With Thanksgiving Day approaching, I am focused on the second half of the word. One of the best ways to be thankful is to give back. As educators we do this every day. We work hard to reach as many…
With Thanksgiving Day approaching, I am focused on the second half of the word. One of the best ways to be thankful is to give back. As educators we do this every day. We work hard to reach as many…
The most supremely logical Mr. Spock, from the Star Trek series I adored from the very first, says in one episode, “It’s not logical, but it’s true.” As librarians we need to take those words to heart in order to…
Nearly a year ago (January 6, 2014) I blogged on Questions and Answers, pointing out that good answers showed understanding of the topic covered, while good questions demonstrated the ability to take the concepts learned and seek to explore it…
In 1997, Gary Hartzell wrote an article for the November issue of School Library Journal entitled “The Invisible School Librarian: Why Others Are Blind to Your Value.” Seventeen years have passed and little has changed for many – and there…
I have just returned the AASL Forum on School Librarians in the Anytime Anywhere Learning Landscape and as usual for this intense two-day institute I am precariously balanced between the excitement of new ideas (and old ones in new guises)…
As a 21st century school librarian you want projects to guide your students into becoming global and digital citizens. Here is a poetry project that’s already up and running and will connect your students to others from around the world…
Until the middle of the 20th century, Literacy meant one thing – you could read. It sometimes was modified with the word “functional” to indicate you were capable of reading at a sufficient level to survive in our society. Today…
On Saturday, August 16 the School Librarian’s Workshop Facebook page achieved a major milestone. The 1,000th member joined. Less than a year ago we had just passed the 400 mark. Knowing I am reaching so many librarians (although not all…
The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines a paradigm as “a … group of ideas about how something should be done, made, or thought about.” Unconsciously, we approach almost everything in life through a certain mindset. It is why those of us…
As school librarians we know students are our first priority. Most of us recognize that teachers follow close behind. Indeed where flexible scheduling exists, it’s hard to reach students without some connection with teachers. But what about your other stakeholders?…