I worry that the current politically divisive environment will cause some of our students to to take such a negative view of government that they will try to avoid as many aspects of civic participation as possible. Democracy requires an… Read More ›
In October 2020, I shared a blog called “8 Games to Play Virtually with Elementary Students.” Now that we are back to in-person learning, I have discovered a few additional content-driven games to add to the list. These are games… Read More ›
As students mature into adults there are certain life skills that they will need to be successful. They are progressing from dependent child to independent member of the world. Some of the most important things I have learned as an… Read More ›
Information and media literacy are important components of library instruction. When seeking to answer an information need, school librarians ask students to consider authority, accuracy, objectivity, and currency of a source. The criteria school librarians have spent years teaching our… Read More ›
More Than a “Filter Bubble” In a two-part post in December of 2020, I discussed polarization and information literacy. Not a month after writing these posts, I watched the events of January 6, 2021, unfold on the big screen in… Read More ›
They Keep Going, and Going, and Going… Last month, I wrote about the rising number of book challenges facing libraries across the country. I offered a few tools to help school librarians prepare. Since then, the number of challenges has… Read More ›
Using the 3D printer with curricular areas can be tough to incorporate. When we first started with the 3D printer, we were excited and scared. What if I don’t know how to do all the things? What if the lesson… Read More ›
In case you haven’t noticed, school librarians are going through a lot right now in the United States. It seems like something new every day is under attack: our impact on student learning, our budget for providing print and electronic… Read More ›
Due to a dramatic uptick in book challenges and outright removal of books from libraries, ALA’s Executive Board and the Boards of Directors for all of ALA’s eight divisions have released the following joint statement regarding attempts to remove materials… Read More ›
Since it came out earlier this year, many people have read Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper’s Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre. I waited. The Tulsa race massacre was something I had recently learned about. How could what I knew… Read More ›
When the leaves begin to turn and the air becomes cooler here in the Northeast, I find myself turning more to nonfiction. With #NonfictionNovember a popular hashtag on social media, maybe I’m not the only one who craves reality-based stories… Read More ›
Every year my husband makes a Thanksgiving dinner for the students in his life skills class. He leads the students in making a menu, discussing their favorite dishes, and learning about the holiday. In the twenty-two years he has been… Read More ›
One of the great things about being a school library coordinator is learning innovative ideas from librarians working in schools. And a recent share on our listserv–that had educators responding with compliments–was a digital book display created in Canva. What… Read More ›
Developing lessons with picture books is easier if you have a theme in mind. Two for Tuesday is a fun way to introduce two books on the same topic. If you are strapped for time, try collaborating with another educator… Read More ›