Buckeye Children's Book Award promotion ideas!

Here are a few ideas to promote this award with your students!  Here's the website: http://www.bcbookaward.info/

Purchase the nominated books


Work with teachers to promote the books

Set up a voting booth for kids

Use displays, booktalks, and other activities to promote the books & election

Work with local businesses (newspaper, radio)

Host a BCBA “Character Day”

Feel free to share your ideas, or email if you want my actual lesson plans, with relevant Ohio Standards.

Lessons I didn't learn at school, but hope to use them there

6:00 a.m.- Yes, I am up; but is it because I am so excited to start the year?  Well, a part of me is, just not the part that dislikes the alarm clock sound.  As I am sitting here in the quiet, dark morning sipping that first cup of coffee, I am making my back to school resolutions, they remind me of things I learned from my family!

1.  Try not to offer unsoliticed advice!  "Don't you think if you just add ...."(my mother)  or "I would do it this way." (my little brother)  We have several new teachers in our building this year, and I so want them to have a good year.  But, in my zeal to help then out, I don't want my suggestions to sound like either criticisms or expectations.  Baby steps, Liz, baby steps.

2. Remember that not everyone sees life as a series of adventures.  Me- "come on boys, let's go on an adventure!"  Boys - "The last time you said that we went to the grocery store."  I have always felt like adventure is what you make it, and I have adventures every day both large and small.  I need to step back and recall that some people see a day of hills and mountains to climb, and are not as eager to try that something new.

3. Not everything has to be good for you, all the time!  Meaning, find the joy in your teaching and learning!  Have some fun.  "Try this, it's good for you."  I hereby swear on my stack of SLSs that I will not make a face everytime someone checks out "Captain Underpants."  Just because we have to teach things like multiplication facts or the Dewey Decimal System doesn't mean we have to do it all the time, sometimes we can just share a book because we love it. 

I hearby resolve to:

• Wake up every morning and give thanks for my job, my wonderful, my unpredictable, engaging students, my supportive, hilarious fellow teachers, and the starting of another day.
• I will try my best to make every day a little bit better for each person I interact with, and in turn they will improve mine!

I will find joy in everyday.                                         I hope you do, too.

10 on the 10th?

Alright, I follow Cathy's tweets and blog (Reflect & Refine: Building a Learning Community).  She is a friend and former literacy coach, and great early morning debater of topics large and small.  For details on this event, check out Cathy's blog.

Liz's Pick
1. The Napping House, what is there to say, critical viewing, change of prespective, amazing cumulative text.
2. The Other Side.
3. Tuesday.  Wordless books offer so much to the reader.
4. We had a Picnic This Sunday Past, Jacqueline Woodson.  Voice, characterization, sense of place, and great language
5. The Curious Garden
6. The Straight Line Wonder by Mem Fox
7.The Seeing Stick by Jane Yolen
8. 17 Things I'm Not Allowed to Do Anymore.  Definitely a conversation starter
9. Diary of a Fly
10. The Rescue of Aunt Pansy by Lisa Campbell Ernst

Addicted to technology? Or super shopper? You decide.

While attempting to organize my home office and get ready to take some things back to school, I realized that I have purchased a lot of new technology this summer.  I love it, it's great, but am I letting technology drive what I do?  Because of this question, I went searching for answers, and yes, I turned to the Internet.  I entered the phrase, "design 21st century learning environment" and got some interesting responses.  Of course, there are companies designing pre packaged learning under this new label, but I also found this.  http://www.p21.org/documents/le_white_paper-1.pdf   It is the latest white paper from P21 (Partnership for 21st Century Learning), 34 pages long, but a wonderful read!  We can't just buy all the new stuff, throw it at teachers and say, now you are a 21st century teacher. 
Back to the Innovation conference last week, I listened to a presenter who said, before getting any new piece, ask yourself, how can this be used to enhance education for my students.  Not just how can we add "razzle dazzle" to our final report.  With all that said, here are the items I purchased that I am betting will engage and deepen my student's learning and/or my teaching.
1. Flip camera. ($159) These are not new, but I really want to turn mine over to students to help us document what we are learning as we go though a study together.  This will help me as I reflect at the end of a unit, what worked, or more importantly, what didn't, and why.
2.  Pulse pen. ($129, plus $$ for the peripherals) It's the pen that will upload notes to your computer, and record the talking that went with it!  I want to share with teachers, I see lots of classroom application, but for the library learning center, I am going to challenge the kids to help us discover its best uses. 
3.IPEVO Point 2 View USB Camera  ($67 dollars on Amazon, new.)  It attaches with a USB connection, does NOT use the expensive bulbs that Elmo's use, and can be attached to lap tops around the room to design more "student at point of need" learning.  (Disclaimer:  I saw this at a conference, have not yet used it with kiddos, but I will as soon as I have some when school starts and will update!)
4.  Smart board.  OK, I had this last year, but this year I want to "re brand" it as a student used learning opportunity, not my glorified white board.

All of these tools should help me use inquiry in my daily teaching; small groups, at point of need, as well as using inquiry as my foundation on which I will design all of my teaching for this year.

My next blog I will share the next step of my journey toward an inquiry based library instruction.  It has already become a collaborative event, planning with another media specialist in my district to design a reciprocal communication between our students as we design this.

I have spent the last three days (plus one more day tomorrow) at a Conference co-sponsored by our district on Innovative Learning Environments.  I am energized and recharged.  The common threads from this conference on 21st century learning are: student choice for passionate learning, moving beyond standards, individualized learning opportunities.  How to do this?  Inquiry and projects, student-led learning, collaboration, utilizing 21st century tools to use strengths to enhance their learning.  My thought is this;  where in the school building can we do this?  The media center, of course!  But wait, this is 21st century learning, so let's use the 24/7 knowledge building center (online media center, and more!) to create, build upon, and share these learning opportunities.  I have found my goal for this year -- to guide  my students, staff, and extended learning community to contribute to and own this endeavor. 
To forward this goal, I am revamping my library home page (housed on my Destiny webpage), using Google Docs, wikis, Livebinder, flip cameras, and whatever else allows me to engage my students.  My physical space has already been revamped as best as can be in a 50 year old building (I like to call it the warm and cozy welcoming sanctuary), and I have just ordered a new $60 document camera (that is not a typo), and a few more tools to encourage these projects.
What next?  Think up some content and interest-driven projects and invite teachers to join me.

Most people make their New Year's Resolutions in January, I make mine in August as I resolve each year to  make this the "best school year ever!"  (Does that sound familiar to anyone else?)  Anyway, I am reviewing standards and scores in preparation for our building improvement meeting, browsing the AASL's Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning for appropriate tools to share, and reading multiple books that I have picked up over the summer.
Over the next few weeks I will decide what I want to do about that dreaded library orientation -- is it really necessary? Could my students orient each other? What could I do to assure the success of this idea?  Is there some way to demonstrate evidence of student learning during this process?
Once again I resolve to grab my camera more often, catch those iconic moments of spontaneous sharing, then share them with others as a demonstration of the learning that occurs in the media center.
What is the best way to share the Web 2.0 finds with my teachers?

I will be attempting to answer these questions over the next few weeks.  Feel free to offer your suggestions!

AASL Standards for 21st Century

In anticipation of a presentation I need to do in August about the Standards, I am going back to the beginning to study them and figure out how, when, and if I really use these standards.  This is requiring lots of reflection, pulling out lesson plans and projects, and reading the many books and journal articles I have collected.  My essential question for this exploration is "How do the AASL Standards improve the teaching and learning I do with my students?"
Today, inquiry.  I feel very competent in this area, but am I really?  time to read, and find out.

Rainy Day Fun

Finally, after so many days of hot, hot, hot it is raining and cooler!  What a great day to catch up on reading.  I am reading "The Surgeon" by Tess Gerritsen (in anticipation of the new TV show, "Rizzoli and Isles" based on her recurring characters), "The Burning Wire: A Lincoln Rhymes Novel by Jeffery Deaver, John Grisham's book for young people, and Kristin Fontichiaro"s newest book, "21st-Century Learning in School Libraries," a complication of articles about, you guessed it, our role in teaching and learning in the 21st century.  It is just lovely to be surrounded by books (some on my Kindle) and having the time to really read and enjoy them.
What you are reading right now?

A Librarian in Every School..

While surfing the net (a.k.a., avoiding work I should be doing!) I came across this article in Rethinking Schools.  Take a minute to read it and respond.


A Librarian in Every School..

Summer Reading Underway

I am almost finished reading "the Evolution of Calpurnia Tate."  This was an award winning book that flew under my radar.  I received it just before school ended this year, and decided it was one to take home for summer reading.  I am so glad I did; it is an interesting look back to life at the turn of the century, what things are the same and what things are different for girls today.  Each chapter has a heading that is a quote from Charles Darwin, Callie's grandfather is doing his own study of wildlife and corresponding with Darwin, a new voice that not everyone agrees with.  This would be a great read aloud for middle grades, as a subtle introduction to plant and animal classification and the importance of study through the naturalist lens.

Summer time!

Summer is here! Well, actually tomorrow morning at 7:30, but close enough for me to talk about what I plan to do with my summer vacation. To begin with, I am not taking or teaching classes; I am taking the summer off. What I am doing is: catching up on my reading, if you follow me you can find out what and if I liked it.
I am also organizing my professional thoughts, ideas, and ideologies. Follow along with me as I explore ways to embed 21st century skills into my teaching.

Happy New Year!

Wow! 2010, already. What I will do this year to make the world a better place? Starting at school I will:
1. implement a series of reading activities to engage students;
2. find ways to make my students more self-directed learners;
3. visit grade level meetings and design more integrated lesson/units to meet the needs of students & teachers to allow them to be effective 21st century learners.

In my professional life I will:
1. organize my calendar and prioritize my deadlines;
2. decide what extra activities I most love to do and filter out the rest;
3. enjoy myself as I do what I love!

In my personal life I will:
1. actually start to have a personal life!

How about you? What will you do to make the world a better place?

I wonder?

I just saw a posting on LM_Net from the California library organization that says they are offering a 23 things challenge. You know, learning about new Web 2.0 technology a week at a time? I am wondering if that is something we can do here in Ohio. Why not? How does one get something like that started? This sounds like a New Year's resolution to me.

Link to Booklink online article

I am still learning my way through the world of online. I just realized that I never connected the Booklinks online article I co-wrote with Christina to this blog. It is the article that shares ways to use some of the AASL's award winning websites for teaching and learning. Well, I'm going to try, so here goes nothing ...

http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=3804960

Let me know if this works or not!

Conference reflections

First things first, here are the items I told folks I would post.
http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=118439&title=21st_Century_Literacy
Video from AASL standards presentation

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/aasl/guidelinesandstandards/bestlist/bestwebsites.cfm
Website address for AASL's Top 25 websites for teaching and learning

And, my 6 word "memoir" list to start one thinking about 21st century learning:

Change happens, but for the better?
21st century brings new challenges, great!
Rest your curriculum on great standards.
Wash, rinse, repeat. Introduce, revisit, master.
When are busy students productive learners?
Reading for pleasure, a lost art?
Remember why you chose this career?
21st century is here, you ready?
Students moving ahead of us, yikes!
Be the change, make it happen.
Is inquiry encouraged when you teach?

Our latest state conference, OELMA 2009 was a great success! One the the best ways to measure the success of a conference is how much it causes you to reflect on what you currently do, and how you can improve it. I am still thinking, and reflecting, and making a plan to integrate at least one change this week!

A Successful Web 2.0 integration

As part of my orientation this week, I talked with my students about the importance of words. No surprise there, I am always calling on them to "wordsmith" and detail their writing. After reading a book about words (Max's Words or The Boy Who Collected Words), and then talking about the kinds of books we like to read, I brought up the website "Wordle" on the Smartboard. (This is one of the sites on AASL's Top 25 websites for Teaching and Learning.) I had each student give me one word to describe the kind of book they liked to read. Once everyone had a turn, we created a word cloud. The kiddos loved it! We followed it up with ideas of ways to use Wordle in class. They had great ideas.
Now that each class has visited, I have 16 word clouds and I am making a quilt of these clouds to show what our students think about reading. In a week, the school board will be having their September meeting in our school, and they will pass this display and the blurb that describes this process of using 21st century tools.
One of my goals this year is to model the teaching and learning websites by using them with students myself, I'm off to a good start!

New school year, new opportunities!

One week of school under my belt, and I am still excited about this year! My students are so thrilled to be back in the library media center, even "nagging" their teachers to schedule orientation times with me so that they would be able to begin their flexible check out. What powerful advocates they are, both to their teachers and their parents. In response to that, I plan to extend and enhance that enthusiasm in every way possible.

Here are my goals for this school year:

• I will share the newest technology and Web 2.0 sites available and offer ways to use them to foster inquiry and learning;
• I will use any means at my disposal (book fairs, grant writing, PTO requests, and more) to continually make available new book titles and share them with students both in whole class and individual student situations.
• I will suggest curriculum tie ins to my faculty, and offer to collaborate.
• I will maintain my cheery disposition all day every day even if those around me are not.
• I will find time to professionally develop myself, make time to share with library colleagues, and make time for myself personally!

How new are our new AASL standards?

I have read the new standards. I have read the books expanding on the new standards. I have come to the conclusion that they are not new -- they are intrinsic beliefs. Of course, I believe that reading is the cornerstone for the library, media center, or whatever you call your learning space. I practice inquiry with my students, whether it be whole class, small groups, or individuals. My question is: don't you? If you don't, why not??
I will continue to discuss the standards and indicators in the upcoming days, feel free to comment.

Ready for a new school year!

As I get ready to start a new year I am deciding what focus I want. Of course, I want to do it all; reading support, curriculum integration, cutting edge technology; but I know the reality is, once school actually starts, and the nitty gritty of daily life begins, it will be hard to stay out of a rut.
My current thoughts include: a rotating book display with student reviews (literacy), grade level teacher technology classes (technology), and monthy tech nights for families (community outreach).
Will I be able to follow though with all of this? I hope so. My overarching goal is to implement the AASL standards for 21st century learners; primarily concentrating on reading and inquiry.
Feel free to share with me any ideas you have for this year.

Why I Read

"http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dd57v2ff_2cdhts3d4&hl=en"