Public Comment: Continued Financial Support for School Librarians & Scho...

For BCPS Students: Accessing Your BCPL Resources

Books We Love Competition (2020)

What a Difference a Week Makes

Last week, we were closing schools in my district for what seemed like a two-week break.  Language Arts and Reading teachers were given a schedule to come to the library to have their students check out books.  Teachers and students helped me assist students and provide suggestions. Last Friday, over 500 books were checked out at our school.  I ended the day with sore feet and a happy heart. I had been able to see many students. At the time, my only concern was getting a few more supplies and soaking my feet.

Today, my concerns have grown. With each news conference and news segment, I grow concerned.  From disbelief to anger, to sadness. For a workaholic like me, I guess these are stages of grieving.  A week ago, I had ideas of things I would get done during the "break."  I had ideas about doing workouts and catching up on sleep and following-up on phone calls.  Today, I vacillate between pragmatism and defeatism. I guess that's normal for this pandemic we are facing. The world hasn't faced such an issue in its history.  During a time of "self-distancing" and talks of quarantines, I think my concerns are valid.

Today, I began to think of what I can do to help lessen the moments of defeatism.  I came up with a few things.  I don't think these are novel ideas but they may help others. Here it goes.

1.  I'm going to create a schedule for myself. I'm a WORKaholic. As such, I need something productive to do.  Whether it's creating resources for a virtual community of educators, sharing ideas with coworkers, sharing resources with friends. I'm going to create something, do something every day.

2.  I'm going to do something for others.  During a time of isolation, that may be difficult.  Two things came to mind.  I already mentioned doing things for the educational community but the call for DIY masks and blood drives are two areas where I can also assist. Even if the DIY masks are just for me, it should help lessen (see CDC suggestions) airborne pathogens spread just from breathing, speaking, etc. 

3.  I'm going to exercise.  It might be yoga, a walk or an IG group that listens to music from a DJ during a live session.  Whatever I do, I have to exercise and get an endorphin release that will help my mood.

4.  Communicate.  I'm not a talker.  It was after I chatted with my mom yesterday, that I saw how much it helped with my mood. The feelings of fear and worries that I held in for a few days lessened once I spoke about my concerns.  We may be physically isolated but we don't have to isolate our entire spirits and beings. Talking and communicating is going to be key for me and for others.

5. I'm going to pray and read my scripture.  This may not apply to everyone but for me, scripture eases my fears and gives me an anchor.  For me, prayer is going to help me during this time of uncertainty.

How are you coping? I'm curious about what others are doing to help themselves and others during this time of uncertainty.  Please share with me. Even it's only virtual, we can build a community. 

Take care,

Tiki

Adventures in The LC Newsletter

I'm working on a new post.  Until it is published, click here to read the recent newsletter for our school library, The LILTC.

Great News to Start the School Year

As we prepare to enter the fourth week of the school year, there is great news to report. The LITLC has seen an increase in check-outs, collaborations and student usage. How do we know? Using data from LibraryTrac, data from the first, three weeks of the 2018-2019 school year we compared to data from the first three weeks of the 2019-2020 school year.  Check-out or latest newsletter for more details.

Check-outs

 Why is this important?  Studies have shown the positive impact, pleasure reading has on student achievement.  Giving our students access to the books they want to read is key in creating a positive, reading environment.

Collaborations

Why is this important?  Studies have shown that continued collaborations positively impact the achievement of students. Whether it is a school assessment, state assessment, or national assessment, national partnerships between the school librarian and the classroom teacher are integral for today's global learners. 

Ms. Langley, a BCPL representative from the Loch Raven Branch, visited the school twice. Her first visit was during Back to School Night. Parents and students received information related databases and other privleges enjoyed by members of the BCPS. During her second visit, we began planning PROJLIT/BES book club and discussed the possibility of working together to have an author (or two) visit the area and speak with members of LRTA community.

Independent Student Usage

Having the library be a hub of learning is beautiful sight. Our students see our school library as a safe space and a fun place.  

I'm going to enjoy sharing more information as the school year continues.

Our Library is L.I.T.!

Our Library is L.I.T.!

What Have I Been Up To?

During the summer, I transferred to a new school.  I became focused on getting to know the students and staff of Loch Raven Technical Academy (LRTA).  From joining various committees to creating a library survey, I sought to build a rapport with members of the school community and get their insights regarding the library program at LRTA.  Based on the conversations, suggestions, opinions and needs, I developed a three year plan.

The first year, I have been focused on collection development and collaborative efforts. We are in the process of adding more e-books to the library collection, as well as providing more titles that reflect diversity.  Thanks to a grant we received from Capstone in December, we were able to add more interactive e-books to our collection.  The e-book titles include topics that are covered in various content areas, such as mythology, the solar system, historical events and math concepts in the real world.

She was sooooo excited to check-out this book.

Based on the student input, we have also added a YALIT section of popular titles.  Due to the age suggestions for many of the YALIT titles, students have to get a parental permission slip signed to read the books in the collection.  The section is in demand.  Titles such as Dear, Martin, The Hate U Give and To All the Boys I Loved Before are popular check-outs. Next year, these titles will be in the YALIT section of our genrefied fiction area. More information regarding the genrefication of the library (fiction section only) will be shared next year.😉

BCPL representatives check out books to the students.

This year, THE LITLC (the new name for our school library) has partnered with a public library in our area. Thanks to the collaboration, members of the Loch Raven Branch of the Baltimore County Public Library have visited the school to discuss online resources available to students and staff, as well as to team-up on PROJLIT book club meetings.  By having the BCPL as a resource, our school community has gained knowledge of the extra resources (books, databases, etc.) available to BCPS.

With the help of BCPL representative, PROJLIT members create zines.

Students enjoyed the chance to be creative.

Our first PROJLIT focus was realistic fiction. Students had a chance to pick from a variety of titles.

The video below is just a snippet of some of the activities in the library during the first two quarters of the school year. 

I look forward to creating more memories with my new family at Loch Raven Technical Academy.

They were in the holiday spirit. :-)

Mrs. Johnson, our principal and advocate.

One of the first parents I met in the school, Ms. Sellers has been supportive from the beginning.

We took a group of students to see the Broadway musical, Once on this Island. One of the many pictures we took during our field trip. 

I'm the advisor for The Coding Club. Here are some of The Coding Club members.

A few of the helping hands in the library.

Me and Mr. Beal, the STAT teacher for LRTA.

Three of LRTA's Angels. 

Some of the members of The Lunch Bunch Crew. I don't know what I would do without them.

Smiling faces. Keen collaborators.

During our first week back, the faculty was happily surprised by an icee truck in front of our school building.

The frozen treats brought a smile to our faces.

You can't help but be giddy when you get a free, frozen treat on a hot summer's day. This was the start of a beautiful friendship.

An avid reader, Ms. Garner is excited about the new books to our collection.

Lunch Bunch members help me select books for The LITLC.

These are just two of the faces that keep me smiling everyday.

My First ALA Experience: The Appetizer

Friday was the first official day of the ALA conference. Thanks to a tweet that was shared a weeks before the conference, I knew that my primary focus was to attend the Q&A between Michelle Obama and Dr. Carla, Hayden.  I had never heard either of the women speak in person before and I was excited. The first focus was to get breakfast and hope that the food would tide me over as I waited in the anticipated long lines to see and hear the former, first lady. First, I had a meeting to attend.

After a quick breakfast and attendance at the BCALA Executive Board meeting, my mom and I caught the shuttle to the convention center. As soon as we got off the shuttle, we headed to the information booth to determine where we should go to see Mrs. Michelle Obama.  We were told to go to hall H. At 10:30 am, the line was quite long.  Focused on our intent, we got in line. About an hour into sitting, my mom headed over to the Exhibit Hall.

Thankfully, I had Dan Chan, an artist and writer for numerous zines, and other line mates to keep me company.  I also met a future, BCALA board member and her daughter.  The wait was interrupted by an impromptu moment of cheering for Dr. Carla Hayden who walked past the line. It was once we entered the hall that the real party began.

I happened to sit behind a group of women who were equally enthusiastic about the music playing in the hall.  What began as individual seat dancing led to an impromptu Soul Train line.  We also passed the time by guessing the name of songs and sharing info about ourselves.  One of my seatmates shared my excitement about Dr. Hayden and was willing to be my photographer as I tried to get a close-up picture of one of the gurus in the library world.

A few minutes after 4 o'clock, the hall filled with the sounds of live music and we saw a group of teenagers on stage playing instruments.  I learned they were a group of musicians brought together by Trombone Shorty, a well-known jazz musician and children's book author. The infectious sounds made us clap our hands and pat our feet.  I was especially impressed to see a young lady leading the band before Trombone Shorty came on stage. Next, we were provided with words of encouragement by Jim Neal, the President of ALA, as well as an introduction of the new board and upcoming President of ALA, Loida Garcia-Febo. After his introduction, we received more words of encouragement and recognition by the mayor of New Orleans, Mayor Cantrell.  Then, we were introduced to  Mrs. Michelle Obama.

An intimate conversation between the former First Lady and the Dr. Hayden, the two engaged in a conversation regarding Mrs.Obama's memories of her time in the White House, as well as her gratitude for her parents, her parenting style, and her love of books. Mrs. Obama also remarked on the way books allowed her a chance to "get out of her own way" and take a break from the outside world.  Her words were sweet to the ears of the audience of librarians and bibliophiles.  An added bonus was the relaxed style of the conversation between the two and the feeling that we were a part of an intimate conversation between friends.

After the discussion, I hugged my seatmates. We held back tears as we marvelled at the moments we had just witnessed. A wonderful beginning to the conference, I knew the rest of my ALA adventure would be just as satisfying.

My First ALA Experience: The Amuse-Bouche

For the past five years, I have spent this time of the year at the International Society for Technology in Education conference (ISTE).  A conference focused on technophiles and education movers and shakers, ISTE has been the jam that I have spread on my PLN bread for numerous years. My first ALA experience was a memorable and sweet. Set in New Orleans, the American Library Association conference was not only a wonderful experience it was life altering.

First, I want to mention my travel companion for the conference.  My mom.  The Lucy to my Ethel, she and I rediscovered the joys of travelling together last year at the Black Caucus of the American Library Association Conference.  A gregarious person who has a way of making people feel appreciated and alive, my mom is a compliment to my sometimes stoic facade at conferences.  Always scoping out the lay of the land, my mom has a way of warming of the crowd and making everyone feel as they have met a long lost friend.

The first day in New Orleans, was spent searching for beignets.  The weeks prior to the conference, I had shared with anyone who would listen that my plan was to have a beignet everyday.  Prior to the conference, my only experience with beignets was at a Cajun
Festival decades ago in Virginia.  Thanks to number of food shows, my desire to try the flaky, warm pastry again was enhanced as I planned for the trip to NOLA.

Walking along Royal Street, we saw many sights and sounds.  The number 300 displayed on steps to commemorate New Orleans' tricentennial birthday. The sound of music coming from various shops and riverboats.  The smells of various foods in restaurants.  Eventually, we found Cafe Du Monde.  After quite a wait for service, we chose to go to Cafe Beignet (a block or so away).  Our selection was not a disappointment. We were able to get quick service and the wait for the beignets was minimal.

No words can describe my joy when I saw that the order was an established number of three beignets. My mom was a bit shocked that I seemed intent on eating three beignets at one time and suggested that I save one or two for later.  "They aren't the same cold," I told her as my eyes glazed over at the sight before me.  Shaking her head, she sipped her lemonade.

Warm and flaky, the sweet pastry was better than I remembered. In this case, Sade was wrong.  It was better than the first time.  Each bite was a journey. The first bite was euphoric. The second bite was sublime. The third bite was nirvana. Intent on not wasting too much of my beignet experience, I ate the corners of the other two.

Intent on walking off a few of the calories from the beignets and seeing a few more sights in New Orleans, my mom and I walked to Canal Street to catch a trolley.  During the ride, we met other first time visitors to NOLA  and discovered a few shotgun houses that reminded me of my father's childhood home.

Intent on getting my badge and bag before the first day of the conference, I convinced my mom to catch the shuttle with me to the Convention Center.  In hindsight, this was a good move because it allowed us to have more time for the long line that awaited us the first day of the conference.

Next Blog Topic: My First ALA Experience: The Appetizer

I wanted to share a review for the novel, Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds.

Tlovesbooks rated a book it was amazing Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds recommended for: all

Read My rating: 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars[ 5 of 5 stars ]

Did he or didn't he? Written like a poem. Chapters Stanzas brief and filled with imagery that tug at your heart. In the end, you wonder... did he or didn't he? Each descent with a deceased family member, childhood friend, and family foe seems to foreshadow the c   h    a      i        n of gun violence, loss and death. Did he or didn't he? Written in free-verse, the novel tells the story of Will.  A young man still learning the ways life, Will's brother is killed by an unknown gunman.  Using the rules taught to him to his brother, Will is determined to get revenge for is brother's death.  It is during his ride in the elevator that he encounters people from his past who were killed by gun violence.   A poignant read that will hurt your heart and may cause you to read the book in short spurts, Long Way Down is a timely work that will attract young readers and anyone who enjoys YALit.

Who knew that a tweet would lead me to step out of my comfort zone?  

Anyone who knows me, realizes I tend to be a creature of habit. I also don't like to do something that I am not "good at." ClassFlow was that something.  Reintroduced to it in August during a library media specialist professional development,  I was intrigued by the tools that were offered. From collaboration to individual assessment, it seemed to have everything I was looking for in an online resource. A week or so later, I tried to recreate a chart I could use with students during their library orientation.  For whatever reason, I couldn't figure out how to create the charts I had envisioned in my head.  The unfamiliarity led me to put ClassFlow on the shelf.  I changed my mind when I saw a Tweet.

 

The Tweet that started it all

I was intrigued and contacted Jennifer Dingle to set-up a session.  Immediately, I was put at ease by her jovial manner.  No question was too embarrassing to ask and many of my ideas were exciting to her.  I shared with her that I wanted to use the tool for a lesson that was a week away.  A daunting task considering the lesson I envisioned required use of tools and tricks that veteran ClassFlow users tended to use, Ms. Dingle encouraged me to try it out and told me the steps I would have to complete. We set-up another date and time for a follow-up meeting to check my progress.

Planning was key

Long evenings at the school were my time to focus on the lesson and create the charts I wanted based on the notes and directions provided by Mrs. Dingle. The next few evenings reminded me of my first year as a teacher in Baltimore County Public School Systems.  Quite a bit of work was required to create slides students could edit as a group, as well as slides which linked students to Flocabulary videos related to a test taking strategy assigned to the group.   Realizing that some of the lesson needed to streamlined, I asked for the input of the classroom teacher I would present the lesson within the next week.  Mrs, Walder provided me with a list of nine literary topics that the students needed to focus on (text structure, summarizing, inferencing, etc.).  One more planning session with Jennifer Dingle, and I was ready to present the lesson to the class.

Placed in groups by their classroom teacher, students were given the task to watch a Flocabulary video and create a presentation for their peers. The presentations had to include two or more tips , an example the audience could try to answer, and the answer with an explanation. Working collaboratively with their peers on charts, students assigned roles to members within their groups and began to work on the presentation using ClassFlow.  For many of the classes, this was their first time using ClassFlow.

The first day of the lesson we had a few glitches; however, the lessons moved smoothly thanks to the presence of Mrs. Dingle. By the second day, we streamlined the lesson once again.  For some classes, the students would view the Flocabulary videos as a class and take notes for the tips provided using the notebook feature in ClassFlow.  For another class, students remained in their groups and completed their charts with test strategies and tips. Mrs. Walder agreed to grade the notebooks once the students shared their work with her.  

  

Thanks to a tweet, I was able to try a new technological tool, collaborate with a new partner, and enhance a lesson. I am so grateful I saw that Tweet and I am grateful I was able to enhance the learner centered environment in the library. Using ClassFlow was a wonderful way to engage the students and add rigor to the lesson. 

Mid-Year Review (2017-2018)

The beginning of the school year, there were numerous plans to continue project based learning (PBL) in the school library.  I had visions of increased collaborations with teachers in the building and reached out to several people within our community, as well as my district.  Unfortunately, many of those plans were not able to be fully realized.  Whether there were teacher concerns for curricular demands (which is understandable) or fiscal constraints to visit a historian to assist students with a video montage of the history of the school, it was disheartening (to say the least) to see numerous ideas and plans become dismantled. Fortunately, things began to turn around once I spoke to a few trusted colleagues and received their input.

The first colleague to assist me was one of the school counselors in my school, Mrs. Thomas-Aulu.  Once I shared the vision for the library as a hub for learning she suggested we team up on a series of bullying lessons.  These lessons would meet the district demands for increased discussions regarding bullying and provide a way to work with some new teachers in our school building.  Working with Mrs. Thomas-Aulu during the first semester was a success.  The bullying lessons provided sixth grade students much needed information regarding the definition of bullying. Through the lessons, we provided suggestions for students to follow as they sought to become upstanders.

The second colleague to assist me was the STAT teacher in our school, Niamh McQuillan.  The previous year, she had been a major cheerleader for project based learning in the library.  I shared the list of PBLs I had hoped to do for the school year and shared the fact many of those plans were not going to be realized.  My primary concern at the time was that we would not have enough students to take part in a PBL opportunity with Baltimore Center Stage.

A few weeks before the school year ended, I received information regarding Baltimore Center Stage's Young Playwrights Festival (YPF).   Ms. McQuillan then began to help me think of ways to provide outreach directly to the students and parents within our school building. She suggested that I create a video that would entice the students to try the YPF opportunity in our school. Because I do not have a class of students of assigned to me, I needed to get the information to students and parents who were interested in the opportunity. Ms. McQuillan suggested that I visit classrooms to share the video and give students to get the permission slip to join the PBL. She also reminded me to utilize the contacts I had made in the previous year as way to continue the strides that we made in community and student engagement in the previous year.  Her advice was helpful. Thanks to her suggestion, more students and parents signed-up for the YPF opportunity. I was excited at the possibilities of working with students as they recognized their creative gifts.

This excitement has continued into the New Year.  Instead of focusing on what goals we aren't meeting in the library, I chose to focus on the goals we have met and exceeded. This excitement was compounded when I created an infographic to showcase the successes in the school library during the first portion of the school year.  Using Piktochart, I created an infographic to show the highlights and stand-outs associated with our school year.

Looking at this information, I am excited about the possibilities for the school library program at Windsor Mill Middle School.  During the duration of the school year, I will continue to look at different ways to meet the goals I have set for The SMaRTZone Library. If those goals need to be revised, I will continue to use Ms. Thomas-Aulu and Ms. McQuillan as resources to help me determine any revisions I need to consider or new avenues I should utilize in order to meet the needs of our school community.