Author Archives

After 24 years as a classroom English Language Arts teacher, Steve became a school librarian in January 2022. He has earned an M.Ed. (2006) and an Ed.D. (2014) in Educational Administration and Supervision, and completed an M.I. degree in Library and Information Science (2019). 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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Reconsidering “Diverse” As A Category
“Why is this such an issue?” I recently saw a post online that got me thinking. Someone wondered why it was such a big deal that a certain national book vendor was offering a “diverse books” collection that could be… Read More ›
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Simple Stress Relief (Though I Can’t Imagine Why You’d Need It…)
What, me worry? Back in April, the New Jersey Association of School Librarians (NJASL) held our Spring 2023 Virtual Mini-Conference. Our theme was “Hope & Healing”. We figured that would be a theme that would hit home with folks after… Read More ›
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Push Back Siloed Culture And Help Students’ Social Skills
A New Cultural Environment My friend Mike and I were discussing our nephews’ social skills – or rather, their absence. Mike shared that when his nephew sat down at a table with another kid his age, the two of them… Read More ›
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The Collaboratorium: Media Literacy in Science
Being a Life-Long Learner I consider information literacy, and by extension media literacy, to be one of the most important areas of instruction for today’s students. So I was pleasantly surprised to learn I was ignorant about a particular avenue… Read More ›
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GIFs: An Underutilized Ed Tech Tool
They’re (J/G)reat! Whether you pronounce it as “jif” (incorrectly, no matter what the creator says), or whether you say “gif” (and thus affirm the validity of English pronunciation), this humble piece of technology is incredibly handy. Unlike video files, GIFs… Read More ›
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Three Pieces, One Puzzle: My Time at TxLA 2023
Unexpected Insight I was fortunate enough to attend the Texas Library Association’s 2023 Conference this past April. Truly, it was incredible from the moment I walked in the door. Every moment of the event reminded me how powerful librarians are,… Read More ›
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Form Versus Function: Learning to Appreciate Beauty
“Get a Haircut!” Let me start with a short story: When I graduated college, I had hair down to my shoulders. It drove my conservative dad nuts (which was some of the point). At one point, after several interviews with… Read More ›
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“Choosing ‘Right’ over ‘Easy’” – An Archeological Find
Time Hasn’t Healed All Wounds While going through some old not-quite-done pieces of writing, I came across something that threw me for a loop. It seemed extremely topical, but it was in my discarded drafts folder, and I didn’t remember… Read More ›
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Holding Out for a Hero Who Can Bring The Noise
“Welcome to the Jungle” We all know that school librarianship has come into some dark times. Small but vocal national groups are making a lot of noise about titles they have personal objections to. Their playbook includes personal attacks vilifying… Read More ›
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Recognize Student Voice And Build Student Self-Confidence
A Frightening Conclusion A long time ago, a parent gave me a copy of the quote above. His daughter was having some difficulties in my class. It was a simple but effective reminder that as an educator, my job is… Read More ›