Library technology survey

In this time of tight budgets where libraries face difficult decisions regarding how to invest their technology resources, it’s helpful to have data regarding how libraries perceive the quality of their automation systems and the companies that support them. This report, based on survey responses from over two thousands libraries, aims to give some measure of how libraries perceive their current environment and probes at their inclinations for the future.

Library Technology Guides, 2011, Perceptions 2010: An International Survey of Library Automation

http://www.librarytechnology.org/perceptions2010.pl

Study: preschool helps literacy skills

A study says prekindergarten teachers are doing a good job overall in teaching early literacy skills, but should focus more on vocabulary instruction and exercises that build self-control as part of a broader curriculum. This finding is based on assessment of a cohort Michigan 3- and 4-year-olds attending preschool. Michigan State researcher Lori Skibbe and colleagues are among the first to directly assess self-regulation in this age group. Researchers found children who spent two years in preschool did better in literacy skills: learning the alphabet and understanding how letters come together to form words.
Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 2011, Vocabulary, Self-Control Crucial in Early Literacy Skills, Study Says

Study: Exercise improves math skills

Regular exercise in an after-school program helped sedentary, overweight children perform better on goal-oriented tasks, according to a study. The exercise also seemed to improve math skills, an area of great concern for U.S. educators. In the study, published online in the journal Health Psychology, children ages 7 to 11 in Augusta, Ga., were assigned to a group that got 20 minutes of aerobic exercise in an after-school program at the institute, one that got 40 minutes of exercise in a similar program, or a group that had no exercise program. The study used assessment tests to gauge cognitive and academic achievement.
Georgia Prevention Institute at Georgia Health Sciences University, 2011, EdWeek Exercise Improves Math Skills, Brain Study Suggests

Report: College Student Preparation and Training

Report examines the urgent need to prepare students for post-secondary degrees and professional training, lessons from Northern and Central Europe, and models of school reform to provide career and technical education, including expanded roles for employers.
Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2011, Pathways to Prosperity: Meeting the Challenge of Preparing Young Americans for the 21st Century

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news_events/features/2011/Pathways_to_Prosperity_Feb2011.pdf

Study: Blended Learning

Blended learning, in which students are taught partially online and partially in a brick-and-mortar setting, could serve to transform education but may face some potential pitfalls, a new report shows. The report found that blended learning -- which has increased exponentially in recent years -- has the potential to meet individual student needs, provided that policymakers and administrators are open to its innovative models. The report also calls for better content and more integrated systems to provide the online learning portion.
Innosight Institute, 2011, Report: Blended learning could hit or miss

2011 Horizons Report

The 2011 Horizons Report is out. Each year, the Horizon Report introduces six emerging technologies or practices that are likely to enter mainstream use within the next five years. It focuses on technology trends in higher education, but is valuable reading for librarians in all types of institutions. Technology trends to watch: Electronic books, mobiles: Time-to-Adoption: <1>Time-to-Adoption: 4-5 years

New Media Consortium and EDUCAUSE, 2011, Horizons Report
http://www.slideshare.net/dreig/2011-horizonreport

Study: Should 8th Graders take Algebra?

The number of eighth-graders in California taking algebra has increased 80% since 2003, but many were unprepared for the class, according to a recent study. The study urged schools to better prepare students for algebra and to make sure students are placed in appropriate classes. "Giving more students the opportunity to complete Algebra I in eighth grade should not be achieved at the expense of a large proportion of students who would be better served by having more time to master key algebra concepts," said one of the study's authors.
EdSource, 2011, New study finds many San Mateo County students in eighth-grade algebra are not prepared for it