Author Archives
Steve has been teaching middle school English for 20 years, has several degrees in education, and recently finished his last semester as a school library media specialist student. He is certified as a teacher, school library media specialist, supervisor, and administrator. He is an old dog constantly learning new tricks!
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Materials for Expanding Student (and Teacher) Horizons
Change Begins with “Me” As a middle-aged white man, I have presumed that no one needs to hear what I have to say regarding #BlackLivesMatter. Demographically, I’m in the part of the equation that is the problem, not the solution…. Read More ›
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Build Summer Reading Joy: Faculty Book Recommendations!
Summer Reading Inspiration In the spring of 2016, I received an e-mail from a friend and English teacher in my building. She invited the entire faculty to contribute to a slideshow she was creating. She encouraged every faculty member to… Read More ›
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“The Library Is Open!”: New Jersey Librarians Create Virtual Library
“Librarians are here to help you.” Schools are closed. Libraries are closed. And yet, peoples’ information needs haven’t gone away. If anything, students in particular need more information than ever. And with the rafts of misinformation floating around online, information… Read More ›
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Using Flipgrid for Face-to-Face Asynchronous Student Interactions
The Asynchrony of Remote Learning Not knowing when students are available online is one of the biggest challenges facing educators during this period of remote learning. Seeing other people is incredibly important when practicing physical distancing so that it doesn’t… Read More ›
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Pandemic Journals: A Case Study in Online Lesson Collaboration
Caught by COVID-19 The unprecedented school closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has many educators scrambling to adapt their methods and materials. Finding instruction that is meaningful for students is of paramount importance, as many of them are engaging in… Read More ›
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#infodemic: Why #SchoolLibraries Are, More Than Ever, A #NecessityNotALuxury
Humans, Information, and Behavior People by and large are not stupid (despite what some might claim based on the state of the world). But people are easily misinformed, and we tend to make decisions based on our feelings. As trained… Read More ›
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The Difficulty of “Information Wants to Be Free”
Live Free? At some point during every school year, the topic of online entertainment comes up. Every time, a disturbing number of students express confusion when I try to explain why they should pay for their entertainment. “If I can… Read More ›
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New Year’s Resolution: Get Outside Your Comfort Zone!
Getting Better I have a bad back, and I have to exercise so my core muscles can compensate for it and keep me (mostly) pain-free. The problem is, I am consistently embarrassed by how few push-ups and planks I can… Read More ›
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Themes in School Librarianship, Part 3: Companionship
Our Story So Far Back in September, I attended my first library-focused conference, School Library Journal’s Leadership Summit 2019. I had a blast, and learned so much from the amazing speakers and programs. Afterward, as I reflected on the summit,… Read More ›
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Themes in School Librarianship, Part 2: Storytelling (But Not Like You Think!)
Organically Arising Themes Not long ago, I attended the School Library Journal’s Leadership Summit 2019. There were so many interesting speakers, great workshops, and amazing colleagues to learn from and grow with! But I noticed that there were several themes… Read More ›