Foundations for Learning Through STEM Lessons Early On

Introducing science, technology, engineering and math concepts in early grades helps establish a foundation for learning about these concepts in later grades, according to a report from the Community for Advancing Discovery Research in Education. This report draws on research and development supported by the National Science Foundation to highlight important considerations about STEM educational experiences for young children and professional learning for educators who provide those experiences. Findings show that early STEM lessons also can lead to gains in other areas, including reading and writing.

Sarama, J., Clements, D., Nielsen, N., Blanton, M., Romance, N., Hoover, M., Staudt, C., Baroody, A., McWayne, C., & McCulloch, C. (2018). Considerations for STEM education from PreK through grade 3. Waltham, MA: Education Development Center, Inc. http://cadrek12.org/sites/default/files/DRK12-Early-STEM-Learning-Brief.pdf

Importance of High-Quality Early Learning

This brief presents an overview of justifications for preschool, access to preschool, and federal supports for preschool development, mostly at the state level, throughout the United States. The study states that as a nation, we must commit to ensuring that all young people – particularly our most vulnerable – are prepared for a future where they can fulfill their greatest potential through a strong education. Also, it states that across the country, we must expand access to high-quality early learning to ensure that all children graduate from high school prepared to succeed in college, careers, and life.

U.S. Department of Education (2015). A matter of equity: Preschool in America. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education. https://www2.ed.gov/documents/early-learning/matter-equity-preschool-america.pdf

Metadata and Future of Libraries

This report attempts to provide a snapshot of digital library metadata at a stage when such standardization has become fully practical, even if its possibilities have not yet been fully realized within the higher education sector. The bulk of the report does this by surveying a group of standards which are based on the XML (eXtensible Markup Language) markup language, and showing how they relate to each other in ways which allow them to form an integrated metadata scheme. It will be seen that their application in a scheme of this type is not entirely without its problems, most of which are caused by overlaps and redundancies between the standards, but practical solutions will be outlined for these. An assessment of future developments in library metadata will point to possibilities for consolidating the potential offered by these developments and indicate how they are likely to affect all stakeholders in digital libraries.

Gartner, R. (2008). Metadata for digital libraries: State of the art and future directions. Bristol, U.K.: JISC – Technology and Standards Watch. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.183.3762&rep=rep1&type=pdf