Microsoft Word - edlibsum06.doc _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Education Libraries Volume 29, No.1 Summer 2006 29 Cartelli, A. (Ed.) (2006). Teaching in the Knowledge Society: New Skills and Instruments for Teachers. London: Information Science. ISBN 1-59140-953-5. $84.95. The creation of the knowledge society is in turn creating more books about how to live in, practice, and teach with new tools and employ new strategies for instructional purposes. Those practitioners teaching in this digital age must cope with the fact that the knowledge industry creates the means by which students more and more frequently come to the classroom with the skills and knowledge of how to play games, text message, and use the Internet for personal growth. As a result, it encourages instruction using new forms and methods. Another result is that the knowledge industry is generating an urgent need for better professional knowledge about the management of schools and effective teaching and learning. This book covers an historical description of education and information and communication technology (ICT) use, and explains the theoretical reasons for the author’s description and analysis of the experiences. This includes a pedagogical survey of the changes introduced and informed by ICT in today’s world. The book also describes future possibilities for teaching-learning phenomena and for education in a society where ICT and knowledge management will play a more relevant role. The focus of this work is the virtual classroom. Therefore, the emphases and scenarios focus on online instruction and distance learning. Importantly, topics include examining cultural agents, describing different teaching styles, and accommodating students by starting from competencies already in their possession. A word of caution. The volume shares its main title with another recent work (Teaching in the Knowledge Society: Education in the Age of Insecurity by Hargreaves, 2003). Cantelli’s chapters are primarily directed towards a European readership, and the examples about specific technology and application may be outdated or unavailable before you try to adapt them to your own curriculum. It is like finding a product in Consumers Report and that model isn't available at the store. It is also a fact that most technologies will disappear in due time. Nevertheless, the emphasis on learning theory is important and well done. As a result, this book is recommended for all libraries with an interest in online learning in the virtual classroom. Arthur Tannenbaum is a Librarian at Bobst Library, New York University. Email: arthur.tannenbaum@nyu.edu Ferris, S. Pixy, and Godar, S. (Eds.). (2005). Teaching and Learning with Virtual Teams. Hershey, PA: Information Science. ISBN 1-59140709-5. Teaching and Learning with Virtual Teams is an excellent compilation of theoretical and practical information designed to assist anyone teaching online in higher education. The book focuses on the pedagogy of e-learning and addresses the issues around teams in virtual and hybrid classrooms. The twelve chapters are divided into four sections with authors from various countries providing examples of international collaborations between students. The chapters complement each other in their structure and _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Education Libraries Volume 29, No.1 Summer 2006 30 themes, including current research and practice, types of pedagogies that work well in online learning, and the importance of developing the socio-technical aspects in teams. Section One, E-learning to Learning in Virtual Teams,” provides frameworks, considerations and ideas for developing virtual teams. Included is a rethinking of how the Seven Principles of Good Practices Model can be modified to fit with online learning using technology as a lever. This section includes ideas for online active learning, collaborative projects, ideas for group projects, and distribution of tasks. Also included are considerations for learning styles in order to optimize virtual group performance. Here the term “learning style flexibility” is used and defined as “the ability to adapt one’s learning style according to the demands of the learning task at hand and the nature and demands of the subject matter related to outcomes” (40). Suggestions for facilitators in helping students become more flexible in terms of learning and problem solving skills are included. Section Two, “Strategies for Effective Teaching and Learning in Virtual Teams,” provides examples of how teams can work cooperatively and collaboratively in the virtual environment. Included in this section is a chapter on assessing learning in virtual teams, which provides ideas of how to develop and assess teamwork skills as well as how to use assessment strategies to structure the course. The overall focus of the section is on how to develop teaching and learning strategies that improve the online collaborative team experience. Effects of study groups that meet virtually, as well as recommendations about how to manage instructor design in order to maximize the benefits of the virtual study groups, are discussed. The socio-technical theory is further defined as “an assumption that social systems and technological systems mutually shape one another” (218). Here the importance of understanding how web-enabled learning is a socio-technical process is explored, as well as how these practices are developed in order to create an environment where students in two different places have the feeling of being part of the same class. This section offers many useful challenges, processes, key points and suggestions for developing effective online strategies. Section Three, “Teams in Action: International Collaboration,” addresses global issues in international collaborations, including developing cross-cultural communications. Section four, “Teams and Technology,” provides theoretical, as well as applied examples of new communication technologies that are used in virtual teams in educational settings, such as chat and video conferencing, net meetings and training and gaming simulations. The authors discuss how these tools can provide team members with the opportunities to engage in behaviors, learn content knowledge and language and experience daily life in a variety of circumstances, roles or worlds. This book provides a wide range of experiences, examples and suggestions of how to effectively design an online or hybrid course that makes e-pedagogy front and center by creating collaborative active learning exercises designed for constructivist learning in virtual teams. Very informative and practical. Highly recommended. Dr. Lori S. Mestre is the Digital Learning Librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Email: lmestre@uiuc.edu Gall, T., and Gall, S. (Eds.). (2006). The Lincoln Library of Greek & Roman Mythology. Cleveland, OH: Lincoln Library Press. 5 vol. ISBN 0-912168-21-8. $224. Greek and Roman mythology continues to be a mainstay in American education because of its influence on world history in general and world literature in specific. This five-volume set provides a user-friendly introduction to 500 gods, goddesses, heroes, places related to these traditions. The editors have developed several reference titles, and Dr. Rick Newton, Professor of Classics at Kent State University, provided in-depth subject expertise. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Education Libraries Volume 29, No.1 Summer 2006 31 The alphabetical set of entries range in length from a couple of sentences to ten pages (Achilles); major entries are usually three to four pages, and include side bar questions and answers to encourage reader engagement and close reading. The major entries begin with vital demographics (Roman and Greek spelling, pronunciation, gender, culture, attributes) and overview, and then detail the related stories and cultural impact in art, literature, science, etc. Roman namings get separate entries, and cross-references between the two cultures’ figures facilitate research. Four hundred captioned images (a least one for every page spread) accompany the entries; they include line drawings, classical paintings and stylistic illustrations, photographs of historic artifacts and locations, and miscellaneous images. Five comic book pages accompany entries (e.g., Persemone), and six mini-plays about specific myths provide classroom activity. A beginning chart lists Greek and Roman names of major goes and heroes, and another details the Greek alphabet. In the fifth volume a table of mythological associations links figures with associated words. A second table lists English words and phrases with Greek and Roman mythological origins. Writing is clear and accessible by middle schoolers and high schoolers. The layout is easy to read, and the paper quality aids high visual resolution. Binding and thin volumes support heavy use. This reference tool could be used in public libraries, school libraries and classroom collections because it can be used for targeted research and casual browsing. Dr. Lesley Farmer coordinates the Library Media program at California State University, Long Beach. Email: lfarmer@csulb.edu Gottlieb, M. (2006). Assessing English Language Learners: Bridges from Language Proficiency to Academic Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. ISBN 0-7619-8888-2. $34.95. A goal, as stated in this book is “to create a bridge, through sound assessment, to ensure the academic success of our English language learners.” Another goal is to prepare teachers to provide a systematic, continuous and appropriate content-grounded education by being aware of their students’ social and academic language proficiency and their academic achievement in English and their native language. This resource provides an excellent foundation in these regards, as well as numerous samples, tools and activities for instructional assessment of speaking, reading, writing and listening. The nine chapters illustrate how theory and practice are undergoing change and address how English language learners are to be involved in the large scale classroom assessment. Social and political considerations are also included. Distinctions are provided between language proficiency (social and academic settings) and academic achievement (tied to knowledge and skills of specific content areas). The author explains how assessment should no longer be focused on social language proficiency as in the past, but also needs to address academic proficiency. Suggestions and examples are provided for working with classroom instruction and assessment in the various content areas, such as social studies, math, and science. Gottlieb describes how performance indicators (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) for academic standards need to align with those of English language proficiency, and provides sample models of language performance indicators. She also describes a series of language proficiency levels, checklists, and rubrics that can be used to connect the reader with what will be needed on the standardized English language proficiency test. Suggestions of what teachers should address to meet those standards and checklists to analyze those measures are also provided. A valuable contribution to the book is the inclusion of tools to assist in producing, interpreting and reporting reliable and valid data for educational decision making. The author suggests a relationship between instruction and assessment and includes ways to incorporate assessment into instructional practices. She also explains the differences among tests, assessments and evaluation with definitions, features, preparations, and examples of assessment designs and types of data collection. A complete _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Education Libraries Volume 29, No.1 Summer 2006 32 chapter is devoted to grading systems. Reflections are also interspersed throughout the book to engage the reader with the text. Each chapter ends with a summary and final thoughts section. This book is a great resource for educators to assist them in the design and implementation of instructional assessment activities, tasks and projects. There are ample resource tools to assist them, such as: templates, forms; frameworks; schedules; surveys; checklists; instructional assessment ideas; reflection exercises; and suggested activities and tasks associated with language proficiency assessment in the various language domains. There are also suggestions for including manipulatives, visual and graphic supports and strategies for overcoming the obstacles of time needed for assessment. Although intended primarily for use by those involved in English language learning instruction, this resource is also valuable for foreign language instruction for its many useful strategies, reflections, templates and tools that can be applied for assessment purposes. Strongly recommended for all levels of school and academic libraries. Dr. Lori S. Mestre is the Digital Learning Librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. E:mail: lmestre@uiuc.edu Howell, S., and Hricko, M. (Eds.). (2006). Online Assessment and Measurement: Case Studies from Higher Education, K-12 and Corporate. London: Information Science Publishing. ISBN 1-59140- 721-4. $69.95. Williams, D., Howell, S., and Mary Hricko, M. (Eds.). (2006). Online Assessment, Measurement and Evaluation: Emerging Practices. London: Information Science Publishing. ISBN 1-59140-747-8. $84.95. Assessment and measurement are hot topics in education particularly with the flood of online and distance education programs. At every turn the software abounds to help stakeholders build their assessment tools and measure how well learning is taking place. However, often missing from these assessment efforts is the theory and an understanding of the context. Tackling these twin issues of assessment and measurement, these books offer a series of essays examining emerging practices and case studies designed to define the issues and show how they are playing out in the real world. Beginning with Williams’ volume on emerging practices, the book uses established evaluation principles and standards to employ new tools for online assessment. It is important to note that the essays argue that technology is only as good as the ability to help people make good choices. This is an important point in that often librarians and others in education read articles extolling the virtues of technology. But the point remains, what good is technology if users are still making bad decisions? The technology is only as good as the people using it. Williams writes in the conclusion to the Preface, “As technology evolves and online measurement and assessment follow, the invitation of this volume is to use tried and tested evaluation principles to employ these tools in evaluation systems that support stakeholders; clarify stakeholder’s values and definitions of the evaluands they want to examine; help them think about the questions they most deeply want answered; keep the contexts and backgrounds in mind; seek to adhere to evaluation standards of feasibility, propriety, utility, and accuracy; and help participants realize that technical issues and methods are only of worth when they are in the service of helping people make thoughtful evaluation choices.”(xi) By focusing his editorial efforts on higher education settings, Williams creates a snapshot in time of where online assessment efforts are headed. This gives anyone currently wondering how to evaluate their own programs several viable models to replicate. Of special interest were the final two chapters, which did a wonderful job of synthesizing the previous chapters into one focusing on a classroom environment and the other focusing on the online environment for teaching and learning. Thus, of the two books under review, the Williams volume should be read first as it sets the stage for the volume edited by Howell and Hricko. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Education Libraries Volume 29, No.1 Summer 2006 33 The whole of the Howell and Hricko book is case studies. Roughly divided into three broad areas -- elementary and secondary (K-12), higher education, and corporate -- this is a collection of stories. Each story represents a migration of sorts from old assessments to new ones in the online environment. Even though each case study is unique and the settings are diverse, the experiences are all common. This is one of strengths of this book, namely it draws the common elements in each case study so that the reader can see how the issues play out in different settings. In their forward to the book, Howell and Hricko identify five major themes present in each case study. These include the foundational need for stakeholder inquiry, communication, professional development, the importance of counting financial costs, and not underestimating information technology requirements up front. The reader can use this as a framework to read the eighteen chapters and allows for an evaluation matrix as well. Perhaps even beyond themes, frameworks, and matrixes, the editors point out that the greatest challenge for each case study is change itself. Change brings up so many possibilities that the newness and vastness of it all is overwhelming to many who must work on assessment and measurement. Although both the Williams book and the Howell and Hricko volume deal with timely issues, there are some flaws. One of the main flaws is change itself. By the time these books are distributed and read, many of the ideas presented in them will have timed out and assessment moved on to the next phase. Likewise, neither volume seems geared to beginners or people without some experience in online environments. The Williams volume seems to take a more practical approach to the whole subject whereas the other volume employs more jargon from the online environment. It remains to be seen how timely these books remain and how they wear over time. Overall, these books have a place in the literature of education and deserve to be read. To get the most out of them, they should be read in the order of the Williams book first, followed by the Howell and Hricko book. There are many good ideas raised in these books that should be highlighted and learned from. The author of each of these essays has brought their real world experience to light and this gives others in the same predicament, a chance to see how someone else tackled it before they dive in. Hopefully, many of the authors selected by the editors for their volumes will continue to push the edges of online assessment and measurement out so that those following can learn from their examples. Kris Veldheer is instructional librarian at the Graduate Theological Union. Email: veldheer@gtu.edu Levy, Yair. (2006). Assessing the Value of E-Learning Systems. Hershey, PA: Information Science. ISBN: 1-59140-726-5. $84.95. The objective of this book is to help the user understand the potential in measuring, as well as studying, learner’s perceived value of e-learning systems. Additionally, the author reports on a survey instrument and value-satisfaction grid of e-learning systems that will be developed for phases of the study This book sets the stage for what he will develop, based on representative characteristics from previously published research, including quantitative and qualitative research and an exploratory pilot study. The target audience include researchers in the field of information systems, online learning and distance education, as well as administration, directors and managers of e-learning programs. The book is divided into eight chapters, and is a research study that presents a holistic view of e-learning systems. It includes the characteristics of what students value and consider important in their e-learning systems and their learning experiences. Levy also overviews the differences among values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors. A major goal of his research was to understand the relationship between the value that learners attribute to e-learning systems and sets of learner’s experiences with e-learning systems. Measures are provided that help to answer the question “Is there a relationship between learners’ perceived satisfaction and learner’s perceived value for learner’s perceived effectiveness of an e-learning system?” Throughout the chapters there is very sound integration of relevant research, literature, and prominent studies. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Education Libraries Volume 29, No.1 Summer 2006 34 An excellent approach to this publication is the inclusion of tables that provide summaries of literature in each section. Many charts, tables, figures and suggestions by researchers help illustrate suggestions by researchers for use of control variables, surveys, needs for investigators of student values, characteristics of technology support and critiques by researchers of studies and what is lacking. Theories and models for the author’s theoretical foundation help develop a framework to address his research questions that predict the learners’ perceived value of e-learning systems. The author makes this information accessible to all levels of users by telling what he is going to present, then discussing it in the chapter and finally summarizing ideas. At times this approach may seem redundant, but it reinforces the major ideas of each chapter, including a table that summarizes the literature used in that chapter. The book’s organization, structure and repetitiveness make it very accessible. The end of the book provides some results and suggestions for enhancing courses with tools such as interactive games and providing seminars and workshops. Suggested for research libraries. Dr. Lori S. Mestre is the Digital Learning Librarian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Email: lmestre@uiuc.edu Magoulas, G. D., and Chen, S. Y. (Eds.) (2006). Advances in Web-Based Education: Personalized Learning Environments. Hershey, PA: Information Science. ISBN 1-59140-691-9. $69.95. Web-based education has come a long way, from email, chat rooms, and hypermedia to complete learning environments, such as Blackboard, Colloquia, COSE, Knowledge Pool, Learn Direct, Learning Space, Mindleaders, Think.com, Virtual Training Suite, and Xtensis. This volume, the second partnership between editors Magoulas and Chen, brings together contributors around the world to take the next step in focusing on personalization in the online learning environment. The aim of such a constructivist approach is clear: to improve learning for all students. The problem is how best to achieve it. Adapting to the learner in the web environment usually manifests itself in three ways: content level adaptation, presentation level adaptation, and navigation level adaptation. Content level adaptation involves dynamically generating a lesson from a collection of prepared materials depending on the level of the student, which would result in, for example, novices being provided with additional explanation at each step, while their more advanced peers move on to more in-depth content. Presentation level adaptation and navigation level adaptation both refer to the appearance of the information on the screen, but, whereas the former might involve letting students choose the font type and background color of their learning environment, the latter refers to how the menus of links might appear to individual students. The fourteen chapters are divided into four sections. The first section, “Modeling the Learner,” focuses on individual differences, such as level of knowledge, gender, culture, cognitive styles, learning styles, and accessibility issues for the disabled and elderly, to create learner models. The second section, “Designing Instruction,” discusses how instruction can support personalization in online learning environments. The third section, “Authoring and Exploring Content,” covers content design and creation for Web-based education, including important issues such as reusability and interoperability. Finally, the fourth section, “Approaches to Integration,” brings together all of these adaptation techniques and looks to the future. Every chapter contains a useful literature review of prior developments in the field along with strong examples and diagrams to illustrate concepts and screen captures of online learning environments to show theory in action, whenever applicable. A glossary at the back provides additional assistance for the novices and acts as a reminder for the experts. Because few studies have rigorously documented the educational effectiveness of adaptive learning environments to date, this volume definitely makes an important contribution to the field. While the topic should be appealing to educators at all levels interested in Web-based learning environments, the presentation is most suited for researchers and graduate students. Julie Shen is Reference and Instruction Librarian at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. Email: jshen@csupomona.edu. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Education Libraries Volume 29, No.1 Summer 2006 35 Provenzo, E. F. (2004). The Internet and Online Research for Teachers. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 0-205-41255-6. $17.50. This third edition provides a beginning introduction for teachers who want to integrate the Internet and its resources as a part of their regular classroom instruction, and serves as a reference for pre-service teachers. The book follows the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) guidelines “Technology and the New Professional Teacher” as well as the International Society for the Study of Technology and Education’s (ISTE) National Standards for Teachers. The book begins a little disjointedly with the first chapter looking at the Internet and World Wide Web for educators, and listing educational Internet sites from across the globe. The book then returns to basics with two chapters introducing the Internet, the first answering such questions as “What is the Internet?”, “How Large is the Internet?” and “How Do I Connect to the Internet?” The second chapter looks at what a computer network is, the anatomy of a web browser, what email is, and how to get connected to email. These two chapters are extremely basic and have limited usefulness for most education students or pre- service teachers who today generally have at least a passing acquaintance with the Internet. This edition has a new chapter written by a university librarian on “Making Use of Electronic Databases – the Library Connection.” While it is good to see library databases included, the listing of databases does not include a link to the primary education database ERIC (free version available at http://www.eric.ed.gov/). This seems to be a strange omission especially as a link to a Dialog blue sheet describing the database is included. The book is made more useful by the addition of a companion web site (www.ablongman.com/provenzo3e/), which should provide a more up-to-date listing of the links. However, the web page does not state how often the links will be checked. Upon checking the link for 24/7 reference as provided in Chapter 11, the online link provided the same no longer valid link as did the book (24/7 reference is now part of OCLC’s QuestionPoint). The most useful chapters in the book were Chapter Eight, “Creating Curriculum on the Web,” which provides a web-based instructional plan, and Chapter Nine, “Developing a Web-Based Educational Portfolio,” which reflects the increasing interest among educators in the use of educational portfolios. In future editions teachers might find it helpful to see more on how to create meaningful curriculum using the Internet, the current chapter on creating curriculum being rather limited, as well as an expanded chapter on educational portfolios. The other chapters are mostly listings of Internet sites of interest to teachers. The book includes a glossary of Internet related terms used in the book and a bibliography of related books and articles. Overall, this book serves as a general and basic introduction to the Internet for teachers, and provides a gathering place for listing web sites of interest to educators at all levels. Although all of the websites can be easily found by searching directly on the Internet the listings provide a starting point for those not familiar with the many resources in the different subject areas. Similar books to consider for teachers interested in integrating the internet into their classrooms include, Starting Out on the Internet: A Learning Journey for Teachers (Roblyer, 2005) and The Teacher’s Internet Companion (Heide & Stilborne, 2004). Jacqueline M. Borin is Coordinator, Public Services at Cal State San Marcos Library. E-mail: jborin@csusm.edu Ross, C., McKechnie, L., and Rothbauer, P. (2006). Reading Matters: What the Research Reveals about Reading, Libraries, and Community. Westport, CT: Libraries Unlimited. ISBN1-59158-066-8. $34.00 A core value in libraries is reading. Another core value is responsiveness to community needs and interests. The reality is that reading is still important to society, and libraries need to continue promoting and providing reading. This work examines reading issues from both a social and a developmental point of view, backing their arguments with research findings. Each chapter highlights the main issues, _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Education Libraries Volume 29, No.1 Summer 2006 36 personalizing through case studies. A guiding bibliography concludes each topic, and some chapter finish by suggesting action items to do. The first chapter provides an overview on reading, briefly tracing the history of reading and exploding myths surrounding reading. Research citations are used to back up question-and-answers about reading processes. Chapter two covers the childhood years of becoming a reader. It summarizes current knowledge about children and reading, and explains the skills and dispositions used in reading. Special attention is given to ways that parents can help their children read. A separate section deals with the popularity of series books, and another section addresses “the boy problem. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the role of libraries in fostering reading for children. Young adult reading constitutes the focus of chapter three. Teens’ reading habits – and the role of reading in their lives – are discussed. One section deals specifically with fiction reading and the library’s impact. Developmental issues of self-identify are covered in another section. The chapter also acknowledges the role of reading diverse media forms. The reading-writing relationship is particularly important for teens who want to voice their ideas. The chapter concludes with a call for librarians to do more reading outreach to this important group. The fourth chapter deals with adult readers and their reading experiences as they are couched within their busy lives. For some adults, reading can be better than real life. Libraries need to provide a broad spectrum of reading materials, being sensitive to emerging reading and English language learners as well as accommodating to sophisticated bibliophiles. The issue of taste and reader’s advisory is also discussed. The chapter reminds librarians that reading is a social activity, and, as such, libraries need to provide venues for adults to share their reading experiences. Detailed name, subject, and title indexes conclude the volume. Reading research tends to focus on the act of reading. What makes this volume unique is its reader- centric lens. For a fine synthesis of the research, with ideas for applying the findings, this work is a good source of information. Dr. Lesley Farmer coordinates the library media program at California State University, Long Beach. Email: lfarmer@csulb.edu Thorsen, Carolyn. TechTactics: Technology for Teachers. 2d ed. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. ISBN 0- 205-45722-3. $56. The integration of educational technology into K-12 classrooms over the past fifteen years has created new opportunities for student learning. At the same time, teachers are faced with increasing challenges to design meaningful and relevant instruction that incorporates the use of educational technology. TechTactics ponders the many issues associated with the use of computers in the classroom. Among the topics discussed are the facilitation of learning, instructional design principles, information retrieval, web tools, and the utilization of software for word processing tasks and the creation of spreadsheets, databases, and student presentations. TechTactics was originally published in 2003. New to the second edition is research on technology- supported teaching, screen design, and examples of problem-based and project-based learning. The text includes a table of contents, a preface, thirteen chapters, an index, and appendices. TechTactics is divided into four sections. Part one addresses instructional strategies and models that demonstrate the use of computers to teach concepts and skills. In chapter one, six areas of technology competency for teachers are identified including technology operations, student assessment, and _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Education Libraries Volume 29, No.1 Summer 2006 37 knowledge of social, ethical, and legal issues. Thorsen describes three uses for computers in the classroom: teaching computer literacy skills to prepare students for future employment, computer-based instruction for drill and practice, and the cognitive processes of gathering, analyzing, and presenting information. Part two considers the use of the Internet for research, including the process of retrieving and utilizing information. Thorsen evaluates several Web-based tools such as e-mail and asynchronous discussion boards that enhance class communication. Chapter three contains a WebQuest in which students construct their learning through the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of information as delineated in Bloom’s Taxonomy. Part three looks at the use of presentation software for displaying information. Graphic design principles, outlines, idea maps, and storyboards are presented in chapter seven to help students organize concepts into hierarchies. Several grading rubrics are provided in chapter eight to demonstrate the criteria by which student presentations will be evaluated. The educational applications of word processing are illustrated in chapter nine through a virtual field trip in which a sixth grade social studies class created a newspaper to learn about medieval Europe. Part four consists of the use of database and spreadsheet tools to gather, analyze, and evaluate data. In chapter eleven, eight steps are shown that enable teachers to create a successful database lesson. In teaching the nature of the questioning process, students require guidance to identify and solve a problem. Scaffolded learning helps students master the process of asking relevant questions to draw conclusions. Five appendices furnish comprehensive information on computer networks, file management, Internet conferencing, concept maps, and databases. Throughout TechTactics, the reader will find tables, diagrams, screenshots, definitions of terms, technology tips on computer hardware, virtual field trips to classrooms in which educational technology is being utilized successfully, exercises to check for understanding, and lists of annotated resources to aid teachers in selecting the most appropriate tools to enhance student learning. A companion Website features lesson plans, test questions, video demonstrations, PowerPoint presentations, Websites links, and other resources to help teachers use technology in their classrooms. TechTactics: Technology for Teachers is fair and thorough in its coverage of the educational applications of computer technology. This text will be a worthy addition to academic library collections that support teacher education programs, useful as a professional resource, and may also be utilized as a textbook for pre-service teachers completing credential programs. Warren Jacobs is a Reference/Instruction Librarian at California State University, Stanislaus. E-mail: wjacobs@csustan.edu _________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Education Libraries Volume 29, No.1 Summer 2006 38 INSTRUCTIONS FOR CONTRIBUTORS About Education Libraries Education Libraries (EL) is published by the Education Division of the Special Libraries association. Its audience consists of education information professionals employed in a variety of venues, including special libraries and information centers, academic libraries, public libraries, and school libraries Manuscripts submitted for publication in EL should present research studies, descriptive narratives, or other thoughtful considerations of topics of interest to the education information professional. Manuscripts focusing on issues relevant to more general concerns either in the field of education or in the field of library and information science are also welcome provided they include a significant component specifically germane to education information or education libraries and librarianship. EL is indexed in Current Index to Journals in Education and in Library Literature. Submission of Manuscripts Education Libraries welcomes the submission of original manuscripts. All manuscripts submitted will be considered for publication in future issues. One electronic copy should be sent to Dr. Lesley Farmer, Editor, Education Libraries, California State University Long Beach, Dept. of EdPAC, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach CA 90840-2201. Inquiries regarding contributions are welcome and should be directed to Dr. Farmer via mail or email: lfarmer@csulb.edu. Preparation of Manuscripts 1. All manuscripts should be submitted with an electronic disk on a 3.5” disk and in Windows-compatible MS Word format or attached in an email message. If electronic copy can not be provided, please contact the Editor for alternative arrangement. 2. All manuscripts should be word-processed on 8.5 x 11” paper, double-spaced, with 1.5” margins on all sides. Reference should appear on separate pages at the end of the article. Do NOT use Endnotes, footnote feature, or other such macro. 3. Education Libraries follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5 th ed. (2001). 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