Summer is a reading marathon for me. Each year, as I prepare to go back to my high school library, I take stock of titles I’ve read that might engage my students. I’m not always successful at motivating resistant teenage… Read More ›
Literacy
Hallway Conversations as Book Challenge Repellent, Part 1
Laying the Groundwork Ahead of Book Challenges There is a lot of information about book challenges out there. I’m just one of several folks who have written about this in Knowledge Quest previously. Out in the wider world, there are… Read More ›
Compare and Contrast: A Lesson With Picture Books
Why is it important to practice comparing and contrasting with learners? Because the exercise develops critical thinking skills and improves reading comprehension. There’s great value in considering how two or more entities are different, yet similar. Noticing and discussing differences… Read More ›
MAME Summer Book Club: The Gift of Story by John Schu
Summer is a great time to catch up on reading. So when the Michigan Association of Media in Education (MAME) shared they were hosting a virtual summer book club I was all in! The Book The title that was chosen… Read More ›
Read & Relax: Summer Reading Challenge
As the school year draws to a close, keep kids in the mindset of reading with a summer reading challenge. Summer challenges are an outstanding way to motivate students to keep reading over the summer. They have tasks to complete… Read More ›
(Re)Building A School Library, Part 2: The Newsletter
“Complex Library News” I previously wrote about my efforts to reestablish a library presence for my middle school’s students, starting with a website. Once I had a digital presence put together, the next step was to let folks know about… Read More ›
Restoring Lost Focus through the School Library
I’ve been increasingly interested in studying the causes behind recent shifts in our ability to engage in deep thinking and reading. For a recent long commute, I decided to download and listen to a new audiobook. I selected one I’d… Read More ›
(Re)Building A School Library, Part 1: The Website
Raising My School Library’s Profile During a renovation a couple years back, my middle school’s library closed, and it never reopened. Students and teachers were told they could access the high school library, which is literally on the opposite end… Read More ›
Digital Poetry Slam
It is no wonder why April has been deemed National Poetry Month. Early spring is filled with inspiration. The longer days and warming temperatures seem to improve my mood and stir my creativity. What a great time for reading and… Read More ›
April is also National Poetry Month
Could you recommend a SHORT book? As a librarian for tweens and teens, I am always on the quest for extraordinary, shorter novels to offer my patrons. Unfortunately, books now compete with schoolwork, video games, and social media. One of… Read More ›