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UBC colloquium on Atlantic Canadian children’s literature November 20
No registration necessary. Refreshments provided.
Wednesday, November 20, 11:30 pm – 12:30 pm
“Connecting Authors and Readers: Researching and Documenting Atlantic Canadian Books for Youth”
Vivian Howard, Associate Dean Academic and Associate Professor, School of Information Management, Dalhousie University
Location: Dodson Room, Level 3, Chapman Learning Commons, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, 1961 East Mall, UBC
Abstract of the Talk: In their recent history of Canadian children’s illustrated books, Gail Edwards and Judith Saltman observe that “the children’s literature of a nation is a microcosm of that country’s literary and sociocultural values, beliefs, themes, and images, including those of geography, history, and identity.” This lecture will explore the importance of regional Atlantic Canadian children`s literature and the development of Sea Stacks (http://www.seastacks.ca), an authoritative web-based resource featuring information on and about Atlantic Canadian books, authors and illustrators for children and youth. Sea Stacks includes comprehensive annotated bibliographies of primary texts, author and illustrator profiles, videotaped interviews, analysis, and criticism.
This presentation will demonstrate the use of Sea Stacks for research and will conclude with a discussion of the relevance of Ian McKay’s provocative 1994 text The Quest for the Folk: Antimodernism and Cultural Selection in Twentieth-Century Nova Scotia to an analysis of contemporary Nova Scotian picture books.
Biography of the Speaker: Vivian Howard is associate professor in the School of Information Management and Associate Dean Academic of the Faculty of Management at Dalhousie University. Her research interests include barriers and motivators for pleasure reading, particularly for young readers; social reading initiatives; and Atlantic Canadian literature for children and teens. She is the editor of the YA Hotline newsletter and is the principal investigator of a research team developing the Sea Stacks website.
Photo credit: www.seastacks.ca
Student Success in First-Year University Physics and Mathematics Courses: Does the high-school attended make a difference?
From our friends in UBC dept of math:
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENCE EDUCATION, 35 (17):2905-2927; 10.1080/09500693.2012.667168 NOV 1 2013
Science & Engineering Librarian, Eugene Barsky commented, “This paper considers school factors that contribute to a successful transition from high school to first-year university Physics courses at the University of British Columbia by employing a two-level hierarchical model. It is assumed that there is a relationship between student performance and the high school they graduated from. It is shown that school location and type affect student performance: students from public schools in the Metro Vancouver area perform better in first year compared to students from independent schools and schools in distant communities. The study also considers rankings of schools based on student performance in first-year university Physics and Calculus courses. These university-based rankings differ significantly (essentially in reverse order) from the well-known Fraser Institute rankings based on measures internal to high schools.”
Vancouver school board tries to streamline kindergarten registration
Starting Friday, parents should register their child at their local school, even if they intend to attend a choice program like French Immersion or Montessori at another school.
Once registration is completed at the local school, in January, parents will receive an email link to an online registration process for those alternate programs. Parents will sign in and may register their child for up to three choices, which they will rank in preference. The registration period for both in-person and online choices ends Jan. 31.
Read more of the Vancouver Sun article here: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Vancouver+school+board+tries+streamline+kindergarten/9113332/story.html
Photo credit: Howard County Library System
Mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones now a mainstay for young children
According to a report to be released Monday by Common Sense Media, the vast majority of young children in the United States are using mobile devices and for much longer periods of time, with an even greater number of babies being exposed to the smartphones and tablets that have become a bigger part of family life.
Photo credit: Genta Masuda (Flickr)
An Afternoon with Charles van Sandwyk – October 30th, 2013
UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections Presents:
An Afternoon with Charles van Sandwyk
Wednesday, October 30th, 2013
12:00 p.m-1:30 p.m.
Dodson Room (Rm 302), Irving K. Barber Learning Centre
University of British Columbia
Free Admission. Open to the public.
Refreshments served.
Book sales by Joyce Williams Gallery.
For more information, please contact RBSC: 604-822-2521
Charles van Sandwyk and the Children’s Literary Tradition is currently on display at UBC Library’s Rare Books and Special Collections. The exhibition is free and open to the public Monday-Friday (10:00-4:00pm) and Saturdays (12:00-5:00pm). In addition to works by Charles van Sandwyk, there will be items on display by Walter Crane, Arthur Rackham, and Beatrix Potter.
The curator, Kristy Woodcock, will be offering informal tours of the exhibition. Public tours can be arranged by calling RBSC (604-822-2521).