Recently, a first-grade teacher wanted to have her students use coding to create a summary. Her goal was to have students share a story and include how the main character developed as well as how the setting changed. She sought… Read More ›
As the makerspace craze continues to sweep across libraries nationwide, school libraries are trying to come up with ways to engage students in meaningful makerspace work. This year the majority of my time at the close of the semester has… Read More ›
Over the past few semesters I have had the pleasure of collaborating with creative writing teachers in my building for weekly “Library Wednesday” lessons. In our school, creative writing is an elective course comprised of students in grades 9-12. We… Read More ›
So often in education, we focus on the end-game: summative assessments, finals, standardized tests, graduation. We’re always asking ourselves, “Did they learn it?” However, learning is never really finished; it’s a journey that continues regardless of what milestones we pass…. Read More ›
High ability does not guarantee high achievement. Our students need motivation if they are expected to perform at their greatest levels and to perform well over an extended period of time. For many students, motivation comes in the form of… Read More ›
The last two weeks of school are hard. We see the finish line in sight, but there are so many steps to reach it. Our classroom teachers feel the same way. This is a great time to encourage others and… Read More ›
I am always glad when an anniversary of an event coincides with a historically based picture book. It adds a greater purpose to bring that book and event into student learning. This is the case with the upcoming 50th anniversary… Read More ›
Do you know what a deep fake is? A workshop I attended defined a deep fake as “the alteration of images, videos, and audio files with the intent of maliciously deceiving an audience into thinking they are real.” Workshop participants… Read More ›
Recently, I was asked to consider information literacy teaching and learning from the perspective of educational standards. I offered that standards are the one resource that all educators use to ensure objectives are set for student grade-level mastery. School librarians… Read More ›
It may sound silly or perhaps unusual or even startling to those of you who do not know me personally, but I am a little teary-eyed about my last blog as AASL President. What a year it has been! The… Read More ›
Do you remember learning about geography when you were in grade school? I do! My teacher sent me to the school library with a blank map. I found an atlas, flipped through the pages, and located the map I needed…. Read More ›
“Educators can play important roles to enhance any components of students’ creativity” (Sak 2004). School librarians are no different. School libraries have the staff, resources, and space needed to foster creativity in students and teachers. There are many definitions and… Read More ›
Juneteenth is a portmanteau of June and nineteenth. June 19, 1865, was the day General Gordan Granger announced the end of slavery in Texas and the emancipation of slaves throughout the confederate South. It was on June 19 that Granger… Read More ›
Our School Is Celebrating Its 150th Anniversary Many cities, states, colleges, and universities are approaching noteworthy anniversaries. Standford University will celebrate 150 years in 2035, Vanderbilt University will celebrate its sesquicentennial in 2024. The state of Alabama turns 200 this… Read More ›