Soul, I hear you calling Recently I heard the song “A Little Respect” by Erasure (play it while you read…) and I started thinking about this blog post: “I try to discover A little something to make me sweeter Oh… Read More ›
school libraries
Frightening Fiction Book Challenge
October is here and our minds turn to Halloween and spooky book choices. Tales of horror, the supernatural, and mysterious happenings are among the most wanted for readers in the fall months. To promote a love of reading and increase… Read More ›
#AASL19 Digital Badges
Digital badges have become a common way of earning and sharing micro-credentials demonstrating professional development accomplishments and proficiencies. For the AASL 2019 conference, the organizers are delighted to introduce earnable digital badges. There are 19 badge options in all. You… Read More ›
Inquire, Curate, Explore: 5 Tips for the Under 10 Set
ICE, ICE! The AASL Standards are made up of six Shared Foundations. Three of those Shared Foundations–Inquire, Curate, and Explore–encourage students to do the following: Inquire: Build new knowledge by inquiring, thinking critically, identifying problems and developing strategies for solving… 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 ›
Autonomy Lays the Foundation for Motivation
High ability does not guarantee high achievement. Our students need motivation if they are expected to perform at their greatest levels and to perform well over an extended period of time. For many students, motivation comes in the form of… Read More ›
Adventures in 3D Printing
As the makerspace craze continues to sweep across libraries nationwide, school libraries are trying to come up with ways to engage students in meaningful makerspace work. This year the majority of my time at the close of the semester has… 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 ›
Traveling the Dust Bowl in the School Library
Connection: Classroom Curriculum and School Library Standards School librarians wear many hats; teacher, keeper of the books, tech expert, collaborator, program planner, host of events and programs, just to mention a few. I recently planned, organized, and hosted “Traveling the… Read More ›