Like many school districts across the country, my district started the year with students learning from home. While the other librarians and I wanted to support students and teachers in any way we could, we decided that our top priority… Read More ›
Back in January, my very first blog post for Knowledge Quest was all about how librarianship is a marathon, not sprint. I wrote about the importance of pacing yourself and not trying to tackle big changes all at once. I… Read More ›
The month of October always brings scary and spooky reading challenges. My high school library is still closed for students, so I had to get creative on how to share and motivate my students to read this year. Creating a… Read More ›
Like most educators I know I have been learning everything I can about how to best support students who are face-to-face being socially distant as well as those who are learning remotely. Recently, in one of the Facebook educator groups,… Read More ›
The Tennessee Association of School Librarians (TASL) is honored to have been selected as AASL‘s Chapter of the Year for 2020. With so many hard-working chapters, we know the competition was tough. TASL would like to thank AASL and the… Read More ›
School librarians have many roles, among which are teacher and instructional partner. AASL’s position “The Strategic Leadership Role of School Librarians” notes, “The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) supports the position that full-time certified school librarians provide effective leadership… Read More ›
The Vermont School Library Association (VSLA) was thrilled to learn this past May that we had been named one of the four recipients of the 2020 AASl’s Past-Presidents Planning Grant for National School Library Standards. This $2,500 grant, awarded in… Read More ›
Using technology tools to discover the world can enhance station rotation models, whole-class activities, and online learning. Google Tour Builder is a popular tool for exploring other locations online. I recently learned that Google Tour Builder will shut down in… Read More ›
I am finally resigned to the idea that the COVID pandemic will not go away any time soon. It is like an unwanted guest that decided to move in. Initially, I felt we would be back to normal within a… Read More ›
Simplicity is something that school librarians, teachers, and students welcome right now. As Julia Hobsbawm, the author of The Simplicity Principle, puts it, “The human desire for simplicity is ancient, and especially evident during times in which society undergoes upheaval”… Read More ›
In this time of virtual and hybrid learning, are print books still important? My answer is a resounding “yes”! However, what do you do if your administrator doesn’t “get it”? I received a request for advice from a school librarian… Read More ›
“For some students, and in certain schools, this may be many students, the only library skill that they should have to acquire is an awareness, imprinted indelibly and happily upon them, that the library is a friendly place where the… Read More ›
Usually, I write about historically based narrative nonfiction picture books. There was a book that didn’t fit into that category that I saw recently. However, I knew it would fit perfectly into a primary source-focused learning experience with some of… Read More ›
Literacy is one of those terms with academic cache like critical thinking or problem-solving. It has a nice intellectual ring to it, a sense of student accomplishment. Every academic standard, unit and lesson plan, school mission, and vision is stuffed… Read More ›