Blogs
The Digital Textbook Report 2015
Digital Textbook Report 2015 from junejamrichparsons
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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Blog
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:39am</span>
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Teens are abandoning TV in droves
http://www.businessinsider.com/teens-are-abandoning-tv-in-droves-2015-7
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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Blog
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:39am</span>
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What Education Technology Could Look Like Over the Next Five Years
http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/06/29/what-education-technology-could-look-like-over-the-next-five-years/
TRENDS & ISSUES
Deeper Learning
Rethinking Traditions:
How Integrating Arts Into Other Subjects Makes Learning Come Alive
To Advance Education, We Must First Reimagine Society
Unexpected Tools That are Influencing the Future of Education
Collaborations
Blended Learning
CHALLENGES
Authentic Learning
Professional Development
Personalized Learning & Teacher’s Role
Scalability
DEVELOPMENTS IN ED TECH
BYOD/Maker Movement
3-D Printing
Adaptive Learning
Badges and Wearables
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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Blog
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:39am</span>
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Discovery bewerten: Testen Sie mit Ihren eigenen Daten (text in German)
https://discovery.ebsco.com/pulse/article/discovery-evaluieren-test-mit-ihren-eigenen-daten#When:09:53:00Z
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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Blog
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:39am</span>
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Top Four Reasons Students Use Their College Library
http://blog.cengage.com/top-four-reasons-students-use-their-college-library/
"Why Go to the College Library? Students’ Top Four Responses
1. Study alone. By far the most popular response at 77%, the clear majority of our surveyed students head to the library to focus on their studies… by themselves. To us, this response shows that, no matter what kinds of resources are offered by the library, this learning space is (and will probably always be) regarded as a great place to get serious about schoolwork.
It also means that, during peak study periods (such as finals week), students would do well to get to the library early to secure the study spot of their choice!
2. Use the online databases. More than half (51%) of the students said that they’re at the library to use the online databases, indicating that a good portion of their research work is completed at the library.
Unfortunately, many students will often find themselves in front of a looming deadline… and a closed library. Or perhaps they can’t make it to the campus library for other reasons (such as parenting responsibilities, a lack of transportation options, or a need to travel away from home). Lessen your students’ stress by reminding them that they can access their college’s databases from their own computer. Typically, all they’ll need is internet access and a username and password (which usually requires a campus e-mail account or college library card). (Of course, before mentioning this, you’ll want to double-check to ensure that this is true for your school.)
Starting your students on a research and writing project? Encourage them to review these nine tips for successfully writing a research paper.
3. Use reference materials. Whether they’re in need of general resources such as encyclopedias, and dictionaries, specialized publications such as field-specific bibliographical guides and indexes, or other references that simply aren’t available in electronic formats, students visit the library to access non-circulating materials that they need to complete their projects.
Even so, given that only 39% of students stating that they use the reference materials, we recognize that many students may not even be aware of these materials’ existence. (Or, if they do, they may not know the valuable role they can play in the research process.) If your course includes a research project, encourage your students to make use of them. Students may also appreciate being reminded that, if they aren’t sure how to use these helpful reference tools, their campus librarian will be able to assist them.
To further guide your students, you may even wish to make a bibliography that lists the reference materials that would be of most use to them. But first, you might want to check your library’s website; in many cases, the librarians have already created subject guides that describe the resources available for specific fields and disciplines. Your librarian may also be able to create a course guide that lists the reference materials (and other resources) that suit the specific needs of your class.
4. Meet their study groups. Whether it’s for the luxury of having a big table, the convenience of accessing nearby scholarly and reference materials, or the simplicity of having a central place to meet that’snot their own homes, the library is a popular place for students to gather for study and group projects. More than one third (34%) of students said that’s why they visit their library.
Are you assigning group projects for your course, or do you recommend that students get together in groups to study? If you know students will use the library as a meeting space, advise them to reserve a study room. There, they can talk over the details of their projects without worrying that their conversation is disturbing other students.
How Else do College Students Use the Library?
Of course, the college library offers many benefits beyond the four explored above. Review the complete set of responses to discover more about students’ library habits. Then, consider how you might prompt your students to make full use of the valuable services and resources offered at your school’s library.
Even if your course is fully online, your students can still find ways to use the library’s services, whether by accessing databases from home, requesting books through interlibrary loan, chatting with an online librarian, or using the library’s website to discover videos, tutorials, and other tutorials that will help them conduct their research efficiently and effectively.
Full responses:
Study alone
77%
Use the online databases
51%
Use reference materials
39%
Meet my study group
34%
Check out books
29%
Use books my instructor has placed on reserve
22%
Look up job/career resources
19%
Socialize with friends
13%
Attend events
10%
Read non-circulating materials (e.g., magazines and journals)
8%
Sleep
6%
Take classes on how to use the library’s resources
5%
Other
9%"
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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Blog
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:38am</span>
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How Do Americans Spend Their Time? 2014 American Time Use Survey Released
Via Gary Price at LJ infoDocket
http://www.infodocket.com/2015/07/02/new-datadata-files-how-do-americans-spend-their-time-2014-american-time-use-survey-released/
"The data tables noted in the highlights below can be accessed here.
Additional data files including data from previous American Time Survey’s q3
From the Bureau of Labor Statistics:
In 2014, on days they worked, 23 percent of employed persons did some or all of their work at home, and 85 percent did some or all of their work at their workplace, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. In 2003, the first year for which comparable data are available, 19 percent of employed persons did some or all of their work at home, and 87 percent did some or all their work at their workplace on days worked.
These and other results from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) were [recently released].
These data include the average amount of time per day in 2014 that individuals worked, did household activities, and engaged in leisure and sports activities. Additionally, measures of the average time per day spent providing childcare—both as a primary (or main) activity and while doing other things—for the combined years 2010-2014 are provided. For a further description of ATUS data and
methodology, see the Technical Note.
Highlights
Working (by Employed Persons) in 2014
Employed persons worked an average of 7.8 hours on the days they worked. More hours were worked, on average, on weekdays than on weekend days—8.1 hours compared with 5.7 hours. (See table 4.)
Many more people worked on weekdays than on weekend days: 83 percent of employed persons worked on an average weekday, compared with 35 percent on an average weekend day. (See table 4.)
On the days they worked, employed men worked 52 minutes more than employed women. This difference partly reflects women’s greater likelihood of working part time. However, even among full-time workers (those usually working 35 hours or more per week), men worked longer than women—8.4 hours compared with 7.8 hours. (See table 4.)
On the days they worked, 85 percent of employed persons did some or all of their work at their workplace and 23 percent did some or all of their work at home. Employed persons spent more time working at the workplace than at home—8.0 hours compared with 3.2 hours. (See table 6.)
From 2003 to 2014, the share of employed persons who did some or all of their work at home on days they worked increased from 19 percent to 23 percent. During this same period, the average time employed persons spent working at home on days they did so increased by 37 minutes (from 2.6 hours to 3.2 hours). (See table 6.)
Multiple jobholders were more likely to work on an average day than were single jobholders— 81 percent compared with 68 percent. (For a definition of average day, see the Technical Note.) Multiple jobholders also were more likely to work at home than were single jobholders—37 percent compared with 22 percent. (See table 6.)
Self-employed workers were nearly three times more likely than wage and salary workers to have done some work at home on days worked—58 percent compared with 20 percent. Self- employed workers also were more likely to work on weekend days than were wage and salary workers—46 percent compared with 33 percent. (See tables 5 and 7.)
On the days they worked, 39 percent of employed people age 25 and over with a bachelor’s degree or higher did some work at home, compared with only 12 percent of those with less than a high school diploma. (See table 6.)
Household Activities in 2014
On an average day, 83 percent of women and 65 percent of men spent some time doing household activities such as housework, cooking, lawn care, or financial and other household management. (See table 1.)
On the days they did household activities, women spent an average of 2.6 hours on such activities, while men spent 2.1 hours. (See table 1.)
On an average day, 20 percent of men did housework—such as cleaning or laundry—compared with 49 percent of women. Forty-three percent of men did food preparation or cleanup, compared with 69 percent of women. Men were slightly more likely to engage in lawn and garden care than were women—11 percent compared with 8 percent. (See table 1.)
From 2003 to 2014, the share of men doing food preparation and cleanup on an average day increased from 35 percent to 43 percent. Over this same period, the share of women doing housework on an average day decreased from 54 percent to 49 percent. The average time per day women spent doing housework declined by 9 minutes, from 58 minutes in 2003 to 49 minutes in 2014. (See table 1.)
Leisure Activities in 2014
On an average day, nearly everyone age 15 and over (96 percent) engaged in some sort of leisure activity such as watching TV, socializing, or exercising. Of those who engaged in leisure activities, men spent more time in these activities (6.0 hours) than did women (5.2 hours). (See table 1.)
Watching TV was the leisure activity that occupied the most time (2.8 hours per day), accounting for more than half of leisure time, on average, for those age 15 and over. Socializing, such as visiting with friends or attending or hosting social events, was the next most common leisure activity, accounting for 43 minutes per day. (See table 1.)
Men were more likely than women to participate in sports, exercise, or recreation on a given day—22 percent compared with 17 percent. On days they participated, men also spent more time in these activities than did women—1.8 hours compared with 1.3 hours. (See table 1.)
On an average day, adults age 75 and over spent 8.0 hours engaged in leisure activities—more than any other age group; 35- to 44-year-olds spent 4.1 hours engaged in leisure and sports activities—less than other age groups. (See table 11.)
Time spent reading for personal interest and playing games or using a computer for leisure varied greatly by age. Individuals age 75 and over averaged 1.0 hour of reading per weekend day and 24 minutes playing games or using a computer for leisure. Conversely, individuals ages 15 to 19 read for an average of 8 minutes per weekend day and spent 1.2 hours playing games or using a computer for leisure. (See table 11.)
Employed adults living in households with no children under age 18 engaged in leisure activities for 4.6 hours per day, almost an hour more than employed adults living with a child under age 6. (See table 8B.)
Care Of Household Children for the Period 2010-2014
Adults living in households with children under age 6 spent an average of 2.0 hours per day providing primary childcare to household children. Adults living in households where the youngest child was between the ages of 6 and 17 spent less than half as much time providing primary childcare to household children—49 minutes per day. Primary childcare is childcare that is done as a main activity, such as providing physical care or reading to children. (See table 9.)
On an average day, among adults living in households with children under age 6, women spent 1.0 hour providing physical care (such as bathing or feeding a child) to household children; by contrast, men spent 23 minutes providing physical care. (See table 9.)
Adults living in households with at least one child under age 6 spent an average of 5.4 hours per day providing secondary childcare—that is, they had at least one child in their care while doing activities other than primary childcare. Secondary childcare provided by adults living in households with children under age 6 was most commonly provided while doing leisure activities (2.1 hours) or household activities (1.3 hours). (See table 10.)
Adults living in households with children under age 6 spent more time providing primary childcare on an average weekday (2.1 hours) than on an average weekend day (1.8 hours). However, they spent less time providing secondary childcare on weekdays than on weekend days—4.5 hours compared with 7.4 hours. (See tables 10.)
Resources
Direct to Data Tables
Direct to Data Files"
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:38am</span>
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New Data: "Trends in High School Dropout and Completion Rates in the United States: 1972-2012″
http://www.infodocket.com/2015/06/30/new-data-trends-in-high-school-dropout-and-completion-rates-in-the-united-states-1972-2012/
Via Gary Price at LJ InfoDocket
From the National Center for Education Statistics:
This report updates a series of NCES reports on high school dropout and completion rates that began in 1988. The report draws on an array of nationally representative surveys and administrative datasets to present statistics on high school dropout and completion rates. The report includes national estimates of the percentage of students who drop out in a given 12-month period (event dropout rates), the percentage of young people in a specified age range who are high school dropouts (status dropout rates), and the percentage of young people in a specified age range who hold high school credentials (status completion rates). In addition, the report includes state-level data on event dropout rates and the percentage of students who graduate within four years of starting ninth grade (adjusted cohort graduation rates). Data are presented by a number of characteristics including race/ethnicity, sex, and socioeconomic status.
From the Report:
The national event dropout rate presented here is based on data from the CPS and is an estimate of the percentage of both private and public high school students who left high school between the beginning of one school year and the beginning of the next without earning a high school diploma or an alternative credential, such as a GED. Specifically, the rate describes the percentage of youth ages 15 through 24 in the United States who dropped out of grades 10-12 from either public or private schools in the 12 months between one October and the next (e.g., October 2011 to October 2012).11 The measure provides information about the rate at which U.S. high school students are leaving school without receiving a high school credential. As such, it can be used to study student experiences in the U.S. secondary school system in a given year. It is not well suited for studying how many people in the country lack a high school credential irrespective of whether they attended U.S. high schools, nor does it provide a picture of the dropout problem more generally because it only measures how many students dropped out in a single year, and students may reenter the school system after that time. More detail about the definition and computation of the event dropout rate and other rates along with a summary table of how rates in this report relate to each other can be found in appendix A.
Direct to Full Text Report (112 pages; PDF)"
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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Blog
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:38am</span>
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I found these stats in the July/August issue of the Globe Investor supplement to Report on Business magazine to be interesting.
Number of Millennials in US: 80 million
Number of Millennials in Canada: 7 million
Based on US population surveys, Millennials emerged as the largest generation in the US labour force at the start of 2015 - for the first time.
Millennials: 54 million
GenX’ers: 53 million
Boomers: 45 million
68% of Canadians held a post secondary degree or diploma in 2011 (compare at 43% in 1981).
80% of Millennials sleep with their phones next to their beds. (Makes sense to me since most of them are cord -cutters)
Millennials are responsible for 80% of births.
Sometime library strategic planners forget to look at the impact of demographic changes.
Millennials are a huge part of what you are trying to do in:
1. supporting the economy, job finding and workforce learning - more than two thirds of the workforce are not Boomers (except probably in library land employment).
2. Children’s programming (toddlers don’t drive themselves to the library!) since Millennials are the parental population we need to reconnect with after their higher ed period.
3. Mobile devices rule. Duh. And a mobile phone is misnamed if you think it’s just a phone - it’s an internet device, tool, digital communications, and your alarm clock and calendar so you keep it by the bed at night (and who wants to run for the phone when your alarm rings in another room?!)
BTW - Millennials (GenY) are mostly finished with their formal full-time schooling now - and although we haven’t really named them yet - the folks we see in high school and as undergrads are post-Millennials (GenZ? What’ll we do when we run out of letters?) and different again.
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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Blog
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:38am</span>
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Why Snapchat is ‘The Best Mobile Video Platform’
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-snapchat-is-the-best-mobile-video-platform-2015-6#ixzz3eUdrRTQE
"Snapchat, the US-based ephemeral mobile messaging app, recently made brand-friendly updates to its product that enables advertisers to reach its large mobile millennial base. Although most information regarding mobile ad performance on Snapchat has previously been conjecture, recently released stats from the company have shed some light on how brands are faring on Snapchat.
There are more than 2 billion video views on Snapchat each day.
The mobile and first-person nature of Snapchat is proving appealing for live events. Up to eight times as many 13 to 34 year olds in the US opt to view Snapchat’s live stories rather than TV for similar events.
Because Snapchat is mobile-only, it boasts some benefits over Facebook and YouTube, both of which must cater to desktop users in addition to their mobile bases. Ads on Snapchat are always full-screen, always willingly viewed by the consumer, and always made for mobile. None of these items are true for Facebook or YouTube.
Snapchat’s vertical videos see a completion rate up to nine times that of horizontal mobile videos.
Consumers who saw an ad for a movie on Snapchat were three times as likely to have seen the movie as opposed to non-Shapchatters in same demographic.
Snapchat is far from the most ubiquitous mobile messaging platform in the game (see chart,
below), but its 100 million daily active users are members of a demographic highly sought by advertisers.
Of the 13 to 35 year-olds in the US who use a smartphone, 60% use Snapchat, and almost 40% of Snapchat’s monthly users fall in the 18 to 24 year-old age range."
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/why-snapchat-is-the-best-mobile-video-platform-2015-6#ixzz3eUe7AoDN
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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Blog
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:38am</span>
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5 Steps for Responding to a Social Media Crisis
http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/5-steps-for-responding-to-a-social-media-crisis/622654
Some libraries have experienced these so here’s some advice.
"Social media is a volatile place. What moves people to action one day might bore them the next, and what’s seen as funny and tasteful to one person might be seen as objectionable to another. The reactions of your followers are difficult to predict, and your posting activity is controlled by humans, so no matter how hard you try, you’re going to end upmaking some mistakes.
There are different types of mistakes that can be made on social media. You might publicize something that was meant to be private. You might make a typo or post an incorrect link and fail to proofread before sending. You might post something with full understanding and the best intentions, but with a negative backlash from your audience.
The bottom line is that mistakes happen, and sometimes those mistakes will lead to a social media crisis, putting your brand in a vulnerable and difficult position. Some crises are so intense that it seems you may never recover, but countless major national brands have faced social chaos and emerged gracefully. If you find yourself in a particularly tough situation, follow these five steps to dig yourself out of it:
Step 1: Assess the Situation
Your first job is to assess the scope of the situation. Some crises can be gracefully swept under the rug, but others may require much more attention. Ask yourself the following questions:
How much time has passed since the offending material was published?
How many people have seen the offending material?
What percentage of readers are offended by the material?
How offended are the offended parties, on a scale of 1 to 10?
How out of line with the brand is the offending material?
Once you’ve thoroughly assessed the situation, you can start planning your response. For large-scale crises, you may need to recruit other team members or consult with your superiors before moving forward. For smaller ones, it’s usually a matter of responding as quickly as possible to avoid any further escalation.
Step 2: Delete the Offending Material
Once you’ve tracked down the offending material, it’s your responsibility to delete it. However, you should not delete any followers’ comments or responses to the material; only delete the material itself. I’ll discuss this in more detail in the next step, but for now, just focus on deleting the original post.
Also keep in mind that nothing on the Internet can ever be permanently deleted. If your post riled enough attention, it’s more than likely that it’s been screencapped and archived for posterity. Don’t be surprised if your post continues to pop up from other accounts; your goal here isn’t to remove the content entirely, but to show that you recognize its inappropriateness and are willing to take action against it. Sometimes, merely deleting the post and offering a public apology is more than enough to quell the anger or disappointment of your fans. In other cases, it’s at least a good start.
Step 3: Accept and Respond to Criticism
If your post reached enough people and provoked enough negative reaction, you’re going to be dealing with criticism from other followers. These could range from simple acknowledgments of your mistake to jokes to hateful or inflammatory messages. Be prepared for anything, but no matter what, you must follow the golden rule: Don’t delete a comment just because it’s embarrassing or less than ideal for your brand. If you’re caught deleting a comment unnecessarily, you’ll be subject to even more criticism.
Instead, make an effort to respond to every comment you can, directly and personally. Don’t revert to automated messages or repeated phrases over and over; genuinely read and respond to each comment uniquely. Doing so will show your followers you care and you’re listening actively to them.
Step 4: Work to Make It Right
Once you’ve addressed some of the first wave of comments, it’s your job to start making things right with your community. If you haven’t already offered a public admission of guilt and an apology, now is the time to do so.
Depending on the nature of your mistake, you’ll need to make a concentrated effort to reverse or mitigate the effects of your post. If you misled your customers about a product, you can offer a discount on future orders. If you made an unintentionally offensive comment, you can show your support for whatever group you offended. You can’t always make it right with your audience, but you can always make an effort—and it’s really the effort that counts.
Step 5: Perform a Root Cause Analysis
Once you’ve mitigated the effects of your mistake to the best of your ability, it’s your job to perform a root cause analysis and determine where things went wrong. Was it a lack of proofreading? A missing peer-review step? Poorly performed research? Once you’ve identified the actions and procedures that led to the mistake, you can correct your policies and prevent the mistake from happening in the future.
When it comes to social media crises, it’s less a matter of "if" and more a matter of "when." If you’re posting actively and building a community, eventually a post or campaign will slip by you and turn at least some of your followers against you. When it happens, keep your cool and treat it like you would any other critical situation: Follow the logical steps, temper your reactions and make proactive changes to avoid repeating the mistake in the future."
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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Blog
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:38am</span>
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Beyond Tufte: Nine Great Books about Information Visualization
https://medium.com/@karlsluis/beyond-tufte-fd93cbcec6af
From designer Karl Sluis, a list of nine great books about information visualization not written by Edward Tufte.
Now You See It, by Steven Few
Semiology of Graphics, by Jacques Bertin
WSJ Guide to Information Graphics, by Dona M. Wong
Visualize This, by Nathan Yau
Information Visualization, by Colin Ware
Designing Interfaces, by Jenifer Tidwell
The Visual Miscellaneum, by David McCandless
World Geographic Atlas, by Herbert Bayer (OOP)
Metropolitan World Atlas, by Joost Grootens (OOP)
https://medium.com/@karlsluis/beyond-tufte-fd93cbcec6af
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:37am</span>
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IFLA School Library Guidelines, 2nd edition (draft)
by IFLA School Libraries Standing Committee, Dianne Oberg and Barbara Schultz-Jones (Eds.)
http://www.ifla.org/publications/node/9512
"This is the new draft edition of the School Library Guidelines 2015 that has been submitted to the IFLA Professional Committee for approval.
These guidelines constitute the second edition of the IFLA ‘School Library Guidelines’. The first edition of the school library guidelines was developed in 2002 by the School Libraries Section, then called the School Libraries and Resource Centers Section. These guidelines have been developed to assist school library professionals and educational decision-makers in their efforts to ensure that all students and teachers have access to effective school library programs and services, delivered by qualified school library personnel.
The drafting of these revised guidelines involved discussion, debate and consultation with many people from many countries at workshops during IFLA conferences and mid-year meetings and through ongoing writing and review in person and online. The editors are indebted to the contributions of members of the Standing Committee of the IFLA Section of School Libraries and the executive board of the International Association of School Librarianship (IASL), as well as the other members of the international school library community who shared their expertise and their passion for the project.
Download
IFLA School Library Guidelines Draft [PDF]
To cite this document please use the following:
International Federation of Library Associations. 2015. IFLA School Library Guidelines Draft."
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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Blog
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:37am</span>
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PC sales are imploding
http://www.businessinsider.com/pc-sales-plummet-in-q2-2015-gartner-idc-say-2015-7
"PC sales are continuing to crash: New data from two research firms shows that the industry is declining fast, with a drop in sales year-on-year of about 10%.
On Wednesday, both Gartner and IDC published estimates for PC shipments in the second quarter of 2015 — and it makes for unpleasant reading for hardware vendors.
Gartner says sales have dropped by 9.5% over the past year, while IDC’s data is even more alarming — predicting a year-on-year decline of 11.8%.
The Wall Street Journal (where we first saw the data) points out this disparity is due to the fact that Gartner includes "ultramobile premium devices" (aka certain tablet devices) in its figures, while IDC does not.
Gartner estimates negative growth for every major PC hardware vendor: Lenovo, the market leader, dropped by 6.8%, while Acer Group saw the biggest fall — a 20.2% decline. Overall, shipments dropped to 68.4 million, down from 75.6 million a year before.
Gartner
Meanwhile, IDC’s data shows a more aggressive decline. Apple, which is not included in Gartner’s global data, is the only company to see any increase year-on-year. IDC’s figures paint an even bleaker picture for Acer Group: a 26.9% decline. They put Q2 2015 shipments at 66.1 million, down from 75 million in 2014.
IDC
This shouldn’t necessarily be interpreted as a coup for Apple, however. Gartner does include Apple in its figures for shipments within the US, its home market — and there the Cupertino company is facing a 2.5% decline.
Gartner
Lenovo has attempted to put a brave face on the news. In a statement, president and COO Gianfranco Lanci says the data shows "continued growth of our market share in our core PC business, which is a strong, powerful growth engine for the company." He says the company has "ample opportunity for continued growth" in the sector — despite the fact that while its percentage market share is increasing, its real-term shipment numbers are dropping.
This, as The Wall Street Journal points out, is the biggest drop in almost two years (2.6% in 2012, 11.1% in 2013, 0.8% in 2014). Gartner identifies three factors as contributing to this latest decline:
"A sharp appreciation of the US dollar against local currencies" is one, according to principal analyst Mikako Kitagawa — making PCs more expensive.
"The worldwide PC market experienced unusually positive desk-based growth last year due to the end of Windows XP support. After the XP impact was phased out, there have not been any major growth drivers to stimulate a PC refresh."
The coming launch of Windows 10. Kitagawa says: "The Windows 10 launch scheduled for 3Q15 has created self-regulated inventory control. PC vendors and the channels tried clearing inventory as much as possible before the Windows 10 launch." In short, people aren’t buying PCs as they wait for the latest OS from Microsoft — further denting sales.
Overall, Gartner is forecasting a decline of 4.4% in PC shipments throughout 2015. The research firm expects the industry to return to "slow and steady growth in 2016." But the data is clear: The age of the PC is over."
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/pc-sales-plummet-in-q2-2015-gartner-idc-say-2015-7#ixzz3fbadjM2j
WSJ:
PC Sales Continue to Fall
http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2015/07/09/pc-sales-continue-to-fall/
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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Blog
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:37am</span>
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Instagram is now the go-to social network for US teens
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-is-now-go-to-social-network-for-us-teens-2015-6#ixzz3eUfado7B
"Instagram is steadily taking the place of Facebook and Twitter among teens and young millennials.
In the last twice-yearly Piper Jaffray survey of US teens, 32% of respondents named Instagram as the most important social network, while only 24% said Twitter was most important, and only 14% pointed to Facebook.
Here are a few of the key takeaways from the BI Intelligence report:
Pinterest has tremendous reach among women. Among US female internet users, 42% reported being on Pinterest in Pew’s late-2014 survey, compared to only 13% of men.
Instagram has become the most important and most-used social network for US teens. 32% of US teenagers cited it as their most important social network in Piper Jaffray’s twice-annual teen survey, compared to only 14% saying that of Facebook.
Snapchat, Vine, and Tumblr had by far the most youthful user bases of the social networks we looked at. 45% of Snapchat’s adult users are between 18 and 24, followed by Vine (28%) and Tumblr (28%), according to comScore.
LinkedIn enjoys high adoption among highly educated and high-income users. LinkedIn is used by 44% of Americans with income of $75,000 or more, according to Pew.
Messaging apps also have become more broadly popular, but still skew young: 7% of all people in the US aged 12 and older use WhatsApp, according to the Edison Research and Triton Digital survey.
The aging of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and even Pinterest is more apparent than ever. That’s especially true of Facebook: Less than two-fifths of Facebook’s adult user base in the US is aged 18 to 34, according to comScore."
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-is-now-go-to-social-network-for-us-teens-2015-6#ixzz3eUfqBpXb
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:37am</span>
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New Data: Millennials Outnumber Baby Boomers in U.S. According to New Census Bureau Estimates
Via Gary Price at LJ InfoDOCKET
http://www.infodocket.com/2015/06/29/data-millennials-outnumber-baby-boomers-in-u-s-according-to-new-census-bureau-estimates/
"From the U.S. Census:
Millennials, or America’s youth born between 1982 and 2000, now number 83.1 million and represent more than one quarter of the nation’s population. Their size exceeds that of the 75.4 million baby boomers, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released today. Overall, millennials are more diverse than the generations that preceded them, with 44.2 percent being part of a minority race or ethnic group (that is, a group other than non-Hispanic, single-race white).
These latest population estimates examine changes among groups by age, sex, race and Hispanic origin nationally, as well as in all states and counties, between April 1, 2010, and July 1, 2014.
Even more diverse than millennials are the youngest Americans: those younger than 5 years old. In 2014, this group became majority-minority for the first time, with 50.2 percent being part of a minority race or ethnic group.
Reflecting these younger age groups, the population as a whole has become more racially and ethnically diverse in just the last decade, with the percentage minority climbing from 32.9 percent in 2004 to 37.9 percent in 2014.
Five states or equivalents were majority-minority: Hawaii (77.0 percent), the District of Columbia (64.2 percent), California (61.5 percent), New Mexico (61.1 percent) and Texas (56.5 percent). Among the remaining states, Nevada is the closest to crossing this threshold, with a population 48.5 percent minority. More than 11 percent (364) of the nation’s 3,142 counties were majority-minority in 2014. Five reached this milestone during the year beginning July 1, 2013: Russell, Ala.; Newton, Ga.; Eddy, N.M.; Brazoria, Texas; and Suffolk city, Va.
Other highlights from the estimates:
The 65-and-older population
The nation’s 65-and-older population grew from 44.7 million in 2013 to 46.2 million in 2014. This group, which now contains the oldest four years of the baby boom generation (born between 1946 and 1964), is 21.7 percent minority, less diverse than younger age groups.
Between 2010 and 2014, the only two counties to add more than 100,000 people 65 and older to their total populations were Los Angeles, Calif. (167,000) and Maricopa, Ariz.(103,000).
San Juan, Colo., had the highest rate of increase in the 65-and-older population of any county between 2010 and 2014 (70.9 percent). Two other Colorado counties (San Migueland Douglas) were also in the top five.
Florida had the highest percentage of its population age 65 and older among states in 2014 (19.1 percent), followed by Maine (18.3 percent). Alaska had the lowest percentage (9.4 percent), followed by Utah (10.0 percent).
Sumter, Fla., was the nation’s only majority 65-and-older population county in 2014 (52.9 percent). Chattahoochee, Ga., had the lowest percentage of its population in this age group (4.1 percent).
Some states and counties become younger
In contrast to most states, five experienced a decline in median age between July 1, 2013, and July 1, 2014: North Dakota, Hawaii, Montana, Wyoming and Iowa.
Median age declined in 434 counties over the period, with McKenzie, N.D., leading the way (32.9 to 31.6).
Maine experienced the largest increase in median age among states, rising from 43.9 to 44.2 over the period.
St. Helena, La., experienced the largest rise in median age among counties or equivalents, climbing from 40.2 to 41.3.
There was a greater than 13-year difference between the state with the highest median age (Maine at 44.2) and that with the lowest (Utah at 30.5).
There was a more than 42-year difference between the county with the highest median age (Sumter, Fla., at 65.9) and that with the youngest (Madison, Idaho, at 23.1). There were 74 counties where the median age was greater than 50, and 57 counties where it was less than 30.
States with more males than females (and vice versa)
There were only 10 states where males made up a majority of the population in 2014.Alaska had the highest male percentage (52.6 percent), followed by North Dakota (51.3 percent).
The District of Columbia had the highest percentage of females of any state or equivalent (52.6 percent), followed by Delaware (51.6 percent).
Births versus deaths
All race and ethnic groups except single-race, non-Hispanic whites had more births than deaths between 2013 and 2014. This group had 61,841 more deaths than births.
Hispanics
The nation’s Hispanic population totaled 55.4 million as of July 1, 2014, up by 1.2 million, or 2.1 percent, since July 1, 2013.
California had the largest Hispanic population of any state in 2014 (15.0 million). However, Texas had the largest numeric increase within the Hispanic population since July 1, 2013 (228,000). New Mexico had the highest percentage of Hispanics at 47.7 percent.
Los Angeles had the largest Hispanic population of any county (4.9 million) in 2014 whileHarris, Texas, had the largest numeric increase since 2013 (45,000). Starr — on the Mexican border in Texas — had the highest share of Hispanics (95.8 percent).
Blacks
The nation’s black or African-American population totaled 45.7 million as of July 1, 2014, up by 578,000, or 1.3 percent, since July 1, 2013.
New York had the largest black or African-American population of any state or equivalent in 2014 (3.8 million); Texas had the largest numeric increase since July 1, 2013 (88,000). The District of Columbia had the highest percentage of blacks (50.6 percent), followed by Mississippi (38.2 percent).
Cook County, Ill. (Chicago) had the largest black or African-American population of any county in 2014 (1.3 million), and Harris, Texas, had the largest numeric increase since 2013 (21,000). Holmes, Miss., was the county with the highest percentage of blacks or African-Americans in the nation (82.5 percent).
Asians
The nation’s Asian population totaled 20.3 million as of July 1, 2014, up by 631,000, or 3.2 percent, since July 1, 2013.
California had both the largest Asian population of any state (6.3 million) in July 2014 and the largest numeric increase of Asians since July 1, 2013 (162,000). Hawaii was the nation’s only majority-Asian state, with people of this group comprising 56.2 percent of the total population.
Los Angeles had the largest Asian population of any county (1.7 million) in 2014 and the largest numeric increase (29,000) since 2013. Honolulu and Kauai, both in Hawaii, were the nation’s only majority-Asian counties.
American Indians and Alaska Natives
The nation’s American Indian and Alaska Native population totaled 6.5 million as of July 1, 2014, up by 93,000, or 1.4 percent, since July 1, 2013.
California had the largest American Indian and Alaska Native population of any state in 2014 (1.1 million) and the largest numeric increase since 2013 (13,000). Alaska had the highest percentage (19.4 percent).
Los Angeles had the largest American Indian and Alaska Native population of any county in 2014 (235,000), and Maricopa, Ariz., the largest numeric increase (4,700) since 2013. Shannon, S.D. — on the Nebraska border and located entirely within the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation — had the highest percentage (93.4 percent).
Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders
The nation’s Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander population totaled 1.5 million as of July 1, 2014, up by 33,000, or 2.3 percent, since July 1, 2013.
Hawaii had the largest population of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders of any state (370,000) in 2014 and the highest percentage (26.0 percent). California had the largest numeric increase since 2013 (7,000).
Honolulu had the largest population of Native Hawaiians and Other Pacific Islanders of any county (239,000) in 2014, and Hawaii County had the highest percentage (34.4 percent). Clark, Nev., had the largest numeric increase since 2013 (1,100).
Non-Hispanic white alone
The nation’s non-Hispanic white alone population totaled 197.9 million in 2014, up by 94,000, or 0.5 percent, since 2013.
California had the largest non-Hispanic white alone population of any state in 2014 (14.9 million). Texas had the largest numeric increase in this population group since 2013 (79,000). Maine had the highest percentage of the non-Hispanic white alone population (93.8 percent).
Los Angeles had the largest non-Hispanic white alone population of any county (2.7 million) in 2014. Maricopa, Ariz., had the largest numeric increase in this population since 2013 (23,000). Leslie, Ky., comprised the highest percentage (98.1 percent) of single-race non-Hispanic whites.
Direct to Downloadable Data Tables
Direct to Population Estimates by Demographic Characteristic: July 1, 2014
Tables and downloadable data files containing population estimates by age, sex, race, and Hispanic origin for the U.S., states, counties, and Puerto Rico are now available. Annual and monthly estimates are given for the period April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014. (via American Factfinder)
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:37am</span>
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Mid-year report: The newspaper industry’s billion dollar challenge
http://www.poynter.org/news/mediawire/353911/mid-year-report-the-newspaper-industrys-billion-dollar-challenge/#.VaPF5Lvd-Ys.twitter
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:37am</span>
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Traditional Leaders versus Collaborative Leaders
http://www.collaborativelead.com/
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:36am</span>
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HBR Blog: Navigating the Dozens of Different Strategy Options
https://hbr.org/2015/06/navigating-the-dozens-of-different-strategy-options
"In this adaptation from the new book, Your Strategy Needs a Strategy (HBR Press, 2015), BCG strategy experts make sense of the all the different, and competing, approaches to strategy: Which strategy is right for your business? When and how should you implement it? The practical tool offered here helps executives answer such questions as: What replaces planning when the annual cycle is obsolete? Where can we — and when should we — shape the game to our advantage? How do we simultaneously implement different strategies across different business units?"
https://hbr.org/resources/images/article_assets/2015/06/W150616_REEVES_5APPROACHES-.png
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:36am</span>
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Here’s who really has the power at Reddit
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/reddit-subreddit-growth-7x-since-2012-2015-7#ixzz3fJwPVoUV
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:36am</span>
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The World’s Most Spoken Languages And Where They Are Spoken
http://www.iflscience.com/environment/worlds-most-spoken-languages-and-where-they-are-spoken
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:36am</span>
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Traditional Leaders vs Collaborative Leaders
http://www.collaborativelead.com/
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:36am</span>
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How Much Of The World Population Is Online - Statistics And Trends
http://www.invesp.com/blog/world-population-online/
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:35am</span>
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Friday Fun: Famous Schools from Fiction
http://www.rayburntours.com/education/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/famous-schools-from-fiction-100.png
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:35am</span>
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Vacation Reading Time: INFOGRAPHIC
http://www.adweek.com/galleycat/vacation-reading-time-infographic/106523
Stephen
Stephen Abram
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<span class='date ' tip=''><i class='icon-time'></i> Aug 05, 2015 04:34am</span>
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