No More Public Displays of Achievement | Heinemann Blog Research has shown that children respond negatively when reading is rewarded with "junk." When given incentives such as candy, toys or stickers, the motivation to read actually decreases and students become less likely to read in the long run. In No More Reading for Junk, authors Barbara Marinak and Linda Gambrell provide research-based context for fostering reading motivation in children, and share strategies and techniques that are proven to transform students into passionate, lifelong readers. A common reading incentive is public displays of achievement — a way to measure the number of books or pages read, or the total reading time for students. In this video, Barbara and Linda explain the downside to this method, and say it often leads to "public displays of humiliation." Barbara A. Linda B.
On Being a Ninja Librarian: Getting Teens Into the School Library What’s a Ninja Librarian, you ask? Slow down! I’ll tell you! I recently attended an awesome Librarian’s conference in Harrogate, UK where I met current School Librarian of the Year, Amy McKay. I wanted to share her ideas and some of mine to highlight ways to make the school library fun for teens. To help alleviate stress on the part of older students and to bring them into the library. Yes, a story time. Amy also runs a Zombie Survival Course. One of my favourite ideas from Amy’s session is how, in July, she visits all of the primary schools with children entering her high school in Sept. This way, when they enter the school in Sept, they already know who she is and they’ve all (hopefully) read the same book. As for me, being a ninja librarian is what I strive to become on a daily basis. My most successful one was during well-being week when I asked students to write out messages of well-being that other students could take with them. Getting teens into the library can be a challenge.
The ‘teacher’ in ‘teacher librarian’ – Thoughts, sometimes outbursts – Medium Earlier this week, through Twitter, I became acquainted with Lisa Hinchliffe, Professor/Coordinator for Information Literacy Services and Instruction in the University Library at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an affiliate faculty member in the university’s library school. While perusing her writing, this paragraph resonated with me: Careful consideration to constructing the learning environment and not only focusing on teacher performancehas been a mantra for my instructional design practice since then. This is a very interesting area of investigation for me as a teacher librarian. Nothing could be further from the truth, in fact, because (and I feel like telling them this, but it’s too long and sounds defensive), my role is just as integrated in education as a teacher’s only it’s more diverse and doesn’t necessarily play out as the teacher at the front of the class which the teacher owns. Sigh. The ‘learning environment’ is exactly what the library is about.
School Libraries and Their Influence on School Culture School culture refers to the way teachers and other staff members work together and the set of beliefs, values, and assumptions they share. A positive school climate and school culture promote students’ ability to learn (ASCD, 2017). Students, staff, administration, and parents are influential to the school culture, but so is the facility, the history, and the community. I have worked in a handful of different schools, and each school had its own culture. Is your school culture “positive” or “negative”? In a school with a positive culture, there’s an informal network of heroes and heroines and an informal grapevine that passes along information about what’s going on in the school: a set of values that supports professional development of teachers, a sense of responsibility for student learning, and a positive, caring atmosphere exist (Education World). School librarians CAN have an effect on school culture. Establish a reading culture: Stay current on award-winning books. References ASCD.
Stories: Listening, Telling, Teaching, and Learning I began to fully appreciate the power of telling stories when I read Robert Coles’ The Call of Stories: Teaching and the Moral Imagination. Throughout the book, Coles emphasizes the important role stories play in our lives. He uses a quote from the poet William Carlos Williams to make his point: “Their [his patients’] story, yours, mine — it’s what we all carry with us on this trip we take, and we owe it to each other to respect our stories and learn from them."1 Now, I cannot help but analyze myself and the people around me — particularly young people — when we are sitting at a gathering and listening to a keynote speaker or to anyone who is at the front of the group and talking. Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now? Can we survive it out there? Can we make it somehow? In another graduation speech, I found myself telling a story to my son’s class at their high school graduation. For Further Information Peters, Dane. Notes 1.
Bridging the Divide between School Librarians and School Administrators As a classroom teacher of 8 years, 3 years as a high school assistant principal, and 6 years as a head high school principal, I have had the opportunity to learn from many colleagues. In no area has this colleague-driven growth been more pronounced than in my conceptualization of the role that school libraries and school librarians play in deep learning and conceptual understanding for students. By and large, what principals know about libraries we learn from the librarians that we work with. Librarians must see themselves as advocates and as lead learners in their buildings. Like any great educator, the foundational work of school librarians must be relational. Why exactly are librarians so critical in helping a school fulfill a mission of 21st-century readiness for students? Additionally, school libraries deepen conceptual understanding and help to cultivate the intellectual virtues. Author: Scott Beck Scott Beck, Ph.D., is Principal at Norman High School.
Advocating for your school library | Leading your school library | Leading and managing | School libraries | Services to Schools | National Library of New Zealand Why advocacy is important If your stakeholders know the value of the school library in supporting teaching and learning, you'll be able to rely on their support. This includes the board of trustees, your principal and management team, staff, students, parents and whānau. They can help you ensure that: the library is well used collection development is well funded library staffing levels are adequate library initiatives have the support they need to be successful. Advocacy is particularly important when things are changing. your senior management team changes the school is planning to redevelop your library funding changes will affect your library budgets. Who can advocate for your library? Members of your school library team are the most obvious, but not the only advocates for your library. People who you’ve built a strong relationship with can champion the services you provide. How to advocate for your library The interactions you have with people are another opportunity for advocacy.
18 Times Libraries Had the Best Holiday Displays Ever Libraries are truly the gift that keeps on giving! If you’re the kind of bookworm who absolutely loves going to the library every chance you get — and you’ve been dreaming of a bookish holiday season — then you’re sure to adore these dazzling displays, which prove that libraries really know how to tap into the holiday spirit. 1. We wouldn’t trim a thing on this bookish tree. 2. This snowman isn’t melting anytime soon. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. Love this article? Which of these displays is your favorite? Want access to free & bargain ebooks?
Have You Seen The Awesome Additions To Collections By Destiny In The Last 6 Months? Collections by Destiny is one of my favorite resources. I use it in so many ways as I curate, create, plan, organize, and collaborate to bring resources, my work and that of others together in one spot. And one of the best parts, I can share my Collections and use others which are created by colleagues around the world. I wanted to share this list of awesome additions with you too! Emojis and stickers for students Show or hide Public and Featured CollectionsInstructor only resource optionBrowse Google Drive folders Abuse reporting Share link for Public Collections Clickable and searchable resource tagsImporting Resource Lists into existing Collections Uploading custom resources images, which I wrote about here 160 FREE Featured Collections in a new Featured tab You can also read more about Collections here and...watch this video to find out more. Collections will make a difference you and your students, teachers and school community in 2018 too!
Advocacy and the 21st Century School Librarian: Challenges and Best Practices Librarianship | August 24, 2017 School librarians must work harder than ever to prove their value to students, educators, administrators and parents. Get tips to incorporate school library advocacy into your daily practice. School librarians must work harder than ever to prove their value to students, educators, administrators and parents. Although dozens of school library impact studies have clearly shown the positive influence of school libraries on student achievement, many school districts across the U.S. have cut school library budgets, often eliminating certified librarians in favor of hiring part-time aides or volunteers. The American Library Association (ALA) launched the Libraries Transform Campaign to increase public awareness of the value, impact and services provided by libraries and library professionals. In addition to budget cuts, key challenges for school librarians include: Want to learn more? Harlan, M. Kachel, D. (2017). Advocacy, Libraries, Schools
Advocacy for school libraries :: ASLA [Reproduced with permission: Australian School Library Association, ASLA XXI Conference Committee, 2009 ASLA XXI Biennial Conference proceedings: engage, explore, celebrate] Karen Bonanno, Executive Officer, ASLA Rob Moore, President, ASLA Abstract Advocacy is the responsibility of every person involved in developing information literate school communities. The Australian School Library Association’s publication, ‘A teacher librarian advocate’s guide to building information literate school communities’ should become part of every advocate’s toolkit. For any advocacy campaign about school libraries, teacher librarians and information literacy/fluency to be successful, it is important to plan the process by identifying the target audience, specific content and the most effective method of delivery. What is advocacy? The Canadian Association of Public Libraries has developed a definition that is well worth considering. Reason: the ‘why’ of advocacy Responsibility: is it someone else’s job?
Free Photos for Education | Pics4Learning Pics4Learning is a safe, free image library for schools. Teachers and students can use the copyright-friendly photos and images for classrooms, multimedia projects, web sites, videos, portfolios, or any other project in an educational setting. Photographers from around the world donate images to this collection. While the photographers retain the rights to these photos, they have graciously allowed their use through this collection. The thousands of donated photos are approved for use in the classroom, indexed, and sorted in order to maximize their effective use by students in a 21st century classroom. With your active participation, this image collection will continue to grow into an even more valuable resource. Image Use Policy The Pics4Learning collection is intended to provide copyright friendly images for use by students and teachers in an educational setting. Images cannot be used for commercial production without permission. The History of Pics4Learning
Pick up a book and share it with a child: it's the key to success in an uncertain future Opinion By Alan Finkel Updated Parents often ask me what they ought to do to prepare their children for a future they can scarcely imagine, in a world that's changing before their eyes. I say that there's a brilliant learning technology already on the shelf. It builds vocabulary, conveys knowledge, fosters creativity, improves concentration, develops skills of reasoning and pattern recognition, calms anxiety and opens discussions … all this, while nurturing love and bringing joy. The batteries last forever. Can you guess? An old technology, for the future It's the book: the humble book, an old technology that's still our portal to the future. Consider this: every four years, our students take part in a global assessment called TIMSS, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study. Books that shaped Australia's great minds The best book is the one you read Of course, it's one thing to have books on the shelf — it's another thing altogether to use and enjoy them. My challenge to you