I recently became curious about how the word “literacy” has been paired with other words to create terms all librarians use within their practice. Curiosity surfaced when I read the term “innovation literacy.” Thinking I had hit upon a new concept,… Read More ›
Makerspaces/Learning Commons
Geo Tools Connect Students with the World
If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be? A trip to the pristine beaches of Hawaii sounds nice. The view of Machu Picchu from the top of Huayna Picchu mountain is breathtaking. Perhaps you long to… Read More ›
The Monthly STEAM Challenge
One of the things I’ve struggled with as a high school librarian is makerspaces. At my large suburban high school, students have ample opportunities to take STEM/STEAM-related classes that allow them to create the types of projects they might make… Read More ›
Make Learning Awesome with Augmented Reality
With one hand holding a cardboard virtual reality (VR) viewer, the young boy raises his other arm and wiggles his fingers to grasp an unseen object. The student forgets he is inside a Kentucky classroom. Virtual reality transported the boy… Read More ›
Your Wish Granted with Library Grants
“By a show of hands, how many of you have visited the Parthenon in Nashville?” I asked a second-grade class one day in the library. Even though my school is 40 miles from the full-scale replica of the original Parthenon… Read More ›
Makerspaces – To Kit or Not to Kit?
I am lucky enough to serve librarians, teachers, and students in Denver Public Schools, which has a wonderful collection of circulating makerspace kits for librarians and teachers to check out–kind of a “try before you buy” concept that provides a… Read More ›
Organizing 3D Printing Projects
The library 3D printers are receiving more use as additional classes utilize these devices for content assignments. When we first received the 3D printer, we began small with individual students creating and printing personal designs. We were encouraged by the… Read More ›
AASL Standards and Multiple Literacies during Academic Flex Time
My school library thrives during interstitial times; in-between moments are quickly filled. My programming and priorities invite large swaths of the student body to utilize the library space to do the social work of education. Like a circadian rhythm, we… Read More ›
Gamifying Learning Leaves a Lasting Impression
My mission was clear—take a photograph that represented my three weeks in Helena, Montana, as a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Summer Scholar. I had three hours to complete the task. The picture was to be uploaded to a… Read More ›
Mindful Space in the Library
I have been working to be more mindful in my daily activities. Mindfulness is “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going… Read More ›