and delete all information from your records; or

passively track a child online.

If another company collects personal information through your child-directed site or service - through an ad network or plug-in, for example - you're responsible for complying with COPPA. If you have actual knowledge that you're collecting personal information directly from users of a child-directed site or service, you're responsible for complying with COPPA, too.

Step 2: Post a Privacy Policy that Complies with COPPA.

Assuming you're covered by COPPA, the next step is to post a privacy policy. It must clearly and comprehensively describe how personal information collected online from kids under 13 is handled. The notice must describe not only your practices, but also the practices of any others collecting personal information on your site or service - for example, plug-ins or ad networks.

Include a link to your privacy policy on your homepage and anywhere you collect personal information from children. If you operate a site or service directed to a general audience, but have a separate section for kids, post a link to your privacy policy on the homepage of the kids' part of your site or service.

Make those links clear and prominent. Consider using a larger font or a different color type on a contrasting background. A fineprint link at the bottom of the page or a link that isn't distinguishable from other links on your site won't do the trick.

To comply with COPPA, your privacy policy should be clear and easy to read. Don't add any unrelated or confusing information. Here's what your policy must include:

A list of all operators collecting personal information. Name each third party operator, such as an advertising network or social network plug-in, that collects or maintains children's personal information through your site or service. For each, include a name and contact information (address, telephone number, and email address). If more than one is collecting information, it's okay to give contact information for only one as long as that company will respond to all inquiries from parents about your site or service's practices. Even so, you still have to list all third parties in your privacy policy.

A description of the personal information collected and how it's used. Your policy must describe:

the types of personal information collected from children (for example, name, address, email address, hobbies, etc.);

how the personal information is collected - directly from the child or passively, say, through cookies;

how the personal information will be used (for example, for marketing to the child, notifying contest winners, or allowing the child to make information publicly available through a chat room); and

whether you disclose personal information collected from kids to third parties. If you do, your privacy policy must list the types of businesses you disclose information to (for example, ad networks) and how they use the information.

A description of parental rights. Your privacy policy must tell parents:

that you won't require a child to disclose more information than is reasonably necessary to participate in an activity;

that they can review their child's personal information, direct you to delete it, and refuse to allow any further collection or use of the child's information;

that they can agree to the collection and use of their child's information, but still not allow disclosure to third parties unless that's part of the service (for example, social networking); and

the procedures to follow to exercise their rights.

Step 3: Notify Parents Directly About Your Information Practices Before Collecting Personal Information from Their Kids.

COPPA requires that you give parents "direct notice" of your information practices before collecting information from their kids. In addition, if you make a material change to the practices parents previously agreed to, you have to send an updated direct notice.

The notice should be clear and easy to read. Don't include any unrelated or confusing information. The notice must tell parents:

that you collected their online contact information for the purpose of getting their consent;

that you want to collect personal information from their child;

that their consent is required for the collection, use, and disclosure of the information;

the specific personal information you want to collect and how it might be disclosed to others;

a link to your online privacy policy;

how the parent can give their consent; and

that if the parent doesn't consent within a reasonable time, you'll delete the parent's online contact information from your records.

In certain circumstances, it's okay under COPPA to collect a narrow class of personal information without getting parental consent. But you may still have to give parents direct notice of your activities. (See the chart at the end for a list of those limited exceptions.)

Step 4: Get Parents' Verifiable Consent Before Collecting Personal Information from Their Kids.

Before collecting, using or disclosing personal information from a child, you must get their parent's verifiable consent. How do you get that? COPPA leaves it up to you, but it's important to choose a method reasonably designed in light of available technology to ensure that the person giving the consent is the child's parent. If you have actual knowledge that you're collecting personal information from a site or service that is directed to children, you may get consent directly or through the child-directed site or service.

Acceptable methods include having the parent:

sign a consent form and send it back to you via fax, mail, or electronic scan;

use a credit card, debit card, or other online payment system that provides notification of each separate transaction to the account holder;

call a toll-free number staffed by trained personnel;

connect to trained personnel via a video conference;

provide a copy of a form of government issued ID that you check against a database, as long as you delete the identification from your records when you finish the verification process;

answer a series of knowledge-based challenge questions that would be difficult for someone other than the parent to answer; or

verify a picture of a driver's license of other photo ID submitted by the parent and then comparing that photo to a second photo submitted by the parent, using facial recognition technology.

If you will use a child's personal information only for internal purposes and won't disclose it, you may use a method known as "email plus." Under that method, send an email to the parent and have them respond with their consent. Then you must send a confirmation to the parent via email, letter, or phone call. If you use email plus, you must let the parent know they can revoke their consent anytime.

You must give parents the option of allowing the collection and use of their child's personal information without agreeing to disclosing that information to third parties. If you make changes to the collection, use, or disclosure practices the parent already agreed to, you must send the parent a new notice and get their consent.

Check the chart for the narrow exceptions to the general rule that you must get parental consent before collecting personal information from kids. Even if you fall within an exception to the consent requirement, you still may have specific notice requirements.

Step 5: Honor Parents' Ongoing Rights with Respect to Personal Information Collected from Their Kids.

Even if parents have agreed that you may collect information from their kids, parents have ongoing rights - and you have continuing obligations.

If a parent asks, you must:

give them a way to review the personal information collected from their child;

give them a way to revoke their consent and refuse the further use or collection of personal information from their child; and

delete their child's personal information.

Any time you're communicating with a parent about personal information already collected from their child, take reasonable steps to ensure you're dealing with the child's parent. At the same time, make sure the method you use to give parents access to information collected from their kids isn't unduly burdensome on the parent. Under COPPA, it may be okay to terminate a service to a child if the parent revokes consent, but only if the information at issue is reasonably necessary for the child's participation in that activity.

Step 6: Implement Reasonable Procedures to Protect the Security of Kids' Personal Information.

COPPA requires you to establish and maintain reasonable procedures to protect the confidentiality, security, and integrity of personal information collected from children. Minimize what you collect in the first place. Take reasonable steps to release personal information only to service providers and third parties capable of maintaining its confidentiality, security, and integrity. Get assurances they'll live up to those responsibilities. Hold on to personal information only as long as is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Securely dispose of it once you no longer have a legitimate reason for retaining it.

Looking for more about the Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule? Visit the Children's Privacy page of the FTC's Business Center. For additional advice, read Complying with COPPA: Frequently Asked Questions. Visit consumer.ftc.gov for general information about protecting kids' privacy online. Email us at COPPAhotline@ftc.gov if you have other questions.

Chart: Limited Exceptions to COPPA's Verifiable Parental Consent Requirement

In general, you must get a parent's verifiable consent before collecting personal information from their child. But there are some limited exceptions to that requirement that allow you to collect information without parental consent. Keep in mind that the kind of information you may collect under each exception is narrow. You can't collect anything more. Also, if you collect information under one of these exceptions, you can't use it or disclose it for any other purpose.

Reason you may collect information without parental consent

The kind of information you may collect

Other limits on how you may use the information

If you collect information under this exception, what you must tell parents in your direct notice

To get verifiable parental consent

child's and parent's name and online contact information

You must delete their contact information if you don't get consent within a reasonable time.

You must:

tell parents you collected their online contact information so you can obtain their consent;

tell them their consent is required for the collection, use or disclosure of personal information collected from the child, and that you won't collect, use or disclose any personal information from the child without the parent's consent;

describe the additional items of personal information you intend to collect from the child and other ways for the child to disclose personal information if the parent provides consent;

hyperlink to your privacy policy;

describe the ways parents can provide verifiable consent for the collection, use or disclosure of personal information collected from the child; and

tell parents that if they don't provide consent within a reasonable time, you will delete their online contact information from your records.

To give voluntary notice to a parent about their child's participation on a site or service that doesn't collect personal information

parent's online contact information

You must:

tell parents you collected their online contact information to let them know about their child's activities on a site or service that doesn't collect personal information;

tell them their online contact information won't be used for any other purpose;

tell them they may refuse their child's participation and require that you delete their contact information; and

hyperlink to your privacy policy.

To respond directly to a child's specific one-time request (for example, if the child wants to enter a contest)

child's online contact information

You can't use the information to contact the child again and you must delete it after you respond to the request.

No direct notice is required.

To respond directly more than once to a child's specific request (for example, if the child wants to receive a newsletter)

child's and parent's online contact information

You can't combine this information with any other information collected from the child.

You must:

tell parents you collected their online contact information to let them know their child has asked for multiple online communications;

tell parents you collected their child's online contact information to provide the multiple communications they asked for;

tell parents the online contact information won't be used for any other purpose and won't be disclosed or combined with other information;

tell parents that if they don't opt out, you may use the child's online contact information for that purpose; and

hyperlink to your privacy policy.

To protect a child's safety

child's and parent's name and online contact information

You must:

tell parents you collected the names and contact information to protect a child's safety;

tell parents the information won't be used or disclosed for any other purpose;

tell parents they may refuse to permit the use of the contact information and require you to delete it; and

hyperlink to your privacy policy

To protect the security or integrity of your site or service, to take precautions against liability, to respond to judicial process, or - as permitted by law - to provide information to law enforcement

child's name and online contact information

No direct notice is required.

To provide support for internal operations of your site or service.

This includes:

maintaining or analyzing the functioning of the site,

performing network communications,

authenticating users of the site or personalizing content,

serving contextual ads or frequency capping,

protecting the security or integrity of the user or the site,

legal or regulatory compliance, or

fulfilling a child's request under the one-time contact or multiple contact exceptions.

persistent identifier

You can't use the information to contact a specific person, including through behavioral advertising, to amass a profile on a specific person, or for any other purpose.

You can't use this exception if you collect personal information other than a persistent identifier.

No direct notice is required.

If you have actual knowledge that a person's information was collected through a child-directed site, but their previous registration indicates the person is 13 or over

This exception applies only if:

you collect only a persistent identifier and no other personal information;

the person affirmatively interacts with your site or service to trigger the collection; and

you have already conducted an age-screen of the person indicating he or she is 13 or over.

persistent identifier

You can't use this exception if you collect information other than a persistent identifier.

No direct notice is required.

For More Information

The FTC works for the consumer to prevent fraudulent, deceptive, and unfair practices in the marketplace and to provide information to businesses to help them comply with the law. To file a complaint, visit ftc.gov or call toll-free, 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357); TTY: 1-866-653-4261. Watch a video, How to File a Complaint, to learn more. The FTC enters consumer complaints into the Consumer Sentinel Network, a secure online database and investigative tool used by hundreds of civil and criminal law enforcement agencies in the U.S. and abroad.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule: A Six-Step Compliance Plan for Your Business

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under 13, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation's consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children's privacy and safety online.

# data[].attributes.headline
Article on the dangers of third party educational service providers. 

# data[].attributes.subject
Article on the dangers of third party educational service providers. 

# data[].attributes.body
Assigned reading for Info 233

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.keywords[]
san jose state university dr. martin luther king jr. library

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Home Page for SJLibrary.org, a collaboration of San Jose State University and San Jose Public Library system.

# data[].attributes.headline
How can I become data-literate? & How can I better understand the legal and moral issues surrounding the security, retention, and dissemination of student data?

# data[].attributes.subject
How can I become data-literate? & How can I better understand the legal and moral issues surrounding the security, retention, and dissemination of student data?

# data[].attributes.body
This is a medium-low priority.

# data[].attributes.headline
How can the teacher librarian advocate for consistent funding to enable equitable access and an optimal learning environment?

# data[].attributes.subject
How can the teacher librarian advocate for consistent funding to enable equitable access and an optimal learning environment?

# data[].attributes.body
This the lowest priority.

# data[].attributes.headline
How can I promote authentic inquiry learning? How can I empower students to become responsible creators of information?

# data[].attributes.subject
How can I promote authentic inquiry learning? How can I empower students to become responsible creators of information?

# data[].attributes.body
This is a high-medium priority.

# data[].attributes.headline
What technologies and areas of literacy do I need to master in order to better support teachers and students?

# data[].attributes.subject
What technologies and areas of literacy do I need to master in order to better support teachers and students?

# data[].attributes.body
This is a high priority.

# data[].attributes.body
This is a high priority.

# data[].attributes.headline
Here is an article by Tom Daccord that describes characteristics of PD that leads to improved instruction.

# data[].attributes.subject
Here is an article by Tom Daccord that describes characteristics of PD that leads to improved instruction.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
1. Constructivist
The best PD workshops are constructivist, or marked by experiential learning. In these workshops participants are actively discovering the features, properties, and potential of a tool, app and a device. They are also being challenged to make sense of tools for themselves. In sum, we want our participants (and, ultimately, their students) engaged in active inquiry and problem solving and assuming increased responsibility for their own learning.

2. Collaborative
We want teacher participants to work collaboratively to uncover solutions to the challenges we provide, and we want them to share and communicate solutions to each other. Putting technology in the service of learning, in our view, means putting technology in the service of preparing students to solve unstructured problems and communicate with deep understanding. As such, we want teachers to exchange ideas and experience a collaborative classroom from a student perspective.

Fundamental changes in instructional practices are principally the result of peer-to-peer interaction, whether formal or informal. One reason that edcamps are so popular is that they provide a forum for multiple and varied peer-to-peer exchanges throughout a day.

Collaborative exchanges between colleagues and discussion around instructional practices sit at the heart of every workshop (or online course) that we run.

3. Differentiated
By providing both beginner and advanced hands-on challenges, participants work at their own pace, allowing us to model strategies for differentiated learning. We introduce varied tools and apps that provide multiple pathways to learning. These workshops differentiate not only in pace and tools, but also in the modality through which content is delivered.

4. Personalized
As instructors, we circulate the room, providing just-in-time assistance and encouragement. We work as facilitators and not principally as experts, and try to foster a proper balance between self-exploration and direction.

While participants are working individually or in groups, the instructor is now free to move about the room and engage students on a more individual and personal level, providing guidance and support. The learning becomes less teacher-oriented and more student-centered.

5. Mobile
The future of technology is mobile, and a mobile device is the principal means by which many of our students access information and communicate. A mobile device adds a unique element to professional learning, because it removes the limitations of a classroom.

Yet, many teachers and administrators struggle to conceive of mobile learning beyond their four walls or in networked communities. So, our primary focus isn't on mastering the device. It's rather on helping educators grasp instructional scenarios in a mobile, personalized, and differentiated learning environment.

6. Goal Oriented
To prepare students effectively, we have to teach them to learn. In our workshops we attempt to simulate the types of learning spaces we hope that teachers will emulate in their classrooms. In all, there is a marked emphasis on student directed learning. It is in the constructive learning environment where the learners are making sense of the tools and technological environment.

Professional development should inspire teachers to integrate technologies as creative platforms that manifest student learning and nurture essential skills for our digital age.

At the heart of any educational reform is change in the instructional core. Infrastructure, hardware, and apps are important, but the fundamental measure of success is the impact on learning that comes from exchanges between teacher-student and student-student.
Tom Daccord is the director of EdTechTeacher, a professional learning organization.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
6 characteristics of great PD (and great classrooms)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
1. Constructivist The best PD workshops are constructivist, or marked by experiential learning. In these workshops participants are actively discovering the features, properties, and potential of a tool, app and a device. They are also being challenged to make sense of tools for themselves.

# data[].attributes.headline
Data Quality Campaign is a website devoted to showing how can data be used to empower educators and benefit students.

# data[].attributes.subject
Data Quality Campaign is a website devoted to showing how can data be used to empower educators and benefit students.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
DQC is dedicated to building knowledge and developing resources that advance the effective use of education data. We produce...

# data[].attributes.headline
How can I create a virtual space that will support students in their personal and academic learning?

# data[].attributes.subject
How can I create a virtual space that will support students in their personal and academic learning?

# data[].attributes.body
Note: The "anytime, anywhere" factor will depend on students' access to Internet and devices at school and home.

# data[].attributes.headline
How can I strengthen partnerships with parents and with the local public library?

# data[].attributes.subject
How can I strengthen partnerships with parents and with the local public library?

# data[].attributes.body
This is a medium priority.

# data[].attributes.headline
Professor Linda Hill from Harvard Business School on Collaborative Leadership, video

# data[].attributes.subject
Professor Linda Hill from Harvard Business School on Collaborative Leadership, video

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.authors[].name
I – Global Intelligence for Digital Leaders

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Harvard Business School‘s Linda Hill: How collaborative leadership delivers sustainable innovation

# data[].attributes.headline
Center for Community Health, University of Kansas

# data[].attributes.subject
Center for Community Health, University of Kansas

# data[].attributes.body
--on collaborative leadership

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learn how to maintain a process that allows for stakeholders that depend on collaborative problem-solving and decision-making.

What is collaborative leadership?

Why practice collaborative leadership?

When is collaborative leadership appropriate?

Who are real and potential collaborative leaders?

How do you practice collaborative leadership?

A collaboration among several groups and individuals is often needed to address a complex issue, and collaboration requires collaborative leadership. Collaborative leadership means maintaining a process that includes everyone involved in an issue or organization. A process that depends on collaborative problem solving and decision making. In this section, we will explore collaborative leadership, why it is useful, and how to practice in effectively.

What is collaborative leadership?

Collaborative leadership is really defined by a process, rather than by what leaders do. It has much in common with both servant leadership and transformational leadership. It starts, according to David Chrislip and Carl Larson, in Collaborative Leadership, from the premise that "...if you bring the appropriate people together in constructive ways with good information, they will create authentic visions and strategies for addressing the shared concerns of the organization or community."

Collaborative leadership can be employed in almost any situation, and indeed is practiced in some businesses with great success, but is seen more often in community coalitions and initiatives, in community-based health and human service organizations, or in alternative education. People often find it particularly useful in situations where "no one is in charge," where there are issues or problems so complex that no one person or entity has either the information or the power to change them. (This does't mean that no one has responsibility, but rather that sharing responsibility for the issue is necessary in order to arrive at a successful resolution of it.)

While it can be practiced in a number of ways, good collaborative leadership is almost always characterized by some specific traits. Among the most important:

Collaborative problem-solving and decision-making. It's not the leader's job to decide what to do and then tell the group. Rather, the group considers the problem, decides what to do, and counts on the leader to help them focus their effort.

Open process. The leader - or some other interested party, like Putnam's mayor - doesn't just start with his goals in mind and steer the group in that direction. Collaborative leadership means that the process of decision-making is truly collaborative, and has no set end-point when it begins. The end result is worked out among all the participants: that's collaboration.

Leadership of the process, rather than the group. The purpose of collaborative leadership is to help the collaborative process work, rather than to lead the people involved toward something - to a particular decision, for instance, or in a particular direction.

There are some differences between collaborative leadership within an organization and collaborative leadership among organizations. In the first case, a leader may have to spend much of her time initially trying to coax people to take leadership roles in certain circumstances, or even to participate in collaborative decision-making. In the second instance, a leader's biggest task may be to keep everyone from trying to lead in different directions all at once.

There are really two ways to define collaborative leadership. In this section, we will focus on the first of these situations, though the orienting principles are the same in both cases.

Collaborative leadership: leadership of a collaborative effort. This definition refers to taking a leadership role in a coalition, organization, or other enterprise where everyone is on an equal footing and working together to solve a problem, create something new, or run an organization or initiative. The leader is not in control of the group, but has responsibility for guiding and coordinating the process by which the group decides upon and carries out actions to accomplish its goals.

Leading collaboratively: leadership as a collaborative effort. In this case - usually in an organizational rather than a coalition or community setting - leadership may shift, by group decision, from one person to another as different talents or abilities are called for, or (more often) leadership is permanently shared by all, or several, members of the group. Here, there is no one leader: the group functions as a true collaborative, and guides itself.

Why practice collaborative leadership?

A coalition or other collaboration will nearly always function best with collaborative leadership. Most other organizations and enterprises may function without collaborative leadership, but there are benefits that collaborative leadership can confer even in situations where there are other possible choices.
Advantages of collaborative leadership include:

Buy-in. Collaborative leadership encourages ownership of the enterprise, whether it's a coalition, an organization, a business, or a community project. By involving everyone in decision making and problem solving, it makes what people are doing theirs, rather than something imposed on them by someone else. The sense of ownership builds commitment to the common purpose.

More involvement in implementation. Members of a collaborative group are more likely to be willing to take responsibility for implementing the group's action plan, because they were part of developing it.

Trust building. Collaborative leadership, by its use of an open process and its encouragement of discussion and dialogue, builds trust among those involved in the enterprise.

Elimination of turf issues. Similarly, collaborative leadership can help to address turf issues through establishing mutual trust, making sure everyone's concerns are heard, and helping organizations, factions, or individuals find common ground and work together.

Turf issues arise when individuals or organizations feel someone else is invading their "turf," their professional or philosophical or personal territory. In a community, this can mean competition among organizations for prestige, credibility with a target population, or - worst of all - funding, and can result in organizations that should be natural allies working against one another. In an organization, it can mean individuals asserting "ownership" of information, the use of equipment, or administrative procedures, and can cause disastrous splits among staff and ineffective and inefficient operation.

Access to more and better information and ideas. When all involved in an issue are party to addressing it, they bring with them a wealth of information, as well as a variety of perspectives. As a result, the solutions they arrive at are likely to be better than those developed in a vacuum, or by only a small number of people.

Better opportunity for substantive results. The combination of ownership of the process and its results, trust, real collaboration, and better planning yields real success in the real world. In looking at successful community development efforts, Chrislip and Larson found that nearly all were characterized by collaborative leadership.

Generation of new leadership. Collaborative leadership helps to train new leaders from within the group, thus assuring continuity and commitment to the issues the group is addressing.

Community or organizational empowerment. The inclusion of all stakeholders - anyone with an interest or involvement in an issue or organization - in problem-solving and decision-making not only prepares potential leaders, but leads to people taking more responsibility and caring more about what they do. It leads to better functioning in every sphere.

Fundamental change for the better in the ways communities and organizations operate. Collaborative leadership breeds more collaborative leadership and more collaboration, leading to a different way of looking at solving problems. This in turn brings more willingness to find common ground and common cause with others, more willingness to tackle new issues, and more effective and wide-reaching solutions.

For all its advantages, there are disadvantages that go with collaborative leadership as well. It can be frustrating, and there's no guarantee that it will work with a particular group.
The major difficulties with collaborative leadership include:

It's time-consuming. Collaboration takes time, and decision-making that involves a large number of people and organizations may seem to proceed glacially - very slowly, and with a great deal of friction.

It demands the ability to face conflict directly and mediate it to a resolution acceptable to everyone. Collaborative leadership is not a job for people who like everything calm and who would prefer that no one ever raise her voice.

It may mean trying to overcome resistance to the whole idea of collaborative leadership. Many people, particularly in organizations, would prefer a leader to tell them exactly what they need to do, so they know they're doing the right thing. Being asked to share leadership just makes them resentful, and leaves them feeling that the leader isn't doing her job. Selling the concept may be the hardest part of the job.

At the beginning of Chapter 13, Section 3: Styles of Leadership, there is a true story of a high school principal who tried for several years to be a collaborative leader. His overtures were roundly rejected by a majority of the school's faculty, who preferred to do what they had always done, and to know exactly what the rules were. He eventually left the school, having succeeded only marginally in convincing teachers to become more collaborative, and to take more control of their teaching.

It can lead to groups taking what seems to you to be the wrong path. As a collaborative leader, you have to be able to let go of your own ideas and biases, and maintain a process that will guide the group to its own goals, strategy, and action plans.

It demands that leaders subordinate their egos. You're not the boss in this situation, and furthermore, you may not get any credit if the group is successful.

Whether or not these last two possibilities actually play out depends on the situation. In an organization, the opinions and status of a collaborative leader might still carry more weight than those of other staff members, regardless of how hard he tries to eliminate any hierarchy. In a coalition or community-wide collaboration, even though there may be more and more varied participants, it may be easier for the leader to be seen as a peer.

When is collaborative leadership appropriate?

Collaborative leadership is not always the best solution for a particular group. In the military, for instance, particularly in a combat situation, collaborative leadership would be fatal: while the group carefully worked out its plans, it would be overrun. There are numerous other situations - often related to how quickly decisions have to be made and how decisively people have to act - where collaborative leadership wouldn't work well. Time is clearly a factor, as is the ability of a group to gather and digest information, its level of experience and judgment (you wouldn't put pre-schoolers in charge of their own safety, for instance), its freedom to act, etc.

So how do you know when to employ collaborative leadership? Here are some possibilities to consider:

When the timing is right. Good timing is often necessary for collaborative leadership to succeed. When circumstances conspire to bring a situation to a crisis point, that can break down barriers and convince otherwise-reluctant stakeholders that they need to collaborate. By the same token, when things are going well, there may be the time, the funding, and the common will to take on a new collaborative effort.

When problems are serious and complex, and both affect and require attention from a number of individuals and groups. This is the kind of situation, referred to earlier, when no one is in charge. It's impossible for any one individual or group to solve the problem by tackling it alone. At the same time, the seriousness and complexity of the problem mean that it's in the self-interest of the individuals and groups involved to put turf issues and the like aside, and to collaborate on dealing with it.

When there are a number of diverse stakeholders, or stakeholders with varied interests. In order for these stakeholders to work together, collaborative leadership is needed to build trust - both among stakeholders and in the process - and to make sure that everyone's agenda is heard and honestly considered.

When other attempts at solutions haven't worked. Individual organizations or officials may have tried to deal with an issue and failed, or a coalition may have faltered because of internal conflict and/or inability to generate effective action.

When an issue affects a whole organization or a whole community. If everyone's affected, everyone needs a voice. Collaborative leadership can provide the opportunity for all to be heard and involved.

When inclusiveness and empowerment are goals of the process from the beginning. A coalition that has set out, for instance, to broaden political participation throughout the community would do well to operate with collaborative leadership and a collaborative process. Such a structure would give it credibility among those it's trying to reach, and would also provide that target population with the opportunity to develop its own voice, and to increase its ability to participate fully.

Who are collaborative leaders?

While no one walks around with a name tag saying "Hi, I'm a collaborative leader," potential and actual collaborative leaders are everywhere in a community or organization. They may be independent consultants hired for their facilitation skills, or they may emerge from unexpected places - the corner office of a powerful business, for instance, or a three-room apartment in a public housing complex. Regardless of who they are or where they come from, collaborative leaders usually have some characteristics in common.
Collaborative leaders are - or quickly become - trusted and respected by all the groups and individuals they have to deal with.
Depending on the circumstances, this may mean that they're viewed as neutral, unconnected to any of the interests involved in the collaboration, or having no prior history with any group, and therefore unbiased. Or it may mean that they have a solid reputation for fairness and integrity. It almost always means that, while they may stand to gain from the success of the collaboration, they have nothing personal to gain from their leadership position.
Collaborative leaders relate to diverse groups and individuals with respect and ease.
The necessity of approaching everyone with openness and without condescension, and of being trusted by people of diverse backgrounds and experience, make this quality a great asset for a collaborative leader.
Collaborative leaders have good facilitation skills.
Because they have to deal with whatever comes up in the collaborative process, collaborative leaders have to be skilled at facilitating more than meetings. Facilitation skills include:

A tolerance for and understanding of how to use conflict.

The ability to involve everyone and make sure all voices are heard.

The capacity to restate arguments, ideas, or issues so that everyone's clear on them. This includes the gift for reframing debate to disarm or enlist as allies many who might otherwise be opponents.

An understanding of group process.

The words "group process" often conjure up graduate school courses and psycho-social models of how a group works. Some people may not have this educational or professional background, but have an intrinsic understanding of what's happening in a group, and of how to intervene to address whatever needs to be addressed. If that's the case, groups quickly learn to trust their judgment.

An ability to see the big picture. A good facilitator can both view the process that the group is going through, and consider and act on it in light of what's needed to realize the group's goals.
Collaborative leaders are catalysts.
They bring the right people together at the right time to make things happen, and continue to sustain the process that will lead the collaborative to success.
Collaborative leaders nurture new leadership within the collaboration and the community.
Rather than trying to protect their leadership positions, good collaborative leaders encourage potential leaders. They provide opportunities for them to hone their leadership skills, and afford mentoring and support. Collaborative leaders know that new leadership is the life breath of a collaboration.
Collaborative leaders have a commitment to the collaborative process and to finding real solutions to problems.
Good collaborative leaders have to believe in the process, and to champion and maintain it, often in the face of strong opposition. At the same time, they have to keep everyone moving toward the group's goals, even when it feels like nothing's happening.
Collaborative leaders keep the focus on what's best for the group, organization, or community as a whole.
Just as the leader has to be willing to let go of his ego or specific concerns, he tries to help group members learn to do the same, and to focus on solutions that address the broadest, rather than the narrowest, interests.

How do you practice collaborative leadership?

There are a number of elements that need to be mentioned in any discussion of the practice of collaborative leadership: leadership of the process; understanding of the context of leadership in a particular situation; the role of motivator; flexibility and persistence; and the importance, already referred to more than once, of the leader's willingness to put aside her own ego. We'll look at each of these elements in turn.

Lead the process, not the people.

As a collaborative leader, your most important task is not to make sure that the group comes up with the "right" ideas or plans, or to produce single-handedly the vision or goals that it needs to follow. Your main job is to establish, maintain, and safeguard the collaborative process that allows everyone to participate fully in the group's work. In order to fill your role well, there are a number of things you need to do:
Help the group set norms - for meetings, communication, and general operation - that it can live by, and that encourage respect, participation, and trust.
Norms may be stated or unstated, depending on the group and its needs, but in general, the more explicit they are, the better. They can range from, say, the formality of Robert's Rules of Order as a structure for meetings, to the arrangement of seating (chairs in a circle - often an unstated norm), to the responsibilities of particular subgroups or individuals, to guidelines for discussion (no interruption until someone's thought is finished, no name-calling, etc.)
Assure that everyone gets heard.
That means not just letting people speak in meetings, but actively soliciting the opinions of those who haven't spoken, and recording and reviewing with the group everyone's concerns and ideas as you discuss possibilities. Between meetings, it means communicating any news and developments to people on a regular basis and giving them a chance to respond, and making sure they communicate with one another.
Encourage and model inclusiveness.
As a collaborative leader, you have an obligation to invite participation from all segments of the community or organization, to welcome new participants and make sure they meet others (and to encourage other members to do the same), to include them in discussion and subgroups, to help them gain whatever skills they need to participate fully, etc. Perhaps most important, you should be instrumental in creating an atmosphere where all these things happen automatically, without your intervention.
Help people make real connections with one another.
In order to develop trust, especially in those who might formerly have been seen as competitors or enemies, people need time to get to know one another. It's up to the collaborative leader (as well as others) to make sure they get it, in an atmosphere that's safe and open. The leader must exhibit trust as well as encouraging it

As is probably obvious here, the collaborative leader must set an example by practicing what she preaches. To a large extent, the group will become what the leader models, and therefore, she must model what she wants the group to become. Modeling all the functions on this list will help a leader to institutionalize the collaborative process.

Mediate conflicts and disputes.
In any group, conflict is almost inevitable. Trying to ignore it and hoping it will go away is probably the absolute worst way to handle it. In collaborative groups, especially, it needs to be faced head-on and not only resolved, but used constructively, to build trust and further the work of the group. Creative dispute resolution is a vital function of collaborative leadership.
Help the group create and use mechanisms for soliciting ideas.
Suggesting and teaching, if necessary, such techniques as brainstorming; introducing research or other relevant ideas from outside the group; gaining the help of knowledgeable non-members (university faculty or graduate students, for instance) - these are some of the ways that a collaborative leader can assist the group to examine complex issues and come up with potential solutions.
Maintain collaborative problem-solving and decision-making.
The leader must guard against an individual, organization, or small group running away with the process. In many circumstances, it's not only reasonable but necessary to ask a small group to come up with suggestions or plans. But the larger group should instruct them to do so in the first place, and their results should come back to the larger group for discussion and approval.
Push the group toward effectiveness by:

Urging it to come to decisions after there's been enough discussion.

Helping it to devise appropriate action plans.

Making sure that people take and honor responsibility for implementing action plans in a timely and competent way.

Holding people accountable to their implementation (and other) responsibilities.

Reminding the group to evaluate, adjust, and reevaluate both plans and their implementation, based on results.

Help the group choose initial projects that are doable, in order to build confidence and demonstrate collaborative success.
It's important that the collaborative leader do all she can to encourage the group to take on tasks that can be accomplished with the available time and resources. Initial success will both motivate the group and give it legitimacy.
Help the group identify and obtain the necessary resources to do the work.
Insist on and protect an open process, one that has no expected outcome when it starts, no predetermined decisions demanding only the group's rubber stamp. The process should belong to the group from the very beginning.
Keep the group focused on what's best for the organization, collaborative, or community as a whole, rather than on individual interests.
Know the leadership context

The context of leadership - all the elements that affect what a leader may have to face and what will be required of him - is unique to each situation. As a collaborative leader, you need to understand your particular situation fully, so that you're not caught by surprise by a development that you could have anticipated

The community. Important factors here are:

The current circumstances. What are the issues that the coalition or organization is responding to, and why are they issues?

History. What brought the community to this point? What is its history of trying to deal with the current issues? Are there roadblocks that might be thrown up as a result of what happened in the past?

The stakeholders and other interested parties. What are their relationships to the issues? Perhaps more important, what are their relationships to one another? How might those relationships help or hinder the effort?

Community attitudes. Are there things you need to know about how most people in the community view particular issues, or about what they'll respond to and what they won't accept?

The nature of the problem. The nature of the problem can be considered in two ways. The first is problem type. Chrislip and Larson, following Ronald Heifetz and Riley Sinder, put problems in three categories:

Type I is an obvious, clearly-defined problem with an equally obvious, clearly-defined solution that can be exercised by an expert. (The remedy for a broken window is to replace the glass, which can be done by anyone who knows how to glaze windows.)

Type II is a clearly-defined problem, but one whose solution requires both an expert and effort on the part of those affected as well. (If your windows are always broken because you keep hitting baseballs into them during backyard games, they not only need glazing, but you need to take your games farther away from your windows.)

Type III problems have neither a clear definition nor a clear solution. (All the windows in the neighborhood are continually broken, and no one knows why.)

Barriers to collaboration. Collaborative leaders are often confronted with situations or factors that work against collaboration. It's important to anticipate the most common of these, and to be aware of some ways to eliminate them.

If people don't know how to work together, teach them. A community development effort in Newark, NJ, brought in a consulting firm to facilitate group building and to teach collaborative problem-solving and other techniques.

If there are turf issues, emphasize the benefits to everyone of collaboration. Show people that they're better off collaborating, and the chances are that they will.

If there's unfortunate community history, either among organizations and individuals, or with the issue itself, mediate disputes; point out the differences between now and then; point out the differences between collaboration and groups working separately; and structure the situation so that groups and individuals can interact and make connections.

If professionals or some other elite seem to be dominating the collaboration, work with that group to emphasize the importance of inclusiveness, while modeling it yourself. At the same time, provide support and, if necessary, training for others so that they feel more comfortable participating. Structure face-to-face situations (meetings, workshops, etc.) to equalize input from everyone.

If there are poor links to the community, forge new ones. Bring people together through introductions and events. Encourage organizations and groups to reach out with active solicitation of help and advice, publicity, public education, and events.

If there is little organizational capacity, find resources to hire a coordinator, or tap the collaboration's internal resources for one. Create, with the collaboration as a whole, structures that address this issue.

If there seems to be no funding available, look for unusual sources, as well as looking within the collaboration for ideas. At the same time, work on projects that are significant, but require little or no funding to complete.

As is mentioned in many places in the Tool Box, resist applying for or accepting funding that isn't directly relevant to what the collaboration wants or needs to do, and that isn't consistent with the goals, mission, and philosophy of the group. Selling your principles will cause far more problems than the money will solve.

The group's capacity for change. Organizations, groups, and communities vary greatly in their acceptance of change in general and in their openness to particular kinds of change. It's important to start where the group is, rather than at some point which most members may see as radical or impossible. Knowing how ready a group is to try something new can mean the difference between a highly successful collaboration and a group that breaks up with recriminations and a certainty that collaboration doesn't work.

Motivate, motivate, motivate
Keeping the collaboration or organization enthusiastic and eager to continue its work is a significant part of the collaborative leader's role. Being upbeat, even when things look bleak, keeping the group focused on the future and on the larger picture, and identifying and celebrating even the small successes all act to strengthen commitment and guard against discouragement and burn-out.

At the same time, the leader has to ensure that there continue to be reason for optimism and successes to celebrate by being realistic. It's also part of her job to act as a reality check, and keep the group from taking on more than it can accomplish. Success is usually incremental, step by step. In guiding those steps, and making sure that the group doesn't try to run before it can walk, the collaborative leader not only safeguards the group's effectiveness, but provides motivation as well.
Be flexible; be unyielding - Be flexible in:

Trying out new ideas, and ideas from unusual or unlikely sources

Changing course when the situation demands it

Letting go of something that's not working

Creating opportunities for more participation

Protecting the integrity of the open, collaborative process

Inclusiveness

Keeping the group on track

Advocating for what's in the best interests of the organization or community as a whole

Be unyielding in:
Check your ego at the door
As a good collaborative leader, you have to let go of your own ego, and forget about taking credit or being seen as a hero. The role calls for contributing to problem-solving and decisions, but only as a member of the group. The group has to go through its own process, and you, as leader, have to accept the decision it comes to.

This doesn't mean you can't argue for a different position, or that you can't refuse to participate in something you consider unethical. It's important, and is in fact your duty, to model reason and integrity. But while you shouldn't budge on integrity, your reasoning may be faulty, or may simply fail to convince others. If you make your argument forcefully, and people don't buy it, integrity dictates that you respect the process and go along with what's decided.

If you're absolutely certain that the group's plan is suicidal, you can, of course, refuse to participate. But you can't force a collaborative enterprise into a path it's not willing to take.

In addition, you have to encourage ideas from all quarters, and encourage new leadership from within the group. Often, you may step aside while others assume leadership on particular issues. In some situations, it may be best for you to step aside permanently, and cede leadership entirely. The ability to do that may be the true mark of a collaborative leader.

In Summary

Collaborative leadership is the leadership of a process, rather than of people. It means maintaining a process that allows for the inclusion of all stakeholders involved in an issue or organization or community effort; that depends on collaborative problem-solving and decision-making; and that is open and open-ended, with no foreordained conclusions. It is particularly valuable in situations where "no one is in charge," where the size and complexity of problems make it impossible for any individual or organization alone to effect change.

Collaborative leadership encourages ownership of the collaborative enterprise, builds trust and minimizes turf issues, allows for more and better information, leads to better and more effective solutions, encourages new leadership from within the collaboration, empowers the group or community, and can change the way a whole community operates. It can also take inordinate amounts of time, and requires that leaders deal with conflict and resistance to the collaborative process, bite their tongues as the group moves in directions they don't agree with, and subordinate their egos to the process of the group.

In general, the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages, but not in every situation. The best times for collaborative leadership are when the timing is right; when complex and serious problems arise; when stakeholders are characterized by diversity and/or a variety of interests; when other solutions haven't worked; when an issue affects a whole organization or community; or when empowerment is a goal of the process from the beginning.

While collaborative leaders may come from anywhere, they usually have in common community credibility; the ability to relate comfortably to everyone in the community; good facilitation skills; the ability to be catalysts; a commitment to the collaborative process; and a commitment to the common good, rather than to narrow interests.

To be a good collaborative leader, you have to lead, maintain, and safeguard the collaborative process; understand and use the leadership context (the community and the nature of the problem you're facing); be a motivator with a firm footing in reality; be flexible in your dealings with people and inflexible in your defense of the inclusiveness, openness, and collaborative nature of the process; and leave your ego needs at home. If you can do all that, the chances are good that your collaborative effort will succeed.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn how to maintain a process that allows for stakeholders that depend on collaborative problem-solving and decision-making. What is collaborative leadership? Why practice collaborative leadership? When is collaborative leadership appropriate? Who are real and potential collaborative leaders? How do you practice collaborative leadership?

# data[].attributes.headline
Strengthen parent involvement through digital tools

# data[].attributes.subject
Strengthen parent involvement through digital tools

# data[].attributes.body
https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2018/06/8-tips-strengthen-parent-involvement-digital-tools

# data[].attributes.headline
My favorite, informative blog by Joyce Valenza

# data[].attributes.subject
My favorite, informative blog by Joyce Valenza

# data[].attributes.body
http://blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/

# data[].attributes.headline
Professional Development site for English Teachers

# data[].attributes.subject
Professional Development site for English Teachers

# data[].attributes.body
http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/online-pd/

# data[].attributes.headline
National Council of Teachers of English on Facebook

# data[].attributes.subject
National Council of Teachers of English on Facebook

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.facebook.com/ncte.org/videos/2003480569674652/

# data[].attributes.headline
Here is my favorite website so far, called Cult of Pedagogy.

# data[].attributes.subject
Here is my favorite website so far, called Cult of Pedagogy.

# data[].attributes.body
https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/

# data[].attributes.headline
Here is an online technology course for teachers that I want to take in June. (Jennifer Gonzalez of Cult of Pedagogy) 

# data[].attributes.subject
Here is an online technology course for teachers that I want to take in June. (Jennifer Gonzalez of Cult of Pedagogy) 

# data[].attributes.body
http://teachersguidetotech.com/jumpstart/

# data[].attributes.headline
Here's a course by teacher Jennifer Gonzalez on Twitter that I just signed up for!

# data[].attributes.subject
Here's a course by teacher Jennifer Gonzalez on Twitter that I just signed up for!

# data[].attributes.body
http://www.blendeducation.org/courses/57695/lectures/860132

# data[].attributes.headline
Library of the Future: An initiative of the ALA has a fantastic site organized by trends!

# data[].attributes.subject
Library of the Future: An initiative of the ALA has a fantastic site organized by trends!

# data[].attributes.body
http://www.ala.org/tools/future/trends/IoT

# data[].attributes.headline
CILIP,  the library and information association, is a UK organization that promotes Web accessibility...

# data[].attributes.subject
CILIP,  the library and information association, is a UK organization that promotes Web accessibility...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The issue of accessibility is often discussed in the context of patron complaints when the digital or physical environments fail to support their unique needs. Lack of funding to support specialized services within libraries and lack of understanding of what accessibility really means can create tensions between service providers and their customers.

The following post was designed to provide clarity on what libraries can do to improve their online and physical spaces in order to support users of all abilities equally and turn inclusivity into a positive conversation about a new progressive approach to library services.

Digital environment

The Association of Research Libraries' Web Accessibility Toolkit is a testament to where North American research libraries are headed in the coming years with digital accessibility becoming the focal point of discussion across many institutions.

Creating a flourishing and dynamic community of practice where standards can be defined and best practices can be exchanged is the perfect way to start the momentum of change. This change for libraries is not just about introducing a new separate "theme" of inclusivity but it's about reassessing all current practices and services to evaluate their usefulness for users of all abilities.

It's important to understand that accessibility should not be a separate checkmark but an integral part of all services, and a key consideration when designing library digital spaces.

There are two considerations when it comes to the digital world - website design and web content both need to be inclusive. For instance, the library website design needs to be easy to navigate either with a mouse or a keyboard. Web content should follow the inverted pyramid structure with more valuable information located at the very top. This allows a visitor using a screen reader or a visitor with a learning disability to quickly ascertain where they are and how to find the information that they need without scrolling to the bottom.

Granting your web visitors the opportunity to manipulate the web interface is empowering. By adding a font size and colour toolbar, your online users can customize their page appearance by making the text larger or altering the contrast between the text and the background by changing the background or text colour to suit their unique needs.

The following resources along with many others cited in the ARL Toolkit, offer more details about how to make digital content accessible:

For those folks who are not technically inclined, there are a lot of options such as an array of plug-ins a Librarian can use to check web accessibility levels - no programming skills required! These tools will simply flag existing issues providing you with a list of barriers your technical team can fix.

Web content such as digital books, videos or downloadable attachments need to be accessible, ideally offering readers a variety of format options, videos should be captioned/described and all PDF files fully OCR'd. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a conversion of images or printed text into machine-encoded text which supports a variety of assistive technologies such as screen readers in enabling them to translate written word or an image into an audio format. While some programs can quickly OCR a text, ideally the translation should involve some level of human editing too, particularly in describing images or formulas. New technologies on the horizon promise better solutions in automating this process, however, we are simply not there yet.

Library staff should advocate on behalf of their users, encouraging publishers to produce more accessible digital content by educating members of this community about what a fully accessible digital text is, as well helping vendors understand that libraries are required to provide inclusive learning resources.

While it's possible to make print materials or inaccessible digital files accessible, there is no reason why digitally born content should create access barriers for users. Publishers should be advised that both their platforms and content need to be compatible with assistive technologies to support users of all abilities and library procurement decisions need to start addressing this explicitly.

Physical space

Inclusive design means just that - we are not designing one distinct space for a specific group of users followed by another distinct space for a different group. The library physical space needs to be made as usable and flexible as its digital presence, allowing users to mold and adjust their surroundings to suit their unique needs. On a basic level, this means incorporating modular furniture which a visitor can assemble or move around with ease to build an environment that meets their unique needs.

Reference desks should be height adjustable and computer work stations or loanable iPads equipped with accessibility apps and programs like Zoom Text or screen reading software. Collaborating with a user advisory group throughout the process of designing your digital and physical spaces is key to ensuring that your users have the right opportunity to provide their input and share their experiences. A user advisory group can also advocate on behalf of your library, engaging in peer to peer promotions of your progressive inclusive spaces and offer your staff the knowledge and support that they need to provide a well-rounded equitable and accessible service to all users.

There are similarities between library physical and virtual space

There are more similarities between the library physical and virtual spaces than initially meets the eye. The ability to empower library visitors to manipulate, build and customize their environments is a powerful approach to helping them experience information in a way which is convenient for them.

Inviting end users to take an active role in the process of design will ensure that libraries deliver the right tools and spaces which users can utilize in a way which makes sense to them. Libraries don't need to compete with Starbucks or Amazon.com. They need to experiment with elements of the old and the new models of information access to create new inclusive models of information delivery.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
How to make your library an accessible physical and virtual space

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The issue of accessibility is often discussed in the context of patron complaints when the digital or physical environments fail to support their unique needs. Lack of funding to support specialized services within libraries and lack of understanding of what accessibility really means can create tensions between service providers and their customers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The printing press changed the world, fueling a global renaissance in learning, art and science and upending historical power structures. The shift from print to digital is having an even more profound impact. It has taken hold in two decades rather than two centuries, transforming communication, democratizing learning and creating new markets.

Today we live, learn, work and play on digital platforms. The five largest companies are digital platforms (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft). Most of us hop seamlessly from a communication screen to a production screen to a shared screen, and we often use several simultaneously.

Tremendous progress has been made in K-12 education in this country over the last 20 years, even in low-income communities. Most schools have broadband connections, devices for every student or two and practices that have begun to personalize student learning.

But challenges remain in these early days of developing new personalized learning models. These 10 strategies promote excellence and equity in elementary and secondary schools in the digital learning age. The first five are the basics of access, the second five are the basics of quality.

1. Support 1:1 Take-Home Technology

The combination of inexpensive devices (especially Chromebooks) and open education resources have made it cheaper to provide digital access to great instructional resources than textbooks. It also powers blended and anywhere anytime learning models. A few interesting facts around this:

Maine is the only state to provide 1:1 take-home technology to secondary students. Everywhere else, it's up to school districts.

The Mooresville Graded School District near Charlotte, North Carolina, was a 1:1 pioneer and demonstrated that in a low-spending district (relative to other North Carolina districts) it was possible to provide all students with a full-function laptop.

Beginning in 2012, Council Bluffs, Iowa; Leyden, Ill.; and the Richland Two schools in South Carolina, became early leaders in adopting Chromebooks.

A user fee of $25-$50 for take-home laptops has been adopted by some districts to cover insurance and can usually be paid in installments for those who need payment assistance. Some districts cover the cost for low-income families upon request.

Full 1:1 access makes possible the transition from textbooks to digital instructional materials, particularly open resources. Several school districts have partnerships with open educational resources:

The El Paso Independent School District in Texas worked with CK-12 Foundation to develop 30 open high school flexbooks. El Paso teachers adapted CK-12 content with their own touches and aligned the content with Texas standards. Savings from planned textbook adoptions helped pay for laptops for every high school student.

The Santa Ana Unified School District in California partners with Gooru for customized playlists of open content.

Schools in Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York use open digital playlists from PowerMyLearning.

Six districts are piloting comprehensive open math curriculum from nonprofit Open Up Resources.

Some 1:1 schools and districts are reluctant to allow students to bring devices home because of safety concerns, particularly if the students wear recognizable uniforms and walk in dangerous areas. This difficult choice puts more pressure on home and community connectivity solutions.

2. Support Community Broadband Access

Home connectivity is important to support extended learning opportunities and full digital equity. In a limited number of cases, school districts may provide a connected device (tablet or laptop with hotspot) to students lacking home access, but this quickly becomes cost prohibitive to do at scale. The most common effort to promote home connectivity are community partnerships including low-cost broadband services (about $10 per month) and encouraging and mapping community Wi-Fi hotspots.

Taking advantage of the urban density, the Santa Ana district made efforts to boost home internet access by boosting school signal strength to cover nearby apartment units and, in partnership with the city, increase access to Wi-Fi hotspots. Where that doesn't meet the need, school libraries check out filtered wireless hotspots for home use. One hot spot often covers multiple students.

Santa Ana's deputy superintendent, David Haglund, says home access is improving as families have found ways to access the internet. "The most recent technology survey in Santa Ana found that 85 percent of families have internet in the home. We use the hotspots as a strategy to solve for the remaining 15 percent." The district is also in talks with the city regarding a citywide broadband initiative.

In Alabama, the Huntsville City Schools put Wi-Fi on buses with extended travel time. In addition to more study time, the district experienced a big drop in discipline problems on the buses equipped with Wi-Fi.

Coachella Valley Unified Schools in California provides students with a mobile device and, according to superintendent Daryl Adams, "parks buses in isolated rural areas to provide access for students and families with no internet service."

3. Encourage BYOD

Because the vast majority of secondary school students nationwide today bring their own device to school, most districts have dropped their phone bans and allow teachers to decide when and how students can use phones in class.

Bring your own device policies should be used to create a high-access environment - a three-screen day that includes a mobile device, a production device and a large sharing/editing screen. BYOD doesn't replace a school district's commitment to 1:1 access. Rather, it augments this commitment and creates a three-screen day with extended learning opportunities.

4. Support Digital Literacy

"Digital learning is mission-critical because digital literacy and digital collaboration don't come naturally," says Jan Rashid, assistant superintendent of Des Plaines School District 62, located in a Chicago suburb. "Writing digitally is not the same as using Facebook or Snapchat."

To prepare students for middle school, high school, college and beyond, the district uses a digital literacy curriculum. Students have 24/7 access to the content, so they can work in class, at home or on the bus.

Santa Ana dropped its ban on cell phones and encouraged students to bring their own device and use their own network. While that makes other administrators nervous, Haglund thinks locked-down networks are like teaching young people to drive on a Disney amusement park ride. Instead, he believes we should teach students to become responsible digital citizens.

Common Sense Media provides a free comprehensive curriculum designed to help students to think critically, behave safely and participate responsibly online.

Districts serving diverse and low-income communities are finding very high smartphone penetration rates. Highline Public Schools, near Seattle, uses the SchoolWires mobile application to connect with parents and share assignments, contacts and calendar events.

Coding as Digital Equity?

Schools are rapidly adding coding to the curriculum as an important career skill. Web developers without a college degree can earn good money. Coding in high school can expose students to careers in computer science.

When coding is taught with robotics, problem-solving and maker experiences, it encourages computational thinking. At Olin College, a next-generation engineering school west of Boston, just-in-time computing is taught across the curriculum. Students learn the programming skills they need to solve the problem they are working on.

While valuable, these "add coding to the curriculum" instincts miss the broader implication - artificial intelligence is rapidly impacting lives and livelihoods.

We used to code algorithms to perform specific tasks. Now we can code them to learn, and the more data the algorithms are exposed to, the smarter they get. Artificial intelligence (and its subsets, machine learning, neural nets, and natural language processing) currently results in narrow forms of machine intelligence - programs that are very good at specific tasks.

A recent Stanford study noted numerous ways that artificial intelligence is transforming social media, healthcare, retail, transportation and the employment landscape. Over the next decade, machine intelligence will broaden in capability rivaling humans in increasing respects. The report suggests that, in addition to in introducing coding and computational thinking, school communities should discuss the emerging ethical and economic questions implications of artificial intelligence.

6. Adopt Broader Aims

Houston ISD and Marion City Schools in Ohio hosted community conversations about what graduates should know and be able to do. AASA calls it Redefining Ready .

In addition to traditional measures, these districts built a graduate profile embracing broader aims including growth mindset, collaboration and critical thinking. Districts benefiting from Next Generation Learning Challenges grants use the NGLC MyWays outcome framework that add workplace success skills and "wayfinding" or navigational and decision making skills.

7. Support High-Quality Personalized Learning

Developing a blended and personalized learning environment is complicated. Districts including Washington D.C. have in-house experts that help school staffs make good decisions about building, adopting or adapting a learning model. Some D.C. schools have partnered with NewClassrooms and others have adopted the Summit Public Schools personalized learning plan. Over 100 schools districts nationwide have formed a partnership with nonprofit New Tech Network and benefit from their personalized project-based learning model, platform, and support services.

8. Support Access to Rich Curriculum Options

Houston ISD uses digital curriculum to support 10 different deployment models to extend access and student learning options. Online learning, with a teacher at a distance, provides and expanded list of electives and world languages. Blended learning provides personalized attention and supports tailored approaches to credit recovery. Digital curriculum supports Advanced Placement courses as well as career and technical education.

9. Support Teacher Development

Like students, teachers deserve access to blended, personalized and competency-based learning experience. Fulton County, Georgia identified and trained 400 Vanguard Teachers, about four per school. These teachers provide support and lead conversations about new learning models. Schools received technical assistance specific to their plans when they were ready to move-a great example of supporting teacher leadership and providing the right professional development at the right time.

10. Support Parent Guidance

As the digital divide narrows, a new divide of concern is the quality of guidance regarding screen time and learning opportunities. Technology is an amplifier and can accelerate the development of 21st-century skills or be unproductive (or even dangerous). Districts should support robust parent communication (No. 5) and education to ensure that all students have access to quality formal and informal learning experiences.

It's time to push for full digital equity - take-home technology, engaging learning models, quality learning opportunities, well-supported teachers and parents.

For more, see:
A version of this article originally ran in the March edition of the AASA School Administrator magazine. Stay in-the-know with all things EdTech and innovations in learning by signing up to receive the weekly Smart Update . This post includes mentions of a Getting Smart partner. For a full list of partners, affiliate organizations and all other disclosures please see our Partner page

Tom Vander Ark is author of Difference Making at the Heart of Learning, The Power of Place, Better Together, Smart Parents, Smart Cities and Getting Smart. He is co-founder of Getting Smart and Learn Capital and serves on the boards of Education Board Partners, 4.0 Schools, Digital Learning Institute, Latinx Education Collaborative, Mastery Transcript Consortium and eduInnovation. Follow Tom on Twitter, @tvanderark.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
10 Strategies Promoting Digital Access and Equity | Getting Smart

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The printing press changed the world, fueling a global renaissance in learning, art and science and upending historical power structures. The shift from print to digital is having an even more profound impact. It has taken hold in two decades rather than two centuries, transforming communication, democratizing learning and creating new markets.

# data[].attributes.headline
Closing the digital divide...Can we do it? 

# data[].attributes.subject
Closing the digital divide...Can we do it? 

# data[].attributes.body
Edutopia Resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Learn more about the changing landscape of the "digital divide," and explore resources that discuss how to improve digital access and help all students develop digital and media literacy.

Understand The State of the Divide

Take Action to Improve Digital Access

Closing Digital Learning Gaps

What a Decade of Education Research Tells Us About Technology in the Hands of Underserved Students: Access alone isn't enough to raise the bar for underserved students. Consider five tips on using digital tools meaningfully within the context of authentic learning tasks. (EdSurge, 2016)

The New Face of STEAM: Find out how one award-winning school is modeling a pathway into STEAM for underrepresented minority groups through culturally relevant narratives, choice, autonomy, and time for collaboration. (Edutopia, 2016)

Coding in the Classroom: A Long Overdue Inclusion: By promoting code literacy, see how schools could improve education equity, be more inclusive, improve STEM proficiency, and build neuroplasticity associated with multilingual education. Another good read: "Should Coding be the "New Foreign Language" Requirement?" (Edutopia, 2015)

Big Thinkers: Nichole Pinkard on Digital Literacy: Watch this video to hear Digital Youth Network (DYN) founder Nichole Pinkard describe how her organization empowers young people with critical digital literacy skills that make them academically and professionally competitive. (Edutopia, 2013)

Developing Media and Digital Literacy

Do you know of other useful resources, or are there other types of resources you'd like to see included on this page? Please share your feedback in the comments.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Resources for Closing the Digital Divide

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn more about the changing landscape of the "digital divide," and explore resources that discuss how to improve digital access and help all students develop digital and media literacy. What a Decade of Education Research Tells Us About Technology in the Hands of Underserved Students: Access alone isn't enough to raise the bar for underserved students.

# data[].attributes.headline
How can the teacher librarian ensure equitable digital access?

# data[].attributes.subject
How can the teacher librarian ensure equitable digital access?

# data[].attributes.body
It seems to me that I would first need to know what the digital equity issues are at my school--who doesn't have a computer at home or Internet access.
This is a  medium priority.

# data[].attributes.headline
Here is a good website with lots of articles about leadership...

# data[].attributes.subject
Here is a good website with lots of articles about leadership...

# data[].attributes.body
www.ascd.org has many resources

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
When the word "collaboration" is spoken in a school, it is not always welcomed with open arms. Educators or leaders who have had success or are comfortable working solo may feel they are being encr...

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Watching his employees use a new social technology, Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce.com, had an epiphany. His company had developed Chatter, a Facebook inspired application for companies that allows users to keep track of their colleagues and customers and share information and ideas. The employees had been trying it out internally, not just within their own work groups but across the entire organization. As Benioff read the Chatter posts, he realized that many of the people who had critical customer knowledge and were adding the most value were not even known to the management team.

The view into top management from the rank and file was just as obscure, Benioff knew. For instance, the company's annual management off-site was coming up, and he could tell from talking to employees that they wondered about what went on behind closed doors at that gathering. "They imagined we were dressing up in robes and chanting," he says.

What could he do to bring the top tier of the company closer to the workforce? Benioff asked himself. And then it hit him: Let's use Chatter to blow open the doors of the management off-site.

What greeted the 200 executives who attended that meeting was atypical. All 5,000 Salesforce.com employees had been invited to join them-virtually. Huge TV monitors placed throughout the meeting room displayed the special Chatter forum set up for the off-site. Every manager received an iPod Touch, and every table had an iPad, which attendees could use to post to the forum. A video service broadcast the meeting in real time to all employees, who could beam in and instantaneously express their views on Chatter, too.

The meeting began with the standard presentations. The managers watching them weren't quite sure what to do. Nothing unusual happened at first. Finally, Benioff grabbed the iPad on his table and made a comment on Chatter, noting what he found interesting about what was being said and adding a joke to spice it up. Some in the room followed with a few comments, and then employees watching from their offices launched a few comments back. The snowball started rolling. "Suddenly, the meeting went from a select group participating to the entire company participating," Benioff says.

Comments flew. "We felt the empowerment in the room," recalls Steve Gillmor, the head of technical media strategy.

In the end the dialogue lasted for weeks beyond the actual meeting. More important, by fostering a discussion across the entire organization, Benioff has been able to better align the whole workforce around its mission. The event served as a catalyst for the creation of a more open and empowered culture at the company.

Like Salesforce.com's managers and employees, businesspeople today are working more collaboratively than ever before, not just inside companies but also with suppliers, customers, governments, and universities. Global virtual teams are the norm, not the exception. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, videoconferencing, and a host of other technologies have put connectivity on steroids and enabled new forms of collaboration that would have been impossible a short while ago.

Many executives realize that they need a new playbook for this hyperconnected environment. Those who climbed the corporate ladder in silos while using a "command and control" style can have a difficult time adjusting to the new realities. Conversely, managers who try to lead by consensus can quickly see decision making and execution grind to a halt. Crafting the right leadership style isn't easy.

As part of our research on top-performing CEOs (see "The Best-Performing CEOs in the World," HBR January-February 2010), we've examined what it means to be a collaborative leader. We've discovered that it requires strong skills in four areas: playing the role of connector, attracting diverse talent, modeling collaboration at the top, and showing a strong hand to keep teams from getting mired in debate. The good news is, our research also suggests that these skills can be learned-and can help executives generate exceptional long-term performance.

Play Global Connector

Do you attend conferences outside your professional specialty?

Are you part of a global network like Young Presidents' Organization?

Do you regularly blog or e-mail employees about trends, ideas, and people you encounter outside your organization?

How often do you meet with parties outside your company (competitors, consumers, government officials, university contacts, and so on) who are not directly relevant to your immediate job demands or current operations?

Are you on the board of any outside organizations?

Engage Talent at the Periphery

How diverse is your immediate team in terms of nationality? Gender? Age?

How much time do you spend outside your home country?

Have you visited your emerging markets this year?

Does your network include people in their twenties (who aren't your kids)?

Collaborate at the Top First

Do members of your team have any joint responsibilities beyond their individual goals?

Does the compensation of your direct reports depend on any collective goals or reflect any collective responsibilities?

What specifically have you done to eradicate power struggles within your team?

Do your direct reports have both performance and learning goals?

Show a Strong Hand

Have you killed any collaboration projects in the past six months?

Do you manage dynamically-forming and disbanding teams quickly as opportunities arise?

Do the right people in your organization know they can "close" a discussion and make a decision?

Does your team debate ideas vigorously but then unite behind decisions made?

Play Global Connector

In his best-selling book The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell used the term "connector" to describe individuals who have many ties to different social worlds. It's not the number of people they know that makes connectors significant, however; it's their ability to link people, ideas, and resources that wouldn't normally bump into one another. In business, connectors are critical facilitators of collaboration.

For David Kenny, the president of Akamai Technologies, being a connector is one of the most important ways he adds value. He spends much of his time traveling around the world to meet with employees, partners, and customers. "I spend time with media owners to hear what they think about digital platforms, Facebook, and new pricing models, and with Microsoft leaders to get their views on cloud computing," he says. "I'm interested in hearing how our clients feel about macroeconomic issues, the G20, and how debt will affect future generations." These conversations lead to new strategic insights and relationships, and help Akamai develop critical external partnerships.

Connecting the world outside to people inside the company is crucial to Kenny. He uses a number of tactics to do this. "First, I check in on Foursquare often and post my location to Facebook and Twitter," he says. "It lets employees in different Akamai locations know I'm in town so that anybody at any level can bring me suggestions or concerns. Second, every time I go to one of our locations, I have lunch or coffee with 20 to 40 people. We go around the room, and people ask questions on topics they most want to address. Often my answer is to connect them with others in Akamai or even people at other companies who have expertise on the topic. Third, if I see a big opportunity when meeting with a customer or colleague, I will schedule a follow-up visit and bring along the right experts from Akamai. Fourth, whenever I travel, I try to make room to meet with two to three people I know in that location. Whenever possible, I bring someone else from Akamai with me to those meetings."

Kenny's networking recently resulted in an important strategic alliance with Ericsson. Akamai is now working with the mobile giant to change consumers' internet experiences on mobile devices. The partnership evolved out of a conversation Kenny had with a midlevel Ericsson executive two years ago at the Monaco Media Forum. "It really changed my idea of what Ericsson could be, and I saw that we were both trying to solve a similar technical problem," Kenny says. "Then I worked through mutual friends to meet their CEO and arranged for the right people on his team to meet with their Akamai counterparts."

Presidents and CEOs aren't the only executives building bridges between their organizations and the outside world nowadays. Take Beth Comstock, the chief marketing officer of General Electric. She is famous for her weekly "BlackBerry Beth" blog, in which she shares what she has learned in her external role for busy (and perhaps more internally focused) GE managers. The pithy and provocative blog goes out to thousands of GE's sales, marketing, and technology leaders. In it, Comstock passes along interesting information that people might have missed, taking care to tie it back to challenges and opportunities GE faces. For example, in a recent post from the World Economic Forum, she reported that a panel of scientists had come to the same conclusion that a GE survey had-that technology alone cannot ensure innovation and that more training in creativity is needed.

"I work hard to curate information that I don't believe many at GE will have heard and to translate information in a way that is relevant to our challenges," says Comstock. "I probably spend half of my time immersed in worlds beyond GE. I hope this encourages my colleagues to be more externally focused. The message is 'If I find it important to spend some of my time this way, maybe you will, too.'"

To connect their organizations to the wider world, collaborative leaders develop contacts not only in the typical areas-local clubs, industry associations, and customer and supplier relations-but beyond them. Networking in adjacent industries, innovation hot spots like Silicon Valley, or emerging economies or with people of different educational or ethnic backgrounds helps open their eyes to new business opportunities and partners. For example, Comstock's external contacts in the innovation space led GE to NASA, with which the corporation has shared insights and best practices. The two organizations have also begun discussions about space technologies that might have applications in health care.

Engage Talent at the Periphery

Research has consistently shown that diverse teams produce better results, provided they are well led. The ability to bring together people from different backgrounds, disciplines, cultures, and generations and leverage all they have to offer, therefore, is a must-have for leaders. Yet many companies spend inordinate amounts of time, money, and energy attracting talented employees only to subject them to homogenizing processes that kill creativity. In a lot of multinational companies, for example, nonnative English speakers are at a disadvantage. To senior management, they don't sound as "leader-like" as the Anglophones, and they end up getting passed over for promotions. At a time when innovations are increasingly originating in emerging markets, companies that allow this to happen lose out.

France's Danone, one of the top performers in our research, makes sure its executives don't encounter such obstacles. When all the managers worldwide get together for the company's annual strategic review, many choose to present in their native tongue. Says CEO Franck Riboud: "We spend a fortune on interpreters so that being less articulate in English is not a barrier. Some of our executives have even presented their business case in native dress. This helps us steal away talent from competitors where those who don't speak perfect English get stuck."

Reckitt Benckiser, the UK-based producer of home, health, and personal care products and another top performer in our research, considers the diversity of its workforce to be one of its competitive advantages-and a key reason it has seen net income grow 17% annually, on average, from 1999 to 2010. No nationality dominates the company's senior team. Two executives are Dutch, one is German, two are British, one is South African, two are Italian, and one is from India. According to (soon-to-retire) CEO Bart Becht: "It doesn't matter whether I have a Pakistani, a Chinese person, a Brit, or a Turk, man or woman, sitting in the same room, or whether I have people from sales or something else, so long as I have people with different experiences-because the chance for new ideas is much greater when you have people with different backgrounds. The chance for conflict is also higher-and conflict is good per se, as long as it's constructive and gets us to the best idea."

As Becht suggests, nationality isn't the only kind of diversity that matters. Research on creative industries shows that the collaborations that are most successful (whether in terms of patent citation, critical acclaim, or financial return) include both experienced people and newcomers and bring together people who haven't worked with one another before. Leaders need to make a concerted effort to promote this mix: Left to their own devices, people will choose to collaborate with others they know well or who have similar backgrounds. Static groups breed insularity, which can be deadly for innovation. Nokia's former executive team, for example, was 100% Finnish and had worked closely together for more than a decade. Many believe homogeneity explains why the team failed to see the smartphone threat emerging from Silicon Valley.

Collaborative leaders ensure that teams stay fresh via periodic infusions of new players. Including employees from Generation Y-those born from the mid-1970s to the early 2000s, who have grown up sharing knowledge and opinions online-is another obvious way to enliven collaborations. A number of leading companies have begun using technology to harness Gen Y ideas and perspectives. Salesforce.com, as we have seen, brought them in from the periphery by using Chatter to open its management off-site to all staff. At India's HCL, employees throughout the company join virtual conversations on topics that are important to them, and CEO Vineet Nayar reaches out personally through a popular blog that allows him to interact with a broad cross section of employees. In a market where the competition for engineering talent is fierce, the ability to attract the best and brightest helped HCL grow 30% annually from 2008 to 2010.

Collaborate at the Top First

It's not enough for leaders to spot collaborative opportunities and attract the best talent to them. They must also set the tone by being good collaborators themselves. All too often, efforts to collaborate in the middle are sabotaged by political games and turf battles higher up in the organization. Consider that Microsoft, according to a former company executive writing in the New York Times last year, developed a viable tablet computer more than a decade ago but failed to preempt Apple's smash hit because competing Microsoft divisions conspired to kill the project.

Part of the problem is that many leadership teams, composed of the CEO and his or her direct reports, actually don't operate as teams. Each member runs his or her own region, function, or product or service category, without much responsibility-or incentive-for aligning the organization's various projects and operations into a coherent whole.

Collaborative leadership is the capacity to engage people and groups outside one's formal control and inspire them to work toward common goals-despite differences in convictions, cultural values, and operating norms.

Most people understand intuitively that collaborative leadership is the opposite of the old command-and-control model, but the differences with a consensus-based approach are more nuanced. Below are some helpful distinctions between the three leadership styles.

Click here for a larger image of the graphic.
At Brazil's Natura Cosméticos, CEO Alessandro Carlucci has instituted a comprehensive "engagement process" that promotes a collaborative mind-set at all levels and has helped the firm win a top spot on Fortune 's list of best companies for leaders. The process was implemented after Natura's highly successful IPO in 2004, when competing agendas among the senior managers began to threaten the company's prospects. Carlucci decided he needed to reorganize the executive committee to unify its members around common goals and stop the power struggles. He asked the members of the top team to make a commitment to self-development as part of their stewardship of the company.

Each executive embarked on a "personal journey" with an external coach, who met with everyone individually and with the team as a group. "It is a different type of coaching," Carlucci explains. "It's not just talking to your boss or subordinates but talking about a person's life history, with their families; it is more holistic, broader, integrating all the different roles of a human being."

Roberto Pedote, Natura's senior vice president for finance, IT, and legal affairs, adds: "I think that the main point is that we are making ourselves vulnerable, showing that we are not supermen, that we have failures; that we are afraid of some things and we don't have all the answers."

Since the engagement process was adopted, Natura's executives have become much better at teaming up on efforts to improve the business, which grew by 21% in 2010. The collaborative mind-set at the top has cascaded down to the rest of the organization, and the process has been rolled out to all the company's managers.

If leaders are to encourage more innovation through partnerships across sectors and with suppliers, customers, and consumers, they need to stop relying heavily on short-term performance indicators. According to the psychologist Carol Dweck, people are driven to do tasks by either performance or learning goals. When performance goals dominate an environment, people are motivated to show others that they have a valued attribute, such as intelligence or leadership. When learning goals dominate, they are motivated to develop the attribute. Performance goals, she finds, induce people to favor tasks that will make them look good over tasks that will help them learn. A shift toward learning goals will make managers more open to exploring opportunities to acquire knowledge from others.

At HCL, CEO Vineet Nayar demonstrated his commitment to collaboration by adopting a radically different 360-degree evaluation for his top managers-one that invited a wide range of employees to weigh in. Although the company had done 360-degree reviews before, each manager had been assessed by a relatively small number of people, mostly within the manager's immediate span of control. As Nayar recalls in his book Employees First, Customers Second (Harvard Business Review Press, 2010), "most of the respondents operated within the same area as the person they were evaluating. This reinforced the boundaries between the parts of the pyramid. But we were trying to change all that. We wanted to encourage people to operate across these boundaries." Nayar set the tone by posting his own 360 degree evaluation on the web. Once executives got used to the new transparency, the 360-degree reviews were expanded to a broader group. A new feature, "Happy Feet," was added, allowing all employees whom a manager might affect or influence to evaluate that manager-regardless of their reporting relationship.

Depoliticizing senior management so that executives are rewarded for collaborating rather than promoting their individual agendas is an absolute essential. At Reckitt Benckiser, there's little tolerance for politics. Says Bart Becht: "We go out of our way to make sure that politics get eradicated, because I think they're very bad for an organization. I think they're poison, to be honest with you." Becht's direct, no-nonsense style and the expectation that people should openly disagree with one another in meetings also help keep politics to a minimum, allowing real teamwork to take hold.

Show a Strong Hand

Once leaders start getting employees to collaborate, they face a different problem: overdoing it. Too often people will try to collaborate on everything and wind up in endless meetings, debating ideas and struggling to find consensus. They can't reach decisions and execute quickly. Collaboration becomes not the oil greasing the wheel but the sand grinding it to a halt.

Effective collaborative leaders assume a strong role directing teams. They maintain agility by forming and disbanding them as opportunities come and go-in much the same way that Hollywood producers, directors, actors, writers, and technicians establish teams for the life of movie projects. Collaborative efforts are highly fluid and not confined to company silos.

Effective leaders also assign clear decision rights and responsibilities, so that at the appropriate point someone can end the discussion and make a final call. Although constructive confrontation and tempered disagreements are encouraged, battles aren't left raging on. This is exactly how things work at Reckitt Benckiser. When teams meet, people know that it is OK-in fact expected-to propose ideas and challenge one another. They debate loudly and furiously until the best idea wins. If no obvious agreement is reached in time, the person chairing the meeting normally makes a decision and the rest of the group falls in line. This ensures vigorous debate but clear decisions and quick action-diversity in counsel, unity in command, as Cyrus the Great once said.

Loosening Control Without Losing Control

In the old world of silos and solo players, leaders had access to everything they needed under one roof, and a command-and-control style served them well. But things have changed: The world has become much more interconnected, and if executives don't know how to tap into the power of those connections, they'll be left behind.

Leaders today must be able to harness ideas, people, and resources from across boundaries of all kinds. That requires reinventing their talent strategies and building strong connections both inside and outside their organizations. To get all the disparate players to work together effectively, they also need to know when to wield influence rather than authority to move things forward, and when to halt unproductive discussions, squash politicking, and make final calls.

Differences in convictions, cultural values, and operating norms inevitably add complexity to collaborative efforts. But they also make them richer, more innovative, and more valuable. Getting that value is the heart of collaborative leadership.

A version of this article appeared in the July-August 2011 issue of Harvard Business Review.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Watching his employees use a new social technology, Marc Benioff, the CEO of Salesforce.com, had an epiphany. His company had developed Chatter, a Facebook inspired application for companies that allows users to keep track of their colleagues and customers and share information and ideas.

# data[].attributes.body
The Association of American School Libraries' position on the librarian's leadership role...
http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/aaslissues/positionstatements/AASL_Position%20Statement_Strategic%20Leadership%20Role_2018-06-24.pdf

# data[].attributes.headline
Collaborative Leadership leads beyond the library...

# data[].attributes.subject
Collaborative Leadership leads beyond the library...

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a relevant article

# data[].attributes.headline
International Association of Privacy Professionals, Inc. [US]

# data[].attributes.subject
International Association of Privacy Professionals, Inc. [US]

# data[].attributes.body
World's largest global information privacy community (IAAP) offers membership ($50 for students) or a List-serve on privacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The International Association of Privacy Professionals: Policy neutral, we are the world's largest information privacy organization.

# data[].attributes.body
The laws are complex as is the educational software sly that teachers are asked to use in the classroom. Teachers, students, and parents need training to navigate this minefield and protect their right to privacy.

# data[].attributes.headline
Check out this Toolkit: https://www.studentprivacymatters.org/toolkit/        

# data[].attributes.subject
Check out this Toolkit: https://www.studentprivacymatters.org/toolkit/        

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
We're excited to announce the release of our latest project, the Educator Toolkit for Teacher and Student Privacy: A Practical Guide for Protecting Personal Data, in partnership with the Badass Teachers Association (BATs). This toolkit complements the Parent Toolkit for Student Privacy we released last year with the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

Our new educator toolkit is a comprehensive guide to help teachers understand the increased threats to education-related data made worse by the rapid adoption of education technology. It is designed to support their efforts to become responsible digital citizens by providing strategies and best practices to minimize the disclosure of personal data and protect the privacy of their students as well as their own.
Learn how to protect teacher and student privacy today; download your FREE toolkit HERE and share it with the educators in your life.
You may also download individual sections of the toolkit below:
The Educator Toolkit for Teacher and Student Privacy was made possible by a grant from the American Federation of Teachers, the National Education Association Foundation, and the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment. Check out our press release here.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Educator Toolkit for Teacher and Student Privacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
We're excited to announce the release of our latest project, the Educator Toolkit for Teacher and Student Privacy: A Practical Guide for Protecting Personal Data , in partnership with the Badass Teachers Association (BATs). This toolkit complements the Parent Toolkit for Student Privacy we released last year with the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The U.S. Department of Education is committed to student privacy. We administer the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and we provide technical assistance to help schools and school districts use best practices in their use and management of information about students. This site aims to assist stakeholders in protecting the privacy of students by providing official guidance on FERPA , technical best practices and the answers to Frequently Asked Questions. Responsibility for the Department's student privacy operations lies in the Office of the Chief Privacy Officer. To learn more about FERPA please click on the video to the right.

Family Educational Rights Privacy Act (FERPA)

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The U.S. Department of Education is committed to student privacy. We administer the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and we provide technical assistance to help schools and school districts use best practices in their use and management of information about students.

# data[].attributes.headline
It is good to start with an understanding of the law when it comes to privacy. 

# data[].attributes.subject
It is good to start with an understanding of the law when it comes to privacy. 

# data[].attributes.body
Privacy is an implied right, but not directly protected by the U.S. Constitution & Privacy Laws.
See link below for an explanation:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The right to privacy refers to the concept that one's personal information is protected from public scrutiny. U.S. Justice Louis Brandeis called it "the right to be left alone." While not explicitly stated in the U.S. Constitution, some amendments provide some protections.

The right to privacy most often is protected by statutory law. For example, the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) protects a person's health information, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) enforces the right to privacy in various privacy policies and privacy statements.

The right to privacy often must be balanced against the state's compelling interests, including the promotion of public safety and improving the quality of life. Seat-belt laws and motorcycle helmet requirements are examples of such laws. And while many Americans are quite aware that the government collects personal information, most say that government surveillance is acceptable.

The right to privacy often means the right to personal autonomy, or the right to choose whether or not to engage in certain acts or have certain experiences. Several amendments to the U.S. Constitution have been used in varying degrees of success in determining a right to personal autonomy:

The First Amendment protects the privacy of beliefs

The Third Amendment protects the privacy of the home against the use of it for housing soldiers

The Fourth Amendment protects privacy against unreasonable searches

The Fifth Amendment protects against self-incrimination, which in turn protects the privacy of personal information

The Ninth Amendment says that the "enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights retained by the people." This has been interpreted as justification for broadly reading the Bill of Rights to protect privacy in ways not specifically provided in the first eight amendments.

The right to privacy is most often cited in the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment, which states:

No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

However, the protections have been narrowly defined and usually only pertain to family, marriage, motherhood, procreation and child rearing.

For example, the Supreme Court first recognized that the various Bill of Rights guarantees creates a "zone of privacy" in Griswold v. Connecticut, a 1965 ruling that upheld marital privacy and struck down bans on contraception.

The court ruled in 1969 that the right to privacy protected a person's right to possess and view pornography in his own home. Justice Thurgood Marshall wrote in Stanley v. Georgia that, " If the First Amendment means anything, it means that a State has no business telling a man, sitting alone in his own house, what books he may read or what films he may watch."

The controversial case Roe v. Wade in 1972 firmly established the right to privacy as fundamental, and required that any governmental infringement of that right to be justified by a compelling state interest. In Roe, the court ruled that the state's compelling interest in preventing abortion and protecting the life of the mother outweighs a mother's personal autonomy only after viability. Before viability, the mother's right to privacy limits state interference due to the lack of a compelling state interest.

In 2003, the court, in Lawrence v. Texas, overturned an earlier ruling and found that Texas had violated the rights of two gay men when it enforced a law prohibiting sodomy. [ Countdown: 10 Milestones in Gay Rights History]

Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote, "The petitioners are entitled to respect for their private lives. The State cannot demean their existence or control their destiny by making their private sexual conduct a crime. Their right to liberty under the Due Process Clause gives them the full right to engage in their conduct without intervention of the government."

A person has the right to determine what sort of information about them is collected and how that information is used. In the marketplace, the FTC enforces this right through laws intended to prevent deceptive practices and unfair competition.

The Privacy Act of 1974 prevents unauthorized disclosure of personal information held by the federal government. A person has the right to review their own personal information, ask for corrections and be informed of any disclosures.

The Financial Monetization Act of 1999 requires financial institutions to provide customers with a privacy policy that explains what kind of information is being collected and how it is being used. Financial institutions are also required to have safeguards that protect the information they collect from customers.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act protects personal financial information collected by credit reporting agencies. The act puts limits on who can access such information and requires agencies to have simple processes by which consumers can get their information, review it and make corrections.

Internet users can protect their privacy by taking actions that prevent the collection of information. Most people who use the Internet are familiar with tracking cookies. These small stores of data keep a log of your online activities and reports back to the tracker host. The information is usually for marketing purposes. To many Internet users, this is an invasion of privacy. But there are several ways to avoid tracking cookies.

Browsers and social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, allow users to choose levels of privacy settings, from share everything to only share with friends to share only the minimum, such as your name, gender and profile picture. Protecting personally identifiable information is important for preventing identity theft.

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) enforces a parent's right to control what information websites collect about their children. Websites that target children younger than 13 or knowingly collect information from children must post privacy policies, get parental consent before collecting information from children, allow parents to decide how such information is used and provide an opt-out option for future collection of a child's information.

Just as a person has the right to keep personal information private, he or she also has the right to control the use of his or her identity for commercial promotion. Unauthorized use of one's name or likeness is recognized as an invasion of privacy.

There are four types of invasion of privacy: intrusion, appropriation of name or likeness, unreasonable publicity and false light. If a company uses a person's photo in an ad claiming that the person endorses a certain product, the person could file a lawsuit claiming misappropriation.

The Supreme Court approaches the right to privacy and personal autonomy on a case-by-case basis. As public opinion changes regarding relationships and activities, and the boundaries of personal privacy change, largely due to social media and an atmosphere of "sharing," the definition of the right to privacy is ever-changing.

Related:

Further reading:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Right to Privacy: Constitutional Rights & Privacy Laws

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The right to privacy refers to the concept that one's personal information is protected from public scrutiny. U.S. Justice Louis Brandeis called it "the right to be left alone." While not explicitly stated in the U.S. Constitution, some amendments provide some protections. The right to privacy most often is protected by statutory law.