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 ›
Blog Topics
Library Shelves to Attract the Modern Teen
See and Be Seen Teenagers don’t always notice what’s right in front of them. In my high school library few students take the time to look through the shelves when they need a book. I’m always happy to guide individuals… Read More ›
Study Tips and Techniques: Helping out learners reach academic success
As a high school librarian, one of my primary goals is to help learners develop effective study habits. By providing tips on time management, note-taking, and test preparation, we can empower learners to excel academically. Educating our learners about various… Read More ›
Working with an Instructional Coach – Year 1 Reflections
My high school added an instructional coach position this past school year. An instructional coach is a supporting role for teachers – guiding teachers through the coaching cycle or model. Click here to view the Future Ready Instructional Coach Framework. The… Read More ›
Summer of Sequels
This summer I decided on a new reading plan. Sequels only. During the school year I can’t read sequels for the simple reason that I can’t book-talk them. I focus my reading on award books, stand alone novels, or first… Read More ›
My Favorite Collaborative Lesson: Celebrating Children’s Week
It can be challenging at the end of the school year for a teacher to keep students engaged and learning while matching their level of anticipation for summer break. This past school year a third-grade teacher came to discuss an… Read More ›
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 ›
Motivating Teens to Read with Free Comics
Comics For All On the cover is a girl sitting in a haunted library. There are tentacles lifting her chair and skulls peeking out from in between the books. Titled The Cursed Library, and part of the Archie Horror series,… Read More ›
Supporting Our Learners’ Right to Read
Thank you to everyone who came to the AASL President’s Program: Freedom to Read Ambassadors at ALA Annual. And a huge thank you to the amazing panelists: Kelly Yang, Dr. Sonja Cherry-Paul, Amanda Jones, and Becky Calzada who all spoke… Read More ›
Virtual programming ideas for summer programming
Ah, summer—the season when school librarians take a well-earned break, but our enthusiasm for education and capturing young people’s attention never wavers. Librarians cannot always allow learners access to the school library during the summer. Personally, I use the summer… Read More ›