Can Standardized Tests Kill desire for learning?

An interesting article was posted by Professor Harlan about learning and teaching to tests.  As a homeschooling parent and library science student this dichotomy bothers me tremendously.  True learning comes from enjoying and pondering what one reads.  Taking in information and regurgitating it for a test is not actual learning since weeks and months down the road the information is rarely there.

Standardized tests may be a good way to determine if math or science is being learned, but for critical thinking skills, logic, literature understanding and true historical context, basic tests do not begin to determine understanding.   In the article, the author discusses an assignment given to her son to read something by Edgar Allen Poe.   Thinking that the class will be discussing the same story or poem, the author envisions tweens learning from the discussion more than from the reading itself as is common for most people.  Unfortunately, each student will be reading and reporting on a different story or poem which will not allow for any further learning by the students during the discussion. 

When education became more about teaching to the tests and less about true learning, children of all ages began to lose some of the fun that could be found in learning.  While most tweens these days would probably refuse to believe parents, teachers, librarians and other adults, it is true that most children of yester year did have a favorite subject in school.  Something that called to them, leading them to more in depth studies and more enjoyment than other topics in school.   For some of us it was reading, others it was math and yet others preferred science or history more than anything else.   All of us to this day have some area of life that we prefer more than others which makes us unique. Tweens and teens are no different. 

Spending time with tweens to help them really understand literature like Poe or Bronte, chemistry, American History or algebra can take more time but leads to true learning which lasts longer and means more.  Unfortunately, most teachers simply do not have the time to delve into these topics but must brush the surface quickly before heading on to the next topic.   Skimming the surface maybe a great way to water ski or go tubeing but it is a terrible way to teach and does all of our children a disservice that will harm them the rest of their lives.

Cyber-bullying... just bullying or more

For decades and centuries, bullying was simply done person to person or through notes or word of mouth.  But now with the creation of computers, email, the Internet and all the new apps, bullying has become easier and more rampant in society.  Unfortunately, it is also less personal when done on-line or via text leading to harsher treatment and worse bullying.  

Other problems with bullying via technology include the larger audience potential, how to punish the bully when the bullying starts off school campus but continues onto campus and when does bullying cross over into harassment?  Many administrators do not really know how to deal with the problems that all this new technology creates.   Gone are the days of a teacher catching a note about someone or hearing girls picking on someone in the bathroom.   Now it is a text message sent to 20 or 30 people with just a few clicks and then spread through the high school within a few minutes at lunch.  What used to take hours or even overnight to spread can now be accomplished in just the few minutes between classes.   For the target of the gossip and bullying, this lightning type spread can be so much more devastating than in days gone by.

Several school districts have had to deal with this issue in the last few years. Between suicides caused by cyber bullying, expulsions from school for off campus problems, trying to create fair but equatable rules regarding bullying, and dealing with modern versions of complaining about teachers, school boards and superintendents must figure out where the line is and how to make each case fit into a box even when it isn't necessarily a square problem. 

This issue is especially important to me as I have watched children struggle with these problems in the last few years.   To see young tweens deal with such hurtful things said and done in an impersonal matter, is frustrating and maddening all together.   A solution needs to be found in the middle ground between free speech and anti-bullying.

Kim, V. (December 13, 2009).  For students, a right to be mean online? Los Angeles Times.  Retrieved from  http://articles.latimes.com/2009/dec/13/local/la-me-youtube-schools13-2009dec13

Disney shows and what they tell our tweens....

After watching Disney channel, Nick and other childrens shows (including tween shows) for the last 11 years or so, I can honestly say that marketing to each age group has gotten progressively worse as the children have gotten older.    These days, the shows are actually more marketing than even the commercials.   For example, watching a Hannah Montana episode provides not just a fun story line but also plenty of opportunities to see the newest clothes, boots and accessories.  Unfortunately for the parents, those items will be on sale next week or next month for your daughter.   And she will want them!

Phineas and Ferb is a fun little animated show that teaches logic and science in a fast paced, fun way.  But the teen girl in there has the typical attitude which rubs off on many children who watch too much.  Nick is presenting the idea that watching out for younger siblings is a pain that cramps a teen girls style.  Never mind that in most families, sharing responsibilities is still an important part of life.  Oh and she likes to tattle on Phineas which is annoying and presents the image that if you can get someone in trouble, you can perhaps get out of your responsibilities.

Wizards of Waverly place deals with a family of wizards and their antics.  But the main female character, Alex, played by Selena Gomez is another tween idol who provides a "role" model for clothing, accessories, music, etc.  Her behavior on and off screen is watched by the girls and the boys and emulated by the girls. 

For the boys the behavior exhibited by Gomez, Cyrus, and other role models becomes the expected of the girls they know in real life.  This puts these girls in difficult positions because they see the actresses doing things in fictional settings while the boys want the same things in reality.  For young tweens of either gender, it is difficult to know how to handle such situations, especially once they are in the middle of it.

While the story lines of most shows for tweens are fun, there are often subtle things that tweens pick up on.  Each parent must decide for themselves what and if they want their tweens watching shows or not.

How can librarians help the tweenage outliers?

One often does not think of gay tweens when contemplated patrons of a children's or young adult section of the library but as is seen in this weeks reading, more and more tweens (junior high school age) are, in fact, coming out of the closet at school and or at home.  Providing materials that address their particular needs can be difficult for several reasons making outreach near impossible for many librarians.

According to the book, The New Gay Teenager, as cited in a Time magazine article, the average age of girls coming out in 2005 was 16 while for boys the age is 14.  These ages indicate a growing need for materials geared towards young teens or tweens as they struggle to determine their identity.  Trying to address the complex needs of tweens who are dealing with changing bodies, growth spurts, hormones and finding their sexual identity requires a gentle attitude, listening ear and the willingness to be open about sex and related topics.  Librarians are not usually called to be social workers but sometimes we are the only ones that tweens feel comfortable talking too.  After all, if they are checking out materials about alternative lifestyles, the library clerk or librarian is going to know first hand.

Publishers are working to produce more materials for the homosexual population but overall there is still a tiny portion of magazines, books, movies dedicated for this clientele.  Once librarians actually have materials, they face the challenge of making them accessible without being too public.  After all, not all patrons are ready for the world to see what they are reading.  So, how can we as librarians provide a decent selection of books on this sensitive subject and others?

Some libraries provide a separate section for youth or young adults with sitting areas, music collections and such making it easier for youth to relax and hangout in relative privacy.  But other libraries may not have the means or room to allow for this.  In Terrebonne Parish Library, Louisiana the library maintains a separate section of the library with books, magazines and computers for youth.  While not completely separate, the booths and tables are set in an alcove giving patrons privacy for reading or quiet talking but not enough privacy for inappropriate behavior.   By placing all books in the stacks, it is much easier for patrons to pull a book and peruse it without being seen. 

Youth is a rough enough time without the added challenges of being different.  Yet, as we have seen, more and more tweens and teens are choosing to expose themselves as different and not just in the sexual sense.  It is our job as librarians to do what we can to help each patron find the materials they need regardless of our personal beliefs.

Cloud, John. "The Battle over gay teens." Time Magazine 2 Oct. 2005: 42-51. Print.

Are tweens the new teens?

In the October 12, 2010 edition if Family Circle, Deborah Swaney writes a compelling article about the sexualization of younger and younger girls.   She starts with the time when her 7 year old asked to get a bra which stunned her completely until she started checking the local stores.  to her horror, she found that sure enough, manufacturers are marketing cute little bra and pantie sets to girls as small as 4 and 5.  It is bad enough that tweens are exposed to this stuff before they truly need it but the child sized gimmicks just tend to enhance the desire to be grown up.

Tweens are such a growing market in all areas and when it comes to books and clothes the girls dominate the market.  Girls spend more time with books compared to boys and relate to the teen idols on shows such as Hannah Montana, Suite Life on Deck, and animated shows like Phineas and Ferb.  All of these exposures to popular teen idols present incredible sales potential for markets of all items.  While books may not seem tied to these shows and idols, publishing houses have figured out how to increase sales by turning episodes of each series into books with some twists in the plot.  For the girls these books enhance their enjoyment of the shows and allows them "on demand" episodes through reading anywhere and any time.  

Ms. Swaney discusses the signals marketers are send our tweens when catering to their desires to be like the teenagers in real life and on television.  From my own experience, growing up in the 70's and 80's, young children were encouraged to stay young and play with Lincoln logs, Lego's, Barbies, and so on rather than giving them opportunities to be more grown up than they are ready to handle.

If one compares the tweens from today to the tweens from the late 70's and early 80's, it is easy to see that kids from 8 to 12 are more worldly now than previously.  They may consider themselves to be more mature but emotionally, I don't think that is accurate.  Some children, especially girls are maturing faster but having a physical maturity does not equate with emotional or social maturity. 

As librarians, how do these new "norms" for tweens effect our job?  There is a fine line between guiding and censoring reading material and magazines.  And where do we draw the line for teen nights, children's story hour and such?   Can we as librarians set aside our personal thoughts and concerns to support tweens in whatever they desire to check out? 

These are on-going concerns that all librarians must deal with.   How we handle it depends mainly on the rules for the library.  Some libraries do have rules about children checking out adult books, while other libraries have no rules what so ever.  The best solution probably lies somewhere in the middle but each librarian must figure that out for themselves.

Swaney, D. (2008, November 29). Girls growing up to fast. Family Circle, 100. Retrieved October 14, 2010, from http://www.familycircle.com/teen/parenting/sex-talk/growing-up-too-fast/?page=6

Reading up or censorship...

The discussion this week focuses on how librarians should handle children whose reading level is above their maturity.  While the conversations were all thought provoking, I decided to find some outside information on censorship in libraries still today. 

What I found really surprised me in some ways.  Censorship is still alive and well in the United States but not always in the way we think.   In an article titled "The Dirty Little Secret", Debra Lau Whelan  (2009)discusses the self-censorship that afflicts many librarians.   "Self-censorship. It's a dirty secret that no one in the profession wants to talk about or admit practicing. Yet everyone knows some librarians bypass good books-those with literary merit or that fill a need in their collections" (p. 23).   This statement reflects the concerns all librarians have when dealing with children and their reading needs.  A book can be a good read, enjoyable or thought provoking but not make it on the shelf due to the personal bias of the purchaser or purchasers.   Ms. Whelan uses Boy Toy by Barry Lyga as an example of an award winning youth book that did not make it on to many library shelves around the nation.  Apparently, the topic of a young man having an intimate relationship with an older woman is substantially more taboo than the reverse. 

Overall, I was rather surprised that self-censorship goes so far in the library world.  Our responsibility as librarians is to provide the materials and perhaps guide our patrons.  It is not to limit the accessibility of items because of our personal beliefs or concerns. 

Lyga, B. (2009). Boy Toy. United States: Graphia. (Original work published null)

Whelan, D. L. (2009). A Dirty Little Secret. School Library Journal, 55(2), 26-30.

Tweens most popular reading materials....

As we discuss tweens and what they enjoy at this age, one thing stands out.  Tweens are either readers or not readers.  There seems to be no middle ground at this age for most kids.  But with new series appealing to the tween market every day, authors and publishers hope to push more of the non-readers into the reader category. 

Ms. Oliveri points to several series including Artemis Fowl, Princess Diaries, Bailey School Kids as well as the oldie but goodies like Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys for tweens to be pulled into.   Some of these are what Ms Lesesne calls "naked reading" type materials.   As teachers, librarians and parents this is the type of reading we want tweens to love.   Finding the best way to present the books to each individual child is a task that all of us must work to achieve.  But this knowledge requires knowing the individual well enough to know which topics, titles or series will appeal to them.  

For example, know a tween girl is not a girly girl would lead someone away from suggesting the Princess diaries or some of the girly American girl stories.  That same information could lead to suggesting the American Girl book about Lanie or the series about Julie, perhaps Harry Potter, or the Red Blazer Girls.    Our knowledge of our clients or patrons, even children is a must if we want to truly help promote love of literature and libraries to the tweens we live and work with.



Oliveri, D. (2008, Jan 2).  Popular Book Series for Tweens. Retrieved from http://www.suite101.com/content/popular-book-series-for-tweens-a39739 on Sept. 29, 2010.