News

Finding appropriate educational resources online can be overwhelming. Who has the time to sift through the thousands of search results on Google, let alone evaluate them for quality or alignment with standards. With its access to free online lesson plans, multimedia, games and other content, Thinkfinity takes a step towards addressing this need of educators.

This wealth of resources is a boon to teachers and parents alike. Drawing on the expertise and standards of numerous national educational organizations, Thinkfinity also combines the resources of MarcoPolo and the Thinkfinity Network. Regardless of the grade level or subject area, this searchable source should link educators to quality content that will make their lives easier.

Posted by Jim Jonas on April 3, 2008

The increasing access to information coupled with greater concerns over the proper attribution has enhanced the need for tools to help organize and cite information sources. While members of the UW community have free access to RefWorks to perform these tasks, K-12 teachers and those unwilling to shell out for expensive software now have an alternative called Zotero. This easy to use extension to the Firefox web browser allows users to collect and organize citation information from article databases, catalogs, websites, and even Amazon.com.

Just like the browser in which it works, Zotero is a free and works in Windows and Mac environments. After downloading Zotero users will always have access to it because it works from inside their web browser – the control panel is just a click away. In addition to collecting and organizing information, Zotero can be used to format bibliographies for papers using popular styles like APA, MLA or Chicago.

Exposing K-12 students to Zotero early can be very beneficial. Providing them with a tool for easy citations will enhance discussions of proper citations and avoiding plagiarism. To see if this program is right for you, take a look at the Zotero Quick Start Guide.

Posted by Jim Jonas on April 3, 2008

This semester the School of Education (SoE) became a member of the Social Science Computing Cooperative (SSCC). Membership provides SoE faculty, staff, and graduate students expanded access to research software and statistical consulting services. Software titles include statistical programs like HLM, LISREL, MPlus, R, SAS, SPSS, Stata, and WinBUGS and the research programs ATLAS and NVivo. Additional programs include Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Dreamweaver, AmeliaView, DBMS Copy, EndNote, EpiData, Mathematica, MathType, MLwiN, ProCite, SmartDraw, Microsoft Office, and WordPerfect Office.

To use SSCC programs, log in at the http://ssc.education.wisc.edu web site with your existing SoE network account. At your first visit, you will be prompted to install a client. The client can be installed on both Macintosh and Windows computers. After successfully connecting to an SSCC terminal server, your screen will display a Microsoft Windows desktop with access to the programs above. With this login, you also have access to your default SoE network home drive and printer. This gives you easy access to personal files and print outs. If you have used the Apple or Microsoft remote desktop clients to run programs on your office computer from home or vice versa, the experience with your SSCC remote desktop should be familiar.

The SSCC membership does come with a few limitations. First, the membership covers research work but not instruction, and, second, the software focuses on research applications rather than creative applications like animation, graphics, and video. These are areas that will continue to be supported by the SoE Software Library. Nevertheless, the new SSCC membership greatly simplifies the administration of statistical software licenses, and it grants SoE researchers easy access to a strong set of research programs.

To learn more about the SSCC membership, browse the SSCC welcome page at http://www.ssc.wisc.edu/sscc/pubs/welcomesoe.htm or read the information posted by SoE technical staff at
http://www.education.wisc.edu/soeit/tech_support/sscc.

Posted by Chris Dowling on April 3, 2008

The CIMC welcomes Ryan Walker to our facility. Ryan is a participant in the Information Specialist Internship Program (ISIP). As an intern, Ryan will be at the CIMC for almost eight weeks. Part of his time here will be focused on library outreach and marketing as he assists the CIMC with our National Library Week READ! Poster Event.

ISIP is a relatively new opportunity on campus, for undergraduates to gain exposure to the diversity of roles that librarians and information specialists play at UW-Madison. The program also hopes to expose historically underrepresented groups to the field of library science. We are excited to have Ryan at the CIMC!

Posted by Anna Lewis on April 3, 2008

Reading and Literacy

Achieving Excellence in Preschool Literacy Instruction, edited by Laura M. Justice and Carol Vukelich.
Guilford Press, 2008
Prof LB 1140.5 .L3 A28 2008

Literacy for Diverse Learners: Finding Common Ground in Today's Classrooms, editors, Barbara Honchell and Melissa Schulz.
Christopher-Gordon Pub., 2007
Prof LB 1573 .L58 2007

Tools for matching readers to texts : ‡b research-based practices / ‡c Heidi Anne E. Mesmer.
Guilford Press, 2008
Prof LB 1573 .M473 2008

Adolescent Literacy Instruction: Policies and Promising Practices, Jill Lewis, Gary Moorman, editors.
International Reading Association, 2007
Prof LB 1632 .A268 2007

Differentiated Instruction

Co-teaching in the Differentiated Classroom: Successful Collaboration, Lesson Design, and Classroom Management: Grades 5-12, by Melinda L. Fattig and Maureen Tormey Taylor.
Jossey-Bass, 2008
Prof LB 1029.T4 F38 2008

Handbook of Differentiated Instruction Using the Multiple Intelligences: Lesson Plans and More, by Bruce Campbell.
Pearson Allyn & Bacon, 2008
Prof LB 1031 .C346 2008

Differentiating Instruction for Students With Learning Disabilities: Best Teaching Practices for General and Special Educators (2nd ed.) by William N. Bender.
Corwin Press, 2008
Prof LC 4704.5 .B46 2008

Posted by Vince Jenkins on April 3, 2008

Fiction and Poetry

Letters from a Desperate Dog, by Eileen Christelow.
Clarion Books, 2006
LTy PZ 3 .C4686 Let 2006
Summary: Feeling misunderstood and unappreciated by her owner, Emma the dog asks for advice from the local canine advice columnist.

How to be a Good Dog (1st U.S. ed.), by Gail Page.
Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2006
LTy PZ 3 .P1423 How 2006
Summary: Cat helps Bobo the dog show Mrs. Birdhead how good he is.

Wolf! Wolf! (1st ed.) by John Rocco.
Hyperion Books for Children, 2007
LTy PZ 3 .R575 Wo 2007
Summary: A crafty old wolf finds a peaceful way to satisfy his hunger in this alternate version of "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," told from the wolf's point of view and set in Asia.

Dogboy, by Christopher Russell
(Originally published under the title: Brind and the Dogs of War).
Greenwillow Books, 2006
LTy PZ 3 .R912 Dog 2006
Summary: In 1346, twelve-year-old Brind, an orphaned kennel boy, accompanies his master to France where he must fend for himself after his master and his mastiffs are lost at the Battle of Crécy.

Dogku (1st ed.) by Andrew Clements; illustrations by Tim Bowers.
Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2007
LTy PZ 8.3 .C558 Dog 2007
Summary: A haiku poem about a lovable dog.

Non-Fiction

Why Do Dogs Have Wet Noses?, by Stanley Coren.
Kids Can Press, 2006
LTy SF 426.5 .C67 2006

Sled Dogs, by Lori Haskins.
Bearport Pub., 2006
LTy SF 428.7 .H37 2006
Summary: Discusses the history, breeds, and training of sled dogs and sled dog racing.

Dogs and Cats, by Steve Jenkins.
Houghton Mifflin, 2007
LTy SF 426.5 .J46 2007
Summary: In this dos-à-dos bound book, read about your favorite dog; then, flip it over and find out about your favorite cat. Or vice versa.

Posted by Vince Jenkins on April 3, 2008

The CIMC is proud to announce that Colette Hershey was selected by the Wisconsin Association of Academic Librarians (WAAL) as a 2008 conference scholarship recipient. The award allows Colette to attend the WAAL 2008 annual conference to be held later this month in Manitowoc, WI. The scholarship is meant to encourage undergraduates to consider careers in academic librarinship. As a beloved CIMC staff member, we are glad to see Colette recognized for her hard work, humor and dedication to libraries.

Posted by Anna Lewis on April 3, 2008

Donna Meicher, well-known by SoE instructional staff as the "go-to" person for CIMC course reserves, has been selected to receive a 2008 School of Education Classified Staff Distinguished Achievement Award. Library staff also look to Donna as the in-house authority for library materials acquisitions. Please join the CIMC staff in congratulating Donna for richly-deserved recognition of her service to the CIMC and the School of Education!

After receiving her Associate's Degree from the Madison Area Technical College's Animal Technician Program, Donna worked for the UW School of Veterinary Medicine. Interspersed with her education and veterinary experiences, Donna's library career included technical services duties at both Memorial Library and the Health Sciences Library. Since April, 1998, when Donna joined the staff of the CIMC (then named the Instructional Materials Center, or IMC), she has provided stellar reserves services for instructional staff, expertly overseen acquisitions operations, and also managed to squeeze in cataloging for juvenile and professional books.

Donna will be honored with other recipients on Tuesday, April 22 in the Harrison Parlor of Lathrop Hall. A reception for the award winners at 4:00 will be followed by a formal presentation ceremony at 4:45. CIMC staff proudly invite all School of Education employees to join us in celebrating Donna's achievement.

Posted by Vince Jenkins on April 2, 2008

To celebrate National Library Week, the CIMC will once again be offering to produce customized READ! posters for interested patrons. People who are interested should bring a copy of their favorite book to the CIMC during the hours of 9am to 1pm, Monday April 14th through Friday, April 18th. You can select a unique background, pose with your favorite book, and the staff will create a poster for you. The 11x17" posters will cost $1.50. The CIMC can only accept payment through the use of the campus photocopying/debit cards. Please allow at least 72 hours for your poster to printed and ready for pick-up.

Posted by Anna Lewis on April 2, 2008

Many of the 279 books selected for the 2008 Cooperative for Children's Books Center (CCBC) Choices publication are on display now at the CIMC. These are the CIMC copies, and we encourage you to come check them out (both figuratively and literally). You can also pick up a copy of the CCBC Choicesto read their annotations and choices for the best of children's and young adult literature from 2007.

Posted by Anna Lewis on April 2, 2008

Are you graduating in May? Are you looking for a teaching job? Let the CIMC help with their April display presenting various resources to help in the job search. This display can help with resumes, cover letters, interviews, and even Wisconsin job resources such as job fairs. Come and take a look and good luck in all of your job hunting!

Want a poem in your pocket? Starting in April, the CIMC will celebrate National Poetry Month with a display featuring some the CCBC Choices recommended poetry books and others from our collection. The books will target youngest to oldest readers and might even spark the interest of an adult or two! While browsing books from our collection, take a poem to keep in your pocket.

Do you know what Occupational Therapy is? Whether your answer is Yes or No, be sure to find out more at the CIMC this month. The Occupational Therapy students have put together a colorful and educational display about their field. Fill-out their survey while you are there as well.

And lastly, don'tforget that National Library Week lands in April! Come to the CIMC to see this year's display and to take part in our special activities. Hope to see you soon!

Posted by Amanda Manteufel on April 2, 2008

"Use what?"

MSCEL is our shorthand for the Madison School & Community Education Library on Dayton Street (just east of the Kohl Center), a rich source for education and curricula materials--and YOU can use them!

If you're a resident of the Madison Metropolitan School District (which includes most UW student, faculty, and staff), you may request that MSCEL materials be sent to the CIMC where you can check them out--for free!--with your UW ID. Just use this form to place your loan requests and browse a recent list of new titles available on a variety of education topics. To search all MSCEL's resources, click the catalog tab here.

Reference Librarian, Carol Kaufman, says MSCEL's collection serves "the interests and professional development needs of professional educators, administrators, and those working with all learners in an educational setting."

MSCEL combines the Educational Reference Collection (ERC) and the Instructional Materials Selection Center (IMSC), both located in the Doyle Administration Building at 545 West Dayton Street. The ERC provides reference and assistance related to the teaching and learning mission of the Madison Metropolitan School District. The IMSC houses a selection of textbooks and instructional supplements used or under evaluation for use in Madison district schools.

Posted by Vince Jenkins on April 2, 2008

Looking back over this past year, the SoE TEL project has contributed to an increase in the adoption of eLearning tools for teaching and learning. TEL project highlights include:

• Fall 07, we count 187 active Learn@UW course sites in the SoE. Spring 08, we find 176 actives course sites in the SoE. We note that Learn@UW use increased by 63% compared to last Fall, and 56% compared to last Spring.
• TEL team members have provided instructional help and design consulting. TEL staff have assisted faculty with adopting Learn@UW tools including the digital dropbox for students to submit assignments, Learn@UW quizzes and surveys, Learn@UW gradebook, online discussions, and have provided consulting to format course materials for teaching online.
• TEL project work has increased awareness of technology tools available to SoE faculty. For example, TEL staff assisted faculty with adopting QuizVideo for physical education, and have supported using Second Life in the classroom.
• TEL team members have provided help to faculty adopting Moodle, an alternative platform for online course work, and a good choice for online learning communities.
• TEL staff have assisted faculty with integrating video resources into instruction.

A special thanks to TEL TAs Alan Hackbarth, Luiz Lopes, and Brian Zoellner. Looking ahead, we are committed to sustaining the momentum and invite faculty to contact Catherine Stephens or a TEL team member for help with integrating technology into teaching and learning.

Posted by Catherine Stephens on April 2, 2008