January of the new year marks a time in (almost) everyone’s lives when we set about making goals to help better ourselves in the coming year. Most are for health and fitness. Maybe a reading challenge or goal. But, what is… Read More ›
Library Media Specialists
5 Free Apps to Create with in Early Elementary
Over the past two years my school has moved from having a few carts of iPads to 1:1 in kindergarten to second grade. We also use a modified version of the project approach as a part of our focus to… Read More ›
Why a Makerspace Is Not a Magic Cure-All for Your Problems
I realize that this title is going so upset some people. That some might accuse me of click-bait. But I think this is a topic that is often being left out in the discussion about makerspaces. Many school librarians… Read More ›
Advocacy: Breakout Sessions and Hour of Code
Special activities and programs in the library can often be great times for advocacy. Recently, our library hosted breakout sessions in preparation for Hour of Code. These sessions took place during our celebration of National Game and Puzzle Month. I… Read More ›
Gaming in the Library: National Game & Puzzle Month
Gaming in the library has become common place in many school and public libraries; however, there are several instances where gaming is still considered “fun” and not part of a learning atmosphere. If you’re in a school library setting that… Read More ›
When Research, Writing, and a Field Trip Live Happily Ever After
In September, the second grade teachers shared their concerns about fitting in both their writing and social studies curriculum as well as preparing their students for an upcoming field trip. As a result of this conversation, a project was born!… Read More ›
Advocacy: Knowledge Is Power
If knowledge is in fact power, then, school librarians ought to be the most powerful group in the nation. We are the keepers of the books. We are the guardians of the resources. We are super heroes. We are powerful…. Read More ›
Journey to a Flexible Schedule: Part 1
A year ago I shared a post called Momentum in a Fixed World. In this post, I shared the goal to move to a flexible schedule. Just as planned we transitioned to this type of schedule with the first- and… Read More ›
Random Thoughts for the Beginning of the School Year: Part 2
I imagine you have started the school year now. I am just going to pick up where I left off last month. Here is part two of my thoughts for the beginning of the school year. I realize that it… Read More ›
5 Ways to Collaborate with Your Local Public Library
As teacher-librarians, we often find ourselves in a position where it is difficult to collaborate. For example, this week I received an email on a listserv asking if anyone else was a school librarian at a K-12 campus that had a shared… Read More ›