A New Addiction

Have you see the newest craze or started you own? Yes, I speak of Bullet Journals. Maybe you are a seasoned veteran at journaling, but it has been years since I have journaled. A friend had a Bullet Journal at a meeting we were attending together and I was fascinated. I love technology, but have always had lists all over my desk of things I needed to do, needed to remember, or something someone asked me. Bullet Journaling allows me to organize these lists while using my creativity. Of course I had to jump on Pinterest right away to see if everyone was doing https://www.pinterest.com/kellylibrarian/bullet-point-journal/ I think the thing I am the most excited about is making pages that work for me. I am going to set up pages to remind me of books I want to highlight and lesson plan ideas. I found another teacher who had a page in her Bullet Journal that she is using to take notes to help her differentiate students lessons. If you haven't tried Bullet Journaling yet it is a great way to relax while keeping yourself organized.

http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/Community-Comes-Together-During-Prayer-Walk-for-Hope-and-Peace-304792771.html

Notice World no riots! This is my community, the community I love and the one I want the world to see. Notice the support for each other with out concern for race or religion. This is America, this is what we need to teach our young people. Only working together can America be great.
This week two families lost loved ones. Instead of pointing fingers and blame maybe we can finally learn valuable lessons from these tragedies:
1) Crime hurts not only the victims of the crime, but also the person who commits the crimes family. There are so many children that are growing up with out both of their parents because of gangs and crime. How do we teach these children that gangs are not family? The children growing up in these situations are valuable we can teach them and provide them with real opportunities or we can see gangs grab them up. Throwing aide money at these kids is not helping they need to have role models, job skills, and high quality schools so they value themselves and a work ethic.
2) Officer Kerrie Orozco believed enough in humanity and her community that rather then just working on the gang unit to fight gangs and crime she volunteered to work with youth to help them become good citizens and reach their full potential. Like so many of the police officers that never get shown in media she understood that to change the world you have to be an example for youth to help them know what it means to be a responsible, productive, democratic citizen. Working with youth to share your talents/ passions is not only good for them, but also gives you the feeling of accomplishment. Officer Orozco gave of herself in so many ways even before she gave her life.
Wearing blue, flags at half staff, and flowers are a nice short term way to honor Officer Orozco, but I think we can take it a step further. To honor Officer Orozco, all the other good police officers who have given their lives protecting us, those that are still serving, and the military who protect our freedom let's make a better world for everyone. Go out and find a way to give back to your community to make it a better place. Volunteer to use your talents whether that means helping an elderly neighbor, cleaning up a park, or helping young people learn a trade it will all help. Stand up for those who can not stand up for themselves. A hand up not a hand out in honor of these great people.

Valentine's Day Library Display

My library Valentine's Day display, it lights up! Romance novels flew off the shelf. Even had some young men check out romance novels. It could be used any time for romance novels. I used the CriCut cartridge Teen Paper Dolls for the figures.

Pinterest

Does it count as cleaning if it is my Pinterest boards that I am cleaning? I think so. I love looking at all the ideas. Surprising how many I have actually tried or done. Great for teachers and crafters alike. https://www.pinterest.com/kellylibrarian/

Trying To Get Organized

Trying to get my social media accounts organized in to one area with HootSuite. This might make my digital life easier & keep everything up to date. So much has been happening & I never seem to get it posted. Hopefully, this will help.

This semester I will be creating an educational web based platform from the ground up. I am really excited, but anyone that knows me knows that what ever the program is if there is a way to break it I will find that way. Even if the program creators believe they have thought of everything. My current library Libguide is a perfect example. Anyone that goes there at this moment will see a sad face. That's because I clicked a button...I have a busy weekend ahead.

I really want to get this blog going, but there never seems to be enough time in the day. I think I am going to have to make a time commitment each day. I have started my EdD studies so, not only am I being physically crafty I have been learning to be digitally crafty. I promise more to come and sooner posts.

Saving Time

It seems that in order to connect to everyone online you have to have multiple personas. Not only do you have to post to multiple sites, but you have to read the posts to stay connected. In order to free up more time while staying/ getting I am trying HootSuite. I am hoping if it works well for my personal accounts I will try it with my school accounts. If this works it will give me a lot more time to work on the things I enjoy. Do you have a favorite way to organize your social networks?

Creative Technology

For class today I watched the 2014 Tech Share opening speakers. Now why as a crafty person with a crafty blog would I be writing to tell you about my homework about a tech conference....because of an awesome app I learned about and the family has spent the day playing with. The app is called coLAR and can be found at www.colarapp.com . With this app you print pictures to color then using the app you are able to see your coloring in 3D. Hard to explain here, but go to the site and watch the video. Once you see it you have to try it yourself. The app and some of the coloring pages are free. Other coloring packages are $2.99. Technology and creativity together is awesome!

The nice thing about taking classes in instructional technology is that I get to learn about and try out a lot of new programs and apps. Maybe you have seen Bit Strips on Facebook or other social media. They are fun little comic strips you create yourself. They have a web site for schools/ educators which is nice because it does not limit the amount you write (at least not that I have found) and allows the teacher to preview before anything is posted. Here is the Bit Strip I created for an assignment The instructor wanted us to create our report/ paper using web 2.0 tools. I want to try Bit Strips with my students, but I think I am going to have to be very specific with time limits so they do not waste time creating characters. Which I have to admit is fun.

I am in my second semester as a doctoral student. This is a new challenge with work and family, but it is something I have wanted for a long time. What it is really forcing me to do is sit down and learn all the tools that are available to help me stay organized and connected. I was also made the social administrator for my school and I have decided with a birthday approaching I better take my health seriously so I have started working out. This does not mean the crafting is stopping it just means I will be trying some new things digitally. My newest love is Google+. It has so many features I am finding helpful as a teacher and student. Have you tried any Google Communities?

Not a good Blogger.

Why is it so hard to keep up with my social network. I started with this blog as a way to keep track of what I am doing in the library and get ideas from others. Seems I am only blogging at the end of school vacations when I am facing a new semester. I really need to get better at this.

What is a school librarian?

It is almost the end of my winter break and I am preparing for the spring semester.  These preparations have me reviewing what I have done so far.  I tend to do a lot of reminiscing this time of year.  Another thing that has me thinking is that I ran into a former student this afternoon.  Even though it has been a little over four years since I've seen her she needed my help. 

All this leads me to a set of questions I often find myself answering for myself and trying to explain to others; "What is a school librarian?"  "What does a school librarian do?"  "How would you describe a school librarian?"

What is a school librarian:  We are teachers, book peddlers, multi-taskers, technical support, protectors of freedom, friends, cheerleaders, presenters, a shoulder to cry on, an ear to listen, someone to share a laugh with, and a general problem solvers.

What does a school librarian do:  We collaborate with and assist teachers with lessons, resources, and research.  We help students reach their potential, become literate citizens, learn to share, become creative, discover who they are, and on occasions learn a new talent.

How would you describe a school librarian:  A passionate, caring, creative individual who is always seeking to become a more knowledgeable person in order to better serve their community.  We are young, old, tall, short, conservative, and sometimes a little edgy.

I did not set out in life to become a librarian...I wanted to be a Rock Star.  Little did I know that the satisfaction I desired would be found in a career that is ever changing and often misunderstood.  After helping a teacher or student I often feel like a super hero.  Silly I know, but there is something gratifying about helping someone.

By the way.  I was able to help my former student with the help of another librarian.... ;)

So...what is your definition of a school librarian?

Knitting a Following

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be knitting I would have laughed at you.  If you then told me I would be knitting with students and other teachers I would have said you were crazy.  Yet, here I am knitting, teaching knitting, and hunting for more yarn.

In an earlier post I talked about loom knitting, which is the way I started.  Since then I have learned to knit ruffled scarves (thanks to a friend and fellow knitting junkie).  The move from the loom to the needles was very natural and satisfying.  As a crafter I am always looking for new ways to express myself.  As a teacher librarian I am always looking for new ways to connect to students.  The looms were/ are a great way to get students started with knitting, but using needles for knitting will be cheaper and more convenient.
   
It still amazes me how many students, boys and girls, that knit or want to learn to knit.  There is also something very calming about working with the yarn and the rhythm of the stitches.  For middle school students having a way to relax and unwind at school is valuable. 

My goal for this spring is to work with students to write curriculum that can be used by other students and teachers beyond our school to learn knitting.  I plan to use Cat Bordhi's books and web site as a guide.  Wouldn't it be nice to have students working together and talking while doing something constructive.  Students spend so much time focused on technology and media that they need time to have conversations with another person.  I have found that knitting and crocheting is the perfect opportunity to bring a variety of people together and conversations just naturally flow.

The bonus for our community has been handmade hats and scarves that are donated to refugees and the homeless.  As well as, our students having a skill that they can enjoy and be proud of for the rest of their lives.  We have also found it is a good way to connect generations and cultures.

So, if you are looking for a way to connect with young people find some yarn, a loom, knitting needles or a crochet hook and start creating.  Knitting and crocheting attracts attention without requiring you to put in a lot of effort.  Teens love to learn and to share what the know.  It is a win win for everyone (just make sure your library has enough craft books for students to check out).

 

Looking Forward

Last winter in Nebraska was mild; so, of course this year there are lots of cold days and snow.  I find that I want to spend more time curled up with a book and a cup of hot tea.  However, now that the first week of winter break is over I better start lesson planning for the second semester.  I am excited about the opportunity to collaborate on a Civil War historical fiction literature circle project.
I am hoping to help students connect with history through the stories they read.  Now I just have to figure out how to make the magic happen!

One of the projects I do with students is loom knitting.  Students are able to knit before school, during their lunch break, and after school.  Students use it as a way to relax, connect with others, and give back to the community.  I started loom knitting last year after being taught by a friends 10yr old daughter.  Our students make hats and scarves for people in need then they can make something for themselves or a family member.

 Knitting is a wonderful way to connect with students and get them to open up.  It is also a skill that can be used to calm children who struggle with their behavior and to help students with special needs connect with their peers.  Knitting and crocheting is also a wonderful way to connect generations and cultures.

    Amazingly, I have found that the boys in my school enjoy knitting as much or maybe even more then the girls.  The boys are very good at focusing on the patterns and tension of the stitches.  Some of the young men have even taught our older male teachers and administrators.  This even included a student who struggled to meet regular classroom behavior expectations teaching our principal and athletic director to make a hat for a baby.

The popularity of this craft is such that I am fortunate to work on it with two other teachers.  We have been requested to teach classes and have been working on curriculum that includes knitting.  There are several curriculum correlations including math, social studies, and reading.  Working with yarn can also be a great stress reliever for students and staff after standardized testing.

This weekend I have been working on some new designs to teach the students.  These new designs include using two pieces of yarn at one time and making cowls.  The best thing about working with yarn is that if you mess up you can start over without any loss of materials.  As happened this weekend when I made one cowl to short and wide.  It is a great lesson in making errors and beginning again.

The above pictures are from websites I have used for patterns and instructions:  http://dayliliescreative.wordpress.com/2010/01/20/learn-along-1-casting-on-learning-loom-knitting/

http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/loomed-patterns.html

You can find more on my Pintrest site:
http://pinterest.com/kellylibrarian/

It has been awhile since my last post.  I have been working on several things including opening the library for the school year.  My school district libraries now has LibGuides which is an awesome program for creating web content.  I have had one author visit so far this year and have three more scheduled over the next couple of months and I am collaborating with two teachers on Service Learning projects for our students.  I wanted to revamp my library program and I have done just that.  It hasn't gone as smoothly as I would have liked, but I think the changes/ updates have been good.  I best thing is that it has given me a new enthusiasm about school.

For some crafting projects check my pintrest page at

http://pinterest.com/kellylibrarian/

     The last week was very busy.  Since we will have to close the library for three weeks for testing (more about that later) the Reading teachers and I decided to get as many of our students into the library for check out time as possible.  In three days we had over 350 students in the library for book check out.  It was a lot of fun.

     At the beginning of the week I changed over two of the library displays for Spring/ April.  I am very excited about my Lorax inspired display which includes books about the outdoors, gardening, and of course recycling.  I included both non-fiction and fiction since I wanted a variety to interest all students.  Seeing the movie and an early spring in my area inspired me.

 

 

     I used feather boas for the "Truffala" trees; I think the feathers give the trees the texture and dimension that they had in the book.  Next I painted the Lorax characters on white construction paper.  Once the paint was dry we laminated them to bring out the vibrant colors.  The grass and stream were made out of plastic table clothes.
     The students' love the colors and having different books on display.  I think this display may take me to the end of the year.

Late night Hunger Games

     
      Another milestone in my family's life....we bought our first eBook.  It is not that we have never read them, but being a librarian I have always checked them out.  However, late last night a frantic daughter made the purchase necessary.
      It actually started a couple days ago with my daughter's desire to read Hunger Games.  I have been listening to the audio version (I could never get the print copy since all those darn teens have it checked out), so I know the story and could warn my daughter that this book isn't funny or cute.  She is in upper elementary thus I wanted her to be aware of the content.  Being fully informed she still insisted she wanted to read it.
      Our bookshelves are overflowing onto other surfaces and I didn't know if she would really like the book or its length so, I checked the other area libraries.  Of course all their copies were checked out too.  As I was looking through card catalogs my daughter found a copy on our eReader.  What is a mother/librarian to do...I downloaded the preview thinking that would take care of the problem.  A happy daughter went off to read.
      Now at this point I thought she would read a few pages, not like the seriousness of the content and move on to a different book.  I snuggled in to what I thought was going to be a quiet evening with my book and tea only to be abruptly interrupted by a panicked child jumping on my bed.
"Mom, the preview is over...MOM, it won't, let me read any further....MOM I WANT TO READ MORE!"
      I tried to reassure her that we would go buy the book tomorrow.  No deal, she reminded me we had not found a copy at the used bookstore and how much the cost was at other stores.  She wanted to read more and she wanted to read it NOW.
     I prepared myself for the expense and opened the eReader store.  Much to my surprise the full version of Hunger Games was only $5.  I quickly downloaded the book; it was easy even with my preteen jumping on the bed.  Once the download was complete I sent a happy content daughter off to bed.  The last thing I remember sometime much later was hearing my husband explaining to her that she had to put the book up and go to sleep.  Happy librarian mom!
      So, my opinion of eBooks.  They are awesome!  There is nothing like being able to get a book instantly.  Do I think they will "kill" print books; NO.  As my daughter and many other digital natives will tell you there is nothing like the feel of a print book.  What I appreciate about digital content as a mother, librarian, and teacher is that it is helping young people get content in a form they are willing to read it in and making them demand higher quality content.  There is nothing better then hearing the young people I work with or that are in my family discuss what they are reading both in print and digitally.
      My opinion of Hunger Games, well, like most of the world I am hooked.  The story is not completely new as there are many apocalyptic stories that pit man against man for the entertainment of the privileged, but that is only a small part of this story.  There is family, self sacrifice, friendship,  and self image just to name a few themes.  The writing is wonderfully descriptive without going overboard.  The characters are strong without being unrealistic.  As a parent if I had a child under twelve that wanted to read Hunger Games I would read it first allowing me to decide if my child was really ready for the violent content and allowing me to discuss the story with them.  This is a great discussion book for families.

So...."Let the Hunger Games begin!"

Transforming My Practices

           I have been catching up on my professional reading and just came across an interesting article in the October 2011 Teacher/Librarian magazine, Some Questions to Transform Practice by Tim Gauntly (page 35).  Though I am several months late reading this article I feel it is very timely in my planning for the next school year and setting my own professional development goals.
            In this brief article Tim guides us through a series of questions that will help librarians and the staff they work with define what it actually means when they say, "Our school library is the center of our school's learning community." 
          What I like about Tim's series of questions is that the answers that are given to these questions can be as unique as the school's community.  I feel that as we develop our libraries for the future there are core standards we should all meet, but the paths we take to meet those standards should be as diverse as our school populations.
            I am going to ask my principal if I can use one of our professional development sessions at the end of the school year to start this discussion.  This might also be a good year long project to work through with students.  I could guide them through projects and discussions based on the questions.  Their answers to these questions would allow them to decide what the library means to them.

            Seems I have another project to work on….

If you want to know more about Tim Gauntly you can find his blog at http://timgauntley.blogspot.com/