ISCI- Blog Post 6- Technology Tool: Podcasting

Podcasting and Preteens... It's Pretty Popular

How can librarians and teachers incorporate podcasting into their libraries and classrooms to engage students and enhance the learning environment?

Previously called, Anchor, Spotify for Podcasters, is a recording tool students can use to record a show and publish on the very well-known and popular music sharing app, Spotify.  Adults and students alike are finding a new love for audio books and listening to podcasts on a variety of topics, so this is a perfect tool to incorporate in the classroom and library to draw your students into the curriculum, engage them with technology they love, and allow them to interact and learn from one another through collaboration and sharing their knowledge.  

Podcasts could be used in a variety of ways:

• Book talks and student book reviews in the library
• Student spotlight to discuss topics they love and are knowledgeable in
• Involve student athletes with a sports talkshow podcast
• After researching a topic, student share what they learned, what surprised them

Spotify for Podcasters is free, provides a mobile app, allows you to enable or disable commenting for your entire show or specific episodes, add video, and add polls.  I imagine having a Podcast show for the library, and have various episodes where students come on to chat about books and the world around us!  Once students learn how to create a podcasts on their own, I think it will be very important to teach proper use of podcasting and include that in any digital citizenship lessons we teach.  

To help with recording and background noise, I highly recommend a microphone to use while recording.  I've used one of these before when recording our news show in Canva, and it worked great!  You are able to record and upload your audio file to Spotify for Podcasters or you can record right in the website or app using the feature called Riverside.fm.  You are also able to edit the recordings in Riverside.fm.  This really takes some tinkering around with to learn all of the features and how best to use them.  I watched several YouTube video tutorials to help me get started.

Image Description: This is a picture of an example of a USB microphone that can be used for podcast recording.  The microphone is black and has multiple parts shown in the picture.  The end has a hook to secure the microphone to the table.  The stand is a z shape bracket that opens and moves to adjust height of the microphone on the other end. 

https://www.walmart.com/ip/USB-Gaming-Microphone-Streaming-Podcast-PC-Condenser-Mic-Kit-Flexible-Arm-Skype-Youtuber-Recording-Singing-PS4-Computer-Studio-Laptop/781172129?wmlspartner=wlpa&selectedSellerId=101070002

Image description:  The image is a screenshot of the spotify for podcasters website.  Its a black background showing the recording and editing studio.  You can see the transcript of the audio file, and then the audio file sound waves at the bottom.  All of the editing tools are along the bottom, the top, and the sides of the screen.

How to start recording and uploading a Podcast with Spotify

Check out how to set up a podcast using Spotify for Podcasters at this link if the above video doesn't work for you.  I used Loom and Screencastify to record my screen while talking and ended up using Screencastify.  Then I uploaded the video to Youtube.  Please also share any of your favorite ways to record your screen, record your voice, and to share with others.  This is an area I am still learning!

This is my first time playing around with Spotify for Podcasters.  It took a few practice recordings and I am still learning to edit and add music, but the website is pretty easy to use.  Check out my First Podcast Episode

      

Image description: The image is a screenshot of the home page for my podcast, Literacy Love in the Library, on Spotify.  It shows my library logo with the gray square, black circle around a stack of yellow gold books, and the title, Literacy Love in the Library around the black circle.  The homescreen includes the title of the podcast and the "About" section as well as a list of episodes.

One Podcast I love to listen to and share with students is called Book Club for Kids where they discuss books they've read and even chat with the author!  This is a great example to share with students prior to making our own podcast.  What are some of your favorite podcasts to share with kids and teens?

ISCI 761 -- Blog 5 -- Cyberbullying

    

 Cyberbullying... 

"Don't Be Mean Behind the Screen"

"Youth can find positive peer support in social media, or they can experience increased depression and risk for suicidal behaviors as a result of cyberbullying." (Bickham et al., 2020)

When I was reading this week's required reading and looking through the resources, this quote stood out and stuck with me.  The students we encounter on a daily basis, and this includes our own personal children as well, will not be able to escape the realities of social media.  But, they can either be positively influenced or negatively influenced by social media experiences.  It's up to us, as parents, friends, role models, and professionals to help guide students in the right direction and teach them how to navigate the world of social media. We must stress the importance of good digital citizenship so we can hopefully help students find positive aspects of social media and avoid instances that create negativity, comparison, and self-doubt.  As adults, we've all been there.  I think of my own personal social media usage and how I have lived in both a world without internet and social media, and stepped into the world wide web and America Online at thirteen years old.  I have scrolled social media and been uplifted and encouraged and also found endless positive influences from fellow teachers, librarians, home decor influencers, and book enthusiasts.   However, I have also scrolled social media and felt left out, forgotten, and let comparisons drive negative thoughts and create bad moods.  So, the question is, how do we help tweens and teens who are just jumping into the social media scene, navigate this digital world safely and in a healthy way?

There are an abundance of resources, lesson plans, and curriculum being shared for digital citizenship, and one mentioned in a reading this week is a curriculum called Screenshots from Youth Media Literacy.  You can find out more information at Screenshots . "Screenshots is a nine-lesson, in-class, middle school curriculum that uses educational and behavior change strategies based on media literacy, TPB, and Habits of Thought to teach students how to think critically about the social media messages they create, receive, and disseminate.  It delivers lessons that help youth manage online conflict, recognize how online behavior contributes to mental health problems, practice empathy, and explore the role of digital media in peer pressure that can lead to bullying and substance abuse." (Bickham et al., 2020) Screenshots aligns with Common Core State Standards as well as ISTE standards.  This is definitely a selling point for librarians and teachers.  Incorporating lessons and curriculum into the library is a fantastic way to share the importance of good digital citizenship and equip students to be successful and safe while using the internet.  

One of the resources shared this week was a collection of videos.  I love sharing videos with students because I think it's a great way to hook them, engage their minds, and create discussion.  I used short videos all the time when I was teaching ELA standards, so I really love this list of videos for cyberbullying.  I think a great way to generate discussion is to show one of these videos before library class and discuss how we can be positive internet users.  Here is one example shared in the video resource list.  This video really portrays how students have the power to create a positive or negative influence when using social media and how fast their interactions spread.

This week for our digital curation project, I actually chose the topic "Digital Citizenship".  I focused on the broad term of digital citizenship as I believe it can encompass many facets from internet safety, digital footprint, cyberbullying, spotting fake news, finding credible and reliable sources, etc.  There are many topics that fall under the umbrella of digital citizenship.  I added a subtopic to my digital curation project for cyberbullying so that I could save this week's resources.  Feel free to check out my Wakelet to find more resources for digital citizenship.  Digital Citizenship Curation

What lessons or curriculum do you use or have your heard of to use for digital citizenship including cyberbullying?

Citations

Bickham, D. S., Moukalled, S., Inyart, H., & Zlokower, R. (2020). Assessing Screenshots: An in-school     evaluation of a middle-school digital citizenship curriculum (Preprint). JMIR Mental Health.                https://doi.org/10.2196/26197

 

ISCI 761- Blog Post 4 - Online Digital Tools as an Adaptive Technology Resource

Reading Guides, Masks, and Overlays for Tracking Used as Assistive Technologies

"Assistive technologies, defined by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (USA 2004) as "any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability," along with alternative instructional methods and principles of Universal Design--the idea of designing instruction with all students in mind--can and should all act as guiding forces in our teaching and interactions with students." (Copeland, 2011)

"All students, whether they are perceived as being typically able or differently. able. have special needs--and special abilities. It is critical that we see all children as children first and help them find their abilities." (Copeland, 2011)

Using assistive, or adaptive, technologies can benefit not only the disabled student, but all students in your classrooms or libraries.  What tools and technologies can be catagorized or labeled as an assistive, or adaptive, technology?  I really loved the checklist of questions Copeland shared in the article we read this week.  Here is the list of questions to use when evaluating any resource to determine if it is a good fit for your students.

HELPFUL HINTS FOR SELECTING AND EVALUATING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
    * What is the task at hand? What is the goal or objective the student will attempt to achieve?
    * Will the technology increase the interest level of the typical student or a student with a similar learning style (e.g., a visual learner)?
    * Will the technology serve as a distraction for the typical student?
    * What are the concerns for students who are differently able in terms of being able to complete the lesson?
    * Will the technology allow or enable the students who are differently able to participate in the lesson and/ or related group work?
    * How are the students going to share the available hardware and software? What types of licensing are needed?
    * For students who are differently able, do they have technologies specified in their Individualized Education Plans (IEPs)? If so, can these technologies be brought with the student to the school library for instruction and activities?
    * Who is going to assist the students with accessing technologies?
    * What level of assistance do we expect to be required for typically able students? Differently able students?  (Copeland, 2011)

Many of us are probably familiar with line guides that help students track text while reading.  These are especially helpful for students with reading disabilities, but all students can benefit from these line guides, especially if they are easily distracted by all the other text on the page or lose their spot while reading.

Image Description: A picture of physical line guides which are small plastic devices used to overlay text in a book.  Park of the strip is gray and part is transparent highlighter color that displays portions of the text while reading.

While searching for online digital tools that can be used as an adaptive technology I found several Google Extensions that can be used in the same way as these physical line guides.  This is really helpful because older students do a great deal of assigned reading online for their classes.  One is called Screen Mask.  Screen Mask is used just like the physical reading line guides, as they cover up text as you are reading while highlighting or uncovering just the text in a smaller area for the reader to focus on.  Chunking the text is a strategy many students with reading disabilities use to help aid in comprehension so that they don't become overwhelmed with too much text at once.

Image Description: A picture of an example of the screen mask being used on a website page.  Part of the page is shaded gray and another section is unshaded and the page is white.  Followed by another section on the page shaded gray.

BeeLine Reader is another free Google Extension that helps the reader focus on text.  BeeLine Reader uses different color text to help your eyes track sections of text and move to the next line more easily.  This simple tool makes a difference in student fluency and comprehension as it allows the reader to read faster and more focused.  I tried this Google Extension on several of the articles we were assigned this week, and honestly, it was hard for me to focus on all the different colors on the page.  I know every reader and learner are different, so I would love to see if this is beneficial to others who have difficulty tracking text.

Image Description: A picture of a website page with the BeeLine Reader being used on the page.  The text starts out in a black font, then half of the line changes to blue font, and then it switches back to black font for half of a line.  The next line begins by using black font, and then switches to red font halfway through the line.  This continues down the entire page of text.

Tint and Track Virtual Overlay is a paid service from Crossbow Education, but there is a free Google Extension that does the exact same thing.  Often the bright white screen can be tiring and hard on the eyes, and especially for students with disabilities, it can be hard to focus.  Of course we can dim our screens, but using a screen overlay or tint can be calming and aesthetic.  Screen Shader Smart Screen Tinting  uses a orange screen tint that is calming, alleviates eye strain and fatigue, and is appeasing to your brain.  

Image Description: A picture of an advertisement for the Screen Shader.  The image shows a laptop opened to a website and the Screen Shader being used.  The left half of the page is the normal website with no Screen Shader being used and it is white.  The right side of the laptop has the Screen Shader in use and it is shaded a light orange.

Don't you just love all of the free Google Extensions we can provide students with in the classrooms to help aid them while working so that every student can be successful as we equip them with the tools they need?  Every learner is different and with a variety of available Google Extensions, teachers and librarians can find the tool that is just right for the student.  A word of caution:  students often download any and every Google Extension there is available whether it's educational or not, and whether they need it or not.  What Google extensions have you found to be helpful and useful as adaptive technologies to assist students with disabilities, but also beneficial for all students in the classroom?

Citations:

Copeland, C.A. (2011). School Librarians of the 21st Century. Knowledge Quest, 39(3), 64-69. 

ISCI 761- Blog 3- Technology Tool & Technology Enabled Learning Model

 Technology Tool in the Library

How can librarians use 3D Printers to enable learning in the classroom and school libraries?

Image Description: An example of a 3D printer in the library 

with several 3D creations on display such as a animal and a microphone.
Source: Aurora Public Library
Aurora Public Library- 3D Printing

What is a 3D Printer?

A 3D Printer is a printer that uses a three dimensional digital model and prints the design of the object created in the software layer by layer.  In order to create the digital model, you will need to use some type of digital 3D design software, like a CAD (computer aided design).  

How can school librarians incorporate 3D Printing in the library to support curriculum and facilitate extended learning beyond the classroom?

3D printers take printing to the next level and allows students to think critically, plan a design, and create pieces they can take away from the library during a library programming event or makerspace time.  One way teachers and librarians can use 3D printing in the classroom and library is by pairing it with the design website called Tinkercad. Tinkercad allows students to plan, design, and create digital 3D objects and spaces using a computer model.  After students use the Tinkercad software, they would be able to print their designs with the 3D printer.  

Technology Enabled Learning

Technology-enabled learning "places the primary emphasis where it needs to be: on the content-based pedagogy of teachers' lessons followed by a consideration of all the tools teachers might use to implement it, in order to effect student learning" (Brantley-Dias and Ertmer 2013, 120).

After reading through this week's required reading, the one technology-enabled learning model that was easiest for me to understand and apply to the 3D printer is The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM). 

"The Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) provides a framework for describing and targeting the use of technology to enhance learning. The TIM incorporates five interdependent characteristics of meaningful learning environments: active, collaborative, constructive, authentic, and goal-directed." - Florida Center for Instructional Technology

The Matrix explains how from Entry Level to Transformation Level, the levels of technology integration increase in complexity just as the characteristics of the learning environment move from active learning to goal-directed learning.  The levels show how the integration and use progress from a passive basic style of learning and usage to a much more developed complex and integrated approach.  Of course, when introducing a new skill or tool, we want to scaffold our instruction and model as we gradually release students to independently use the technology tool.  From experience, I do think that in some cases, students benefit from being given time and the opportunity to just explore and experience the technology and often learn through manipulation but some students really need a guide and a model or they become overwhelmed and not want to participate.  We all know that technology can be quite overwhelming if you are not naturally tech-savvy.

Using the TIM with a 3D printer, we can see how giving student choice would fit into the Matrix providing authentic learning at the Adaption and Infusion levels.  Additionally, connecting the 3D printer to students' lives while also providing examples of how the 3D printer is connected to the world beyond the school setting fits into the Matrix at the authentic learning and transformation levels.  As students become more familiar and experienced with the technology tool, they can use the tools to plan their own projects, set goals, create designs using creativity and innovation at the highest levels, goal-directed learning at the transformation level.  In my opinion, having students research an idea of their choosing, national park, amusement park, create an invention, etc. then allow them to design a 3D model to share with others is a highly engaging way to integrate the technology.  Teachers and librarians can use the Matrix framework to build lesson upon lesson to help students gain the knowledge and experience they need to be successful independently.  

Image: The image is the TMI Matrix.  Click the image to enlarge.

Resources to Use in the Classroom or Library

As mentioned above, using Tinkercad is one resource you definitely want to allow students to "tinker" with, explore, and create digital 3D designs.  In the classroom or library setting, teachers and librarians could use the website/software to culminate a unit with a final project.  For example, if you are reading a book, you could have students create the setting from the book or create one of the main characters in the book.  Students would need to include details in their 3D project to support evidence from the text.  Another website/software I learned while researching for this blog post is Thingiverse .  This website has many preloaded designs that students can use and manipulate.

I first learned about 3D printing from a fellow librarian, Melanie Wood, @melanie_in_the_library .  I love the ideas she shares incorporating 3D printing in the library.  One idea she shared is 3D printing bubble wands with her kindergarteners!  Imagine reading aloud a book about bubbles, having the students explore what creates bubbles, allowing them time to investigate and play with various materials to create different sizes and shapes.  Then take it to the next level with 3D printing their own design of a bubble wand!  This is also a great time to collaborate with classroom teachers during math lessons on 2D and 3D shapes.  Check out her lesson idea here .  She also used 3D printing with her older students, so this could be used for 4th-6th graders.  They imagined and designed their own carnival!  Other ideas could be to research national parks or amusement parks and build a model or a design of one of their favorite rides.  You can see her post about the carnival project here .

Image Description: The image is a picture of a student example creating a bubble wand.  There is a piece of paper with a student hand-drawn butterfly-like insect bubble wand.  The image is scanned into online software.  The image shows a laptop open with the scanned image.

Image Description:  The image is the final project of the above image.  In the picture you see the hand-drawn butterfly like insect on paper and a student holding their 3D created bubble wand using the image or design they drew out on paper.  The bubble wand is made out of white filament.  It has an end to hold and the circular bubble insect design to dip into a bubble mixture on the end.

I read a great post on the School Library Journal website about 3D printing.  I think often people are hesitant to use 3D printers because they are too complicated, but the blogger shared how easy it was for his 10 year old daughter so he quickly jumped on board.  I think the biggest hurdle one may face using 3D printing in the classroom or library is the filament needed to print.  I really love the directions shared in this post that offer guided help to patrons wanting to use the 3D printer in the library.  This will help individuals use the machine independently.  

Image Description: The image shows detail directions and step by step for 3D printing. 

Source: Karen Jensen

Teen Librarian Toolbox

I found many great resources to use to introduce 3D printing on Teachers Pay Teachers.  There are so many innovative and creative ideas being shared.  I'd love to know if you have any experience with 3D printing or any lesson ideas for the library?  I plan to teach beginner lessons in the library with my middle school students this year!

• Introduction to 3D Printing
• 3D Printing Tinkercad Curriculum
  

Citations

Brantley-Dias, L., and P. Ertmer. 2013. "Goldilocks and TPACK: Is the Construct Just Right'?" Journal of Research on Technology in Education 46 (2): 103-28.

ISCI 761- Blog 2- Information Literacy, Technology, and Digital/Media

 

Connections: What is Information Literacy and How Do Technology and Digital Media connect?

Based on the P21 Framework Definitions from the P21 Partnership for 21st Century Learning, information literacy is how we access, evaluate, use, and manage information.  Media literacy consists of analyzing media in order to understand how media messages can be perceived and interpreted, as well as creating appropriate media products.  Technology literacy is how we use the tools effectively to "research, organize, evaluate, and communicate information."   Framework suggests, "information literacy as an overarching set of abilities in which students are consumers and creators of information who can participate successfully in collaborative spaces."  As we prepare students for higher education, we must, as educators and facilitators of knowledge, understand that

 
"Information literacy is the set of integrated abilities encompassing the reflective discovery of information, the understanding of how information is produced and valued, and the use of information in creating new knowledge and participating ethically in communities of learning."

(Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education)

Image: Media and Information Literacy

Source: Council of Europe, 2024

After listening to the Liturgists Fake News & Media Literacy Podcast I really began to think more about how as a school librarian, I will teach students to understand what information is, what it is not, and how to analyze and decipher all of the information and media presented to them in our tech-driven world.   Although the podcast was an hour long, it was a fun listen and I really loved the song they came up with to remember what things to look for when determining if what they are reading is "fake news" or not (too bad I won't be able to use that catchy song in the school library! 😆).  It was interesting to think how the term "fake news" has evolved over the last 5-10 years and it seems that it is becoming more increasingly hard to decipher as AI functions are now added to the mix.  What was once "fake news" was someone sharing false information in hopes people will share it and generate excitement and advertisement.  Now "fake news" takes on different forms or meanings as news media bias comes under attack.  "The fact that there is a fight about what fake news is, is something to notice in itself." (The Liturgists Podcast, 2017) 

"and now here we are in a world where a term like alternative facts can be uttered in full sincerity." 

-The Liturgists Podcast

Here are several books I have used in the library setting to talk to students about this topic of fake news.

Two Truths and a Lie by Ammi Joan Paquette

Can You Believe It? How to Spot Fake News and Find the Facts by Joyce Grant

Killer Underwear Invasion: How to Spot Fake News, Disinformation, & Conspiracy Theories 

by Elise Gravel

The podcast is full of information that you and I, as school librarians and media specialists, can use to help our students navigate "what is truth? " (The Liturgists Podcast, 2017)   We must teach our students how to discern what is fake news and what is real news, and also how to spot bias in the news and media.  The Liturgists Podcast gave us a list of several things we can do to spot fake news such as look to see if the article names the author, where was it published, is there an editorial review board that holds the author accountable, look for a date of publication, are sources named, and is it well written?  I loved the tips shared and hope to make a chart or bookmark of some sort to share in the school library.

"So the way we want to counter media bias is one, to view all media with skepticism, and two, to cross check with other media that has different biases."

-The Liturgists Podcast

In closing, we must consume a healthy, balanced information and media diet.  Just as you would not eat  a diet consisting of entirely junk food, we must not consume all of our information from one source, especially one that is serving us "junk".  We should aim to eat a well balanced diet consisting of a variety of foods, we too, must think about the information we are taking in and aim to fill our minds with information from credible sources from a variety of media and news outlets, creating a well-balanced diet of information.  School librarians should work hard to remain neutral when digesting information and serving it to our patrons as well.  The Liturgist Podcast really had me stop and think about what I view and take in on a daily basis.  I do not watch much national news-- CNN or Fox News, nor do I read much from The New Yorker or similar newspapers or magazines.  I rely mostly on local news, which was the suggestion from the podcasters.  However, I did stop and reflect on what I view on social media such as Facebook.  This can be a dangerous place to discover your news, especially if it is your only source of news information.  The podcasters warn against news and information that creates anger or fear, and this was a helpful tip to take away.  We must be mindful of the choices we are making and strive to be consumers of positive, helpful, and healthy information.  In turn, we can be a positive influence to those around us.  

How can we focus on our local community and make an impact on those around us?

Citations:

"Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education", American Library Association, February 9, 2015
https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework (Accessed June 20, 2024)

The Liturgists Podcast: Fake News & Media Literacy, Mar. 7, 2017.

ISCI 761- Blog 1-AASL and ISTE Standards

The Standards: Guiding Librarians and Learners

While I was reading through this week's required reading, Knowledge Quest, Journeying with the AASL Standards Volume 47 Number 5, one idea, or common theme, that really continued to pop up was that many librarians had confusion and questions involving the new AASL standards when they were first introduced.  This was really comforting to me as a graduate student and a new school librarian because the standards are a bit overwhelming.  My personal opinion is that they are overwhelming because there are so many to learn and understand.  I think it will be easier to adopt and adapt, though, as a new librarian coming in because I do not know the old standards and the changes and additions that were made.  Having been a teacher for 17 years, I have experience implementing standards as well as adapting to new standards, so this is not a new task to me, although it is a tedious one. Additionally, in one of the articles written by Laura Hicks, Maryland's Journey Towards New State School Library Standards, the point was made that they were comparing the National School Library Standards to the College and Career Ready Standards as well as other state standards.  This brought another question to mind, what stage is South Carolina in adopting statewide School Library Standards? I know previously there have not been any state specific library standards.  Often it is left up to the individual districts to determine how and what will be taught in the school libraries.  The AASL and ISTE standards provide librarians a framework and guide as they develop curriculum and programming within the school library.

The basic framework for the AASL standards is that is focuses on the learner, the librarian, and the school library.  There are six shared foundations in the AASL Standards Framework: Inquire, Include, Collaborate, Curate, Explore, and Engage.  The ISTE Standards are also separated by student, educator, educator leader, and coach.  While these ISTE standards focus primarily on the use of technology and digital tools to facilitate learning, they contain many of the same elements as the AASL Standards such as thinking critically, collaborating, and creativity and design.  The most helpful tool I found was the crosswalk that compares the two standards side by side.  AASL and ISTE Crosswalk Courtney Lewis states in her article, Collaborating to Communicate Librarian Reading Groups and Understanding  Standards, the importance of using the crosswalk to use familiar language to other stakeholders, such as administrators, when discussing what librarians can do and the importance of what we do in our schools, "comparing and contrasting our standards to the ISTE Standards for Students as well as the ISTE Standards for Educators, can be a way of explaining the equivalencies between ISTE standards familiar to the administrator and the AASL frameworks for learners and school librarians. Comparing one or two areas of the Shared Foundations in a discussion with your administrator shows how aligned the ISTE/ AASL standards are under “Inquire” and emphasizes the importance of inquiry throughout the curriculum. The number of empty boxes on the ISTE side of the crosswalk under “Include” can demonstrate school librarians’ emphasis on issues of diversity and inclusivity in our work (AASL 2018b)." 

Image: AASL and ISTE Standards Crosswalk

As a school librarian in South Carolina, I would love to see a crosswalk that compares the National School Library Standards to the SC State Standards, specifically the new ELA standards.  I looked for something that was already created with no luck yet.  What resources have you found for implementing standards in South Carolina School Libraries?

Citations:

Hicks, L. (2019). Maryland's Journey Towards New State School Library Standards. Knowledge Quest, 

            47(5), 74-79.

Lewis, C. L. (2019). Collaborating to Communicate: Librarian Reading Groups and Understanding Standards. Knowledge Quest, 47(5), 36–43.

‌

Montjoy_Emily_BlogShare

 Books to Bring a Spark to Your Library

Imagination Soup-- A blog full of books & fun learning resources written by a mom, writer, former educator and literacy trainer, Melissa Taylor

Imagination Soup Blog Link

This blog has become one of my go-to for book resources for children.  Author, Melissa Taylor, has vast knowledge on the subject of children's literature and uses her experience in the school setting to help currate book lists for children.  This resource is extremely useful for teachers, librarians, parents, and children.  If you are looking for a book, you are sure to find what you are looking for here on her blog!  There are book lists organized by age, topic, and genre.  You can find book lists for audio books, graphic novels, picture books, chapter books, books to read aloud, bedtime stories, books made into movies, etc.  The possibilities are endless!  I first found her blog through Facebook.  She posts regularly, so I highly recommend following her on social media so you catch her latest updates.  She also has a section designated for playful learning which includes toys, games, writing, and stem related topics.  She also shares seasonal posts full of book ideas to relate to the current holidays.  One other useful section on her blog are mentor books for teaching.  For example, books to teach letter writing, perspective, or figurative language.  This is especially helpful for school librarians who are working with teachers and connecting library lessons to the classroom curriculum.

I could share so many relevant and useful blog posts from this blog, so narrowing it down to three to five was a bit difficult.  I can't recommend her blog enough.  Here are several blog posts that I thought would be beneficial for librarians.

1. Teaching Information Literacy with Children's Books

https://imaginationsoup.net/teach-information-literacy-with-childrens-books/

This post is written by a guest blogger, Geralyn Westervelt, a a recently retired school librarian.  In this blog, Westervelt shares what information literacy is, why it is important to teach it, and how to teach it to students using picture books.  She explains how students are exposed to an abundance of information in today's tech-rich world, and it is imperative that we teach our students how to read information and how to determine it's accuracy.  She shares this graphic that explains what information literacy is: research skills, digiital competencies, media literacy, and academic literacy.  We have a challenging job: teaching children and young adults how to find reliable resources and news outlets, how to use critial thinking skills to analyze the information, and then what to do with the information we have at our fingertips.

In the post, Westervelt shares many picture books that you can use to teach this skill in the library setting.  Here are two that looked like good choices to me that I have not seen before!

2. 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids

Best Nonfiction Books

One week during our classwork we were to read nonfiction books.  Personally, I have found that reading aloud nonfiction can be one genre we often shy away from, but we shouldn't.  I challenged myself to read more nonfiction aloud to my students and personal child.  It is important that just as they hear fiction be read aloud and learn the story structure, it is also important that they hear nonfiction read aloud and modeled for them how to read nonfiction.  Nonfiction sometimes gets a sterotype as a boring genre to read, and all to often, it is avoided.  I chose this blog so that I could find some new, exciting, award winning nonfiction to read aloud.  Taylor emphasizes this same point in her blog.  She says often her students struggled more with nonfiction comprehension than fictional comprehension and it was really because of a lack of exposure and practice.  "Reading nonfiction builds the very important skill of reading for meaning." (Taylor, 2023) It is a great idea to read nonfiction often to model this important skill and to give students practice as well.  This post shares 35 different new nonfiction picture books and a short summary for each one.  I am excited to check out these new titles, most of which I have not read.

3. 70 Best Christmas Books for Kids

Christmas Books

I could really spend hours digging through this blog and the numerous book lists.  One way I searched was by going to the blog tab and clicking on the "by topic" choice.  This has a long list of books organized by various topics in alphabetical order.  Since Christmas is coming up, I chose to click and read through this post.  In this post Taylor recommends her favorite Christmas picture books, chapter books, middle grade books, and activity books.  

The remainder of the post shares various Christmas books, both old and new.  Some books were classics and well known books like The Polar Express and Red and Lulu.  But there were many others listed that I had never heard of before, so I appreciate her list of newer titles that aren't read and reread.  In the library I like to try to find books students have not heard many times and expose them to new literature and a variety of diverse texts and authors.  However, rereading some classics just never gets old, like The Polar Express.  Children often enjoy hearing their favorites read time and time again.

If you're looking for a book to read, and you need the perfect read aloud recommendation, this blog is a go-to that will be a valuable resource to your professional tool box when working in a library setting.  

Enjoy, & happy reading!

What I am reading this week:

We were to read comedy books this week.  Reading funny books is a must in the library!  I chose to read the books shared in the blog I found this week mentioned above, and this is perfect timing for the upcoming weeks at school. Taylor shared these top picks on her blog for funny Christmas books which will make for great read alouds in the library!  Here's what I am reading: