This year I returned to the middle school media center after several years at the elementary level. The students at this middle school were, for the most part, my students earlier at the elementary school. Unfortunately, the middle school had not had a professional librarian in some years. Secretaries and subs had filled the gap, … More Student Voice
Makerspace is a current buzzword, it’s true, but making itself is not a fad. Human’s ability to work with their hands and make things has been a defining characteristic. The modern makerspace is actually a return to the sanity of Piaget and John Dewey after several decades of spreadsheet driven insanity. People who sit in offices … More Why Makerspace Isn’t “Just Another Thing”
First, those who preorder the Reading People Book before September 19 get a free audio book and access to Ann Bogel’s “What’s Your Reading Personality” class, appropriate for sharing with secondary students to help them find their reading groove. https://www.readingpeoplebook.com/ Second, U.S. School Supply is giving away a gross of free pencils plus 20% … More Fun Back to School Give Aways
Today was my first day in the media center working summer school. I have been focusing great amounts of energy on getting the school maker space up and running. Starting a new endeavor like this leads to many hours of reflection on what the best methods and practices are, but also on why I am doing this. … More Is Maker Space Worth Making?
I am extremely excited to be part of the Reading People Book Launch Team. It is such a privilege to get a peek behind the curtain into the book publishing world. I did not even know that services such as Netgalley.com, which allows authors to invite people to read the galleys of their books, even existed. … More Reading People Book
I am still processing my NerdCampMI, I am also looking forward to Dearborn Moodle Moot and this confluence between the paper and the digital versions of communication brings many questions to my mind. First of all, I saw an amazing presentation on graphic novels by Heather and Beth, which turned me on to Fish Girl by Donna … More What Is a Story, Anyway?
If you love books the way I do, #NerdCampMI is heaven on earth. What could be better than a bunch of teachers, librarians, and authors who get to hang out for two days and talk about books? In my life, that is as good as it gets. I always learn something great, but this year, … More One Idea and Two Books That Made My Brain Explode
Have you heard about the new collaboration between Google and ISTE to teach digital citizenship in schools? I took a look at the new game Interland and the curriculum today. There are many support materials ready to use and accessible to the average teacher. The game itself seems engaging for students. I would like to test … More Internet Awesome
Human beings are not a pile of numbers. You can measure many things, but most of them are not meaningful in the context of education. Scientific studies can now prove that literally, no one has an average brain. The industrial system for education, the rationale for standardized tests, is based on a false premise. Education must catch … More No One Is “Average”
Do you need encouragement? Try a little Kid President. I don’t care how old, how tired or how much stress you are experiencing, it is not O.K. to be boring. I will admit, this school year has been long. The circumstances are not getting easier in my district and I would hazard a guess that … More Finishing Strong
