Monthly Archives: January 2014

Library of Congress summer program

The Library of Congress is pleased to announce details about its summer programs for K-12 educators.

Institutes

The application for the Library of Congress Summer Teacher Institute is now available. The five-day institute provides educators with tools and resources to effectively integrate primary sources into K-12 classrooms.

Teachers and school librarians of all grade levels and curriculum areas are encouraged to apply.

Interested? Check your calendar–Institute dates are listed below.

  • June 9-13        Institute session #1
  • July 7-11         Institute session #2
  • July 21-25       Institute session #3

Additional information, educator testimonials, and the application for the Institutes can be found here!

US grant opportunity

Underfunded libraries, schools and non-traditional organizations that provide educational services to children are invited to apply to receive one of three Coretta Scott King Book Donation Grants. The grant program provides books submitted for consideration for the Coretta Scott King Book Awards to libraries and other organizations to expand their collections. Each year, three organizations are selected that demonstrate need and potential benefit from receiving the collection. All three libraries will receive copies of more than 80 titles submitted for consideration for the 2014 awards. Applications will be accepted through January 31, 2014.

New research and articles of interest

Kidd, D., & Castano, E. (2013). Reading literary fiction improves theory of mind. Science 18 October 2013:
Vol. 342 no. 6156 pp. 377-380 
http://www.sciencemag.org/content/342/6156/377.short

 

There is also an interesting Press Release about this research from the New School in New York City:

http://www.newschool.edu/pressroom/pressreleases/2013/CastanoKidd.htm

 

The article and the press release both refer to ToM Theory of Mind.  Here is a brief description of what this term actually means:  http://www.howstuffworks.com/theory-of-mind.htm 

 

Another older piece of research:

Bookworms versus nerds: Exposure to fiction versus non-fiction, divergent associations with social ability, and the simulation of fictional social worlds.  Authors:  Raymond A. Mar Keith OatleyJacob HirshJennifer dela PazJordan B. Peterson. published by the University of Toronto in 2006. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S009265660500053X