Learning through Books, Media and Technology

ARTICLES THIS ISSUE:

1996 Administrative Leadership Award for Library Media Services

1996 President's Award Winner

1996 Technology Award

Editorial: Learning Comes in Many Languages

From Cave Writing to Computers

A Theme's the Thing

Primary Languages, Primary sources on the Internet

Update on a Model Library Media Program

Limited? There Are No Limits

A Bilingual Student Population

Cooking Their Way to Literacy

Good Ideas! Home Page

Good Ideas! is published by CSLA

1499 Old Bayshore Hwy.

Burlingame

California

94010

(415) 692-2350

A Theme's the Thing

McKinley Elementary School

Since 90 percent of McKinley Elementary School's K-5 students are Spanish speaking, the library media center must provide "programs and services to speakers of languages other than English" if it is to provide programs and services at all. And provide it does!

McKinley library students during Cinco de Mayo festival days, checking out books with Anita Linn, bilingual library media specialist.

• Library media teacher Anita Linn took a multipronged approach that addresses Spanish-speakers within every area of the curriculum:
• The library media center's thematic focus for last year was Mexico and the rain forest. The year began with a research contest in which students looked up and created a project that gave specific information on the theme. Learning and using information skills in context, students read books, used electronic simulations, saw video tapes, and searched the Internet for information connected to the theme. Student work is displayed in the library media center as an assessment and acknowledgment of achievement.
• With a large Spanish-speaking population and a large Spanish collection, Anita decided to integrate the collection, so Spanish books are cataloged side by side with English materials (Spanish is identified with yellow tape).
• Anita wrote a successful state technology grant that funded a media literacy program in the evenings for parents, introduced CD-ROM technology and the Internet to the school, and expanded the use of instructional TV with second-language learners.
• Anita and the McKinley teachers, most of whom are bilingual, use music, poetry, puppetry, and drama-in Spanish and English-to address a wide range of intelligences while creating learning connections for all the students.
• McKinley Elementary School (Grades K-5; enrollment 511)
  350 Loma Alta Drive, Santa Barbara 93109; (805) 966-5496
  Dr. Juanita Carey, Principal
  Anita Linn, Library Media Teacher
  Santa Barbara Elementary District