TASLA 2011: A Little Bit More

I did not get this information posted in a timely manner relating to the administrator's conference in June. Life, my topsy-turvy life, got in the way! I wanted to go ahead and include it here, particularly because of the author Lester Laminack and his books! Charming word-involved picture books, but more importantly a master in drawing you into how to use his books or anyone else's for matter to convey an idea, share knowledge or create a mood. If you ever get the chance to experience him go for it! You will not be disappointed!

*****************

Day 2 is not starting off well...our Internet is being clunky! A room full of Librarians not connected is not a happy place. Grrr.


PSJA Reads Together...Catch the Reading Wave...Read!

A 7-year old community wide reading promotional program coordinated through the Library Department of PSJA ISD. Nora Galvan, one of my favorite TASLA friends, passionately is explaining it to us. It is a multi-level, multi-age program using lots of donated and half-pice books. Lots of book clubs giving the students a chance "to belong." Timeline seems to run by six-weeks periods.

Cute book Shiver Me Letters was part of her presentation. A very touching tribute to the New Orleans tragic hurricane--the film produced by middle schoolers was very emotionally charged for the book Ruined by Paula Morris. The high school example was for Speak. Another great production was for Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater. Incredible student productions! (with editing help from the district) You can't help but want to read the books.

Some of the featured books (and others) are here on a YouTube collective video.

Maybe this can be adapted for a school who could work with a high school video crew???? A collaborative opportunity.

Project Share - Lannon Heflin, Region 13 ESC

You can have a url as a part of this program..space online for you

www.epsilen.com/[your name once you register]

use it as a "teacher page", a training area, a whatever!

it can be your professional portfolio...something you really need to develop if you haven't!

There is a course catalog with projects developed and shared by others. You can see them by date or subject.

TEKs - updates & materials available for use

Digital resources .. free and otherwise

• science resources will be here in place of the no textbooks plan.
• open source content
• NY Times digital archives - the speech example

Professional networking

Districts have space for PD (moodle, Blackboard idea)

student learning access - probably secondary level most beneficial. This part is just know starting, in the infancy stage.

Life-long teacher account. Has to be set up within an institution connection, but is ongoing.

Texas Education Itunes U - videos from colleges, univerisities, other entitites, free to use!

OnTrack - end of course prep materials

The Faces of Project Share - each school district has a presence.

Phase 3 - student account portion.

• earth to space High School course - official online course for credit
• OnTrack end of course info
• other things I didn't capture

Lester Laminack - author

Three Hens and a Peacock

the after lunch speaker

keeps a writer's notebook

telling a good story is his reason for writing

The book he is currently working on ---Sam Loves Pink , 4 1/2 rough & tumble boy who just likes the color. A real-life experience he has had with a young kid; sounds fabulous.

Discussion of picture book uses...explanation of war

Playing War

Faithful Elephants - personally one of my favorite books..is NOT for young children or those who can't get through emotionally charged material!

Harmonica

Yellow star

erica's story

The woman's hat

scene from number the stars

railroad in the sky

under the the quilt of night

Ruby Brdges

Through my Eyes

Remberence

bullying

accentuate that we are the same

there is difference

be good to eddie lee

momma zooms

human beings can be acting based on their feelings love and fear

show active violent reactions...direct bullying

One (another title Zero)

the terrible thing

Bystander

Thank you Mr turrupt

critical literacy

Getting Boys To Read

ABDO has a list on web site

sophisticated media consumers by the time they enter school!

collection development ideas from boys' pajamas

using video games to develop collection

duty to have great football collection football literacy on the website

TASLA 2011: One More Time

Eighth year for my very favorite professional gathering!

The Texas Association of School Library Administrators conference...a small group of school library folks, about 75-100. Heard attendance is around 90 this year even in the midst of the changes and cuts. Many, many new folks on board...lead librarians were really encouraged to come this year.

Remember when you read this...it is a rough cut!!

Selecting Multicultural Materials and the Tejas Star Book Award

Good list of books from ESC Region One for the 2011-2012 award.

5th year for this award. Let's get more students involved in these books..from across the state.

These books were originally written in Spanish or true Spanish/English bilingual format.

The year's list are all in the bilingual format.

Other lists to consider when working on collection development:

Pura Belpre Award

Mildred L. Batchelder Award - published in another language and translated into English

Americas Book Award

Tomas Rivera Mexican American Book Award

more later!

Facts worthy of thinking about:

English language learners in Texas schools - involves 86 different languages...86!!! 830,713 students. Almost 91% of these 830 thousand + students are Spanish speakers learning English.

Hispanics currently make up 16% of the U.S. population but only 2% of the books published have Hispanic characters and Hispanics make up only 2% of authors publishing.

African-Americans currently make up 12% of the U.S. population but only 5.2% of the books published have Black characters and African-Americans are only 2.7% of the authors publishing.

Advocacy for School Library Leaders: A Call to Action

Advocacy Action wiki

Judy Moreillon

What ONE role of the five that we do will save us!

The group voted this way:

leader 24

instruction partner 15

info specialist 11

teacher 7

program administrator 0

her group when she initiated this study chose instructional partner as the most influential.

My personal choice is teacher...in order to survive I believe we must be seen as a teacher first and foremost because the power brokers understand that position, that term itself. The other roles are natural partners to being an effective teacher.

As is my problem often, I think instructional partner is a semantic issue...to me collaborative teacher is the same thing!

And what I have know for a VERY long time is we must be ALL FIVE all the time!

But I still stick with teacher being my primary role if I am to survive as a school librarian.

Feel free to share your own thoughts!

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

God bless her, Gloria Meraz of TLA is trying to update the legislative/school financial issues as best she can with the positive approach she always presents. I just can't capture all the ideas in my head, much less try to put it on the blog. Read the papers, go to the internet, read what you want, write to who you think can influence the issues...it is just TOO much for me at this moment...maybe I can make sense out of it later. And remember one of the best ways to tell them how you feel...whatever side you are on, whatever group you support..VOTE. The primaries in March, the general election the next November.

Questions

SB8 vote next week

SB6 / HB6

instructional materials allotments

use the money to purchase databases, technology or textbooks "super fund"

must be spent on things that related to assessments....STAR, the tests

another version...must be spent on things that cover the TEKs

remember that allotments do not always get funded!

Moving from ratings to distinctions

School can earn distinctions in

fine arts

physical fitness

acquisition of foreign language, 2nd language (ASL)

academics

21st century workforce

and the new 6th one advanced learners - high performers ...this one is still in development

it will still be a "competition"

but think about how you as a librarian can help your school achieve these distinctions!

Remember - SILENCE GETS YOU NO WHERE

Ok...I need to close out this session...more later. I am overwhelmed thinking about all of this AND all the side conversations going on both in sessions and breaks and meals!!

027.8 District 8 Overview: A Worthy Gathering

Ok, I'm going to do my best to get back on track with my blog. I actually have missed writing and so many good thoughts and ideas are gone because I simply had no time.

So, let me begin my renewal with a short review of our TLA District 8 meeting that was held this past Saturday.

I was charmed by the author Gwendolyn Zepeda, a native Houstonian who has written both adult fiction and children's books. Her children's titles include Sunflowers/Girisoles and Growing Up with Tamales/Los Tamales de Ana, both bilingual books for children from 3-8. She shared wonderful little personal vignettes about her experiences in libraries as a child, a young mother, and as an author of children's books. It was was delightful! Being from the area, she might be someone you might consider for a visit.

The District 8 program offered a variety of things. Two colleagues presented sessions that turned out to be quite popular. As soon as I get their permission, I will link to their topics. I did a review of five things you can do to quickly become 2.0! Much of our time was discussing the difference between copyright and credit and how in an educational setting you have access to many things, but you still must credit them! That and the importance of hyperlinks..or making the info hot! such a simple thing, but o so important in adding depth to the online world.

Update: here is one of the sessions: Making It Work Together: Integrating Reading, LA, and 2.0 Tools

It was quite a memorable day for us. One colleague was asked to serve on a TLA committee and
the other was recognized for her length of service in libraries...36 years so far!! (and that doesn't count her many classroom years!) Yours truly...well, I have been to so many District 8 meetings no one (including me) can remember.

A good day, but I think for me personally, the highpoint was running into so many of my library school students...the ones who are working on their certification and degrees to become great school libraries. The eagerness and ethusiasm that registers on their faces and comes out in their comments really does me good. I am glad I have had a tiny little part in creating their readiness to take on one of greatest jobs, if also not one of the hardest jobs, in the world. They certainly helped me remember why I do it!

028.9 TeenBookCon 2010: Some Reflections

Enjoyed a nice day this past Saturday volunteering for a good pal at the TeenBookCon 2010. Got to hang out with some fun librarians from the local area, folks from our favorite neighborhood bookshop and some creative and clever authors!

I had a variety of little jobs that allowed me to interact a bit with teens who love and appreciate good stories. It was fun seeing their enthusiasm for the event and their excitement over the anticipation at being in the same room with the likes of Sharon Draper. All the buzz about "how good her books are " and "I don't think I could just say one is my fav" gave my librarian's heart a good jolt of "feelin' good!" One district Librarian colleague and I checked in some of the 400 students who attended and took their lunch orders. Who knew choosing between pizza nad Chic-fi-la would be so hard a task at 10:00 in the morning? Sometimes we had to revert to reference interview techniques to get an answer and get the line moving! (KR, enjoyed working with you as always...and solving several of the world's problems as well! :-))

One of my favorite duties of the day was monitoring the authors' break room and making sure they had plenty of coffee, food, cold water, food, sodas, food, ice, and did I mention, food! And the ever-so-important chocolate, of course! (My pal and I had had a fun adventure a few days earlier wheeling a cart thru Costco's aisles picking out just the right things.) Another Librarian in my circle allowed me to move into her slot in the break-room while she went off to serve pizza to the teens (Thanks CL, I owe you in more ways than one.)

Her generosity allowed me to have that few minutes of up close and personal where, among the delightful conversations I overheard, was the discussion four authors were having, not over the finer points of book writing and publishing, but the latest and greatest in oversize scanners. It made me laugh that they were deep in discussion about technology at a book convention! But I also learned something...the scanner is important in the working with large graphic panels that they create for their novels! (The weirdest little things just fascinate me.) They assured me they were having lots of book talk too! L to R: Terry Moore, the Fillbach Brothers, and Jimmy Gownley.

AND I also got to meet a blogger (& author)that I have been following for all the years I have been messin' with blogging...and if you want the skinny on anything bookwise, you should follow Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog . You can also read her take on the day. Yes, I feel connected online with all the folks I follow, but a f2f encounter is a grand ol' cherry on top of the hot fudge sundae.

Here's the whole wonderful group of authors and info about them!

Photo credits:

Pizza Handlers - from FlickrCC by libraryink

Registration - from FlickrCC by libraryink

4 authors - by VWB

CLS - by VWB
Author group - from flickrCC by libraryink

940.5318 The Diary of Anne Frank: A Classic Retold

On April 11, 2010, Holocaust Remembrance Day, PBS and Masterpiece Theater will present a new version of the classic coming-of-age story The Diary of Anne Frank.

Click on the picture for access to a video preview.

The Great Books Foundation, a partner with WGBH, has created and gathered together all kinds of support materials to use in conjunction with this new production and the Holocaust in general.

One of the most interesting things is a VoiceThread where students, teachers, and others can go in and comment on the production and project. Voice Thread has given free access to this sample, but there is a registration involved to make comments.

Ciick HERE to go to VoiceThread.

Here is another brief preview through YouTube .

In researching this new production, I also came across the only know movie of Anne Frank herself. It is a brief few seconds of her in an upper window watching her neighbor's wedding departure. There is no sound!

And of course , with the recent death of Miep Gies (at age 100), the last survivor of the real-life members of the history-making event, there has been renewed interest in the story and will likely spill over to the new production. Here is a portion of an interview where she talks about the diary and giving it to Anne's father.

In our district, the book and the time period have always studied and discussed on several levels so we have some long-time resources that also will probably come to the forefront again with this new production. Check our "cool new"catalog for other resources.

The message remains timeless.

153 Thinking...on Many Levels

Take two minutes (and a few seconds) and watch this...



Now react...

741.5 Make a Wimp of Yourself!

Go here and "wimp" yourself!
Stay on the site a few extra minutes...it's fun watching yourself!

My wimpy self in action

A trailer of the movie coming out on March 19th is also available here.
Included at the site are some other fun things related to the movie and book.

027.8 Libraries, Librarians & Kids: Outta the Blogs of Babes!

Super Star #4 paid homage to her Librarian and the excitement in her school library in a recent blog post

"The library is the BEST place in the history of the world!!!!!!!!!!!"

This young 5th grade girl likes everything in her library...the books, the technology, the contests, the freedom to explore what interests her. How lucky she is to have that kind of place to visit.

Her blog reflects her many interests in and out of the library and school. But I can tell that reading is a big part of her life because of all the attention paid to books in her blog posts.

Yes, she celebrated the addition of new MACs, but truly reflects the value of the technology she likes by U-S-I-N-G it to tell her stories! She makes Animotos like some of us make grocery lists...all the time! Sometimes to honor books, some times about her favorite animal--dogs, or her favorite sport--soccer.

I don't ever think she stops to wonder what she should be doing...she just does it because the opportunities are available to her...and her Librarian creates the atmosphere of choice.

But you know what jumped out at me...because of her Librarian (and other teachers involved in her learning,) this 5th grader has been telling her story for THREE school years...3rd, 4th and 5th in a blog! For one-half of her young school life, she has had a place to tell her stories to authentic audiences. She has had a place to come to experience all kinds of new experiences, be they thru a book or a keyboard. And she has had the support and safety net of the Librarian who wants her to reach for the stars in her path.

Super Star #4 is lucky indeed...and I for one can't wait to see what other adventures she shares with us!

028.6 Cybil Awards: Round 4

The 4th set of Cybils Awards list is out.

For those who may be unfamiliar with this book award, all of these winners have been selected by a panel of bloggers who took extensive lists of nominated titles made by blog readers! All books were published with in the last year since the previous contest so these are the latest and greatest out there!

There are various catagories for different reading tastes and different ages. The groups include fiction picture book, nonfiction picture book, easy reader, early chaper book, poetry, graphic novel, fantasy and science fiction, middle grade fiction, YA nonfiction, YA graphic novel, YA fantasy and science fiction, and YA fiction.

Here is a list of the top nominees in each of the catagories for 2009. If you are looking for new additions to your collection you may want to take a look at these choices and see if they meet your needs.

Past winners for 2008, 2007, 2006

Artwork: used wth permission by Cybils

002 Print vs. Digital: A Contest or a Matter of Choice?

Take a look: Do School Libraries Still Need Books?

Five people's thoughts. You decide for yourself.

Me...I think the advantage is being able to provide choice in this age of multiple formats.

Do some things make more sense?

A digital encyclopedia updated almost instantaneously vs. a printed version that is practically out-dated the day it comes off the press?

The multi-tasking approach of audio books vs. a spiffy little paperback that fits in a pocket?

The sterile look of sheets printed off an online file vs. the visual stimulus of beautifully photographed images or cleverly created characters?

I think it comes down to what works for you in the moment.

O, by the way...you will NEVER convince me that picture books meant to be used in a couch cuddle with parent and child or between two school buddies on the carpet in the corner will ever disappear from the school library shelves.

That 's one Librarian's opinion.

Photo Credit: Flickr CC by John-Morgan

028.162 Pura Belpré Awards

Author award:

The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba's Struggle for Freedom by Margarita Engle

Illustrator award:

Just In Case, illustrated and written by Yuyi Morales

Here is a video provided by Yuyi Morales about her award. It features Señor Calavera, a character often found in her books.

Invited from Yuyi Morales on Vimeo.

TASLA 2nd Morning Session Part 2 Book Awards

Exploring State Book Awards - Janet Hilbin & Jane Claes

49 states have some kind of an award now...190 awards given, not including recommended reading lists...Mississppi is only one currently not giving one

does not include Lone Star, Tayshas type lists

some go back 60-70 years!!

children had some voice in nomination, selection or voting for winners

Bluebonnet is one of largest...used as collection development tool in the state

criteria for nomination varies greatly! purpose is more standard...encourage reading!

Pacific Northwest Young Reader's Award 1940

Kansas had first individual state award 1952

of 95 looked at

21 by adults only

11 chosen exclusively by children

rest are adult selections with student selection of winners

often winners of big awards like Caldecott, Newbery can not be nominated

since 2004:

Eragon 21 awards

Twilight 16 awards

Lightning Thief 16 awards

Tale of Despereaux 15 awards

Loser 12 awards

only picture book with 10 or more My Lucky Day had 11

in total 450 books received awards..76% of the books only got one award (vast majority being picture books)

question: how many have been banned...not sure, but thought only 3-4

top 5 winners are all considered fantasy/science fiction, magical realism

25 have add movies made or are in production

Kehert, Clements, Gutman are top winners but have never won national awards

only 5 awards given exclusively for nonfiction, but 41 non fiction books have won various awards

27 books about dogs won 47 awards

8 adult titles won 19 awards

this data can be important for collection development

they have be thru selection process

trends in student reading

librarians not necessarily using this info

they are publishing this in a book (Linworth) to be out in the fall Coast to Coast: Exploring State Book Awards by Janet Hilbin and Jane Claes from the beginning to 2008

there will be some author interviews included ..they talk about impact on them and how they feel about kids reading

Guess what! Lunch!

028.162 Bluebonnet Reviews in a Snap!

ReaderBuzz has a short, sweet and to the point list of  reviews for the current list of Bluebonnet books. Takes about a minute to read her good and bad points about each title!

...and we agree on our favorite one!  ribbit!

Enjoy!

P.S. She also has thoughts about books for older readers.

028.5 Multi-tasking Librarian: In the Right Place

I have said it many times, but it is never enough. I work with the greatest bunch of school librarians. I have made a promise to try and show them off as much as I can. I started my efforts here and here.

Check out the latest efforts of this elementary librarian. When a gift fell into her lap, she jumped at the chance and gave some of her students a wonderful experience with an author and his very popular books...all the same time she was preparing an outstanding presentation to give to administrators seeking answers to how libraries (and more importantly, librarians) can impact student success! Check out the Animoto of her kids. She is a walking advertisement for that type of success.

808.06 2.0 Book Reviews: "Rap" Your Brain Around This Idea

Want to try something new to promote books? Want to give kids an alternative to the worn-out version of a book report?

Go here to see what one of the librarians in my personal learning network has produced!
She has gone even further and issued the challenge to her students to one-up her!
Check out here what else she is doing to make the library a happening place!

Check out your "berry" cuz your visit's overdue!

028.6 Cybil Awards for the 3rd Time

The winning titles of the Cybil Awards for the 2008 year have been announced and can be reviewed here in detail.

I love the nonfiction picture book Nic Bishop's Frogs selection of course...in fact used it in a catalog class situation last week. It is a perfect example of why kids can't get enough visually-stimulating science books! Here is a podcast with the author of the winning book from the Just One More Book site!

The only other winner I am familiar with enough to even mention knowing is the haunting, somewhat disturbing, YA novel Hunger Games. So much to think about on many levels.

Information about past winners can be found here for 2006 and here for 2007.

Happy Reading!

025.2 Library Collection Development Thoughts

Get an opportunity to share my 30+ years of education experience with a group of library students this week so I decided that I would put my collected, random (or randomly collected) thoughts on the matter here.

So if you see a nugget you can use...have at it!

Three things to remember when looking at developing any collection:
1. Curriculum--school libraries do have a limited focus (unlike public libraries, we do have parameters!)

2. Collection--know what you have BEFORE making any major decisions. A new Librarian should not weed! You should find out what teacher depends on that worn out copy of that American history title because of the map on p. 69.

3. Community--know who you serve! If you don't, you are asking for trouble.


Since all of my campus library experience has been at the secondary level, I have been directed to talk for the level...good thing!

When looking at a secondary collection that has any age to it, there are several things to watch for:
1. In high school, the 800s are going to be old...critical reviews are critical reviews. And librarians are hard-pressed to get rid of any sources that have all those valuable reviews for all the classics that continue to be studied as part of the high school curriculum.
2. Many typical reference books are now available online. That is a decision that has to be made. Print or Online. I vote online!
3. Be aware of issues in fiction. There are going to be controversial issues; there are going to be language issues; they will make you squirm a bit. Remember--what is in the kids' best interest.
4. Find things for ALL your readers...graphic novels, nonfiction, easy.


Budgets...ugly word that it is, we all have to deal with it. Be sure you are using it for the kids #1, and then for anything that helps you help the kids #2. Watch for budget pitfalls. Are you having to spend library funds on things that really should be funded out of other campus funds? If so, then use your diplomatic skills and point this out. Be willing to do the legwork....search for the source, fill out the requisitions, but let someone else pay the bill!


Do you have a set 0f tools you use in making selections?
1.The review journals..either in paper or online. And all of us could come up with reasons for having one format or the other! Yes..to see very much, you have to subscribe...even online!
School Library Journal
Booklist (awards list on the blogroll)
Horn Book
I know you can think of others!

2. Vendor resources
Follett's Titlewave
Mackin Collection analysis
and bunches more!

3. Online Bookstore resources
(Caution: For your school library...don't order from these types of sources unless circumstances are such that you must! Let the traditional vendors work for you!)
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Alibris (may be blocked...rare, out-of-print, hard to find titles)

4. Develop a relationship with a "shop around the corner" as well.
Need a way to learn your community...what better place! Need a quick source for something special or in an emergency?

5. BLOGS, BLOGS, BLOGS.
Want to find out about books? Want to know what is hot off the press? Read blogs!
(look on the right side of this blog for a longggggg list of book review blogs!)
Better yet...get yourself a blog reader and set up it up to let you know when your favorite reviewers post something!

Good cataloging helps with collection development. Good solid rules and reasons for what you do in your catalog will prevent confusion...and duplication. Especially important in a union catalog. In your library manual, be it campus or district-wide, have careful specs for your vendors and librarians to follow. Helps keep your collection tight, avoids confusion, and saves money!

Ok, readers! Anything else? Any points brought out by the class...I will add!

025.1 TASLA Day #2 Morning

A High School Program -Engaging YAs
Northwest H.S., Justin, TX

We were shown an Animoto and a Photostory as ways to increase interest in YA books.
The presenter discussed the value of blogging...and how fun it is when authors leave you a message on your blog. We listened to some podcasts that she has done on some new titles. She showed Shelfari as a way to display your collections or genres on line. She talked about the Gale Books & Authors program...there is a free trial. [I can't seem to find info on how to "get there"...stay tuned!] Her deaprting activity... the 212 Degrees motivational video. [didn't take time to find embedded version..hopefully this comes right up]

The link at the top will take you to her library page and you can see the activities, the book lists, etc.


It's break time...guess what we are doing!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TEA Report Karen Kahan

Karen discussed the reorganization structure of TEA and those divisions that may affect our group.

Celebrating Where We Are

• Support standards
• K-12 databases
• Good news reports...various media pieces
• School Libraries Work!
• Leaders with technology !!

Audience comment: this needs to be shown to administrators (superintendents).

Setting The Course for Where We Can Go

• TSLAC/TEA Study and the survey
• Requests to the Legislature...funding TLC resources for equity...Rider 88!
• Cooperation with State Library, Region 20
• Long range plan for technology...progress report due in Dec 2008 ...we need to help with documentation on how databases are making a difference...how are they promoted...how they have affected student achievement (success stories)...have you met the recommendation in the plan

Providing Resources to Help Us Get Where We want to Be

• Curriculum website at TEA...hotest news about the LA/Reading standards changes!
• New area is research in these new LA/Reading TEKS
• Tx Higher Ed College Readiness Standards
• Kids' House & Senate Kids
• http://www.tea.state.tx.us/list to get on the mailing list...THE "To the Administrators' list"
• Star Chart...librarians should be filling this out..we are teachers! Big discussin about this issue...amny had been told not to fill it out on themselves!
• http://www.tea.state.tx.us/communications.html new NCLB reports requirement for technology (how many computers, documentation for technology literacy, technology literacy of personnel--teachers, librarians, administrators!) She stated it is critical to get on this list!
• The Texas Virtual School Network online courses..education thru electronic resources...ESC 10 & Harris Co. Dept Ed. central operations; several entities will provide training on how to teach online ..Region 4 is one.
• Internet Safety for students, educators, parents
• Vision 2020 grant...in review at this time

Reminded us we want !00% activiation and 100% regualr usage!! of all those databases. it is critical we have the proof that they are used to be able to keep them!

New format to TEA website...starts in July...there will be portals...buttons viewable on the homepage

she finished up with more resources...will have to wait for the PPt to be sent out...I will try to update when it comes out.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

During discussion time, Dr. Bishop talked to the group about the upcoming Administrator's Conference next April during TLA 2009. Start talking to your principal, etc. about attending. The date is April 1st.

What do you wish your principal can hear? other ideas to make it better

• need to have saying this stuff...not self-promoting speakers (which they really weren't)..we clearly need more administrators
• problem with the date...we know, but we have no choice
• time format changes becasuee of adminstrators who leave
• lots of theory..need more practical stuff like today's presentation, the principal/librarian from yesterday...less theory
• stats are very important...keep Keith Curry Lance...the impact of collaboration, we are the 5th content
• a local adminstrator from local area becasue majority will be from there...TASL winners have been used before
• dynamic librarian telling principals' what they need to do (non-$ support especially!)
• think of yourself as principal.....should it be divided by grade level...group consensus, yes.
• how to take advantage of your librarian..Use, not Abuse
• the new LA/Reading standards might need to be focus; using databases as starting point
• Involving PTAs, PTOs, ...the parent influence
• the new LA/Reading standards might need to be focus; using databases as starting point
• evaluation needs to be more important...not the last day of school, may have to get a new one!
• include TEA rep, National Board Librarians
• video cnferencing or vid-cast for those who could not attend
• what did the principal say about wanting their librian to do
• need for critical thinking skills...using databases as way to accomplish this, how they are helping to them (the admin themselves)
• having a strand for non-campus administrators
• communicating to the 1/3 of the campuses that are not in this room!
• share what is being talking about with the librarians at some point...so that they can be aware what is needed...maybe a reporting or fact sheet that comes out of there...many of the speakers have sites with all their points
• pinpoint specific sessions, booths they could go to ...principals' guide to TLA...please go with your librarian
• Coordinate with TASA maybe?
• using kids' presentations

It's lunch time!!

027.6 Definition of a Library: The "My Space" Version

That never-stops Joyce Valenza of Neverending Search has provided us with a video to use as food for thought once again. She had her students tell us about their library / the space as they see it!

My personal favorite--the very first description...especially where the narrator speaks with such reverence and adoration about the magnificent collection of American History "classics." Be still my heart! I recognized almost EVERY title and cover on every shelf. I can close my eyes and almost drink in the fragrance of wonderful friends and fond memories of the many hours spent with those books and the children who experienced them. Such fine times!

I think the students spent quality time talking about both their print and technology-related experiences, as well as the enjoyment they got out of the library for both scholastic and personal pursuits!

One tiny sad thought for a brief moment...several wonderful descriptions/tours are given with virtually empty "spaces"..but in the end, it became the lively place I knew it must be.

If we saw a narrated tour of your library, would we recognize it as a happening place like these kids do?

Enjoy!


Find more videos like this on TeacherLibrarianNetwork (hope this shows in district)

P.S. We gotta get some of those flippy cameras going in my circle of influence and see what kind of good stuff can come out of them!

P.P.S. Need to explore the ning as a source for parking space for videos and other large files! I forget about it. Can it be used thatway?

641.3 Peanut Butter: Fun with a Purpose

I Love Lucy ranks as one my all-time Top 5 TV shows ( I was a child of the 50s/60s) and so when I got to "live" one of my favorite episodes...wow! Remember when Lucy & Ethel switched jobs with their husbands and went to work in the chocolate factory...

Well, one of my best pals who is always up for a new adventure and I had an opportunity to do a shift at a peanut butter factory as part of a community service ... the Lucy & Ethel syndrome was very much on our minds as we drove to fulfill our commitment!

Yup, you guessed it...my part of the line was to control newly sealed jars of peanut butter as they made their way to the labeler...to send them down the next part of the line SPACED properly so the labels would be attached PROPERLY! Between machinery malfunctions and lack of rhythm, it was "nightmarish" at times! At times I couldn't keep up...the jars were too big for my hat so (with very special help) I was "dumping" them into grocery carts...without making them fall over!!

I took a screen shot of the exact turn I was responsible for from a YouTube video about the peanut butter factory. See that nice, neat spacing of the jars after the turn...well, about 65% of mine looked like those...the other 35%...thank goodness there are no pictures!

BTW, if you want to look at the peanut butter process, you can google peanut butter and there are several videos from YouTube and other sources!

Despite my "Lucy" moments, the whole experience was very interesting, lots of fun, and I was glad to share in the service project. I look forward in paying it forward sometime, somewhere, somehow!

Of course, I can't have fun like that without thinking about the tie-in to something educational!

If you find a useful video, you can talk about the science behind food processing, you can talk about jobs involved in making peanut butter, you can talk about the contributions made by George Washington Carver during a biography unit. And how appropriate that my adventure occurred at this time because March is National Peanut Month.

And naturally, I had to find some books to include
From Farm to Store
From Peanut to Peanut Butter
Make Me a Peanut Butter Sandwich and a Glass of Milk
Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter and Jelly: A Play Rhyme
The Peanut Butter Cookbook for Kids
The Peanut Butter Party: Including the History, Uses, & Future of Peanut Butter
I Like Peanuts
Life & Times of the Peanut
Peanuts
Science Fun with Peanuts and Popcorn

And a little peanut butter poetry

I am Getting Sick of Peanut Butter
Peanut Butter Sandwich - Shel Silverstein
Hug Sandwich - sing it!

x

And here is an oldie (another sign of my age!)...includes an audio clip you can play!

The Peanut Butter Song - I think we even had motions to it!

and another song Peanut Butter & Jelly - anybody 25 & under probably knows the tune...it was a big hit at my kids' pre-school back in the 80's. Audio clip

x

Some other resources
Virginia Carolina Peanuts - activities, lesson plans

Peanut Butter Lovers - history, recipes, contest

The Peanut Institute. Eat Well. Eat Peanuts - nutrition facts
American Peanut Council - nutritional facts about peanuts Skippy Fun Page - recipes, Kid's Corner
Peanut & Peanut Butter Recipes
Video on making homemade peanut butter
How to make a PB&J sandwich Flickr slideshow - sequencing activity!

And a video on making homemade peanut butter cups!
Now isn't that a clever way to tie in the chocolate reference at the beginning.

I think I need a PB&J sandwich!