1. Sabrina Carnesi
AASL Standards and Guidelines Implementation Task Force
Learning4Life State Coordinator
VEMA Regional Conference March 19, 2010~ Roanoke, VA

2. Overview
Today’s goal
Develop language from the “Common
Beliefs” with which to communicate with
stakeholders the power and potential of the
Standards.

3. Common Beliefs
Lay a strong foundation
Give us language to reach out and
connect to colleagues
Start the conversation on common
ground

4. How?
• Identify keywords and vocabulary in CB
• Use them to create elevator speeches for
specific audiences
• Back home: adapt the process, create, and
share elevator speeches with colleagues
and stakeholders
Why?
•To help you frame the message that SLs must reconsider
their roles and programs in order to provide
relevance to your position:

5. Developing Common Vocabulary
And Messages: Elevator Speeches
1. Listen to a Common Belief read aloud.
2. When it is reread, underline keywords.
3. Repeat for all Common Beliefs.
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/learningstandards/stan

6. Process of Preparing an
Elevator Speech
1. With your group, read aloud your standard.
Start with, “Learners use skills …”
2. Brainstorm ideas to complete the three-column
chart.
3. Draft an elevator speech between 40
to 150 words that will speak to your
audience (principal, classroom teacher,
media colleague, or parents).

7. Sample
STANDARD 4 ~ AUDIENCE: PARENTS
Based on Common Belief #1
– Reading is a window to the world
I know you want your child to have a successful
life. And so do I. We both believe that reading
is the key to learning for life and developing new
understandings. I invite your support for our
afterschool book club by allowing your child to
participate. (46 words)
N. Silcox – Arlington City Schools
November 2009

8. Sample (revised version)
STANDARD 1 ~ AUDIENCE: CLASSROOM TEACHERS
Based on Common Belief #3
– Ethical behavior in the use of information mu
be taught.
As (school) librarians, it is important for us to collaborate
with the classroom teacher in teaching our students the
ethical use of information. It is our job to show students
how to seek diverse perspectives gather and use
information ethically and to safely and responsibly use
social tools. Will you allow me to schedule your classes in our
computer lab to go over proper Internet safety skills? After the session,
I can register them on my Internet Safety blog and they will be able to
ask me to help them with any questions that may arise when they start
their research project. (47 changed to 101 words)
An. McLean – Roanoke City Schools
K. Harris – Petersburg School

9. Sample
STANDARD 2 ~ AUDIENCE: CLASSROOM TEACHERS
Based on Common Belief #3
– Ethical behavior in the use of information must
be taught.
I know we both want our students to be independent
learners and to take responsibility to generate and
answer their own questions. I would love to work with
you in your next unit to engage students in their own
learning experience by sharing skills to help them gain
critical thinking knowledge using the library’s many
resources. I can also teach them several tools of self-
assessment to ensure that they can thrive in a complex
information environment. (76 words)
H. Overstreet – Brunswick County Scools
K. Lively – Brunswick County Schools

10. Sharing An Elevator Speech
1. Please leave a draft of your group’s
elevator speech at the exit.
2. After all of the speeches are written, we
will compile them into a document.
3. Your elevator speeches will be typed up
posted on my school library website for
you to adapt and share:
http://cms.nn.k12.va.us/library.html

12. Sabrina Carnesi
Virginia Learning4Life State Coordinator
Crittenden Middle School
6158 Jefferson Avenue
Newport News, VA 23606
sabrina.carnesi@nn.k12.va.us