Are you tired of attending “one size fits all” professional development? I can’t count how many PD workshops I attended that were for my entire school, but didn’t help me learn and grow as a teacher librarian. That’s why I love online PD for school librarians, and I think you’re going to love it too! It’s always nice to be able to do some professional
Boom Cards in the School Library
Have you heard about Boom Cards? They are no-prep, digital, interactive task cards that are super easy to use! They are just the ticket to add some fun to the learning in your virtual or in-person library classes! Follow these tips to get started using Boom Cards in the school library. What are Boom Cards? Boom Cards are self-grading exercises that are gamified for students
March eBooks for Fun Library Lessons
You probably know that I LOVE to create special storytime sessions for my primary grade library lessons. Leprechaun Storytime is always a big hit! Engaging picture books, music, movement and fun lead to high levels of engagement. Since weโre coming up on the one year anniversary of school closures due to the pandemic, Iโve been reflecting on how I was unable to do my traditional
Why Your Students Need Library Catalog Practice
I realize that many educators don’t see the importance of library catalog practice for our elementary students. Is it really that important for our students to know how to use this online version of the old-fashioned card catalog? I believe that mastery of these important library catalog skills contributes to strong lifelong learning and independent thinking. Consider the following scenario… How can we best help
School Librarian Professional Development Just for YOU!
How many times have you found yourself sitting in the middle of a school professional development aimed at classroom teachers? I know I’ve been there. We doodle in our notebooks and daydream of school librarian professional development just for us. We need PD that addresses the many facets of our roles within our schools. Our professional development must prepare us to meet the needs of
Holiday Research Mini Projects for December
December is not the time for a full-blown research project. But if you want to teach or review research skills with your students, a mini-unit for holiday research is just what you need. Students will still get practice on important research skills. But if a lesson is missed, it isn’t a problem (unlike when you’re doing those long, multi-week research projects). Stay Flexible in December
Empower Your Students with Library Catalog Skills
Every year I start out my library lessons with a review and some instruction on how my students can manage their library accounts. With all of the changes this year is bringing to our circulation routines, library catalog instruction is more important now than ever. Because of health and safety concerns from the Covid19 pandemic, some schools are not allowing students to browse for books,
Print to PDF for Distance Learning
Learn how to use Print to PDF for distance learning. Extract student pages from a longer document to share while teaching and learning remotely.
Library Lessons for Distance Learning
Educators are navigating a new normal as we deal with school closures worldwide during the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic. School librarians, along with all educators, are burning the midnight oil to create lessons for distance learning. As I mentioned in another post, the most important factor to consider at this time is connection with our students. So, how do we teach educational content while making that
Media Literacy and the Super Bowl
I’m all about seizing the teachable moment, so I’ve got the perfect media literacy lesson for you to use leading up to or immediately following the Super Bowl! It’s that time of year when more and more students are discussing football and their favorite teams. They come to school on Mondays talking about what happened at the latest playoff games. Excitement builds with each passing