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 ›
Makerspaces/Learning Commons
Noise in the One-Room Library
The Question of Noise in the Library/Learning Commons In the comments section of the 2015 post “Learning Commons: Theory to practice” is a question from Jessica Koos in Long Island, NY. Jessica’s writes: My concern is to how to balance the needs of… Read More ›
Surviving the Wild of Middle School by Making It FUN
Supporting Curriculum and Adding FUN Each year seventh-grade students in my school read two class novels that focus on survival skills and wild terrain. Students read Call of the Wild by Jack London and Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen… Read More ›
What’s a Student-Centered Library?
“Your ideas matter here.” “Some of the best parts of this library are because of your great ideas, so please share them.” This is part of the library orientation that all new 9th graders receive when they come to the… Read More ›
Using Research to Find a New Chair for Baby Bear
If you have ever read Goldilocks and the Three Bears you know that Baby Bear’s chair ends up in pieces. The sad thing is his chair never gets fixed. Below you will find how students in preschool use the research… Read More ›
4 Ways You Can Get Creative This Summer
Summer is almost here for many of us. It’s a great time to relax, recharge, and reinvigorate our passion for education. I love using my summers to explore creative ideas that I haven’t gotten to throughout the school year. Whether… Read More ›
Developing a MakerCare Program
Although I was super excited about the makerspace movement, my enthusiasm quickly faded as I realized expectations and reality can be very different. What started as a $50,000 educational shopping spree (thanks, TeacherPreneur Grant), had all but ended with two… Read More ›
Real Librarians
School Librarians Are Real Librarians About fifteen years ago I attended a state library conference as a university library assistant. At the time I was in the process of getting my Master’s degree in Library and Information Science. I went to… Read More ›
Small Steps to a Makerspace: Maker Mondays
If you’ve been following what I’ve written here on AASL Knowledge Quest and on Renovated Learning, you know that this year I’ve moved to a new-to-me school, an independent 6-12. I wrote earlier about slow change and figuring things out gradually…. Read More ›
Cabinet of Curiosity
My fever dream of a Robot Arcade in the library has practically come true. During a special extra-curricular event called Unbounded Days, students recently put the finishing touches on our own video game cabinet. Now, students and teachers alike can… Read More ›