How to Lead a Successful Problem Based Learning Project: 2nd Grade Reduces...
Have you ever noticed the amount of garbage that leaves your school cafeteria on a daily basis? I never did until I was assigned to cafeteria duty. When it was time for the children to clean up after...
View ArticleLearning Commons: Theory to practice
Defining and comparing Learning Commons, Maker Space, and Media Center How do we ensure that we are being truly innovative, and not just following industry fads? I am occasionally seen as cutting edge...
View ArticleBuilding Relationships for Back to School
As summer draws to an end, it’s a good time to start thinking about back to school activities to build collaborative relationships and create a warm and welcoming place, both physical space and...
View ArticleTwo Heads are Better Than One: Share the Conference Fun with an Administrator...
by Jessica Klinker, Head Librarian, Franklin Heights High School, South-Western City Schools, Columbus, Ohio Do you know that amped-up, electric feeling you get during an amazing conference, so excited...
View ArticleNew Faculty Collaboration
Welcoming 17 new faculty and staff! This year my small, rural school welcomed a total of seventeen new faculty/staff. I am hopeful for the opportunities that come with a group of fresh new faculty. I...
View ArticleMoving from Old School to New: How Making Connections has Changed the Library
You are a connected educator; you would not be reading this if you weren’t. I do not need to tell you all the benefits of being connected to your students, colleagues, and the outside world. You...
View ArticleAre You An Opportunity Maker?: Professional Development for January 2016
Here are the professional development opportunities for January 2016. I have provided partial descriptions of the webinars from each website. Please view each link for complete details. I hope you...
View ArticleWhere is my Screwdriver?
I keep a running list of things I never thought I’d say as a Library Media Specialist: quit eating the grass in your pocket; why are you smelling the book; no you can’t read better hanging your head...
View ArticleMaker Stations in Early Childhood
When I listened to others talk about their makerspaces they were always so enthusiastic about what they were doing. All I kept thinking was where is the curriculum connection and how am I going to...
View ArticleWhat Do They Want? An Open Discussion with Colleagues
In an informal, open discussion I have begun with educational friends and colleagues, I posed these questions: What do you want from your School Library Media Specialist? What skills do your students...
View ArticleFebruary’s Featured Learning Commons – Allison Rothman at Hoover Middle...
This month I wanted to highlight a public school Learning Commons in a district near and dear to my heart, San Francisco Unified. I was able to visit Allison Rothman in person in the midst of a...
View ArticleHeifer International: A Global Collaboration
Collaboration: col·lab·o·ra·tion kəˌlabəˈrāSH(ə)n/ noun 1. the action of working with someone to produce or create something. Most teachers can collaborate with their eyes shut. We do it all day every...
View ArticleSocial Media Collaboration
With so many social media sites open and available, the collaboration possibilities are endless. Before the dawn of the technology age, collaboration was done in person as time became available, often...
View ArticleTeam up – Build a bridge to summer reading with your local public children’s...
While school librarians are busy winding down and wrapping up before they head out on vacation, public children’s and teen librarians are ramping up their summer reading programs. We all know research...
View ArticleSummer PD – Learning from my People
Summer often means vacations, road trips, concerts, and fun by the pool. It also means Professional Development (PD) season. This is always a time to which I look forward. It means that I get to spend...
View Article5 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...
View ArticleWhen 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...
View ArticleGaming 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...
View ArticleEquity, Access, and Individualization: 16 Ideas
Please see the professional development opportunities for January 2017 below Figure 1. While I was thinking about what to write this week, I came across the Scholastic (2016) Teacher and Principal...
View ArticleJourney to a Flexible Schedule: Part 2
The great John Dewey once said, “We do not learn from experience…we learn from reflecting on experience.” Reflecting is what I am doing every day this year as I move forward using a flexible schedule...
View Article
