For those like me who love their books in print will be pleased with this article in today's edition of The Sydney Morning Herald (Jan 19 2015).
Sales of print books in 2014 were up in the lead-up to Christmas while E-Readers struggle to sell. Not to mention, E-Readers have their own threats to competition like Tablets and smartphones. Also they are quite durable tools with long battery life. Why replace something thats not broken?
It feels like as well E-Readers don't get as much attention in ads and catalogues like they did even a year ago.
Meanwhile, The Washington Post, published an article about the case against E-Readers. If there is one thing that I agree with in terms of print over electronic text, is the interaction with the text. One can absorb information more easily.
Christian News magazine The Philadelphia Trumpet featured an article in its January edition also presenting the case for print over electronic text, but with a Christian perspective. One point of interest is being able to highlight and annotate text to help you understand what is being written.
As I have pointed out in the past, there is room for E-Books and Printed Books.
Monday, January 19, 2015
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Bestsellers for Christmas 2014
I came across an interesting article in The Sydney Morning Herald over the weekend relating to popular Young Adult Literature titles for Christmas this year. I’ve also included the top ten list provided by Dymocks of their best selling books showing the popularity of books for young people.
Source: Morris, L. 2014. "Tween favourites vie for supremacy." The Sydney Morning Herald, December 6, 18.
Tween favourites vie for supremacy
Books Battle of Christmas
Linda Morris
In the battle for Christmas book sales, the competition has come down to two giants of tween fiction. On one side are the homegrown anarchists, Andy Griffiths and Terry Denton, and on the other is the all-American Wimpy Kid.
This year’s contest appears to be a rerun of last year’s dash to the finish, when Jeff Kinney’s eighth instalment of the Wimpy Kid Series, Hard Luck, ran down the 39-Storey Treehouse and John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars.
Only a late resurgence from the Man Booker Prize winner, Richard Flanagan, and Matthew Reilly’s latest blockbuster, The Great Zoo of China, might upset Kinney and Griffith’s quest for sales domination.
Strong growth in children’s book sales has generally marked a year of consolidation for booksellers in Melbourne and Sydney – a year in which political biographies disappointed, the celebrity memoir proved a covert bestseller and online sales soared.
‘‘The fact that children are still coveting and choosing books over all the other enticements in TV, movies and the internet really speaks to the unique power of the written word,’’ Dymocks’ buying manager, Sophie Higgins, said. ‘‘Perhaps also the fact that parents know how important it is for children to have strong literacy skills.
‘‘Our growth, calendar year-to-date, is well into double digits and last year was also a growth year for children’s books; it really is such a good news story.’’
After initial fizz, interest in political biographies has fallen away, with the exception of Julia Gillard’s My Story.
Celebrity biographies from the likes of Lena Dunham, John Cleese, Amy Poehler and Cary Elwes have been racing out the door, according to Kinokuniya, while shortstory collections or novellas from Christos Tsiolkas, Michelle de Kretser, Patrick Rothfuss, Margaret Atwood and Hilary Mantel have been selling in place of novels.
Such is the interest in Dunham’s Not That Kind of Girl, The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer and Poehler’s Yes Please, Mark Rubbo, managing director of Melbourne’s independent book chain Readings, suggested non-fiction titles by feisty women should become a sub-genre.
Online Australian bookstore Booktopia expects its biggest sales everbefore December 10, its Christmas order cut-off. Chief buyer John Purcell predicts Big Little Lies, by Liane Moriarty, The Rosie Effect, by Graeme Simsion , and The Great Zoo of China to be popular holiday reads.
Last year Dymocks recorded some of its biggest pre-Christmas sales days. This year, says Higgins, sales are largely positive but much more variable, week to week.
At Readings, overall sales are up slightly on last year, and online sales by a ‘‘huge amount’’.
It has been a strong year for Mosman’s Pages & Pages but the next three weeks make or break the year.
'‘Let the madness begin,’’ general manager Jon Page said.
T/L Availability for 2015
Like in 2014, I will be available for casual and temporary work as a Teacher Librarian in 2015 in Sydney.
Details are listed under Teaching Availability.
For 2015, I will be prepared to consider employment opportunities:
- Interstate
- In Primary Schools
- As a library assistant or library technician.
My contact details are listed on that page or through clicking here.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
The Accreditation Process - Some reflections so far
Though I've been employed in a casual and temporary capacity, I've been very blessed to have opportunities to demonstrate my teaching practice and to collect evidence to gain proficient teacher status here in NSW.
Recently, I made the decision to begin documenting that evidence, and I plan on reflecting on that process.
The question that has been raised amongst some Teacher Librarians has been how one can collect and demonstrate that evidence against the teaching standards as set by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership because the role differs from that of a classroom teacher.
To me, it has really been an interesting challenge and being able to relate my work directly to those standards.
For instance I've done presentations on E-Books to English classes. How have I collected the evidence. I decided on a lesson plan when I was given the task by my colleagues as a means of demonstrating that I can plan a lesson and including a copy of the PowerPoint Presentation to demonstrate that I have included the use of Information or Communications Technologies (ICT's). Even classroom management skills can be shown i.e. establishing routines.
Like any teacher, I have to undertake professional development. Keeping a log demonstrates my commitment to broadening my knowledge.
In pastoral care or welfare capacities, keeping records of communication with parents, colleagues and the wider school community.
I've also been blessed with some opportunities to work on programming or evaluating the success of teaching and learning programs whether it might be a report on the wide reading classes or the library program for Year 6 Students (MLC School).
Resourcing for curriculum is another feature like the Ipad App Evaluations that I did earlier this year which demonstrates commitment to encouraging the use of ICT's for educational purpose but also demonstrate that I have applied newly acquired teaching skills in my work.
Classroom management has probably been the toughest part for me in terms of evidence particularly finding evidence of managing student behaviour. I have been advised in the past by a mentor to actually write down an individual plan on how behaviour could be managed along with student expectations, particularly in a library environment. For me working in different schools, I have to make adaptions based on the relevant school policy and that is emphasised. This would allow me to demonstrate that I can provide a stimulating and engaging learning environment that one would want to risk full participation.
I look forward to sharing some more insights soon.
Recently, I made the decision to begin documenting that evidence, and I plan on reflecting on that process.
The question that has been raised amongst some Teacher Librarians has been how one can collect and demonstrate that evidence against the teaching standards as set by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership because the role differs from that of a classroom teacher.
To me, it has really been an interesting challenge and being able to relate my work directly to those standards.
For instance I've done presentations on E-Books to English classes. How have I collected the evidence. I decided on a lesson plan when I was given the task by my colleagues as a means of demonstrating that I can plan a lesson and including a copy of the PowerPoint Presentation to demonstrate that I have included the use of Information or Communications Technologies (ICT's). Even classroom management skills can be shown i.e. establishing routines.
Like any teacher, I have to undertake professional development. Keeping a log demonstrates my commitment to broadening my knowledge.
In pastoral care or welfare capacities, keeping records of communication with parents, colleagues and the wider school community.
I've also been blessed with some opportunities to work on programming or evaluating the success of teaching and learning programs whether it might be a report on the wide reading classes or the library program for Year 6 Students (MLC School).
Resourcing for curriculum is another feature like the Ipad App Evaluations that I did earlier this year which demonstrates commitment to encouraging the use of ICT's for educational purpose but also demonstrate that I have applied newly acquired teaching skills in my work.
Classroom management has probably been the toughest part for me in terms of evidence particularly finding evidence of managing student behaviour. I have been advised in the past by a mentor to actually write down an individual plan on how behaviour could be managed along with student expectations, particularly in a library environment. For me working in different schools, I have to make adaptions based on the relevant school policy and that is emphasised. This would allow me to demonstrate that I can provide a stimulating and engaging learning environment that one would want to risk full participation.
I look forward to sharing some more insights soon.
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Study Ties College Success to Students’ Exposure to a High School Librarian (Article from the School Library Journal)
An article recently landed in my inbox (hence the title of the post) about the three way relationship between the Teacher-Librarian, teacher and student in shaping the success of students in their studies at tertiary level.
Research has found that the development of information literacy skills is shaped during a student's schooling. Students that were exposed to the expertise and skills of a teacher librarian are more likely to result in better academic achievement at university. Also collaboration with teacher made it even more likely.
I found from my own experience as a student, that we were not necessarily prepared for the requirements to engage in learning effectively at university level. For example, I did not know what a database was and how to use it, nor to reference effectively.
These experiences have helped me as a teacher librarian. I encourage students to make use of databases that may be available to them, either through the school library, their local library or the State Library of NSW. I have found them to be amazed at what they do end up finding.
Or teaching students where to locate books on a certain topic e.g. Music in the 700's.
Also I have encouraged students to not just focus on websites, but also on printed, electronic and audio visual materials through Resource Based Learning.
And finally I have been an advocate of Guided Inquiry because it allows for that reflection on the learning process, right from start to finish. I have guided senior students in writing up a research question/s, recommending resources (as mentioned) or reflecting on the usefulness of a resource.
Research has found that the development of information literacy skills is shaped during a student's schooling. Students that were exposed to the expertise and skills of a teacher librarian are more likely to result in better academic achievement at university. Also collaboration with teacher made it even more likely.
I found from my own experience as a student, that we were not necessarily prepared for the requirements to engage in learning effectively at university level. For example, I did not know what a database was and how to use it, nor to reference effectively.
These experiences have helped me as a teacher librarian. I encourage students to make use of databases that may be available to them, either through the school library, their local library or the State Library of NSW. I have found them to be amazed at what they do end up finding.
Or teaching students where to locate books on a certain topic e.g. Music in the 700's.
Also I have encouraged students to not just focus on websites, but also on printed, electronic and audio visual materials through Resource Based Learning.
And finally I have been an advocate of Guided Inquiry because it allows for that reflection on the learning process, right from start to finish. I have guided senior students in writing up a research question/s, recommending resources (as mentioned) or reflecting on the usefulness of a resource.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Boys, Underachievement and fixing the problem
I came across an article written by Dr. Peter West this morning. It was funded by The King's School at North Parramatta and the University of Western Sydney.
What I did like about it was some of the strategies that he has recommended to engage boys in their learning.
I tended to take more interest in the reading side. I would agree with the need to promote non fiction literature because it can relate back to their interests. The Book Week idea was excellent because it allows one (especially teachers) to share their favourite literature with others. Imagine a PE teacher sharing one book that they love reading. It allows the boys to learn something about their teacher that they may not know. I think they like surprises.
Another point of interest was active learning. I think you still follow a guided inquiry process for learning, but rather than an essay or report, the information is presented through engagement in the role play or debate. Debating does also require critical thinking as you must justify a particular point of view while at the same time rejecting the alternative view.