Four years ago, I gave my first user survey to students. Still new to my position as librarian/technology integrator, I inherited a traditional library that had fallen out of use, and was desperate to understand what students wanted from their… Read More ›
collaborative culture
Co(mmunity)-Constructed Library
We Make Our Library Great. Together. I’m the steward of the school library. It’s my job to make the library a place that reflects our learning community, and responds to the community’s needs. Since our population of users is always… Read More ›
Transforming Your Island into a Peninsula
As each new school year approaches we are all thinking about what we want to change and improve on and setting new goals for ourselves. For many years I have heard the ideology that our school library positions are an… Read More ›
The School Wide Love for The Hate U Give
I am never one to turn down a free lunch. So when the invitation was extended by Khristi Jenkins (school librarian) and Wrenn Heisler (English teacher) at Patuxent High School to come and join in a lunch-time book discussion, I… Read More ›
Building a Reading Community, One Reader at a Time
This spring, one of our 9th graders found a safe spot with us in the Camden Hills Regional High School Library. Erica is a self-proclaimed non-reader. She’s not a member of our Student Library Advisory Committee. But she is… Read More ›
Summarizing with Dash: A Collaborative Project in First Grade
Recently, a first-grade teacher wanted to have her students use coding to create a summary. Her goal was to have students share a story and include how the main character developed as well as how the setting changed. She sought… Read More ›
Inquiry Framework: What Makes Sense?
I’m on a quest to refine my teaching to be both student-centered and relevant. This has evolved over time to mean that I talk a lot less now, and put more effort into the design of the learning experience. How… Read More ›
Popcorn and the Power of a Great Book Trailer
There’s nothing like seeing a great movie in a theater. First of all, there’s the popcorn. Movie-theater popcorn is unlike anything you can microwave or cook on the stove. There’s the anticipation of a great film and spending 2 hours… Read More ›
Diverse Perspectives Book Club
I love it when inspiration comes at just the right moment, and I also love how great ideas build on each other. I was catching up on some KQ reading this past summer when I stumbled upon the post by… Read More ›
Genrefication: Removing Barriers to Access
Small Steps? Or Giant Leap? I am always up for a new challenge and don’t often shy away because something might be “too hard” or “too much work.” In fact, those are my least favorite words to hear in a… Read More ›