Social media, while it has its share of detractors, has been great about keeping me in touch with many of my colleagues and professional friends who are turning their sights toward the end of summer and the return of another… Read More ›
Blog Topics
School Librarians as Citizen Archivists
As a librarian, records, research, and historical events fascinate me. I also enjoy tagging information that I find, write, or include in articles, blog posts, or tweets. It would come as no surprise that when I attended a session given… Read More ›
Collaboration with Choice Novel Studies
English Class: Choose Your Own Book Really? In English class?! We get to choose? Choice Novel Studies (CNS) are beginning to ripple into our high school English department, with great benefits. Our circulation numbers in the library increased by over… Read More ›
Books of Our Roots: A Collection of Literature from The Countries of Our Origin
With the summer in full swing, I’m able to take a step back and reflect on the past school year in my high school library. My co-librarian and I accomplished a lot: we taught dozens of research classes, which included… Read More ›
I Earned a Badge! Now What? Keeping Track of Digital Badges
Professional development has evolved over the last few years. It’s often said that professional development should not be a one-size-fits-all or sit-and-get style any longer. Individualized professional development has been on the rise, along with individualized learning for students. When… Read More ›
More Ideas for Summertime Prep
I hope you are enjoying your summer. Before you know it, it will be time to start a new school year. I’m back again with updates to add to my summertime planning guide. Here are a few things that you… Read More ›
Gold Standard PBL in the Golden State
Golden Gate Bridge, Golden State Warriors, and the Golden Gate Bakery are just a few of the attractions that draw tourists to northern California. The views are stunning, and the food is succulent. But for me and 1,400 other educators,… Read More ›
Supporting All Students in the School Library with Digital Tools
As most of us take a much-needed break for summer what better time to rest, recharge, and reflect. Summer provides the perfect opportunity to make mental notes on what worked well, what fell flat, and areas of needed growth. One… Read More ›
The Changing Winds of Grant Writing
You may think the title of this post is poorly written (and this is a blog about grant writing??), but it is a pun on what grant funders believe is essential. The trend for grants seems to be away from… Read More ›
Pairing Picture Books and Primary Sources: When Washington Crossed the Delaware by Lynne Cheney and Peter M. Fiore
Last month I helped to give a workshop in Lexington, Kentucky, through a grant called Project CHARGE (Civics History through Advanced Research and Geography Education). Over five days, elementary and middle school teachers focused on mid-17th-century history through the adoption… Read More ›