FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ABC-CLIO Schools Announces
Professional Development Series:
A New Approach to Inquiry and
Collaboration for 21st Century Students
Innovative Program Demonstrates How Librarians and Social Studies Departments
Can Partner to Develop Students' Information Literacy and Inquiry Skills
Santa Barbara, CA — October 16, 2006 — ABC-CLIO Schools, the award-winning history reference publisher, announces a new series of professional development workshops for librarians: Inquiry in History: A Collaborative Approach. The program advocates a greater focus on partnering with social studies faculty to develop students' critical thinking skills and their ability to evaluate information sources.
“This new workshop series builds on ABC-CLIO's half-century commitment to improving the teaching, learning, and researching of history,” said Becky Snyder, President and Publisher. “We are pleased to offer this unique program, which incorporates both theoretical and practical issues related to education, library management, and social studies.”
ABC-CLIO Schools has arranged for accomplished school librarians such as Pam Berger—an educational technology/library consultant, author, editor, and trainer with over 20 years of library involvement—to lead hands-on, engaging workshops about ABC-CLIO Schools' five-step inquiry framework, and strategies for supporting this framework within their own school library.
ABC-CLIO Schools' Presenters- Pam Berger: Publisher and Editor of Information Searcher and author of Internet for Active Learners (ALA Editions), Pam is an educational technology/library consultant with over 20 years of library involvement. Pam is a much sought-after presenter, with experience conducting workshops and seminars in the United States and abroad, and her recent work includes national school and public library development initiatives and university research projects.
- Marjorie Pappas: Dr. Marjorie Pappas is currently a freelance virtual library science professor, writer and consultant. Focusing on information literacy, digital libraries, and distance learning, she writes frequently for School Library Media Activities Monthly. She is also the co-author of Pathways to Knowledge® and Inquiry Learning.
- Alice Yucht: As a teacher, librarian, curriculum consultant, conference planner, professional development provider, writer, editor, life coach, developer of the popular FLIP it!™ framework for problem solving, and stand-up comic, Alice Yucht has been an educator for over 40 years. A popular speaker at professional conferences and workshops, Alice's pragmatic presentations are frequently cited for their mix of wit and wisdom about the realities of our professional lives and responsibilities.
Benefits of Attending the Workshop
Participants will leave the workshop with a firm grasp of how to incorporate this inquiry-based framework into their own school libraries, learning:
- how an understanding of historical inquiry helps them teach information literacy skills and collaborate with faculty at the same time
- how they can facilitate this program in their school library
- what historical inquiry is, which critical thinking skills students need most, and why social studies paired with information literacy is ideally suited to prepare the next generation of students for life and work in the 21st century
The workshop is free, and attendees will receive a complimentary two-month subscription to ABC-CLIO Schools' social studies subscription databases, which together have won an unprecedented 45 prestigious educational awards. The databases are easy-to-use, authoritative online resources that integrate thousands of relevant primary and secondary sources with lessons, activities, and current events articles.
In addition to the database subscriptions, participants will receive a free 150-page resource book to share with their social studies faculty. Developed in partnership with the National History Day Organization, the Triumph and Tragedy in History series seeks to challenge students with historical material that both celebrates and complicates their conceptions of our national heritage.
The workshops will be held in conjunction with state social studies conferences throughout the year. School librarians who are interested in the program can register by sending an email to: shollabaugh@abc-clio.com.
About ABC-CLIO Schools
ABC-CLIO Schools is an award-winning print and electronic publisher of social studies and reference products for students in grades 6-12. ABC-CLIO Schools is a division of ABC-CLIO, a premier history publisher for over 50 years. Established in 1955, ABC-CLIO is a privately held publisher with an international reputation for high quality and innovation. As an educational reference publisher, ABC-CLIO has received critical acclaim for its abstracting and indexing databases, award-winning book program, and progressive online resources.