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

TOO GOOD TO MISS! These excellent programs were accepted for our 1993 isssue, but we miscalculated our page count. They are well worth your attention for science and for many other curricular areas.

Eisenhower High School

What's the magic at Eisenhower High School? This large, diversely populated school has managed to cut the dropout rate in half in recent years. It has been recognized as a California Distinguished School and as a National Blue Ribbon School. Obviously, no single teacher or department can take the credit; it is a result of total collaboration. Matt Kelly, library media teacher, is one of the major collaborators.

Matt Kelly works with a group of Eisenhower students

Technology serves all departments. There are seven computer labs throughout the school, each with a particular emphasis. The library coordinates with many of these, especially the Science Lab and the Desk Publishing Lab. Since Matt chairs the district's Technology Commission and cochairs the high school's technology plan, there is optimum integration.

"The electronic resources at Eisenhower have made research exciting and rewarding for my students," says teacher Joseph Funk. From data collection to data analysis, students and teachers benefit from the collaborative efforts at Eisenhower High. School.

• Eisenhower High School (Grades 9-12; enrollment 2,950)
  1321 North Lilac, Rialto 92376
  Edna Herring, Principal
  Matt Kelly, Library Media Teacher
  Rialto Unified School District

Florin High School

This relatively new high school (Florin is only five years old) began with a powerful mission, an innovative organizational plan (there are interdisciplinary "divisions"), a de-emphasis on student tracking, and a diverse population that has required the library media center staff to be imaginative and resourceful in providing a broad variety of "access points" for each of the different student needs encountered.

These innovations place formidable demands on the entire staff. Teams must plan together (and this includes Ruth Scribner, the library media teacher), resources must be selected and made accessible, and individual students and groups must be helped to find their way through an impressive but possibly confusing array of possibilities.

Teachers refer to the library media center as an essential foundation for the teaching/learning . process at Florin. Their commitment to recognition of varied ability levels and interests within heterogeneous groups of students has led them to value the depth and variety provided. Technology plays a large part in keeping all of this information up-to-date and in making it truly accessible to both students and their teachers. It also helps the library to serve as a safety net for students by providing after-school tutoring and study sessions.

• Florin High School (Grades 9-12; enrollment 2,400)
  7956 Cottonwood Lane, Sacramento 95823
  Odie Douglas, Principal
  Ruth Scribner, Library Media Teacher
  Elk Grove Unified School District