LISNews: Librarian News

The Gaurdian has a Story on the Institute of Public Policy Research, a UK thinktank, that says Children should take a \"surfing proficiency test\" at 11, that would allow them a freer ride on the information superhighway.

\"\"We want to stress that it is not a completely negative test - it would also be about making sure that children are aware of what they can find in positive terms,\" said Mr Tambini. \"For example, information that could help them with their schoolwork. At present, they are not learning this in their classes - school computers filter out too much information.\"

This journal issue examines the available research on how computer use affects children’s development, whether it increases or decreases the disparities between rich and poor, and whether it can be used effectively to enhance learning.

Executive Summary for easy reading.

Here is a short release on a study done that took a look at how kids are doing on the net.

\"New research on Internet usage among teens and young adults in 16 countries shows that while American youth spend more time online than kids elsewhere do, they are also more likely to have their parents monitor what they see and set limits on where they go. Conversely, youth in Europe spend less time online but have fewer restrictions on what they can see and do. These results emerge from Ipsos-Reid\'s The Face of the Web: Youth – a 16-country study of Internet users between the ages of 12 and 24.\"

Another google find is Librarians and Gifted Readers by Debbie Abilock.

\"Gifted readers comprise a unique population whose advocates should be librarians. Influenced to some extent by both biology and culture, gifted readers display a complex understanding of written language, knowledge of one or more subjects, and masterful control of a number of skills that allow them to navigate effectively through various texts. While gifted readers always show linguistic intelligence, other intelligences are invoked in response to the demands of particular texts. The cognitive characteristics associated with gifted children interact with specific aptitudes, intelligences, and strategies to create a \"final, integrated performance,\" much like that of a gifted violinist, that can bestow life-long pleasure and rewards to both the performer and our society.\"