From MAME Headquarters
|  Many of you may know that I have been an athlete all my life and currently enjoy running, biking, hiking, playing tennis and refereeing soccer. In the last few years I've run three marathons and am now training for my fourth. I also enjoy trying to understand "the big picture" and often use analogies to help me understand and make sense of things.
Here's my current analogy - I offer it in hopes that it may be helpful.
We're in a marathon, and a difficult one with lots of hills and tough weather. In order for us to persevere and finish the race, we need a number of things. First, In order to run a marathon, a person needs to have trained for it, and needs to contine to train regularly. We trained for ours through library school, student teaching, and personal learning networks. Second, marathoners need to have a plan and pace themselves. With all the additional duties and even buildings that have been added to our workloads, we have all learned how to pace ourselves. Third, marathoners need to be aware of their situations, both internal and external, and adjust their plans accordingly. Our hills and tough weather have really forced us to adjust our plans lately. Fourth, marathoners need to make sure that they keep provide themselves with nutrition and liquid to keep their energy levels where they need to be. We, too, can keep our energy levels up through our involvements in MAME, whether the workshops, or the listserver discussions, or especially, the fall conference. Finally, there comes a time when marathoners just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other. For many of us, that time is now. And one of the best things about running a marathon is that when we're about to run out of steam, we often re-energize from just a voice we hear or a person we see or think of that keeps us going. May it be so for you.
Tim Staal, MAME Executive Director
|
From MAME Gov't Relations Chair
| |
 This summer, legislators in Lansing have been busy reforming Michigan's Teacher Tenure laws. On Tuesday, July 19th, Governor Rick Snyder signed the changes into law. Some highlights (or lowlights depending of your opinion of the legislation) of the changes include:
- Extended the period from four to five years to obtain tenure, with the ability to dismiss probationary teachers any time during the probationary period.
- Some teachers could obtain tenure after three years if they are rated highly effective.
- Once obtaining tenure, teachers must continue to achieve effective performance ratings to keep tenure.
- Seniority can no longer be the sole guide when layoffs or callbacks occur; teacher effectiveness is now the main component.
- School districts would have to notify parents in writing if an ineffective teacher is teaching the child.
- Personnel issues related to seniority and employee discipline can no longer be included in collective bargaining.
The changes are signed into law, yet the evaluation tool that districts will need to use has not been created. The state hopes to have something in place by the end of the 2011 - 2012 school year. From what I have read, the next issue legislators in Lansing plan to address upon their return from summer recess is the teacher retirement/pension system. Be sure to keep up on the news once school starts in September.
Michael Pehote, MAME Government Relations Chair
|
|
New MeL Databases - October 1, 2011
| 
The Library of Michigan has announced a new line-up of MeL Databases which will begin on October 1, 2011.
In addition, they have also added many ebook titles to the Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL).
You can find a list of the new databases, a list of the new GVRL titles, and a list of databases which will be removed from MeL here.
If you are interested in getting an overview of the new MeL databases, there are video tutorials and webinars available from Proquest and Gale.
For Gale's Opposing Viewpoints in Context, Small Business Resource Center and Nursing Resource Center, go to http://www.gale.cengage.com/guidedtour/.
For ProQuest's CultureGrams Online:
http://proquest.com/en-US/support/training/webinars.shtml
For eLibrary go to:
http://www.proquestk12.com/demo/09/eLib_New_QuickTour/eLib_New_QuickTour.shtml
Editor's Note: I'm extremely excited about the additions of Proquest's CultureGrams Online and GaleCengage Learning's Opposing Viewpoints in Context as well as some of the great new titles in the GVRL.
|
Earn Free SB-CEUs
| |
Michigan school librarians and teachers can now obtain SB-CEUs for select MeL Databases online webinars. All of the MeL Databases workshops are offered free-of-charge to Michigan librarians and teachers.
The three free webinars which are approved for SB-CEUs include:
1) MeL Databases for Kids
(aimed at elementary through middle school)
2) MeL Resources for Young Adults Part 1
3) MeL Resources for Young Adults Part 2
(both aimed at middle through high school).
The three online webinars can be taken in any order. The only prerequisite is basic Internet navigation skills.
Click on the link for each class (above) to see the schedule and to register for that class.
MCLS (Midwest Collaborative for Library Services) also provides other great workshops. You can see the schedule here.
|
MAME Membership
| |
Renew your own membership and encourage your colleagues and friends who are not MAME members to join MAME!! Please share with them the following Reasons to Belong to MAME and give them a copy of the MAME Membership form which you can find
here. (Offer to mail in the application for them!) You can also invite them to the MAME 38 Conference.
Five Good Reasons to Belong to MAME Connections and Networking -get connected with other School Librarians across the state (as Doug Johnson puts it: "inter-species communication") through: - MAME Listserv
- Conferences (see Professional Development below)
- Regional Divisions and Special Interest Groups
Advocacy -MAME has been advocating at the state and national level and connecting with other groups to provide a stronger presence for our profession - The more members - the stronger our voice! We need you!
- Get support from MAME for local advocacy. You need MAME!
Professional Development -MAME provides professional development relevant to the school library profession and provides SB-CEUs that can be used toward teaching certificate renewal at the: - Annual Fall Conference
- Spring Leadership Conference
- Summer Workshop
Making a Difference for Libraries -MAME actively promotes and supports members with: - Intellectual Freedom and Challenges
- Advancing Standards and Criteria for Quality School Libraries
- SL21
- AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner & Learning4Life
- Recognizing excellence in School Libraries with the MAME Award Program
Staying Current -MAME publications provide members with timely and profession-specific information - Media Spectrum - an award-winning professional journal
- Media Matters - a monthly email-delivered newsletter
|
Region Corner
| 
Help shape the future and direction of MAME by becoming a region representative. We're looking for representatives to lead in their region, and serve on the MAME Board of Directors. Each region receives a budget based on regional membership that can be used to hold workshops or professional development events, or to sponsor members from the region in attending workshops. We're looking for leaders in regions 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10,15, 20, 21, & 22. Being a region rep looks good on your resume, and it's a great way to connect with and support the librarians in your area.
If it sounds interesting, email me at: gwenn2ns@gmail.com
Gwenn Marchesano
|
App of the Month!
|  Below are this month's featured "apps of the month". If you would like to suggest an app, please email your idea to: Judy Hauser
judy.hauser@oakland.k12.mi.us Any app will be considered whether it is for productivity, utility, or fun!
 Common Core Standards iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android
A free app from MasteryConnect. A great reference to quickly find standards by subject and grade. The app includes the standards for language arts and math (traditional and integrated).  IMDB (Internet Movie Database)
iPhone, iPad, iPad Touch, Android, Windows Phone 7 Free The IMDB app contains a wealth of information on movies and television. You can look up any movie, new or old, for detailed information and use the categories: Coming Soon, Box Office Results, Top 250 Movies, Bottom 100 Movies, Best Picture Winners, etc. Showtimes are also available. |
MAME's Retiree SIG: MAME 4Ever News
|
Teri (Terry) Belcher and Annette Marie Haley, co chairs of the MAME 4Ever retirees group are hosting a "Not Back to School" trip to Saugatuck at the Twin Oaks Inn September 7-9. The 4Evers will once again be staffing a lot of the volunteer positions at the MAME Fall Conference (in Lansing this year). Watch for their red logo shirts! In exhibits, watch for their Garage sale booths and "From Our Hands to Yours" drawing - enter to win fabulous quilted items, handknitted works of art, gorgeous items to enhance every person's beauty or surroundings! Drawing benefits the MAME general fund. See you at the Conference! If you would like to join MAME 4Ever, contact Tim Staal ( tstaal@gmail.com), Teri Terry ( teachonwheels@gmail.com) or Annette Marie Haley ( annettehaley@att.net) for information about How To Join! |
Cheers & Tears
|
_________________________________________
In July, Annette Marie Haley was named to the TLN (The Library Network) Board, the cooperative that all of SE Michigan public libraries belong.
Congratulations, Annette!!
_________________________________________
Congratulations to the following MAME members who have recently earned SL 21 Exemplary or Qualified status:
Exemplary:Caroline Kelly - Allen Park Middle School Barbara Gratton-Clark - Annapolis High School Denise Lovse - Clarkston High School Amanda Nichols - Clarkston Junior High School Kristin Locke - Clarkston Sashabaw Middle School Margaret Lincoln - Lakeview High School Anne Brainard - Mona Shores High School Lori Veurink - Mona Shores Middle School Sandra Fields - Okemos High School Ellen Robinette - Southgate Anderson High School Jennifer Richardson - Southgate Davidson Middle School Qualified:
Lynn Gordon - Clarkston Independence Elementary Debbie VanderMaas - Lake Orion Scripps Middle School Amy Sue Manley - Parchment HS & MS Charlie Jones - Plymouth High School (Plymouth-Canton) Joan Vincent - Reeths-Puffer High School Mary McCarthy - Salem High School (Pymouth-Canton) Diane Nye - St. Joseph E.P. Clarke Elementary Kathy Buursma - St. Joseph Lincoln Elementary Nancy Fette - St. Joseph High School The following MAME members earned SL21 status earlier last year. Congratulations! Exemplary:
Margy Barile - Haslett High School Jeanna Walker - Portage Northern High School Qualified:
Maryanne Boylan - Bath HS & MS Betty Mundy - St. Joseph Brown Elementary Nancy Schultz-Speck - Garden City High School Barbara Benford - Hartland Round Elementary Beverley Rannow - Otsego Middle School Gwenn Marchesano - Pioneer MS (Plymouth-Canton) Barbara Frasier - West MS (Plymouth-Canton) _________________________________________   Kathy Lester is saying good-bye to the beautiful library at Three Fires Middle School! The images above show 1) the library with over 600 boxes packed up and ready to move and 2) the gorgeous view from the Three Fires Library windows. She is currently setting up the library at Parker Middle School (which has no windows). The move became necessary when the Howell Public Schools Board of Education voted to move Three Fires Middle School to the vacant Parker High School and Latson Elementary School to Three Fires Middle School. While there are tears (saying good-bye to such a great building, library space, and some great teachers who were assigned to other buildings), there are also cheers (Kathy still has a position as a School Librarian at a time when so many positions are being cut).
|
Send Your News!
Tell us about your successes, your struggles, your amazing discoveries.
Email your newsletter editor, Kathy with stories that should be shared.
I'd love to hear from you!
|
| Media Matters! Editor
Database Manager
|
|
|
Get Ready:
Back to School
|  | Hope Everyone is Having a Fantastic Summer!!
As we wind down during the last few days of summer and keep putting one foot in front of the other (read Tim Stall's article), some possible ideas for getting ready for the new school year can be found in this newsletter - stay up to date on new legislation (tenure laws) that will effect us, review and get ready for the new MeL databases, earn some free SB-CEU credit, sign up for the MAME 38 conference and volunteer too!, consider becoming a representative for your MAME region, review the Common Core Standards and plan on implementing them (use the resources from the Summer Institute and the MasteryConnect App), review and possibly apply for SL21 status, share in colleagues "Cheers & Tears", and encourage colleagues who are not members of MAME to join.
|
MAME 38
Conference |
 | | Dare to Dream |
|
Libraries@
Future.Now
MAME 38
Annual
Conference
Radisson Hotel
Lansing, MI
Nov 2-4, 2011
|
Conference
Volunteers Needed
|
Volunteers are still needed
for the conference!
As we start the new
school year, make sure
you're saving the dates for our fall conference.
Let me know if you can
donate a couple of your conference hours to help
the event run smoothly.
No experience necessary.
Gwenn Marchesano
gwenn2ns@gmail.com
|
|
MAME
Summer Institute:
Recap
| 
| Great Professional Developement Day!
A huge thank you to in-person presenters - Kathleen McBroom, Kristin Fontichiaro and virtual presenters - Susan Ballard and Melissa Johnston! The overview of the Common Core Standards tied to library curriculum, the information on change and the AASL L4L Planning Guide and Building Level Toolkit was useful,relevant, and well received by all in attendance. If you were unable to attend, or you did attend and would like copies of slides or resources; check out Kristin's School Library Monthly blog post here.
She gives a great overview of the day and links to all resources as well as the recording. Below are a few photos from the day:
 |
SL 21
|  | 21 Measurement
Criteria for
Michigan
School Libraries
For
21st Century
Schools
Please consider using the SL 21 tool to raise awareness of
your programs and gain
some recognition for the
good things you do.
The tool can be found at: www.michigan.gov/SL21.
In February 2010, the Library of Michigan and its Board of Trustees endorsed this new tool to help school librarians and their administrators evaluate the quality of their school library programs. The "SL21" is a voluntary instrument designed to help educate administrators about what a good school library should offer and to help give recognition to and advocate for those school libraries that are doing a good job and ensuring student achievement. SL21 is designed around the new AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner, and is written with a minimum of library jargon for ease of use with school administrators. SL21 is divided into 3 main sections:
1) Teaching for 21stCentury Learning,
2) Building the 21st Century Learning Environment, and
3) Leading the Way to 21st Century Learning.
To achieve Qualified and Exemplary Status for their School Library program, completed criteria measurement evaluations are to be submitted to the Library of Michigan, an Office of the Michigan Department of Education. Status earned will be valid for two years. |
Upcoming Events
| |
September 10, 2011
"Libraries@Future.Now"
Radisson Hotel, Lansing
December 3, 2011 MAME Board Meeting
MAME Headquarters in Lansing
9am
January 20-24, 2012
ALA 2011 Midwinter Meeting Dallas, Texas Dallas Convention Center March 7-9, 2012
MACUL Conference
Grand Rapids, Michigan
DeVos Place
June 21-26, 2012
ALA 2011 Annual Conference Anaheim, California
June 24-27, 2012
iste 2012
San Diego, California
San Diego Convention Center
Open registration begins
October 3, 2011 |
What's on
Your Mind? |
|
What great things are going on in your media center?
Has a journal article or book recently inspired you?
Found a shortcut, great website, new and improved techie tool?
...Or just have a funny story to share?
We love to hear from our readers! | |
Send your newsletter contributions to
Kathy Lester
|
|
|
|
