Learning through Books, Media and Technology

ARTICLES THIS ISSUE:

1995 Administrative Leadership Award for Library Media Services

1994 President's Award Winners Ruby Ling-Louie and Dale Buboltz

Restructuring Science – Pyner High School

Colaboration to the nth degree – Alvarado Middle School

The keyword is science – Newmark Memorial High School

Giving research a practical twist – Rancho Cotate High School

A Good Ideas Encore! – De Portola Middle School

A fair opportunity for students – Challenger Junior High School

From petri dishes to publishing – Rialto High School

Resource-based learning in science – Reedley High School

The web of learning – Sierra Vista Elementary School

Buying a piece of hte rain forest – George C. Marshall Elementary School

Too Good To Miss! Eisenhower High School, Florin High School

Good Ideas! Home Page

Good Ideas! is published by CSLA

1499 Old Bayshore Hwy.

Burlingame

California

94010

(415) 692-2350

Collaboration to the nth degree

Alvarado Middle School

Many types of collaboration have been visualized and initiated by Barbara Scheifler at Alvarado Middle School: collaboration with fellow teachers, of course, in the teaching of science through investigation and information gathering; collaboration with students

as a cosponsor of a student Ecology club; collaboration with other student groups to attract interesting displays for the media center (tesselations, collages, maps, etc.); collaboration.. with library media teachers throughout the state in gathering bibliographies, ideas, sources, collaboration with the 10 other schools in the district linking computers to provide information through CATS (catalog of Authors, Titles and Subjects).

Seventh-grade Alvarado students at the "Pi Faire" (Piequals 3.1415… so this event takes place on March 15)

Keen awareness of Caught in the Middle, the California Science Framework, and the principles defined in Information Literacy is apparent as Barbara and her full-time clerk reach out in response to student needs. One notable strategy is the training of student volunteers (48 last year!) who work during their free time, before and after school, and at lunchtime. These students represent all ability levels, but are alike in their commitment arid interest in providing coaching to other students. Barbara describes them by saying, "They are peer support and collaboration at the best level."

Through planning of structured resource-based learning environments with teachers, every available resource is put to good use, and others are selected to obtain when funds are available. Commitment to educational technology by the entire community (a bond measure passed with a 75 percent majority) means more resources in the future.

• Alvarado Middle School (Grades 5-8; enrollment l,400)
  31604 Alvarado Boulevard, Union City 94587
  Kevin Brodehl, Principal
  Barbary Scheifler, Library Media Teacher
  New Haven Unified School District