Gale and Library Media Connection Announce Winners of the 2015 TEAMS Award

FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich., Sept. 17, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Collaboration between media specialists and teachers sparks creative learning experiences for students, as seen in the winning projects announced today in the 2015 Gale/Library Media Connection Magazine TEAMS Award competition. From a school community garden that supports underprivileged students and puts a new spin on "farm to table," to 3D gallery walks featuring student artwork and videos to a social action research fair with fund-raising muscle, this year's winners – Murray Centennial Public School in Trenton, Ontario, Canada; Scott Middle School in Lincoln, Nebraska; and Portland High School in Portland, Tennessee – developed innovative projects that increased student engagement and achievement.

"We know incorporating library resources directly into classroom learning benefits student achievement," said Paul Gazzolo, senior vice president and general manager for Gale, a part of Cengage Learning. "These projects bring to life creative ways to bridge the gap from the library to the classroom."

"Collaboration is just the beginning, and our TEAMS Award highlights how such teamwork between librarians and teachers can lead to the highest level of student learning and achievement," said Marlene Woo-Lun, publisher of Library Media Connection.

Gale, a global provider of library resources, and Library Media Connection created the TEAMS Award to recognize the important collaboration between teachers and media specialists in promoting learning and increasing student achievement. Each winning school receives a cash prize and products from Gale and Library Media Connection. Details on the winning entries are provided below.

Murray Centennial Public School – "Our Community Aurasma Gallery Walk"
Teacher librarian Mary Walker Hope teamed up with grade one teachers to create an interactive gallery walk incorporating 3D technology, art via original student drawings and elements of a new social studies curriculum including understanding the difference between natural and man-made artifacts, social responsibility, mapping skills and more. View the project video here.

Scott Middle School – "Make a Difference with Social Action Research"
To teach students about the research process and how to write a research paper, school librarian Jean Hellwege worked with middle school teachers to ignite passion in students through social action research - helping them identify and research a social issue that resonated with them and answered the question "What can I do to help?" Using library resources to explore different social issues, the project culminated with the Make A Difference Fair where students presented their research to the community and raised money for their causes. View the project video here.

Portland High School – "Get Healthy – A Panther Community Garden"
To promote healthy eating habits, media specialist Michelle Gilliam worked with teachers and students to create a community garden that involved the math, art, science, agricultural science, special education and food science classes to plan, develop, and turn the produce from the school's garden into healthy snacks for underprivileged students in the school – all while utilizing library resources to research each step. View the project video here.

The following schools also received honorable mentions for their collaborative projects:

• Stocker Elementary School in Kenosha, WI
• Highland Elementary School in Warrenton, VA
• Swan Valley High School in Saginaw, MI

For more information regarding the TEAMS Award, visit www.gale.com/TEAMS2015 or contact Kristina Massari at [email protected].

About Cengage Learning and Gale
Cengage Learning is a leading educational content, technology, and services company for the higher education and K-12, professional and library markets worldwide. Gale, a part of Cengage Learning, is a global provider of research resources for libraries and businesses for more than 60 years. Gale is passionate about supporting the continued innovation and evolution of libraries by providing the content, tools, and services libraries need to promote information discovery, enable learning, and support economic, cultural, and intellectual growth in their communities. For more information, visit www.cengage.com or www.gale.cengage.com.

About Library Media Connection and Linworth/Libraries Unlimited
Library Media Connection is the go-to place for school librarians -- for timely and relevant topics, powerful advocacy that highlights important resources, and 1,800+ reviews of the latest web resources, databases, videos, and books. LMC is a publication of Linworth/Libraries Unlimited from the collections of ABC-CLIO. Learn more at www.librarymediaconnection.com.

Media Contact:
Kristina Massari
Cengage Learning
(203) 965-8694
[email protected]

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SOURCE Cengage Learning

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