Available on the SCIS website at www.esa.edu.au/scis

ISSUE NO. 90 | TERM 3 2014 ISSN 1440-2089

Taking note in this issue page

4 Learning online: MOOCs for of nonfiction library staff 6 BlackWords: celebrating writers and Each year, in conjunction with Children’s Book Week, the Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) presents awards for storytellers outstanding contributions to children’s literature in Australia, 8 Following @IndigenousX including the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books. 9 Bring the teachers in: enticing teachers Before the shortlist is revealed, usually in March or April each into the library year, a list of ‘Notables’ is named. These are titles that did not make the shortlist but still deserve recognition. As part of the 10 Supporting Australian book creators celebrations surrounding these announcements, events take 11 SCIS is more place in different areas to present a ‘Clayton’s List’, in which people from the industry discuss the titles they think deserve to 12 New and revised subject headings be shortlisted in the various categories. 13 What is Steampunk? Connections asked renowned Australian non-fiction writer 14 Website and App Reviews Peter Macinnis–who presented the ‘Clayton’s List’ in NSW for the Eve Pownall Award for Information Books–to share some 15 For your classroom of his insights about how to determine what makes a good information book. Read more on page 2 Taking note of nonfiction (cont.)

what defines ‘YA fiction’ and we decided Authors without attitude are as much use anything can be YA, with the rider that as Robert Boyle’s recipe ‘for convulsions good YA fiction helps younger readers in children’ that will be in my next book: make sense of the world, and makes them Take Earth-Worms, wash them well in feel better about personal interactions White-wine to cleanse them, but so and the weirdness of adults. That’s a good as they may not die in the Wine: Then rule for books for younger people! upon hollow Tiles, or between them, A really good information book offers dry the Worms with a moderate heat, information to help further reading. This and no further than that they may be includes good captions on illustrations, conveniently reduc’d to Powder; to one as well as information on where the Ounce of which add a pretty number of illustrations come from. Grains of Ambergrise, both to perfume the Powder (whose scent of itself is For myself, good books sound nice when rank) and to make the Medicine more they are read aloud, because they have a efficacious. metre and rhythm to them. For example, I use software to listen to everything I Please don’t try that at home, but it does write, including this article. provoke questions like:

What makes notable My pick of this year’s crop did not even • Is it to cure or cause convulsions? nonfiction? make the Eve Pownall Notables, but it • What was Boyle up to when he should have done: Nadia Wheatley’s found that? I was asked to deal with three questions: Australians All, which I thought was a • What else did he do? • What do judges look for in awards? better book than its obvious competitor, The last one is easy: he invented litmus • What should library staff consider my own Big Book of Australian History, and discovered Boyle’s Law. when selecting non-fiction? which did make the Notables list. • How can library staff and readers A ‘good information book’ must contain Why was her book better? Nadia’s, unlike check how accurate/well good information. It must be absorbing mine, was not a shopping-list book. There researched a title is? and useful. It may offer information that were a few of those entered this year, and allows readers to make lists; it may even I am not a judge, and with any luck, I while I think mine was based on a superior never will be. It is too stressful. I prefer to shopping-list, it had to tick all the boxes. be among the judged, writing what I think All too often, books done to meet a list are good information books. lack attitude, and have no coherent line to present. I have yet to be accused of This year, I presented the NSW ‘Clayton’s’ lacking attitude or coherence. I broke the Eve Pownall list. Two of my six were in bounds at times, changing the list to meet the judges’ short list, two more were in my needs–and my publisher let me. the Notables, and one was in the Younger Readers short list, which is remarkable My book came in two forms, ebook and consistency when you realise that I am print (www.publishing.nla.gov.au/book/ coming from a very different direction. the-big-book-of-australian-history.do). I actually prefer the ebook form, because I am also not library staff, but I see eye (a) it is cheaper; and (b) it has 500+ hot to eye with librarians, and I believe I can links that take the reader straight to offer some useful ruminations. As a writer, the original source material. The print I write for children like me: Nicholas- version has a beautiful design and feel–an next-door, my grand-daughter, and me. I essential for information books–but you try to write something I would have liked, get the same design (without the feel) in something that the children I see as being the ebook. My attitude: we have yet to see like me will enjoy. just what ebooks can do, but the ebook At a Writers’ Festival workshop version of my book opens a few new with Mal Peet in 2012, we discussed doors.

a quarterly journal by

SCIS Education Services Australia Ltd PO Box 177 Carlton South tel +61 3 9207 9600 ABN 18 007 342 421 Victoria 3053 Australia free call 1800 337 405 Level 5 440 Collins Street (OUTSIDE melb metro) [email protected] Melbourne Victoria 3000 fax (aust only) 1300 780 545 www.esa.edu.au/scis Australia fax +61 3 9910 9800 Dedication page from Nadia Wheatley’s Australians All. offer a couple of lists—but not like the Here are some other books I really liked 978 1 92208 913 7, SCIS no. 1597274. list of rivers crossed by Leichhardt in from this year’s entries: Excellent charcoal drawings in a cleverly 1844–46, which I had to memorise in told tale of the Australian Light Horse. An Anzac Tale, Ruth Starke and Greg 1954! Holfeld, Working Title Press (2013), Welcome to My Country, Laklak The information has to be inspiring and 978 1 92150 454 9, SCIS no. 1669349. Burarrwanga and Family, Allen & Unwin provoking, it has to make the reader want A brilliant graphic novel re-telling the (2013), 978 1 74331 396 1, SCIS no. 1621425. to run and find out, like Rikki-Tikki-Tavi. Or Anzac tales, where the troops are all This is the sort of book that makes me better still, to run and find out more. The Australian animals. Every frame has proud to be a modern Australian. It writer has to thread a treacherous gap, hidden detail in it–and humour. also makes me a more complete and ‘twixt the Scylla of didacticism and the sympathetic Australian. Big Red Kangaroo, Claire Saxby and Charybdis of wanting to be an entertainer. Graham Byrne, Walker Books (2013), Image credits Old teachers like me are at risk from Scylla 978 1 92172 042 0, SCIS no. 1619663. in particular. Platypus and Fruit Bats, c. 1880 – from The Big A delightful account of Australian wildlife Book of Australian History. © National Library A really good with entrancing detail in the art. of Australia CBCA Book Week 2014 logo. Ron Brooks Burning the Bails, Krista Bell and illustrator. © Children’s Book Council of Australia information book Ainsley Walters, One Day Hill (2013), offers information to 978 0 98731 399 7, SCIS no. 1627837. The Big Book of Australian History by Peter Macinnis. © National Library of Australia Not just about cricket, this is the social help further reading. history behind the Ashes, beautifully Dedication page from Nadia Wheatley’s This includes crafted. Australians All: ©Allen and Unwin. good captions on Jandamarra, Mark Greenwood and Terry Denton, Allen & Unwin (2013), Peter Macinnis lives in illustrations, as 978 1 74237 5 700, SCIS no. 1594258. Sydney when he isn’t The story of an Aboriginal warrior travelling. His blog well as information is Old Writer on the on where the whose acts will, in future, see him called Block, oldblockwriter. Braveheart. blogspot.com.au, and illustrations come it is full of out-takes Light Horse Boy, Dianne Wolfer and from his old books and from. Brian Simmonds, Fremantle Press (2013), tastes of new ones.

Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 3 Martin Gray Teacher librarian Singleton High School Learning online: MOOCs for library staff

With teachers being required to take city that is the setting for studied events. It consisted of lectures delivered by on regular professional development, These maps or tours can be shared and video, several readings, and then but often being both time and funding have embedded notes. a series of assessments to earn poor, many educators are turning to the the credit. All of these tasks were Library staff are often asked to assist phenomenon of the Massive Open Online available to non-paying students, but classes with geographically oriented Course, or MOOC. a fee was required for accreditation. activities and this is an application freely A MOOC is a form of distance education available to all. Rather than just a which can be studied at a student’s own New Librarianship Masterclass: pace and in their own time. As the name Syracuse University place of lending, the implies, these courses are usually offered www.coursesites.com/webapps/Bb- for free online with open access. Many library is a place of sites-course-creation-BBLEARN/course- offer certification of some form, and Homepage.htmlx?course_id=_246846_1 creation and sharing; some can be used for formal institutional This second course, offered by a library credits if tasks are completed and a fee a place where groups studies faculty, was far more complex is paid. Not being part of a structured and had the option for credit. The can come together course, there is often no set start or finish structure of the course was very similar to time, adding to the flexibility. and share each the distance courses offered by Charles This year I decided to use MOOCs to Sturt University as part of their Master other’s knowledge, improve my knowledge of current issues of Education (Teacher Librarianship). or create more. in librarianship and to hone my computer skills. The two courses I chose were at very different levels. The first was ‘Mapping with Google’ and the second a course on ‘New Librarianship’, which is run through Syracuse University with the option of doing it for ‘fun or credit’. Mapping with Google: Google Maps www.mapping.withgoogle.com The Google mapping short course involved watching a series of five short videos, completing five mapping tasks, and then answering a one page test about each activity. It was possible to complete every activity in the space of one week by doing an exercise after work each day. An advantage of this course is that you are presented with a certificate at the end. The aim of the course was to familiarise users with the new features of Google Maps, Google Maps Engine Lite, and Google Earth. Several of these features could be useful for students beyond geography; for example, a teacher or student could create a virtual tour of a Interface for ‘New Librarianship Masterclass’

4 Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 There was also an online forum for the discussion of ideas raised and for students to interact with each other and the professor. I chose to only watch the video lectures, rather than complete the course; a decision based on time constraints and not needing another university credit. The time to watch all the videos for week one alone was close to two hours so the full course would have been a significant time commitment. All up, just watching the videos during my regular working week took two months, rather than the four weeks the course was scheduled for, which would have included readings and activities. The level of information was definitely tertiary and covered several issues of relevance to librarians. I had never heard the terms ‘Conversation Theory’ or ‘The Salzburg Curriculum’ before, but Screenshot shot from ‘Introduction to New Librarianship’ both could have effects on the future of librarianship. Conversation theory will be Pros and Cons time, there is a time limit for assessments familiar to librarians who have recently Both these courses would be useful www.powersearchingwithgoogle.com completed tertiary courses, as there is for school library staff and teachers, an emphasis on creating knowledge Other MOOCs I have looked at include whether library qualified or not. The through conversation. This includes San Jose University’s ‘The Hyperlinked mapping course is a good introduction finding out what your community needs Library’ www.mooc.hyperlib.sjsu.edu to self-paced learning courses, being and advocating for them, as a way of There are also several library related short, simple, and useful across faculties. improving your usefulness within your courses on iTunes U.1 The New Librarianship course is a good community. The Salzburg Curriculum– explanation of the skills needed and named for a symposium on ‘Libraries challenges faced by librarians, while also References and Museums in an Era of Participatory advocating for qualified librarians Culture’ held in Salzburg, Austria–deals Lankes, R. David, 2014. [online] The Atlas of with the core of New Librarianship in As with any distance learning or free New Librarianship. Available at: http://www. the modern world. It also promotes course, there are advantages and newlibrarianship.org/wordpress/ collaboration and self-reflection, through disadvantages. The advantages are the Miller, Karen, 2013. Joining the MOOC game: methods such as collecting statistics and convenience of cost, access to teachers, the role of the library. [Blog] infoliterati. Available surveying users, and examines the skills time, and location. The disadvantages at: http://infoliterati.com/2013/07/16/joining- required by librarians today. include absence of face to face contact the-mooc-game-the-role-of-the-library/ and the lack of motivation due to time This course was worthwhile to keep up to Image credits restraints or lack of commitment to a free date with current theories and to provide Interface for ‘New Librarianship Masterclass’: course. The validity of courses varies from a framework and structure to the way from ‘Introduction to the Master Class’. provider to provider but a well-chosen Available at: http://vimeo.com/68302323. libraries can move forward. Of particular course can provide a useful learning R. David Lankes, CC-BY-NC-SA. interest is the idea of libraries as a platform, experience. a topic which was widely discussed on Screenshot shot from ‘Introduction to New Librarianship: from ‘Introduction to New the forums. Rather than just a place of Next MOOCs? Librarianship’. Available at: http://vimeo. lending, the library is a place of creation The next course I plan to undertake is com/49680667. R. David Lankes. CC-BY-NC- and sharing; a place where groups can a Google course on Power Searching. SA. come together and share each other’s This course is designed to teach users Endnotes knowledge, or create more. This brings the features available on Google Search: to mind local history groups who meet boolean logic, keywords, filtering results 1. See Martin Gray, ‘Free, legal, ready-to-use at public libraries and create documents by colour, and fact checking. These are all electronic resources’, Connections no. 86 (2013): pp 9-10. which can then be lent or the chess clubs skills useful for the finding and selecting of in schools, who meet and improve each information. The course takes about nine other’s skills through playing. hours and while it can be started at any

Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 5 Dr Anita Heiss BlackWords Author @AnitaHeiss Image © Curringa Communications BlackWords: celebrating writers and storytellers The search facility on BlackWords allows teachers to look for resources by: • author • genre, including dreaming stories, picture books, short stories, and novels • cultural heritage; for example, , Bundjalung, Wadi Wadi. Looking for some assistance in embedding • Information about organisations If you want to follow a theme in your Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander such as publishers, theatre groups, library such as land rights, the Stolen histories and cultures in your curriculum? and other cultural groups;for Generations, Aboriginal literature, Then spend some time exploring example, you can search for or sporting heroes, you can search BlackWords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait information about Aboriginal BlackWords for relevant titles. Islander Writers and Storytellers, created Studies Press, Magabala Books, IAD by the research community of AustLit: The Press, Black Ink Press, and their Australian Literature Resource. works and links. As a teaching • Information on works on particular For those who haven’t yet experienced resource BlackWords subjects relating to Aboriginal and it, AustLit is an information-rich website, Torres Strait Islander cultures or is constantly a searchable database, and a forum for literatures–you can search on a communication. It contains almost one evolving to address wide variety of subjects and find million records related to Australian out what has been written about the Australian authors and literary organisations, it in creative genres and critical spanning from the 1780s to the present Curriculum cross– material. day. It is fast becoming the one-stop shop • Critical articles on a range of curriculum priority for authoritative information about the relevant subjects and excerpts from vibrant and growing Indigenous literary of Aboriginal and scholarly works on a wide array and storytelling cultures around this of topics related to literature and Torres Strait Islander country. literary production. histories and BlackWords is a specialist research The Calendar of Events is one of the project within AustLit and has over five cultures. most useful resources on BlackWords. thousand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Teaching with BlackWords Many of the significant dates post-1788 Islander writers, publishers and related BlackWords is an important resource for for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander organisations indexed in its database. teaching and for teachers’ professional peoples are the subjects of some of development. As a resource providing What you’ll find on the writing or author records listed in up-to-date information on many aspects BlackWords the BlackWords dataset. By tracing key of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander BlackWords is a collection of information historical moments since 1788 until the cultures, BlackWords gives teachers and sources and resources, including: present day, teachers can use Indigenous students access to a rich diversity of voices and experiences. For example, • Biographical records for Aboriginal stories in many forms. Scholarly research you can go to the Calendar and click on and Torres Strait Islander writers relating to these works is also listed, and something as simple as ‘Cathy Freeman and storytellers including, where the full text of some material is available. winning gold at the Sydney Olympics’ known, their heritage. Information BlackWords can help teachers prepare and you will find a pathway to works on is only published on BlackWords if it for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait the subject and to Cathy’s agent record. already exists in the public domain- Islander texts and can help students find www.austlit.edu.au/specialistDatasets/ or has been provided by the author relevant secondary material for the study BlackWords/BlackWordsCalendar or publisher. of specific texts.

6 Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 Boori Monty Pryor with Dr Anita Heiss at BlackWords Symposium 2012

As a teaching resource BlackWords and Torres Strait Islander histories and References is constantly evolving to address the cultures in teaching. Current trails look at Australian Curriculum cross–curriculum Identity, Children’s Literature, Sports, and Austlit, 2014. AustLit News. [online] Available at: priority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait the Noongar People. http://www.austlit.edu.au/news/ Islander histories and cultures. There are Author Dr Anita Heiss has been in Australiancurriculum.edu.au, 2014. The over 1500 published works by Aboriginal conversation with prominent Indigenous Australian Curriculum v6.0 Aboriginal authors indexed on BlackWords in the writers including Kim Scott, Samuel and Torres Strait Islander histories genre of children’s writing alone. These and cultures. [online] Available at: Wagan Watson, Melissa Lucashenko, works include picture books, children’s http://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/ Bruce Pascoe, and Ali Cobby Eckermann. fiction, poetry, autobiography, short CrossCurriculumPriorities/Aboriginal-and- These interviews, published on the AustLit Torres-Strait-Islander-histories-and-cultures stories, drama, and more. Many of these blog, link to author pages, publications, works can easily be used within the BlackWords, 2014. BlackWords. [online] and other information that forms part classroom to cover the following subjects Available at: http://www.austlit.edu.au/ of each writer’s writing and publishing specialistDatasets/BlackWords and themes: identity, family, place, and experience. sport. Image credits AustLit and BlackWords are freely available BlackWords banner: courtesy of BlackWords. In the BlackWords information trails, to all schools in Australia. You can access the searching across genres has already Boori Monty Pryor with Dr Anita Heiss at these rich resources by contacting your been done for teachers. The trails gather BlackWords Symposium 2012: courtesy of education authority’s liaison person: BlackWords. together detailed information on themes www.austlit.edu.au/austlit/page/5961865 relevant to the inclusion of Aboriginal

Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 7 Michael Jongen Library Services Coordinator Education Services Australia @schoolscatinfo Following @IndigenousX

The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. - Christopher McCandless Twitter is an engaging way for teachers Indigenous Advisory Council @AIFW2014 Australian Indigenous to hear a diverse range of authentic Fashion Week 2014 (AIFW) is ‘the 1st event @thekooriwoman who blogs on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander of its kind, celebrating Indigenous Design, Indigenous health issues voices. Fashion & Art from across the country’ @leesawatego educator, writer and CEO A good starting point for accessing this @Indigenous_Inst Batchelor Institute of Iscariot Media, a media company that material is to follow @IndigenousX, a of Indigenous Tertiary Education 40 focuses on educational, creative, and curated Twitter account. It will assist Years 1974-2014 Strengthening identity, online projects library staff to select and link to sites achieving success and transforming lives that will enhance the development of @sivparker writer and public speaker, who @FNAWN for Aboriginal and/or Torres Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ‘#tweetyarns’ Strait Islander writers, poets, and perspectives across the curriculum. It is @NovaPeris OAM, Labour Senator, storytellers, advocating First Nations also a source of very strong commentary Northern Territory. Olympic & Australia writing and storytelling. and debate on contemporary issues in Commonwealth Gold Medalist Australia. SCIS has drawn upon these Aboriginal @pauldutton1968 possibly the best joke and Torres Strait Islander resources, @IndigenousX was set up by education teller on Twitter and passionate on health contacts, and information, and shared consultant, public speaker and writer and social justice issues. them to subscribers through its social @LukeLPearson in 2012. Each week the media channels. Many of the web links host changes and a different Indigenous These tweeters and the IndigenousX discovered through these connections Australian is the voice. Its significance was account will introduce you to many other have also been added to the SCIS recognised by The Guardian Australian people active in the Aboriginal and Torres catalogue. edition which runs a weekly feature in its Strait Islander community, as well as key ‘Comment is free’ section: Five questions organisations and their Twitter accounts For those already familiar with Twitter, to @IndigenousX. such as: prepare to be impressed with the way have taken up @IndigenousX features diverse and @ILF the Indigenous Literacy Foundation social media to share their stories and thought-provoking hosts who provide www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au disseminate information, and fascinated perspectives from remote, rural, urban, @theNCIE the National Centre for by the different perspectives provided and and metropolitan areas across Australia, Indigenous Excellence www.ncie.org.au debated within the Aboriginal and Torres and gives direct access to a wide range Strait Islander community. of personal and professional insights and @No_Smokes an anti-smoking experiences from Indigenous people website for young indigenous people Twitter is a powerful tool for learning working in, or impacted by, Indigenous www.nosmokes.com.au and professional development. It also programs. @UrbanNativeMag provides pop provides networking opportunities Past guest tweeters include: culture with an Indigenous twist with a wide variety of educators and www.urbannativemag.com library professionals. Those who have @BensonSaulo the first host and director not yet familiarised themselves with of the National Indigenous Youth @reconciliation_WA supporting the drive Twitter will find many guides available Leadership Academy for reconciliation in Western Australia online, such as www.edudemic.com/ www.reconciliationwa.org.au @Shaun Edwards a textile artist who the-ultimate-twitter-guidebook. released a range of swimwear as part of @AAMUmuseum the only museum the inaugural Indigenous Fashion Week. in Europe that is entirely dedicated to contemporary Aboriginal art from References @AnitaHeiss writer, activist and Indigenous Australia www.aamu.nl/home-us Literacy Day Ambassador Theguardian.com, 2014. IndigenousX | @TTBL_2SER The Thin Black Line @Warren Mundine former National Comment is free | The Guardian. [online] brings you ‘news and current affairs Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/ President of the Australian Labour Party from an Indigenous perspective’ commentisfree/series/indigenousx and chair of the current government’s www.bit.ly/1j59t00

8 Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 Brett Moodie is Library Manager at Wellington College. He holds a Post-graduate Diploma in Information Studies from Victoria University and has worked extensively in public and special libraries in Devon (England), and throughout the Wellington region. Image courtesy of Victoria University of Wellington Bring the teachers in: enticing teachers into the library The primary focus of the school library has busier than ever. Our library is humming me with a ‘way in’ to the more elusive always been to support the information and the compliments from staff are flying. departments. and learning needs of staff and students. Here is a breakdown of our method: 2. The way to a teacher’s heart is However in most schools the focus through their stomach invariably falls on providing for the needs 1. The library as a place for staff Throughout the first half of 2013 we of students, whilst supporting staff professional development invited a different department, including professional development is an auxiliary In 2013 the Deputy Principal requested the support staff and senior management, function. to use the library as the venue for staff every week for morning tea in the library professional development sessions that office. It is surprising what real coffee take place before school every second Background and scones will do to people. Each week Friday. Despite students being unable Two years ago virtually all library services we had our recent arrivals prominently to access the library during this time and collections at Wellington College were displayed and asked those present slot, and the frequent rearrangement of aimed at meeting the needs of students. for book and magazine subscription furniture, we welcomed the opportunity Displays and competitions were focused suggestions. During this process around to host these sessions. A new projector toward students, and little attention was 80-90% of staff attended and learnt first- was promptly installed in our central paid to how teachers and support staff hand what the library has to offer. Many learning space, and once a fortnight used the library. In an effort to boost the placed reserves on new books, and if nearly 100 teachers enter our library. profile of the library within the school– someone suggested a purchase, it was Little do they realise that the displays are and align with our mandate to support the in their pigeon hole within the next few aimed at them. Those who arrive early learning and information needs of staff days. In my opinion, timeliness is next invariably select a magazine or book and students–Bevan Holloway (Teacher to godliness in this profession. This goes to flick through. Many are surprised we with Library Responsibility) and I devised for students too. If somebody requests have the latest Donna Tartt novel, or The a plan to get more buy-in from teachers. a resource, I do everything in my power Luminaries available to borrow at the We wanted to entice them into the to get it to them as soon as possible. Not counter. Undoubtedly as a result of this, library space and in turn, achieve greater only will they be happy their need was several teachers have become avid library patronage from staff and students. met promptly, but they will forever see users. A maths teacher dismayed by the you as the professional you truly are. These new initiatives were obviously ‘rubbish on TV’ has started ploughing supplementary to the traditional strategies through a novel per week based on my that school libraries use to stimulate readers’ advisory. Similarly a science Avoid generic, engagement: blog posts, participating teacher took an interest in the A Song of in staff meetings, sorting resources for Ice and Fire series after enjoying A Game impersonal, ‘all staff’ departments, and working with classes. of Thrones on television, and has since emails that are so Twelve months have passed since we branched out into other fantasy novels. began implementing our four-pronged With these teachers and others, I now easy to delete before plan to ‘Bring the teachers in’, and we are have a connection, and it has provided reading.

Monday 7 April 2014 – Period 2. Three classes downstairs plus another upstairs.

Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 9 book, film, and album they would take the Head of Department is informed and to a desert island. The discussion around invariably comes in to check it out. We use choices permeated the staff room, and this opportunity as a teachable moment many teachers who did not take part and discuss possible services for their have visited the library to view the display, department. Informing staff personally some proffering their choices. of resources and services you know they will be interested in is an easy way to As a boys’ school, Wellington College is encourage engagement. Plus, it avoids particularly concerned with promoting generic, impersonal, ‘all staff’ emails that reading to boys. To facilitate this, we are so easy to delete before reading. organised an event that involved some of the senior male teachers reading excerpts A school library should be at the heart from their favourite books. Titled, ‘Mid- of school learning, and gaining buy-in Winter Tales’, the objective was to show from teachers is one of the best ways that even tough, ‘scary’ blokes could to promote library reverence amongst enjoy literature. It also encouraged a set of students. The four strategies above teachers who visited the library infrequently have encouraged the staff at Wellington to come in and watch their colleagues. College to take notice of, and use, the fantastic services we provide. It has 4. Targeted marketing also stimulated a general perception Targeted marketing works as it makes the throughout the school of the library as a recipient feel that they are special, or that professional learning environment. the service is being tailored to their needs. The predominant angle I use is to corner Image credits an individual in a corridor or elevator and Monday 7 April 2014 – Period 2. Three classes ‘Stranded on a Desert Island’ display alert them to a new item or service that downstairs plus another upstairs: © 2014 Brett 3. Involving staff in displays and events may interest them. More specifically, when Moodie. A recent display at the Girvan Library an item is acquired by the library that meets ‘Stranded on a Desert Island’ display: © 2014 asked eight teachers to choose what the needs of an individual department, Brett Moodie.

than once. We are very appreciative of Supporting Australian schools participating and helping us to support Australian book creators. How does your school book creators participate? Selected schools receive an ELR invitation Educational Lending Right chosen from a list of all Australian schools package through the mail. This will have school library survey with enrolments of over 100, from all easy-to-follow instructions to provide Educational Lending Right (ELR) is an states and sectors, that use one of the a data file report or a backup file from cultural program following library management systems their school library management system. administered by the Ministry for the Arts, compatible with the ELR software: Previous participants report it to be a Attorney-General’s Department. quick and painless process. • Access-It SCIS manages the ELR school library survey • Bibliotech Australian book creators value on behalf of the Ministry for the Arts. The • Bookmark ELR ELR school library survey collects data used • Libcode Many Australian book creators have to estimate the number of copies of specific • OCLC’s Amlib told us how much they appreciate the titles held in Australian school libraries. These • SirsiDynix’s Symphony support of school libraries through their book counts are the basis for payments to • Softlink’s Alice, Oliver and Oasis participation in the ELR survey. We have Australian book creators. The payments are • Folletts’ Athena, Circ/Cat and Destiny. published some of these statements in made to assist book creators and publishers Has your school participated? previous issues of Connections and on to continue producing Australian books. the ELR website. You can read them at: Over the past ten surveys nearly 4,000 www.esa.edu.au/scis/elr_value_ Schools eligible to be selected schools have participated by providing statements.html Every year, in September, 600 schools are book count data. Although it is preferable selected as a representative sample of all to have new schools participating every Laura Armstrong Australian schools and are then invited year, the selection criteria means that SCIS Communications & Projects Coordinator to participate in the ELR survey. They are some schools have participated more Education Services Australia

10 Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 Pru Mitchell Manager, SCIS Education Services Australia

Schools are sometimes reluctant to send Keeping our standards resources to a SCIS cataloguer and they International cataloguing standards rely SCIS is ask why the resource can’t be catalogued upon two key tasks: from the online form. Cataloguing ‘blind’, 1. transcription of critical metadata or with one hand tied, can present several elements from the resource itself, i.e. more types of problems. RDA implementation update we need to use exactly what is on the What’s wrong with cataloguing resource Implementation of the new cataloguing ‘blind’? 2. identification of subject content from standard, Resource Description and SCIS cataloguing standards state that the resource itself Access (RDA), has been delayed until cataloguers should examine the actual These tasks apply to all forms of 2015. This means that the GMD and the resource to identify the relevant subjects, physical material, such as print titles, 260 publication field will continue to be in order to apply correct SCIS subject video recordings, as well as electronic delivered in SCIS records as well as the headings and ScOT terms, and to build the and digital resources, such as, ebooks, new RDA fields of content type, media relevant subject and discipline number online audio books, websites, computer type and carrier type. To understand more from the Dewey classification system. software and apps. about the changes and the difference between transitional SCIS standards and Other situations may also cause problems In order to have optimal effect, these RDA, check the blog post www.scis. if we cannot examine the item in hand: tasks rely upon cataloguing with the item edublogs.org/2013/06/24/rda-update. in hand, or the ability to view the resource. • Metadata If you have further questions about RDA Elements provided by staff in a Retrospective corrections contact SCIS or your library system provider. school may not be exactly what is While errors in SCIS records are picked up Cataloguing item-in-hand or on the resource, and may therefore by vigilant library staff and are corrected in with one hand tied be incorrect or incomplete. Even if SCIS as soon as they have been reported, the requesting school sends scanned this is too late for all those schools who Play ‘guess the subject heading’ images of particular parts of the have already downloaded and imported From the titles of the following five works resource, there is still an element of these records into their local catalogue. guess a) the subject of the resource, b) risk. If a record created from a cataloguing whether it is fiction or nonfiction, and c) request form is later sent in from a school, the call number. Then check the answers • Series and amended when the item is in hand, on page 12.* Inconsistencies in series titles can that double handling is taking cataloguer cause retrieval problems, especially 1. Close to the heel, by Norah McClintock time away from newer resources that for young readers. Even though the 2. How I met my monster, by R.L. Stine users are waiting for. form of the series title may change 3. Pookie Aleera is not my boyfriend, by over time, it is important to be Some errors are not picked at all, or they Steven Herrick consistent in the way they are set up. are picked up years down the track. 4. The 1% principle, by Tom O’Neil 5. Full of life, by Alex Cullen and Alex • Names A fond farewell Hodgkinson Identification of the correct and After 3.5 years, this will be my final consistent form of names is important, contribution to the ‘SCIS is more’ page as I As this exercise highlights, the title of a to retain clean name authority move on to a new position as Manager of resource does not always reveal much files and ensure users can retrieve the Cunningham Library and Information about the subject matter of that resource. comprehensive results for an author Services at the Australian Council for Neither is it entirely obvious whether the search. Cataloguers need the item Education Research (ACER) in July. I have resource belongs in fiction or non-fiction. to see exactly which name has been very much enjoyed the opportunities used and to check for any notes about to work with people across the school Why do we catalogue? the author. The person stated as the library sector from library staff, education If users searching your school library ‘author’ might actually be the editor or jurisdiction leaders, library system catalogue are going to find, identify, compiler. providers, publishers, professional learning locate and access material they need, organisers and professional associations. it is of the utmost importance that the • Physical description Most of all I have been privileged to work catalogue records you import into your Pagination that is inaccurate or with a committed and talented team of catalogue are accurate, consistent and which omits key information limits SCIS cataloguers, coordinators, system tailored to the needs of school students usefulness. Numbering of plates and administrators, customer service staff and and teachers. If records contain errors it the specific type of illustrations may managers who work at such a high level of means the resources you have purchased be relevant information, such as maps quality and service. may not be matched to what the learners in geography books. or teachers require.

Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 11 Soula Kipos Cataloguing Team Leader, SCIS Education Services Australia

New and revised subject headings

This is a summary of new and revised SCIS inconsistencies in the hierarchies and interests, activities, backgrounds, or subject headings implemented in June notes. real-life connections, see Online social 2014. networks. N Online social networks In this list the headings are marked with: Scope note N Social networks Use for works about online services Scope note * Existing allowed headings which have dedicated to building social networks Use for works about networks of social been updated with changes to references or social relations among people with interactions and personal relationships or notes shared interests, activities, backgrounds, for individuals and organisations. For A Headings which were previously USE or real-life connections. For works about works about online services dedicated to references but are now headings in their online communications channels or building social networks or relations, see own right media dedicated to community based Online social networks. input interaction, content-sharing, and D Deleted headings N Steampunk culture collaboration, see Social media. Websites Scope note N New headings and applications dedicated to forums, Use for works about the subculture which microblogging, social networking, social U Previously allowed headings which has developed or originated from the bookmarking, social curation, and wikis have become USE references genre, see Steampunk fiction. The most are among the different types of social immediate form of steampunk subculture media. Summary list is the community of fans surrounding N Secrecy the genre. Some move beyond this, N Audiobooks Scope note adopting a steampunk aesthetic through Scope note Use for works about the state of being design, fashion, home décor, music, and This heading is used as a genre/form secret, concealed, private, secluded, and a philosophical approach to life. heading for recordings or oral readings a lack of openness. of books. It is also used as a topical N Steampunk fiction heading for works about recordings N Social media Scope note or oral readings of books, and may be Scope note Use for works of fiction including fictional subdivided by appropriate topical and/or Use for works about online films which depict an imagined time when form subdivisions. communications channels or media machines use steam for power rather than dedicated to community based input modern engines and methods. Works in A Blogs interaction, content-sharing, and this genre include Mike Mignola’s Hellboy Scope note collaboration. Websites and applications and H.G. Well’s The time machine. For Use for works about websites created by dedicated to forums, microblogging, works about steampunk fiction, use the an individual or organisation to record social networking, social bookmarking, heading Steampunk in literature. their news, opinions, interests, etc., often social curation, and wikis are among allowing comments from visitors. U Weblogs the different types of social media. [New heading: Blogs] * Industry For works about online services dedicated This heading, and associated headings, to building social networks or social have been adjusted to rectify relations among people with shared

* Answers for ‘Guess the subject heading’: 1. Fiction about a grandson wanting to know who his grandfather was: 4. Nonfiction about self-perception and our attempts to make changes travel, murder, and adventure. F MCC to ensure a fulfilled and successful life: personal improvement and 2. Fiction about a schoolboy starting at a new school: shyness and scary analysis. 158.1 ONE friendships. F STI 5. Videorecording, non-fiction about an unconventional nursing home 3. Australian verse (poetry) about school kids in a country town telling changing the way we treat those living with Alzheimer’s disease/ their stories. A821.3 HER dementia. 362.19683 FUL

12 Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 What is Steampunk? Most stories classified as ‘Steampunk’ magazine Locus, when describing share the use of steam and rudimentary his 1979 novel Morlock Night, which “What would the past electrical technologies, Victorian-era features the Morlocks from H. G. Wells’ look like if the future had fashions, and colonial social norms as The Time Machine travelling back in time common elements. Often these literary to menace Victorian London. However, happened sooner?” devices are used in conjunction with widespread awareness of the genre styles reminiscent of nineteenth century is often attributed to The Difference A sub-genre of speculative fiction, speculative fiction authors such as H. G. Engine, a novel written by William Gibson Steampunk imagines a world where Wells and Jules Verne. and Bruce Sterling, published in 1990. the information age was ushered in, not by the electrical circuitry of the late This emulation of nineteenth century Since then, the genre has seen a twentieth century, but by the steam speculative fiction, as well as loose large number of works published, engines of the nineteenth. definitions of common elements, makes such as Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines the origins of the genre difficult to pin quartet and Alan Moore’s League Steampunk stories are typically written down. Many works influential to the of Extraordinary Gentlemen comic as alternate histories, speculating on genre’s formation, particularly H. G. Wells’ series, and has influenced a variety of the development of advanced, often The Time Machine, have been retroactively other works, such as Disney’s Treasure impossible, technologies in Victorian- labelled ‘Steampunk’. It is very similar to Planet, Hayao Miyazaki’s Laputa: Castle era England. However, just as many titles Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, which was in the Sky, and the World of Warcraft within the genre take place in a post- retroactively labelled as gothic horror, computer game. apocalyptic future or a fantasy world of instead of its original science fiction. pulp adventure heroes, top hats adorned A R Collins with bronzed cogs and steam-powered The term ‘Steampunk’ was first used by Writer, student and lover of genre. zeppelins. K. W. Jeter, in a letter to science fiction

Steampunk engine outside Steampunk HQ, an art collaboration and gallery celebrating steampunk culture in Oamaru, New Zealand. Photography by Pseudopanax. Public domain. Available at: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Steampunk_engine_in_front_of_Steampunk_HQ.jpg

Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 13 Nigel Paull The sites selected in Website and app Teacher librarian reviews are often of a professional nature South Grafton Public School and should be initially viewed by teachers . and library staff to determine suitability for [email protected] students. The links, content, and address of these sites are subject to change.

Healthy Kids and Stephanie Alexander’s Project Noah Kitchen Garden National Program. www.projectnoah.org Project Noah is an inspirational natural SCIS no. 1664522 Website and science website, backed by National HHMI’s BioInteractive Geographic, which encourages students App Reviews www.hhmi.org/biointeractive to share their own experiences of wildlife Scientists at Howard Hughes Medical with others, or to create and promote Institute are committed to providing their own biodiversity missions. Teachers Curious George quality teaching resources to advance are encouraged to ‘help students to www.curiousgeorge.com science education in high schools reconnect with nature [and] provide Young fans of this popular and successful and universities. A range of engaging them with real opportunities to make a book character will be delighted to and relevant multimedia resources are difference’. discover an intriguing website filled with available including virtual labs, weekly SCIS no. 1664568 games, stories, puzzles, videos, and images, animations and videos. creative activities. Resource links are Shaun Tan – Rules of Summer SCIS no. 1245510 available for early learning teachers and www.rulesofsummer.com.au parents. iCAN count money Australia Award-winning author and illustrator http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/ Shaun Tan’s recent thought-provoking SCIS no. 1664402 ican-count-money-australia/ book, Rules of Summer, is the focus of Digital excursions – Museum id528433510?mt=8 this appealing website. Using short videos of Contemporary Art Australia Australian primary students can use Tan offers readers further insights into the www.mca.com.au/learn/schools/digi- this application to help learn real book’s origins, aspects of illustrations, and tal-excursions world procedures to pay for goods, themes. There is also a teacher’s guide Schools are encouraged to book estimate totals, and give correct change for both primary and secondary levels interactive digital field trips from this combinations. A small fee is charged for available for download. prominent contemporary art website. An the application and it is suitable for iPads SCIS no. 1664549 exciting adjunct to the site is the ability for and iPhones. teachers to also reserve an Art-in-a-Box Sir Ken Robinson SCIS no. 1664918 package containing teaching resources www.sirkenrobinson.com and art making materials. Indigenous Australian: Art Sir Ken Robinson is an internationally Gallery of New South Wales recognised education expert, innovator, SCIS no. 1664418 http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/indige- researcher, writer, and popular TED Education – Asian Cup nous-australian-art/id732418119?mt=8 speaker. Robinson’s website contains www.afcasiancup.com/education2/en This free application encourages students blogs, a biography, videos, speeches, In January 2015 Australia is hosting the and teachers to explore the collection and links to some of his publications. He Asian Football Confederation’s Asian of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander states that everything on the website is Cup. The event will be televised to huge artworks housed in the Art Gallery of connected to his mission to ‘transform the audiences throughout Asia. Teaching NSW. The application features high- culture of education and organizations resources for students in Years 5 and 6 quality images of a variety of artworks, with a richer conception of human have been developed in the key learning interviews, videos, and explanations of creativity and intelligence.’ areas of maths, English, art, and PE. Material the art terms used. SCIS no. 1664540 includes: documents, videos, rubrics, SCIS no. 1664551 ICT material, and country information Waitangi National Trust regarding the 16 qualifying teams. My career planner www.waitangi.org.nz www.mycareerplanner.com.au This comprehensive and engaging SCIS no. 1664454 Developed for the University of Western website provides an opportunity to learn Healthy Active – a healthy Sydney, this website was honored in the about New Zealand’s most significant and active Australia 2014 Webby Awards. Taking the position document, the Treaty of Waitangi. It www.healthyactive.gov.au that career aspirations motivate students, provides background information and Emanating from Australia’s Department not simply course descriptions, the a wealth of pertinent material and links of Health the content on this website website is interactive and takes around 25 are available for students and teachers. provides information on healthy eating, minutes to complete. At the conclusion Schools can also book tours and of the physical activity, and preventative students are offered appropriate career Waitangi Treaty Grounds in preparation measures to ensure an active life. Several and course options. for visiting the historic site. programs are relevant for schools, SCIS no. 1664584 SCIS no. 1439144 including Get Set 4 Life – Habits for

14 Connections Issue no.90 | Term 3 2014 Michelle Harvey Promotions Officer Education Services Australia Twitter: @curriculumpress Facebook: www.facebook.com/CurriculumPress

Science provides students with essential format, these ebooks can be viewed on skills such as generating hypotheses, personal computers and mobile devices. planning and carrying out experiments, For your These popular titles include The Daily and questioning what they have learnt. Five (2nd ed) and Igniting a Passion for These skills can be easily integrated into Reading. All of our Stenhouse ebooks can other subject areas and are transferred classroom also be purchased at a special discounted into their everyday lives. price when bundled with the print version. Education Services Australia (ESA) is a There are six overarching ideas within not-for-profit organisation that markets For further details and to view the range the Australian Curriculum: Science that and distributes educational resources of Stenhouse ebooks available, please can be applied to many areas of scientific under the Curriculum Press imprint. Our visit our website: www.curriculumpress. understanding: products and services support schools, edu.au/main/collection/91 • patterns, order and organisation teachers, and local communities in the Supporting your science • form and function implementation of teaching and learning curriculum • stability and change programs. Covering the biological, the physical, and • systems Stenhouse ebooks the technological, science is a key learning • scale and measurement As the sole Australian distributer for area in the development of our students. • matter and energy. Stenhouse titles, Curriculum Press is It offers the opportunity to ask questions, Our range of science titles, including the pleased to announce that we can now make observations, and think about how bestselling resources featured below, offer a selection of Stenhouse ebooks for the world was created, how it operates, promote the effective teaching and purchase on our website. Available in PDF and how we can ensure its sustainability. learning of each of these ideas.

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