From: Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 1, Summer 2009 41 Policies and practices directing the provision of early childhood education and care services in the United Kingdom differ from country to country, a distinction not identified in previous research studies. Early Childhood Education and Care: Policy and Practice presents legislative, political, and practical information on early years programs and services in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland. The text examines each country’s demographic composition, languages spoken, legislation and customs governing early years programs, transition to formal schooling, curriculum, quality assurance, examination and inspection of facilities, staff development and training, and pending and future changes. Early Childhood Education and Care is divided into seven chapters containing a table of contents, a map of the five countries studied, and a comprehensive index. Tables, figures, and bulleted lists may be found throughout the text to facilitate understanding. Each chapter includes highlighted text to identify key concepts or additional sources of information, topics for discussion, and references of print and Web-based resources. In chapter one, editors Margaret M. Clark and Tim Waller introduce the reader to developments in early childhood education across the United Kingdom, curriculum for early years, and policy differences from country to country. Seven contributors furnished the five chapters devoted to early years programs in the countries studied. Chapters 2-6 begin with two case studies that examine the influence of family circumstances, services received, and curricular guidelines on a young child’s early education and experiences. B o o k R e v i e w s Early Childhood Education and Care: Policy and Practice— Reviewed by Warren Jacobs Children in England are at risk from an elevated infant mortality rate, obesity, poverty, and child abuse. A need for interagency cooperation to safeguard children is recognized in chapter two. Specific issues addressed include the need for national curriculum standards, mainstreaming of special needs children, implementation of standards for quality care, and continuing staff development for day care workers. Clark, Margaret M., and Waller, Tim. (2007). Early Childhood Education and Care: Policy and Practice. London: Sage. ISBN 978-1- 4129-3572-2. $39.95. In Northern Ireland, 95% of the children attend schools segregated by religion. Children have experienced trauma from political and sectarian violence, and significant poverty. To support the emotional, social, and physical well-being of young children, a partnership of government, employers, parents, and community organizations is advised. Chapter four discusses the high number of children living in poverty in the Republic of Ireland. Many are asylum seekers from Africa. An increasing knowledge of the benefits of early years services has led to a call for public facilities to serve disadvantaged families. Since most early education facilities in the Republic of Ireland are privately run, nationally recognized standards and training for practitioners are regarded as essential to meet the escalating demand for services. There are many obstacles to obtaining early childhood education and care in Scotland. Different agencies administer policy. Many languages are spoken. Glasgow has a high number of single parent families living in overcrowded conditions. To raise children out of poverty and promote development and learning, a government partnership with private and voluntary providers has been formed to offer affordable, quality child care facilities throughout Scotland. Homelessness in Wales has doubled from 2000 to 2004. 25% of all children live in poverty. New curricular programs like the Learning Country Foundation Phase 3 to 7 years are being developed to ensure that all children have the same opportunity for lifelong learning and well- being. Learning outcomes delineated in chapter six Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 1, Summer 2009 42 include personal, social, creative, and physical development; language, literacy, and communication skills; mathematical ability, and knowledge of the world. A comparison of programs in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland follows in chapter seven. There are a number of critical issues: varied government policies, a patchwork of curriculum standards, considerable need to streamline and coordinate early years programs to reduce the bureaucracy hampering new initiatives, and prioritizing the recruitment of competent staff. To ensure the best quality program, childcare workers require ongoing training. Among the benefits of early childhood education: school readiness, reduced grade retention, decreased need for remedial and specialized services, and improved test scores. Early Childhood Education and Care is designed to be utilized as a textbook for students and practitioners in the United Kingdom. The editors and contributors are noted authorities on early childhood education. This book examines all issues associated with the provision of early years education and care services in five countries targeted for comprehensive study. This work will be a useful addition to academic library collections supporting the study of early childhood education on an international scale. Warren Jacobs is a Reference/Instruction Librarian at California State University, Stanislaus. Email: wjacobs@csustan.edu Information Literacy Assessment in K-12 Settings was written by Lesley S. J. Farmer and James Henri, though the book’s preface makes it clear that the bulk of the material was generated by Lesley Farmer, professor at California State University, Long Beach, who coordinates their Library Media Teacher Program. James Henri, associate professor in the Faculty of education at the University of Hong Kong, provides “the big picture.” The first half is more academic, presenting a good deal of general theory as to information literacy and assessment techniques that are available to be applied to information literacy training. If you didn’t know a lot about either subject, this might be a worthwhile book to read. The stress concerning resistance one will likely experience when implementing information literacy programs indicates that the book’s target should be district administrators rather than teacher librarians. The authors do not differentiate assessment of information literacy from other assessments conducted in elementary and secondary schools. The work might be too theoretical for the average teacher librarian to have time to read, digest, and implement. The authors fail to simplify the process; in fact, they make it more complicated than it needs to be. What the authors do well is to stress the importance of information literacy and libraries, and the need for community involvement—“A total learning community that values information literacy—teacher librarians, classroom teachers, support staff, administrators/board, students, and community” (p. 66). Chapter 1 examines definitions of information literacy. It stresses the need for today’s literate person to have “the knowledge and skills to deal successfully with novel information and situations” (p. 2). The authors acknowledge that the term “information literacy” is not universally embraced and can consist of a range of overlapping literacies and competencies, critical thinking being among the most important. Information Literacy Assessment in K-12 Settings—Reviewed by Barbie E. Keiser Farmer, Lesley S.J., and Henri, James. (2007). Information Literacy Assessment in K-12 Settings. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ISBN: 978-0-8108- 5695-0 (pbk.), $35. Chapter 2 explains the importance of information literacy. Libraries are the place, the authors say, “to teach students how to be critical consumers of information.” Rather than focus on bibliographic instruction to find what is within its four walls, libraries should be “portals to the world of information” (p. 14). “Chapter 3 explores learning, information literacy and assessment. It details how students encounter and interact with information with a possible result of learning” (page xvii). Chapter 4 outlines the conditions necessary for information literacy assessment. The chapter introduces mailto:wjacobs@csustan.edu Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 1, Summer 2009 43 the reader to instructional design and implementation, presenting an input-output model for information literacy. Chapter 5 explores the role of assessment. The authors remind us that “assessment of student literacy is not just a summative exercise; it is a complex and ongoing systematic process of gathering data about the variables underlying student achievement, analyzing that data, and acting upon the findings” (p. 72). Chapter 6 is where the authors begin to introduce more practical ideas regarding the process of assessing information literacy. They present nine principles identified by the American Association of Higher Education Assessment Forum to guide assessment of student learning and ask seven simple questions: Why assess? What is being assessed? Who is being assessed? Who is assessing—and analyzing—data results? When does assessment occur? Where does assessment occur? How is assessment conducted? Utilizing a systems approach to assessment, the authors outline relevant Input and Output, identify typical assessment instruments—Observation, Individual interview, Focus group, telephone or online interview, and Content analysis—and factors to be considered when determining which assessment to use, including cost, time, availability, skills, legalities, and culture (pages 92-93). Chapter 7 lists potential problems of assessing information literacy and provides ways to deal with those issues. This chapter identifies barriers to information literacy and assessment and suggests ways to overcome each. Chapter 8 provides a classified list of user-tested information literacy assessment instruments. Perhaps the most useful table appears in this final chapter, presenting a Research Product Rubric that includes target indicators for each level of information literate student, from unsatisfactory to exceptional. This is a good work for administrators who must assure that all students in their school system possess information literacy skills and who want to be able to demonstrate the effectiveness of the curriculum used. The book would be helpful if the reader knew only a little about information literacy and the role it plays in succeeding in today’s society, or about conducting assessments. Barbie E. Keiser is a information resources management consultant located in the metro- Washington, DC, area. Email: barbieelene@att.net The Elements of Library Research: What Every Student Needs to Know— Reviewed by Barbie E. Keiser. George, Mary W. (2008). The Elements of Library Research: What Every Student Needs to Know. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN978-0- 671-13857-2 (pbk.) $14 95 The preface of this book sets out a daunting task for the author: “To answer the questions every student has about conducting college-level research.” To a great extent, Mary W. George, the acting head of reference and a senior reference librarian at Princeton University Library, succeeds. She methodically walks the undergraduate through a set of logical, practical steps for conducting research; topic selection and devising a research strategy; tools and resources to evaluate and employ; and developing a thesis, creating an outline, drafting and revising the final report. Helpful hints are provided throughout; my favorite is “Allow twice as much time for your research as you think you should need.” I can think of several students and clients would have benefited enormously from the research timelines provided in Appendix C. While I appreciate the organization, content, and formatting of the work, I wonder how many students will go through the text if they need to conduct research. A more realistic target market for this work might be as a guide for those teaching research methods. The book can be an assigned text, or merely a guide for those developing curriculum. The author is knowledgeable, with an easy approach and style. The book succeeds in mailto:barbieelene@att.net Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 1, Summer 2009 44 one of its stated objectives: lowering anxiety as one approaches a new tool and environment. Ms. George covers information literacy topics masterfully, and the text is an easy read for undergraduates (whose work will only benefit if the students follow the advice of the author). Barbie E. Keiser is a information resources management consultant located in the metro- Washington, DC, area. Email: barbieelene@att.net Unlike other books that address the pedagogy of physical education, Understanding Physical Education is written to help prospective teachers and researchers understand critical issues and important developments in the discipline. Topics include physical education’s educational value, assessment, student wellness, and how student gender, ethnicity, and disability status may affect participation in PE. The author is Ken Green, a professor of applied sociology of sport at the University of Chester. Green has published extensively on the sociology of physical education. He previously edited a collection of essays for Sage, Physical Education: Essential Issues (2004). The text includes a table of contents, an introduction, 12 chapters, a conclusion, references, and an index. Case studies, tables of statistical information, bulleted lists, notes, and reading recommendations are incorporated to facilitate understanding. In the first two chapters, Green presents several theoretical arguments on the nature and purpose of PE that emphasize the educational value of practical knowledge. Questioning the goals and outcomes of policies that govern physical education in the United Kingdom, the author identifies the constraints placed on PE teachers. The current state of physical education in England is examined through a study of the maintenance and access to facilities, time available for PE, and qualifications of teachers. Secondary curriculum is still focused on school sports despite an impetus for change through partnerships with organizations that promote an increase in the number of activities available to students. Green’s analysis of extra- curricular PE indicates that gender, ethnicity, and disability status are important factors in the level of participation of secondary students. Understanding Physical Education — Reviewed by Warren Jacobs Chapter five deliberates on the validity of assessment for purposes of accountability, an issue not limited to the No Child Left Behind Act in the United States. Assessment will continue to be important to teachers as physical education is increasingly viewed in England as an academic subject, requiring the same scrutiny as mathematics, reading, or science. Green, Ken. (2008). Understanding Physical Education. London: Sage. ISBN 978-1-4129- 2113-8. $45.95. In chapters six and seven, the author states that exercise is just one of a multitude of factors that play a role in the promotion of wellness. Equally significant is the quality of one’s diet, as well as the amount of time spent viewing television and surfing the Internet. Physical education is important for students to build good habits, but a shift needs to take place from the traditional competitive sports model towards recreational activities that can be enjoyed throughout one’s lifetime. The text concludes with four chapters that examine how physical education in England has traditionally been segregated by gender, social class, ethnicity, and disability status. Participation in recreational activities has become more democratic in recent years. An increasing percentage of girls, members of the working class, people of color, and physically challenged students regularly participate in sport and leisure activities. Vast potential exists to refashion physical education programs through the development of curriculum that positively enhances participation of non- traditional segments of the population in physical activities. Green notes the need for continued progress in the area of mainstreaming children with special education needs (SEN) to ensure their full participation in physical activities. Understanding Physical Education will be an excellent addition for academic libraries that support programs in physical education. Each chapter is comprehensively researched and presents information in an analytical fashion. Examples that elucidate the key issues in physical education focus primarily on England, but the mailto:barbieelene@att.net Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 1, Summer 2009 45 fundamental issues addressed in this text are relevant to the provision of physical education in the United States. Warren Jacobs is a Reference/Instruction Librarian at California State University, Stanislaus. Email: wjacobs@csustan.edu In the introduction to Key Concepts in Sport and Exercise Sciences, the editors credit the multidisciplinary nature of sport and exercise sciences for the growing number of students matriculating at college and university programs in this field. Students face the challenge of becoming familiar with research literature in the biophysical sciences, social sciences, psychological sciences, and the humanities. To succeed in their studies, students must build a foundation of knowledge to support technical learning. Key Concepts in Sport and Exercise Sciences furnishes readers with concise and understandable chapters containing the fundamental concepts specific to the study of physical education. The first section, biomechanics, outlines how mechanical methods are applied to the structure and function of the human body. Exercise physiology, the effects of muscular activity on the human body, is described in part two. The pedagogy of physical education and coaching in England is the focus of part three. Part four covers motivation, coping, leadership, and other psychological issues within physical education. The concluding section, sociology, analyzes sport and exercise as social and cultural activities. Each section features six to nine short chapters (one to five pages in length) encompassing specialized topics such as angular kinetics (part one), energy balance and body composition (part two), and immediate emotional and affective responses to exercise (part four). The four editors are members of the Carnegie Faculty of Sport and Education at Leeds Metropolitan University, a British institution with a 75 year history of providing extensive offerings of sport and exercise sciences courses. Each chapter is written by different contributors selected for their subject-matter expertise. 31 of the 33 contributors teach at Leeds Metropolitan University. Important concepts are not only defined, they are also placed in a context that is relevant to the reader. In the chapter on force (part one), the author describes how the acceleration of force promotes injuries unless athletes reduce the impact sustained in a collision. One example uses body padding for rugby players to mitigate the effects of high-speed collisions. Throughout the text, contributors make excellent use of visual representations of challenging concepts. Readers will find a table of contents but no index. Rather than providing references at the end of the book, each chapter concludes with suggestions for further reading. To enhance learning of difficult concepts like osmoregulation (control of body water) and blood glucose homeostasis (the body’s regulation of blood glucose), figures, bulleted lists, and numerical formulas are included. This text is one of many volumes in the Sage Key Concepts series covering disciplines as varied as gender studies, teaching, journalism, and urban studies. The goal of the series is to furnish students with the knowledge of critical concepts in their discipline, creating a platform for further learning. Key Concepts in Sport and Exercise Sciences will be a useful addition for academic libraries supporting undergraduate programs in physical education, sports medicine, and exercise sciences. Professors teaching courses in these disciplines may utilize this title as a supplemental text. Students will find this text to be a valuable resource as the entries are well-written, comprehensively researched, and help to clarify difficult concepts through the use of figures, lists, and formulas. While some entries utilize examples specific to England, this concise volume thoroughly covers concepts that are relevant to physical education programs in the United States. Warren Jacobs is a Reference/Instruction Librarian at California State University, Stanislaus. Email: wjacobs@csustan.edu Key Concepts in Sport and Exercise Sciences—Reviewed by Warren Jacobs Kirk, David, Cooke, Carlton, Flintoff, Anne, and McKenna, Jim (Eds.). (2008). Key Concepts in Sport and Exercise Sciences. London: Sage. ISBN 978-1-4129-2228-9. $38.95. Sage Key Concepts series. mailto:wjacobs@csustan.edu mailto:wjacobs@csustan.edu Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 1, Summer 2009 46 School-parent relationships based on a deficiency model, which assumes both parents and children need guidance from an authoritarian school system to rectify deficiencies, would be a thing of the past if the ideas presented in this book gain acceptance. Instead of seeing dysfunctions in families, parenting facilitators are encouraged to look for capabilities, assets, and potential for growth. Relationships between parents, children, schools, and communities should focus on “ongoing, adaptive, changing, reflective, lifelong learning,” rather than isolated skill building (p. 197). In order to achieve this goal, the author recommends that parent-teacher engagement courses be a mandatory part of the curriculum for future teachers and all professionals who work with parents. She also suggests that field experiences with parents be included in all teacher training programs. If this proposal sounds too cumbersome to those administrators and higher education curriculum planners, McDermott urges school districts to at is least employ one trained and credentialed parenting educator. This book, therefore, serves as a guide for parenting educators already in the field as well as a text for those who are still in the pre-service training portion of their career. To illustrate productive relationships among educators and parents, McDermott has created “a synthesis of scholarly literature and an opportunity for the reader to apply and extend the topic” (p. xiv). The first half of the book focuses on theories of parental involvement and engagement with schools, parenting and the caring process, parents and teachers as lifelong learners, and culturally diverse teachers and parents. The second half models caring ways of relating to others and addresses concerns commonly held by teachers and parents. It also suggests developmental opportunities and stresses the importance of preparing the next generation for their future role as parents. Although this book offers appendices online through the publisher’s website, provides material to use in parenting programs, and also describes programs already in existence that exemplify the book’s theories, this is not a simple “how-to” guidebook. The examples provided are not intended for across the board application at all schools. Instead, McDermott promotes the understanding of theories so parenting educators can create their own programs while taking into account the background and needs of families in their individual schools. As such, this book will be most useful in the hands of anyone who has ample time to devote to planning and implementing parenting outreach programs. College and university libraries that support comprehensive education programs or graduate-level education, counseling, family and consumer science programs are encouraged to consider this selection. Ramirose Attebury is Assistant Professor, Reference/Instruction Librarian, at the University of Idaho. Email: rattebur@uidaho.edu Currently, the market is full of books about gifted children and education. Over a hundred have been Developing Caring Relationships among Parents, Children, School, and Communities. — Reviewed by Ramirose Attebury McDermott, Dana. (2008). Developing Caring Relationships among Parents, Children, School, and Communities. Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications, 2008. ISBN 978-1-4129- 2786-4. $39.952228- 9. $38.95. Sage. Nurturing the Gifted Female: A Guide for Educators and Parents. —Reviewed by Michelle Price Navan, Joy L. Nurturing the Gifted Female: A Guide for Educators and Parents. Thousand Oaks, CA. Corwin Press, 2009. ISBN-13: 978-1-4129- 6136-3 (cloth) ISBN-13: 978-1-4129-6137-0 (paperback). $26.95. mailto:rattebur@uidaho.edu Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 1, Summer 2009 47 published in the past three years. Their subjects range from school-wide programs, lesson plans, teacher education programs, to parenting gifted children. The books are often split chronologically by grade level, school, or age. There is even a series for Gifted Education based on subjects such as mathematics, geography and foreign languages. With all these sub topics of gifted education, Navan has managed to find her niche. The only other recent book that deals with girls specifically is Teaching and Counseling Gifted Girls, by Susan K .Johnsen and James Kendrick. It is currently out of print and only 36 libraries in the Worldcat system own it. In comparison, the 1998 book Gifted Girls published by the Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation is held in 367 libraries, but no subsequent edition has been published. Navan delivers her content in a tapestry of narratives. Each chapter begins with a description of a girl who embodies the character of girls who whom Navan has worked. This very human touch makes the pages fly by. She breaks down the chapters into bulleted lists and smaller chunks. Since the book is aimed at both parents and educators, it is not surprising to see directions for “Reflective Research in the Classroom” at the end of each chapter. However, these items can be easily parlayed to the home, for example, analyzing the effectiveness of a coping mechanism for a recent stressful event and how you can model effective coping strategies. The text is broken down into ten chapters, but the last chapter is actually a bibliography of annotated resources including organizations, periodicals, teacher and homeschooling resources, distance learning and enrichment sites. Also in this chapter are book recommendations for gifted females broken down by grade-level. Given that Navan has found a special market within gifted children with Nurturing the Gifted Female, this book is essential to any gifted education collection. Michelle Price is Science and Outreach Librarian at Lavery Library, St. John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. Email: mprice@sjfc.edu Toward a 21st- Century School Library Media Program —Reviewed by Mary Jo Langhorne Rosenfeld, Esther and Loertscher, David V. (Eds.). (2007). Toward a 21st-Century School Library Media Program. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press. ISBN: 0-8108-6031-7 (pbk.). $40.00. “What is the place of the school library program in the 21st Century school? “ Veteran school library leaders Loertscher and Rosenfeld address this question in a comprehensive compilation of articles previously published in Teacher Librarian and VOYA. The organizing principle of the volume is that teacher librarians need to be “learning leaders” in the school environment. Structured around seven common themes, the volume includes articles by a variety of experts in school librarianship, including academics as well as building-level practitioners. Part I focuses on Collaboration and includes a seminal article by Karen Murunaga and Violet Harada titled “Building Teaching Partnerships: The Art of Collaboration.” The authors focus on the behaviors needed for collaborative relationship building, as well as the significant benefits of collaboration for student learning. Their model of the levels of curriculum involvement of the teacher librarian is useful and instructive. Part II is titled “Curriculum Design and Assessment.” In Chapter 11, Carol Koechlin and Sandi Zwann address the importance of effective questioning strategies in designing and developing assignments. They present models and frameworks to be used as the teacher, teacher librarian and students collaborate to identify questions that will lead to deeper understanding as they engage in research. A second contribution by Koechlin and Zwann inspires us to “Focus on Understanding” (Chapter 13) to help students master important and challenging content, and includes strategies for doing this. mailto:mprice@sjfc.edu Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 1, Summer 2009 48 Part III presents several articles on effective Technology Integration in the school library including two articles by well-known Web 2.0 guru Joyce Valenza (the second with the amusing title, “Something Wiki This Way Comes…Are You Ready?”) Valenza describes the new skill set of a 21st century teacher librarian including the necessity of thinking outside the box about the “collection,” organizing the web for student learners and performing the role of “info-technology scout,” the person who figures out how to make sound use of new and emerging technologies. Other chapters deal with using blogging, podcasting, social networking and wikis in teaching and learning. Part IV is titled “21st Century Skills”. In Chapter 35, “Graduating Students Who Are Not Only ‘Learned’ But Also ‘Learners,’” Jean Donham foreshadows the new AASL standards by listing dispositions that are essential for graduates if they are to become the often-cited “life- long learners.” These dispositions include curiosity, open-mindedness and the ability to metacognate. Schools that emphasize inquiry and promote collaboration between teachers and teacher librarians are essential to helping students develop and retain these dispositions, according to Donham. Part V of the book addresses the “Literacy and Reading” portion of the teacher librarian’s role. The section begins with an article by Michael Cart describing teacher librarians as “literacy leaders” in their buildings. Marlene Asselin describes in Chapter 52 the “new literacies,” summarized as “unique ways of reading and writing with the new technologies of information, communication and multimedia.” Other articles include tested reading promotion ideas. Parts VI and VII deal respectively with “Partnerships,” including that all-important relationship with the school administrator, and “Issues and Management.” This is but a sampling of the 72 articles included in this useful resource. Although some of the articles are as old as 1999, most are more current and topics are generally timeless. This text is recommended as a reference for teacher librarians seeking to increase their understanding of key areas of the profession. Mary Jo Langhorne is an adjunct instructor at The University of Iowa School of Library and Information Science. She does independent consulting and training in school libraries. Email: mjlanghorne@mchsi.com Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools —Reviewed by Barbie E. Keiser Solomon, Gwen, and Schrum, Lynne. (2007). Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, ISBN-13: 978-1- 56484-234-3 (pbk.) $34.95. The premise of this book is made clear on its first page: “Tools are changing how people, including students, interact with the world. The changing nature of information and the new ways our students understand and make sense of the world signal that we need new strategies and new tools for teaching and learning. The challenges of the new millennium require that students be adaptable and analytical, and that they have the skills to identify and use the best tools in a rapidly changing environment.” The authors, Gwen Solomon and Lynne Schrum, describe what students need during their years in the classroom, and beyond that, they realize how important Web 2.0 tools are to the workplace: Student fluency in the use of Web 2.0 tools is necessary to assure that students become constructive contributors in society after ending their formal education. The authors are well-qualified to craft this book. Their experience working as educators helps readers to shift their thinking that technology might be useful in demonstrating how individual teachers could employ various tools in everyday classroom activities to stimulate students to think and question. Gwen Solomon is the director of techLEARNING.com, the Website of Technology & Learning magazine to which she is a contributing editor. In the past, she was a senior analyst in the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Educational Technology and coordinator of instructional technology planning for New York City public schools. Co-author Lynne Schrum is a professor and coordinator of elementary education in the College of Education at George Mason University whose research and teaching focuses on teacher preparation, appropriate uses of information technology, mailto:mjlanghorne@mchsi.com Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 1, Summer 2009 49 and online and distance learning. Together they offer students, teachers, administrators, and parents a view of education that invites Web 2.0 tools into the learning equation as a major vehicle for changing education today. The 10 chapters in the book divide neatly into three parts: Chapters 1-4 lay the groundwork for this volume of 258 pages (+index) Chapters 5-10 demonstrates how Web 2.0 tools can be used constructively and responsibility in the classroom and the school district Five appendices that include a timeline for the Web, a comprehensive set of references, a summary of national educational technology standards, and specific tools for Web 2.0 activities: blogging, wikis, aggregators, social bookmarking, file sharing, photo and drawing, photo sharing, video, Web-based word processing, language arts/creative writing, Web- based spreadsheets, presentation tools, desktop tools, surveys and polls, search tools, task management, online calendars, content management, mapping, and Web start pages. Chapter 1 talks about the transition from desktop-based applications to new online tools and how a participatory, interactive Web can be used to create information collaboratively and share the results with others beyond the four walls of an individual classroom (emphasizing the difference that global sharing can make). The authors make their case for using advanced technologies for learning through their catalogue of information skills that the 21st Century economy needs workers to possess: digital age literacy, inventive thinking, effective communication, high level of productivity. Chapter 2 focuses on students: what they want from their schools, how they learn, and how they view technology (specifically, the Web) as a part of their environment. Understanding how children get information, customize it for their own use (and that of their friends) is an important lesson for teachers and parents. The authors believe that technology should be used in meaningful ways; not taught as separate subjects, but integrated into classroom activities, encouraging students to communicate and collaborate beyond. Students should be encouraged to investigate resources outside of the school and learn how to find and analyze these resources themselves, connecting to others with whom they can share what they have learned (e.g., through syndication via RSS feeds). The chapter closes with a prescription of how educators can “take advantage of students’ interests and the ways they learn to create new models for learning” (p. 42). Chapter 3 deals with Web 2.0 tools themselves, describing them in most basic terms (e.g., the Web, open source, tagging and syndication, blogs, podcasts, wikis) for all to understand. The Chapter begins by presenting the Web as a platform where users can take control of their own data. The authors stress the benefit of using these tools from the perspective of administrators, teachers, students, and parents, including open source tools, tagging and syndication, aggregators, blogs, podcasts, wikis, social bookmarking, photo editing and sharing, video showcasing, and Web 2.0 versions of desktop tools (i.e., word processing, spreadsheets, presentations), management tools (such as search engines, calendars, content management and electronic portfolios), and education tools (e.g., mapping, drawing, mashups, surveys and polls). No matter how well-versed you think you might be about options among these tools, the authors will present you with one or two resources that you’ve never heard about or used. (Conscious of cash strapped classrooms, most of the software mentioned in this book is free to download and use.) The real-life applications highlighted toward the end of the chapter will help educators divine new ways to use these tools in their own classrooms as an integral part of their lessons. Chapter 4 demonstrates how Web 2.0 tools can be used for learning by highlighting model applications, such as using blogs for teaching the writing process, wikis for collaborative writing projects, and Flickr for digital storytelling. Classroom applications highlighted at the close of this chapter include English and literature at Guston Middle School (Arlington, VA), social studies at Arapahoe High School (Centennial, CO), journalism at Hunterdon Central Regional High School (Flemington, NJ), mathematics, geography, English as a second language, and science. Educators who read this work will be able to use these models as inspiration for their own classrooms To be able to develop the Websites and tools described in Chapter 4, teachers need assistance; in this case, help takes the form of professional development. Chapter 5 demonstrates how investing in technology literacy training for teachers can benefit communities. The authors describe the utility of using Web 2.0 tools (e.g., blogs, podcasts, wikis) for professional development. In Chapter 6, the authors demonstrate how administrators can use Web 2.0 tools to become true leaders; for example blogging to share news and events, monitor progress, build community within a school district, and advocate for schools, policies, and investment. 50Education Libraries, Volume 32, No. 1, Summer 2009 Chapter 7 covers the complex issues of online safety (of students) and security (of data). The Chapter covers legalities, copyright and intellectual property, providing examples of acceptable use policies and security solutions to “knotty problems” such as instant messaging, social networking, and image sharing. Universal (systemic) issues that all schools must consider and respond to through their programs, activities, and professional development are examined in Chapter 8. This chapter shows how Web 2.0 tools can be used beyond the basic curriculum, “in ways to create opportunities for all learners in a community” (p. 159); for example, blogging in English as a Second Language (ESL) classroom, or podcasting to encourage interactive listening. Web 2.0 tools are also pointed to as helpful for bridging the digital divide: among female students, those who are physically challenged, and low-income communities. The chapter ends with examples of how teachers conduct authentic assessments by taking advantage of the capabilities of Web 2.0. Chapter 9 begins by asking “what we should do with these technologies for the future of teaching and learning. What should we expect from new schools?” (p. 177). Solomon and Schrum encourage educators to use “the same tools in classrooms that students use at home…to create new models of technology-infused teaching and learning. Our vision of a new school is one in which the educators can adapt and change, model and use tools, and understand how students learn and what tools—both technological and pedagogical—will foster learning” (p. 178). Perhaps the most telling examples given in Chapter 9 are those that outline the use of wiki technologies to chunk content. “Teachers could search, access, and download snippets of content from each other— worldwide…assembling this content into their Moodle sites” or write “an open-source application specifically designed to become the next-gen digital textbook.” Money saved on buying textbooks could be put to good use: “to provide every teacher and learner with access to the world of digital networked content,” (p. 182) 24/7. The Chapter closes with a hint of what’s in store for us in Solomon and Schrum’s next book: “the many uses of Web 2. tools in our school” (p. 189). The authors encourage teachers to send their lessons, success stories, tutorials, and ideas to gwen_and_lynne_book2@yahoo.com. Chapter 10 introduces tutorials for a few Web 2.0 tools mentioned in this volume: Zoho Writer, Num Sum, Tux Paint, Audacity, RSS feed syndication in Firefox, del.icio.us bookmarks and favorites, Photo Story for photo editing, Wikispaces for educators, Class Blogmeister, Google Earth, Google Sketchup, and Google Reader. Teachers must learn to integrate technology into the classroom as an integral part of the lesson and not an add-on. Web 2.0 tools can help teachers create cohesive lessons around the technology quickly and with little training. Web 2.0: new tools, new schools can be of assistance in that process. Barbie E. Keiser is an information resources management consultant located in the metro- Washington, DC, area. Email: barbieelene@att.net mailto:gwen_and_lynne_book2@yahoo.com mailto:barbieelene@att.net