-

The Orphan in My Family Tree, Part 7
This is Part 7 of The Orphan in My Family Tree. It is the true tale of my ongoing search for the parents of my great great grandpa Fritz, who was orphaned in New York City in the late 1870s and sent, at the age of seven, to live with a foster family in Bow Valley, Nebraska.…
-
School Librarian: Advocacy Leader
This week in my Information Technologies in Educational Organizations course, we’ve been learning and talking about leadership, advocacy, and evidence-based practice. As future school librarians and engaged members of society, my classmates and I know that many of our country’s school and public libraries are in trouble. We know that user-centered, evidence-based practice and an effective advocacy plan…
-
Why a Wiki? Content Collaboration in the Middle School
A wiki is a content collaboration tool that enables people to work together remotely to share ideas, develop new understandings, plan and negotiate processes, make decisions, and solve problems. A wiki can serve as a sandbox for collaboration and working together, and it also can serve as a presentation medium for finished work. Students can…
-
Library Learning Blogs
Teacher-librarians can use blogs in their school libraries to connect with students and the community, to support learning standards, and to give students a voice in collection and program development. I like the idea of a blog written by the school librarian(s) that promotes library activities and resources; a blog written by students in which…
-
Library Learning Standards
Teachers, Did you know the American Association of School Librarians has learning standards that align with the Common Core learning standards you use in your content area teaching? The AASL Learning Standards & Common Core State Standards Crosswalk contains a number of connections that can provide a basis for collaboration with your school librarian. The crosswalk…
-
Incorporating Informational Text Into Library-based Activities
School librarians can serve an important role in supporting teachers and students as they adjust to new expectations. While I still have a number of questions about the best way to assist teachers as they integrate Informational Text into their lessons, I see a number of opportunities that these authentic texts offer. Check out my Goodreads…
-
Supporting Technology Integration for Teachers
School Librarians can provide important in-house opportunities for professional development, especially in the arena of the integration of technical tools that support 21st Century Learning in the classroom. Teaching teachers is clearly different from teaching younger students. In spite of the differences, the ARCS Model of Motivational Design, which focuses on the four motivational elements of attention, relevance,…

