Looking ahead to 2010-2011...

INFOhio's plans for the 2010-2011 school year are already underway, especially regarding our Core Collection of Electronic Resources. Here's what we know now:
	Status of Collection - INFOhio's current Core Collection is renewed for another year! The State Library of Ohio Board recently approved a $1,518,401 federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) LSTA grant request from the Libraries Connect Ohio partners to purchase a set of information databases, a core collection of electronic resources for the statewide Ohio Web Library. Read SLO press release. “INFOhio's Core Collection provides students with valid sources of information resulting in efficient, effective searches, as opposed to finding information by ‘surfing the net,’” said Theresa M. Fredericka, INFOhio’s Executive Director. “INFOhio's resources are age-appropriate and curriculum-related, and I know everyone in Ohio's K-12 community appreciates the State Library Board's recognition of the importance of these resources.”
	New username/password - Our first message about next year's username and password was distributed widely in March, with a second notice in April. If you are part of the Ohio K-12 community and have not received this message, contact your Information Technology Center support staff or e-mail central@infohio.org. The new username/password will go live on July 1, 2010. To avoid access interruption, the current username/password will continue to function through September 15, 2010.
	INFOhio Toolkit 2010-2011 - INFOhio plans to publish the revised toolkit by August 1. What should be kept? Dropped? Added? Forward your suggestions to your Users Council Representative by June 14 for discussion at the next Council meeting.

Ohio Skills Summit Executive Director Theresa M. Fredericka led INFOhio's team at the first annual Ohio Skills Summit, joining more than 500 attendees at the Columbus location and more than 100 attending remotely by way of online conferencing software. Sponsored by the Ohio Department of Education, Ohio Board of Regents, Ashland University and other partners, the Summit explained Ohio's efforts to improve instruction from kindergarten through college/university years. Keynoter Ken Kay, president of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, stressed how important it is for students to be able to fuse the Three Rs (core subjects such as English/reading/language arts, mathematics, sciences, social studies, fine arts, foreign languages) and the Four Cs (creativity and innovation, critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration, communication). Kay recognized Fredericka and INFOhio for supporting the work of the Partnership, especially the development of the 21st Century Learning Commons. He also praised the American Association of School Librarians and its Ohio affiliate, the Ohio Educational Library Media Association, for the leadership they have provided. Visit the Ohio Skills Summit site for event resources, including videos of the speakers and PowerPoints from their presentations. INFOhio Learning Commons Excitement ─ and participation ─ is growing in INFOhio's 21st Century Learning Commons, with more than 825 educators registered for the new learning community. The Learning Commons components include a self-paced online course, 21 Essential Things for 21st Century Success; information on 21st century learning skills; a discussion forum; glossary of Web 2.0 terms and more. There are certificate, CEU and graduate credit options for those interested. All Ohio educators are encouraged to join the Learning Commons, a place to learn and share 21st century teaching and learning resources and practice ideas. Registration is free. Check out the following resources that have been prepared to support the Learning Commons:
	View a new introductory Flash video recently added to the Get Started page. Less than nine minutes long, the program provides an overview for prospective and new subscribers. Read the complete Announcement.
	Visit Help Resources for INFOhio's 21st Century Learning Commons for handouts and an in-service presentation. Recently added: a Professional Development Options flier that explains certificate, CEU and grad credit options. [PDF 2 pgs]

Important News, Stories and More Links In February, OHIONET conducted a preview of more than 100 online electronic resources from over 20 vendors for possible purchase for the 2010-2011 school year. Christine Morris, OHIONET Electronic Resources Coordinator, 800-686-8975, ext. 29, has arranged additional discounts for Ohio K-12 schools. If interested, check out the revised Price List / Ordering information [PDF 9 pgs]. The password is the same as used for the Core Collection during 2009-2010. To receive a password, contact your Instructional Technology Center or e-mail central@infohio.org. Eleven new Ohio Farm Bureau videos were added to the Digital Video Collection in March 2010, making nearly 90 full-length OFB videos and more than 200 segments available. Most videos are segmented, so curriculum-relevant sections can be used easily. Read more... Learn360, a video streaming service, is offering special 2010-2011 pricing through an agreement with Ohio Area Media Centers. A flier for more information is available. [PDF 1 pg]