Stephen R. Westman

Do you have a database that was created at your school library? Bibliographies, indexes to local newspapers and magazines, or indexes to local history or school history collections that you do not want in the online catalog? If so and if you do not mind learning SQL (structured query language), then Westman will teach you how to link your index or database into the library web page so that it is available to your patrons. I do not know how many brave teacher-librarians there are who want or need to know how to create databases from scratch, but using the techniques in this book is less expensive than buying a commercial database software—although you will probably spend much time learning the programming language. The advantage is that you will have a transferable skill that is valued in schools, businesses, and industries. There are many instructions, examples, and an add-on web site that even a novice at programming can learn. (American Library Association, 2006. 288 pp. $48.00. 0-8389-0910-8.)

Bottom line: You already know from this description whether you need this book. David Loertscher

Karen S. Ivers and Ann E. Barron

You know that you have been involved in multimedia a long, long time if you remember the rubber-cement lift—the first technique to take a picture from Life magazine and make it into a transparency that could be shown on the screen. That process was popular in the 1970s.

    These expert authors published their first edition when microcomputers were just becoming popular, and, remembering back to that edition, one can exclaim how far multimedia production for young people has progressed. Today, it seems that teens are doing their own recordings, videos, and digital photography regardless of whether the school has the equipment. These students come to teacher-librarians with advanced skills, such as cutting their own records and popping their videos up on YouTube.com. Ivers and Barron have always recognized that multimedia projects capture the attention of students who refuse to do the research paper or printed report. Instead, the authors walk the reader through a variety of possibilities to entice the learner into building a well-researched multimedia project as an alternative to a printed research project. And these authors do it right. They expect learners to do major research on a question, go through a thorough design phase, and provide guidance for the various technologies that the teacher-librarian offers. At each step, the authors provide assessment rubrics to ensure that process and content learning are going on. No “cut, paste, and present” here; rather, the reader finds deep understanding followed by well-developed presentations in a variety of formations that cover the full spectrum of video, audio, web, and digital photography. The strategies are provided to implement a program of solid multimedia presentations that support and expand learning. Even if you own the previous editions, it is time to update because the technology has advanced since their publication. (Libraries Unlimited, 2006. 232 pp. $35.00. 1-59158-249-0.)

Bottom line: Highly recommended, particularly for upper-elementary through high school teacher-librarians. david Loertscher

Albert Rolls, ed.

The Reference Shelf has been around a long time. For today’s library patron, using it is like doing a topical search on library databases and coming up with the best articles from a variety of periodicals and books. Many libraries subscribe to this resource, but I wonder how many patrons actually know that it exists. This particular issue is one of interest to the teacher-librarian who wants to build background knowledge into blogs, wikis, Podcasts, the Internet, open source, and other new media. Articles give various points of view on the use and impact of media, but they are also valuable because they give details on the historical and current developments of a specific medium that are often hard to track down. So, for any teacher-librarian wanting to become knowledgeable about new technologies, this is an excellent and easy place to start. (H. W. Wilson, 2006. 200 pp. $50.00. 0-8242-1060-3.)

Bottom line: Highly recommended. david Loertscher

Jacqueline Keane

Jacqueline Keane, who has a technology background, expresses concern about the lack of connection of technology to learning, and she describes her journey toward enhancing learning through technology. Like the National Educational Technology Standards from the International Society for Technology in Education, her system is one of integrating technology into major projects that students do—far beyond the quick and plagiaristic PowerPoint presentation so common today. Keane sets up a model that dovetails nicely with teaching kids an information-literacy model. Her system comprises four major steps that a student must do to build deep understanding, coupled with an infusion of technology that she names the CIDE process. First, the student builds a concept (a question); next comes the investigation stage (translated as the research process); then the student enters the design phase, where a product is formulated; and, finally, there is an execution stage, where the product is created and exhibited. Keane’s model contains the steps of a normal information-literacy model, but it improves on what many teacher-librarians do not do well, and that is both the teaching of what constitutes design in a multimedia product and the teaching of technological skills. She covers photography, movies, printed brochures, how to add sound to PowerPoint presentations, and how to build a web site. Although she does not discuss plagiarism and the cut-and-paste habit, she has students so immersed in the design and production phase, with the rubrics covering their creative expression, that they are unlikely to fall into the usual trap. Keane presumes that the presentation is the culmination of the learning. I prefer a postpresentation learning activity to cement big-picture thinking, but I can see Keane’s point and method as students develop deep understanding because they are designing a major product that requires such an understanding. For those who need students to pursue multimedia projects well, this book will be a boost in the right direction. Think of it as a guide to building understanding through the production of multimedia products. (Linworth, 2006. 178 pp. $24.95. 1-58683-209-3.)

Bottom line: Recommended for teacher-librarians who are emphasizing their role as technology leader in the school. David Loertscher

Elizabeth A. Ashburn and Robert E. Floden, eds.

If a parent asked you, “What difference does technology really make to learning?” what would you say? You might cite “technology as a tool” as a major benefit to learners, such as that from a word processor, which saves time and effort and allows for easy editing. But if your questioner presses you about technology’s contribution to learning, what would you say?

    This collection of articles is the result of a $5.7 million challenge grant in 1999 where classroom teachers affected learning with whatever technology they had in the classroom. A model known as meaningful learning using technology was developed with six characteristics of how technology can affect learning:

<nl>

1. Use clear goals as you design learning through technology.

2. Match the learning goals to learning tasks.

3. Design real/authentic tasks.

4. Use active inquiry to have students develop questions that lead to higher-level thinking.

5. Help learners to develop complex and accurate mental models of the content that they are studying.

6. Have students work in groups.

</nl>

Now, you might say that these are excellent principles for any kind of learning, but what these editors and project planners are saying is that when technology employs this model, technology enhances learning. The chapters were contributed by those involved in the grant, and they present excellent examples of how these principles are to be used. The chapters are realistic, and they recognize major problems that confront teachers. For the teacher-librarian, this read is important because collaboration with content teachers allows the teacher-librarian to insert three major literacy program characteristics into a learning activity: the amount that students read, information literacy understanding, and the clever integration of technology that incorporates the meaningful learning using technology principles. The transformative power that a teacher-librarian has when collaborating with content teachers to build exciting learning experiences is a major key to success in affecting achievement. (Teachers College Press, 2006. 240 pp. $44.95. 978-0-8077-4684-4.)

Bottom line: Highly recommended. This book is required reading to rediscover the major principles of effective teaching with technology. David Loertscher