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Resolutions vs. Reflections

It's the start of a new year. It's that time of year when people make resolutions. But as I've been sitting here thinking about the very nature of New Year's Resolutions, they've suddenly struck me as, perhaps unintentionally, a thing of negativity. It seems like all too often these resolutions focus on the things we're unhappy with, the things we want to change or fix. And something isn't quite sitting right with that for me.

I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with wanting to improve yourself. In fact, I'm all for bucking the status quo and constantly moving towards progress. I'm just saying that sometimes in looking forward, we forget the power of looking back. I'm making the argument that before we resolve to do anything new, we take a moment to reflect and celebrate the things that we've done well in the past year.

To this end, here's my celebration of 2016 in my library!



So instead of resolutions that will drastically change things, I instead resolve to continue to provide amazing opportunities for my students via the library. What specifically am I committed to continuing, you ask?

I commit to continue to provide my students with a culture that celebrates literacy in all shapes and forms. I commit to continuing to provide them with opportunities to think critically and explore new ideas. I commit to providing them with opportunities to find themselves and their passions. I commit to helping them connect to the world beyond our school. I commit to providing my students with a place to feel safe to take risks.

There are always amazing things looming on the horizon, things to look forward to in the future, things to strive to improve. But I challenge you to reflect and celebrate the things that have gone well with your library, your school, and your program!

Productive Struggle

For the last week and a half, my colleague Josh Allen and I have been taking Breakout EDU to the classrooms of our 2nd-5th grade building. It's been an illuminating experience for all of us.

As we've watched students work through the game, one of the most common comments I've heard from the teachers has been, "How can you just sit back and watch?"

Let me just tell you. Sometimes it's hard. Very hard. It's hard to watch as students don't use the resources given to them. It's hard to watch as students skim past clues. It's hard to listen to students who aren't listening to their group members. It's hard to see students who are so close to getting something but are missing a small detail. 

It's hard to watch students struggle.

We as teachers want so badly to see our students succeed. But sometimes we forget that in order to succeed, sometimes we have to struggle. 

The opportunities that Breakout EDU offers are what I'd call productive struggle. 

Breakout EDU, no matter what game, teaches our students to be critical-thinkers and problem-solvers. They must determine what is and what is not important information. They must decide how to use the information they've been given. It teaches them to be good team members. In order to succeed, Breakout EDU requires team work. It requires students to take turns. It requires them to share their ideas and explain their thinking. It requires them to listen to each other. And Breakout EDU teaches our students to persevere. It requires them to shift their thinking when something doesn't work. It requires them to work past frustration and to build off the ideas of others.

Now, of course, we're not completely heartless. We intervene and redirect groups that are becoming toxic and derailing themselves. We don't want the struggle to become debilitating.

One of the most important things that we do at the end of every game is to reflect. Even if groups fail to breakout in the allotted time, we take the time to celebrate and recognize the things they did well. And we always take the time to ask them what they learned about the experience and how they'd use what they learned for next time. Almost always someone brings up the ideas of reading more carefully, of noticing, of listening, of working together, of trying different things.

And we always talk to our students about how all of the things they've learned are things that can be applied outside of Breakout EDU . . . in the classroom, during math or reading, at recess, at home. 

Because in the outside world, the struggle is very real.

Thinking Outside the Box: Breakout EDU and the library

Never one to be satisfied with the status quo, I'm always pushing the proverbial envelope, always challenging my students and teachers to explore new ideas. And I'm lucky enough to work with several brave souls who are willing to come along for the ride, even if they've got no idea what I'm getting them into.

And so goes the story of how Breakout EDU came to the library . . .

As a librarian, I want to provide my students with opportunities that encourage them to challenge their thinking, to take risks, and to provide them with experiences that allow them to apply information and explore their strengths in nontraditional ways. I'd heard about Breakout EDUs and knew it was something I wanted for my library and for my students.

Using my library budget, I purchased three kits from Breakout EDU. I figured since I was a novice at setting up a Breakout game, I'd better start with the experts. By purchasing kits directly from Breakout EDU, I was provided with all the materials I'd need, plus access to numerous games with all materials and set up instructions included.

It didn't take me long to find my first willing participant . . .

One of my 5th grade classes was participating in Global Read Aloud with the novel Pax. When I saw that there was a Breakout game for the book, I immediately approached the teacher to ask if she would be willing to let me use her students as guinea pigs. Despite the fact that she had no idea what I was asking of her, she graciously agreed, especially when I assured her that I would have everything set up and ready to go!

I dutifully printed the instructions, read them over carefully, and began to prepare the materials for the game. I must admit that I was intimidated by the locks. I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to get them set and that I'd be dead in the water. But the worries were unnecessary. Breakout EDU provides a number of video tutorials that walk educators through each step of setting the locks.

With the locks set and materials prepared, I was ready for the big day!

The locks were set, ready for students to break out!

On the day of the game, I set up the library (as instructed via Breakout EDU) and welcomed our students. I gave them the most minimal of explanations of what they were doing, gave a quick tutorial of the locks (I wasn't sure how many of my students had actually explored locks before), and started the timer.

And then I watched.

Students gathered as a whole group to review the clues, often coming back together to share information.
 

Students often broke off into small groups to work through the various puzzles.

I watched as students took the challenge on. I watched as leaders emerged. Students stepped up to take charge of the various puzzles, while others helped or worked to communicate between the small groups that naturally formed. I watched students play to their strengths. Students who were good with words tackled the word puzzle, while students who were good with math tackled the math puzzle. I watched students work together. I watched students reread clues to each other. I watched students problem-solve. I watched students struggle. I watched students succeed.

Mrs. Hetzel's 5th graders broke out with 12:54 remaining!

For me, the whole experience affirmed the benefits of Breakout EDU. Students who struggled in regular academic tasks were able to find success in a variety of capacities during the game. Students were given an authentic opportunity to problem-solve, to work as a group and to persevere in the face of adversity, to work past frustration and rely upon others. Students had to communicate, students had to think, students had to work together as a group.

Was it perfect? Absolutely not. As with anything, there are always things to improve or tweak to make the experience even better. But ultimately, it was a wild success . . . My students learned to think outside the box.

Using Padlet to Support Personal Professional Development

I love learning.

I love sharing.

I love sharing what I'm learning.

The more learning and sharing (and brainstorming and innovating and growing) I can do, the better!

I'm constantly looking to improve. I'm never satisfied with the status quo. I use social media such as Twitter and Voxer to challenge myself, to learn and to improve my professional practices. But for me, there's still nothing quite like actually attending an educational conference. It's the environment. It's the social interactions. It's being face-to-face with other passionate educators who want nothing more than to improve themselves in order to improve the educational experience for their students.

As a Teacher Librarian, I attend conferences not only to further develop my own practices, but I am always on the lookout for resources and ideas that I can share and support with my students and staff to enhance their educational experiences. I attend conferences as much for them as I do for me.

So there's always the burning question: How can I share my experiences with those who weren't there with me?

I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles with this. Sometimes this sharing can be a difficult. Sometimes the learning centers around new practice or tool introduced in a session. Those are easy to attribute and share. But so many times, what I take away from conferences can be more about mindset, inspiration, connections, and/or new opportunities for my students, my staff and for my library. The learning I take away from a conference may not always be obvious and easily traceable. There are so many amazing ideas shared by amazing educators. The learning I'm doing is much more subtle.

All that being said, I realized that I wanted and needed to be much more intentional and transparent about sharing my learning with my administrators, colleagues, and even my students.

To this end, I decided to utilize one of my favorite new obsessions, Padlet. While attending two fantastic conferences in the last month: ITEC (Iowa Technology Education Connection) in Des Moines and NSLA (Nebraska School Library Association) in Omaha, I created the Padlets featured below as a way to share my learning with my administrators and colleagues. I not only shared these Padlets with my administrator and specific teachers via e-mail, I also shared the links and discussed my learning during recent leadership team meetings at my building. And because sharing is caring, I've shared these Padlets with several members of my PLN. Now I'm sharing them with you!

I'm obsessed with using Padlet with my students as a way to capture and share their ideas, but this was the first time I'd used it to capture my own. I love how visual Padlet is. I love that you can add text, pictures, links, videos, etc. I love the it succinctly and efficiently organizes my learning in a way that's easy to capture and share. And I loved that it allowed me to share with my colleagues and administration in a way that will allow them to engage with my learning too.

And as an added bonus, utilizing Padlet has allowed me to continue to reflect on my learning in a more meaningful way.

Making your PLN truly personal

Last April at the Iowa Association of School Librarian conference I had to pleasure of listening to Shannon Miller and Michelle Luhtala as they gave a Lightning Talk entitled "Friendspiration." In their sharing, they told the story of how their collaboration via social media blossomed into a true friendship that inspires both of them as professionals and individuals.

Being a librarian can sometimes be isolating. We are often singletons in our buildings, some are singletons in a whole district. We belong to everyone, and yet we belong to no one. 

Yet, there's hope! As technology continues to increase our access to information, so does it increase our access to each other. You hear about the power of being a connected educator, the opportunities it can provide for your students. We know it's important to build your Personal Learning Network (PLN) in order to continue to grow professionally.

But what about your personal growth?

I have been blessed to have my own stories of "friendspiration." There are members of my PLN who have truly become friends. These are the individuals I turn to when I have questions, when I need inspiration, when I need to vent. We leave each other inspirational messages, we lift each other up, we help each other out. We have truly become friends. But none of it would have happened without social media.

For me, Twitter has been a life-changer. I remember the first time I met one of my Twitter EduRockstars. It was at EdCampOmaha, and I awkwardly introduced myself to Nate Balcom, an amazing Elementary Integration Specialist from Grand Island, NE. We laugh now, but I do believe my first words were, "Hi, I'm Lynn. I follow you on Twitter." Since then, Nate has been someone who inspires me, who willingly embraces the crazy collaboration ideas I throw at him, and appreciates my random Dr. Who references.

Or take for instance another life-changing moment: The first time I ever met Cynthia Stogdill in person. Cynthia and I were both Teacher Librarians, graduates from the University of Nebraska-Omaha's program. We'd interacted a few times via Twitter chats. But it wasn't until NETA 2015 that we actually met in person. We hugged each other like we were old friends (disclaimer: I'm a hugger), and spent several hours brainstorming our big adventure together. It was because of this encounter that the Midwest Teacher Librarian Chat (#mwlibchat) was born! Cynthia is not only my partner-in-crime, but she's my sanity. She listens, she affirms, she guides, and she refocuses me. A lot.

The day Cynthia Stogdill and I meet and #mwlibchat was born!

Then there are my amazing fellow Iowa Teacher Librarians I met during ITEC in the fall of 2015. Alyssa Calhoun, Miranda Kral, Sarah Staudt and I were strangers at the start of the conference, but we definitely left as friends. Although we are spread across the state, we've kept in touch via Twitter, we have a special group chat via the app Voxer, and we're planning a reunion. These ladies not only provide me with inspiration and ideas; we are always plotting shenanigans. But most importantly, they make me laugh!  

Sarah, Miranda, Alyssa and I are the IASL conference 

Most recently, my PLN become more personal when my good friend Stony Evans, a Teacher Librarian in Arkansas, and his lovely wife Cindy, also a Teacher Librarian, made a special stop in Omaha on their way home from a conference in Colorado. 

Stony and I had first met last fall during a Twitter chat. We immediately hit it off. We have since collaborated several times, not only connecting our students, but also connecting for some professional development for the Teacher Librarians in his district (descriptions of these collaborations can be found on Stony's blog). We use the app Voxer to touch base almost daily, chatting about everything from a brilliant idea to our shared adoration of Shannon Miller. Stony is one of the most inspirational individuals I know. His passion for our profession and his gift for story-telling are a winning combination.

Although Stony and I had never met in person, when he mentioned that he and Cindy were thinking about taking the scenic route back home, I immediately extended an invitation to visit. I was thrilled when they accepted. We spent the whole day touring the Omaha Henry Doorly Zoo (my children served as our tour guides), chatting away as though we'd known each other for years. My husband and Stony even cooked up some collaboration ideas over dinner. The conversation never stopped, and the trip was over way too soon.

Stony, Cindy, and I after dinner at one of my favorite restaurants

I am forever changed because of the encounters with these individuals, amazing people I would have never met had it not been for social media. And because of social media, especially Twitter and Voxer, the distance is never a limitation for our "friendspiration." And I can only imagine what adventures the future may hold!

Sharing a Love of Reading

As librarians, we know that there is no greater joy than helping our readers connect with that perfect book. But when we can empower students to share their reading experiences with others, it's "goosebumpy!"

While I try to encourage and empower all my students to share and celebrate their reading experiences, two of my 5th grade classes (and their teachers) wanted to take their sharing to another level. As their Teacher Librarian, I was more than happy to oblige!

Using Padlet, I am sharing the Thinglink and Animoto book recommendations my 5th graders created. These book recommendations were also shared via our library website and through our Library Google Classroom in order to engage as many readers as possible! Below this Padlet, I have included a description of each tool (and how we used it)!
 

Created with Padlet

Thinglink

One of my 5th grade classes utilized a site called Thinglink. Thinglink allows students (and teachers) to create interactive images and videos. Students (and teachers) start with a base image or video. Once the base image has been uploaded, creators add "Tags," or the interactive touch points. Information added to the images includes text or links to sites or videos. Finished Thinglinks can then be shared multiple ways, including shareable links or embedding in sites/blogs.

I utilized the free version of Thinglink Teacher. This allowed me to create student accounts. The process of creating classes and student accounts was fairly easy, but tutorial videos are always helpful. While I am able to view my students' creations, I am unable to collaborate in the editing of the Thinglinks.

Animoto

Animoto is a web-based video production tool, allowing for professional-looking video creation. To begin, students (and teachers) pick a theme (there are a variety of free ones to choose from). Each theme comes with a selected song, but Animoto provides a robust music library if creators wish to change. Creators then add a variety of text and images to create their video. The text slides are limited to a total of 90 characters each and videos must have at least one image. Pacing and transitions are automatically generated during the production process, but various slides can be highlighted during creation to ensure ample focus time. A preview option also allows for editing during the creation process. Much like Thinglink, finished Animotos can be shared a variety of ways, including shareable links, downloading, and embedding.

As a teacher or librarian, you can apply for an educator account. If approved, you are provided with a code that allows you to create student accounts. Both you and your students can then create videos exceeding the 30 second limitation of the free version. Animoto does provide detailed instruction in how to create the student accounts. 

There are a multitude of ways to have students extend their reading experiences! These are just two that worked really well for my students and allowed them to create a reading experience that could be shared with others!

Originally published (by me) on the IASL Blog: http://www.iasl-ia.org/2016/05/sharing-love-of-reading.html

Titan Hill Library Benefits from Birthday Books!

Sydney Skokan, Titan Hill 2nd grader, donated 27 titles to the Titan Hill Library.

She has a history of giving.

When Sydney Skokan was 2 1/2 she donated her piggy bank to the Red Cross because workers took the time to talk to her and explain their role and why the Red Cross needs people to donate money.

When she was 7, Sydney donated over half of her birthday presents to the MOHM's Place Christmas event.

"It was not because she didn't want them. It was because she knew she did not need them. She loved the thought of the kids, who may not get anything on Christmas morning, waking up to some pretty awesome gifts under their tree," said Mindi Skokan, Sydney's mother. "She's had a passion for giving to those in need for as long as I can remember."

This year, for Sydney's 8th birthday, she decided to give back in a different way. Sydney told her mom that she wanted to donate something somewhere again. After careful consideration, she decided to donate to the Titan Hill Library.

When the birthday invitations went out, Sydney requested that instead of birthday presents, she wanted her guests to pick out books that they'd like to donate to the Titan Hill Library.

"I knew if kids were having trouble finding books, then if they donated the books they wanted to read, they could check them out here," Sydney said.

Sydney said that her favorite thing about the Titan Hill Library is all the books. Now thanks to Sydney's thoughtfulness, the Titan Hill Library has 27 more titles.

"To say that her dad and I are proud of her would be a true understatement. I hope this girl never loses her passion for giving and for always seeing the best in people," Mindi says.

How Our School Library Transforms Learning . . . And Learners

If you weren't already aware, it's School Library Appreciation Month.

This year's theme is School Libraries Transform Learning.

It seems like an obvious choice to those of us in the library world. It's what we do. Libraries empower learners. Yet there are still some who picture libraries of yesteryear, not quite sure what it is that happens in the library. They're unsure of how libraries have transformed and are transforming.

So I decided to ask some of my students to help tell our library's story. After all, it's their story to tell. In two different projects, I asked my students to share what it is that we do in the library and what impact it has on their learning. Here's some of their thoughts:

Created with Padlet

And this just a small sampling of the answers I received. But the message is loud and clear: What we do transforms learners.

Happy School Library Month!

What happened when we Found Poetry

I still have goosebumps. It was one of those magical experiences all teacher and librarians hope to have. Every students engaged. Authentic conversations. Inspired minds. 

And all because we'd "Found Poetry" in our library.

What is Found Poetry?

Found Poetry is a type of poetry created when words, phrases, or sometimes longer passages from published work are reworked into poetry.

I'd seen examples of Found Poetry before and I'd always wanted to try it with my students. And then my fellow Teacher Librarian friend, Nate Balcom, shared some examples of the Found Poetry he'd been creating.

Original Found Poetry created by Nate Balcom.

I decided to give it a try too. 

What did we do?

Found Poetry can take several forms. Although I'd seen examples of Book Spine Poetry before, but I had recently discarded several books in the library, so I decided to go with the Blackout Poetry option.

The concept is simple. Students are given a page of a book. Students then read through the page, lightly underlining words or phrases that stand out to them. Students then go back to reread the words or phrases they'd underlined, working them into a free verse poem. The parameters I gave students were simple:

• You may only use the words on the page (you can't add), but words can be modified. Example: "sandstorm" could be used as either "sand" or "storm."
• You must read the words in the order as they appear on the page (seems obvious, but when working with elementary students, it never hurts to state it anyway)

And I left the rest up to them.

And the results?

It was absolutely amazing. All day long, students spread out around the library, fully engaged, reading alone or in small groups. They were reading, conversing, creating. And they were hooked.

When you think about the concepts and skills a lesson like this reinforces--vocabulary, fluency, comprehension, collaboration, creative writing--it's incredible. But what happened during this lesson was more than just an application of concepts and skills. It was the passion, engagement, and excitement for literacy that made this lesson so special. 

And the icing on the cake? One of my 5th grade teachers asked if she could stay for the instructions because she's heard so much buzz about this activity all day long. After hearing the instructions, she willingly gave up her plan time to stay and participate too.

In the time since introducing this activity in the library, Found Poetry examples have continued to flow into the library. Students are excited about poetry. Students are excited to share what they've created with everyone who will listen. What more could a librarian ask for?

And now I'm excited to share some of them with you:

Found Poem created by Jaxton A.

Found Poem created by Kayla

Found Poem created by Lilly I.

"My Grandma" created by Avery H.

Joining the Open Educational Resources (OER) Conversation

You may or may not be aware of a national campaign with some intriguing implications for librarians.

Last October, the U.S. Department of Education launched the #GoOpen campaign, a national campaign encouraging school districts to use openly licensed educational resources (OER). Put rather simply, the idea behind this initiative is to encourage school districts to access the wealth of free (both financial and copyright) educational resources available to level the academic playing field. The Office of Educational Technology’s #GoOpen site quotes Acting Secretary John King, explaining: "Openly licensed educational resources can increase equity by providing all students, regardless of zip code, access to high quality learning materials that have the most up-to-date and relevant content.”

So what does OER look like?

There are a plethora of resources available online. OER materials include lesson plans, worksheets or handouts, media, and other support materials that may be used and, in some cases, modified freely and without concern of copyright violation.

There are a number of places to begin exploring OER. The benefit of using these portals is that the materials available are often searchable by subject or standard, which makes finding resources slightly less daunting. Here are a few to begin to explore:

OER Commons

Learning Registry

CK-12

Curriki

So what does this mean for teacher librarians?

Librarians have always been a wealth of knowledge and have long been active supporters of curriculum. We are curators by nature. We collect resources. We guide and support. After February's #GoOpen Exchange, Joyce Valenza called for teacher librarians to lend their voices and help lead the charge in this endeavor. In her blog post (OER and you. The curation mandate), Valenza’s challenge is for us to "be ready and to take the lead in making sense of the content and resources that will be making their way into our schools in a big way" (Valenza, 2016).

In a time when budgets are constantly being cut, the #GoOpen and OER initiatives give librarians an amazing opportunity to leverage these free resources to support the learning in their schools.  

Although I’m still wrapping my brain around the plethora of resources and all the implications for my school’s future, I feel the amazing potential already. As standards and curriculum change, my teachers are always searching for additional resources. Directing my teachers to OER ensures that they have access to quality materials that they can ethically use.

Although Iowa has not yet committed to becoming a #GoOpen state, I encourage you to learn more about OER and #GoOpen. I encourage you to be prepared to lead the charge in your school.

Learn more:

Office of Educational Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://tech.ed.gov/open-education/

Valenza, J. (2016, February 28). OER and you. The curation mandate. Retrieved from

http://blogs.slj.com/neverendingsearch/2016/02/28/oer-and-you-the-curation-mandate/

*Note: This blog was originally written and published (by me) via the Iowa Association of School Librarians Blog: http://www.iasl-ia.org/2016/03/joining-oer-open-educational-resources.html

Consider Coding in Your School Library!

With the Hour of Code celebrations kicking off next week in coordination with Computer Science Education Week (December 7-13), students across the nation will be exploring the basics of computer programming and get an introduction to computer science.

Will your school library be part of the celebration?

Why Hour of Code?

The statistics speak volumes.

According to Code.org's site, right now there are 3,930 computing jobs waiting to be filled here in Iowa. Nationally, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (as found via Code.org), "67% of all new jobs in STEM are in computing."

In a society which grows more and more dependent on technology, we need people who can "speak" the language of computers in order to not only keep up with the technology we already have, but, more importantly, to create the technology we've never imagined. How can we expect this to happen if we aren't offering our students the opportunity to explore the skills they'll need? By hosting Hour of Code events, we are allowing our students a deepen their understanding of our technological world and unlock hidden potential and interests that have implications for their futures.

And beyond the implications for our students' future (and our own), there are additional benefits to hosting Hour of Code events for our students. I love this infographic created by Sylvia Duckworth:

Image via @sylviaduckworth

I can bear witness to the "hidden" advantages of providing students the chance to explore coding. As I watched my 2nd through 5th grade students work their way through our Hour of Code events last year, I saw them engaged in authentic and meaningful problem-solving, critical thinking, analyzing and collaborating practices. Students who often hesitant to try new things were willing to take a risk and learn from their mistakes. Students who often rush through work were engaged and determined to finish each challenge placed before them. That's learning at it's best!

So why should libraries be involved in the Hour of Code?

Libraries have always been about empowering our students, encouraging exploration of interests, and supporting literacy. Hour of Code provides our students with an opportunity to do all three.

As a side note, some might argue the coding is a far stretch to literacy. I would argue that your definition of literacy might need to be redefined. Coding is a literacy that requires students to be fluent (read and write) in the language of computers in order to embrace the future and be part of developing the technology that is so much a part of our lives.

Libraries are uniquely situated to serve the needs and interests of all students.  Libraries are intended to support, extend and enhance the traditional curriculum delivered in the regular classrooms. Hosting Hour of Code events is just another extension of these principles.

And like any librarian, you know that you don't have to have all the answers. You just need to know where you can find the resources!

Hour of Code Resources:

Image of the Lewis Central Hour of Code Symbaloo (linked below)

My colleague, Josh Allen, the Technology Integration Specialist was kind enough to create an Hour of Code Symbaloo (pictured above) for our students at Titan Hill Intermediate full of links to online coding games. tutorial videos and information about coding apps. Feel free to use the link to explore with your students as well!

And as an ultimate collection of coding ideas and resources, our friend Shannon Miller has put together a Coding Padlet as a place to reference and share all things coding, just in time for Hour of Code next week! 

Created with Padlet

Padlet created by Shannon Miller

*Note: This blog was originally written and published (by me) via the Iowa Association of School Librarians Blog: http://www.iasl-ia.org/2015/12/consider-coding-in-your-school-library.html

Connecting, Collaborating & Creating in a Winter Wonderland

Sometimes the stars align in such a way that you're left thanking every single last lucky one of them. My students and I have been lucky enough to have this experience recently. Little did I know that a simple Twitter invite would set my students and I off on an amazing Winter Wonderland adventure of connecting, collaborating, and creating! 

It all started when the amazing Shannon Miller sent me a message on Twitter wondering if my Titan Hill students and I would be interested in participating in a "little" project she was putting together called Winter Around the World . The whole project was inspired by a Cantata Learning book called Winter: The Coldest Season of All and was meant to bring together students from around the world to share stories, artwork, music and poems celebrating winter in a collaborative eBook.

When Shannon asks, it's a no-brainer! You know it's good stuff. However, as if being asked by Shannon to join in a project with her weren't enough, the added incentive to join this project was the opportunity to collaborate and publish that it presented for my students. One of my school's goals (and one of my own as well) has been to increase collaboration and publication of student work as a means of engaging students with authentic tasks and providing authentic audiences. 

This project was so absolutely perfect!

As soon as I read a little bit more about the project, I immediately thought of the fabulous Kasey Bell, whose amazing work had previously brought my students such activities as last spring's Collaborative Magnet Poetry and this fall's Halloween Magnetic Poetry. I was hoping she'd be on board with what I had in mind . . .

What ensued was pure awesomeness.

It started with a Twitter Exchange . . .

Which led to a Skype session where the stars aligned . . . And a plan was formed!

Kasey was on board with creating a Winter Poetry Template. My Titan Hill 5th graders were asked to help brainstorm a list of words that Kasey could use to create her interactive Winter Poem! I shared the Winter Around the World project idea with them and asked for their help. They were totally on board!

Following Shannon's suggestion, I had my students generate a list of winter-themed words using Padlet (which I had linked for them via my 5th grade library Google Classroom). Each class generated a list, which I then pulled words to share with Kasey. They loved generating their list of words, especially knowing that the list they were helping to create would have a greater audience. And, of course, I shared our journey with both Shannon and Kasey via Twitter and Periscope!

We then submitted the list of words to Kasey for her to work her magic.

In the meantime, I had shared the book Winter: The Coldest Season of All with several of my other classes, particularly four of my 2nd grade classes, as part of our celebration of National Picture Book Month. And another amazing opportunity arose for my Titan Hill students to connect and collaborate . . . This time by Skyping with the author/composer and illustrator of the Winter book. The students thought it was so cool to hear Lisa Bell and Emily Brooks talk about their journey to creating this particular book!

Shortly after the Skype session, Kasey shared with us the Winter Magnet Poetry template she'd created for us using Google Slides! My 4th and 5th grade students were so excited to get started creating! During their library specials, they used Kasey's poetry template to create their own winter poems. As an added bonus, we were able to explore more deeply how to use and create within Google Slides, a commonly used presentation tool for our school.

Here's an few example poems we submitted:

Not to be left out, one of my amazing 2nd grade teachers, Nancy Walker, and her students created a song inspired by the book entitled "We WIN in Winter." Our district's amazing Technology Integration Specialist, Josh Allen, filmed her students in front of a green screen and created an amazing music video showcasing the song their created!

Here's the complete music video:

Needless to say, it's been quite the Winter Whirlwind over the past month! What amazing opportunities for my students to connect, collaborate and create! I'm absolutely grateful to both Shannon and Kasey for letting my students and I tag along on this amazing winter adventure! 

And the best part of all of this . . . It's not too late for your students to join in the Winter fun! To make your own copy of Kasey's Winter Magnet Poetry, click here! To find out more information or to join in the Winter Around the World project, click here!

Winter Challenge for Google Classroom

Last year several  of my Nebraska educator friends put together a #12daystwitter challenge (click the link to find out what they're up to this year!) meant to encourage fellow educators to explore the connective and collaborative power of Twitter.

Inspired by the fun and collaborative nature of this challenge, a fellow Titan Hill teacher, Laurie Kammrad, and I wanted to find a way for our 2nd through 5th grade students to participate as well. However, Twitter didn't seem the right medium. Although we have several teachers using Twitter within their classrooms, we wanted a way for all students to be able to participate on a more personal level and our students are (technically) to young to have Twitter accounts of their own.

We'd just begun utilizing Google Classroom and thought this would be a perfect way to allow our students to continue to explore this new tool, to connect with other students in and outside their own classrooms and to actually practice some of the digital citizenship skills we'd been discussing.

And so the "12 Days of Google Classroom Challenge" was born!

So how did it work?

The first thing I did was to draft an email to our staff to share about the idea Laurie and I had created, sharing the Google Classroom codes with the teachers. At the time, I hadn't previously required all of my students to join my Library Google Classroom (this has since changed). I set up a Google Classroom for each grade level (2nd through 5th).

Google Classroom Sample E-mail sent to 4th grade teachers:

The next thing I did was to create graphics for each question. To do this, I used one of my absolute favorite tools, Canva. I wanted to create some visuals to go along with the questions, similar to what was being done with the #12daystwitter challenge. In drafting the challenge questions, we went for a variety: some questions that allowed for individual responses and some that would stir up a debate. Ultimately, the goal was for students to share their ideas and respond to their classmates!

Sample graphics:

The final piece was to put the questions into Google Classroom and allow the students to respond using the commenting feature available within Classroom. At the time, I used the "Announcement" feature to post the questions and images.

Starting on December 1, I began to post the questions. Just like the #12daystwitter challenge, I posted them Monday through Friday (no weekend posts) for 12 school days. Students would access Google Classroom and post their response in the comments and reply back to others when they could. If they missed a day, it was no big deal. They could easily catch up when the opportunity presented itself!

Example Google Classroom announcement post:

So how'd it go?

It was absolutely incredible to watch the students' response flow in . . . and to take advantage of the teachable moments!

The participating teachers and I were able to have some fantastic conversations with our students about a multitude of topics. On the educational side, we discussed things such as formulating appropriate responses to the prompts, editing their responses before publishing (hooray writing skills in action!), using the "reply" feature to enhance and continue conversations (besides responses of "Me too!"), and practicing good digital citizenship (this was a huge one for them to explore in a safe environment)!

More importantly, this gave our students a chance to exchange ideas with other students beyond their classroom walls and practice all the skills we'd been addressing in an authentic way.

What's in store for this year?

This year, the Titan Hill students will be given the opportunity to participate, although I've decided to rename it the "Winter Google Classroom Challenge." I wanted my teachers to have a little more flexibility to extend this activity throughout the winter season if they chose. 

I'm also excited about some of the Google Classroom updates that have happened since last year and the potential implications for the challenge this year: 

• This year, there's a new Question feature that I think will work wonderfully for this challenge! 
• There's also the "Draft" feature which will allow me to get everything set up beforehand and have all the questions ready for me to post quickly! 
• I'm also excited that since last year, Google Classroom added the ability to add fellow educators, which means I can add the question prompts and images for any teacher wanting to have their students participate within their regular Google Classrooms (as opposed to a school-wide Classrooms). Any time I can do some of the "behind-the-scenes" work for my teachers is a win.
• I'm extremely excited to take this Winter Google Classroom Challenge across school districts. We have recently launched several cross-district (which happen to be cross-state) Google Classrooms. I'm excited for our students to be able to interact with students outside of our school and to see what conversations are sparked with the responses!

So can your students participate too?

Absolutely! Here's a link to this year's Winter Challenge for Google Classroom. Feel free to use and share with your own students! Happy winter!

Attitude of Gratitude: Why I'm Thankful to be a Teacher Librarian

Although I’m not new to education, I will tell you I’m fairly new to this whole Teacher Librarian business. I’ve been in my current position as a Teacher Librarian for approximately a year and three months. But my short tenure has given me a whole new appreciation for the truly incredible opportunity that being a Teacher Librarian has to offer, an opportunity I am now deeply grateful to have embraced.

You see, I wasn’t sure I was ready to be a Teacher Librarian. I wasn’t sure I was ready to leave my classroom. I loved my students, I loved my job (I taught 7th grade reading for 13 years), I loved my colleagues. But I thank my lucky stars for Dr. Rebecca Pasco, the Director and Coordinator of the Library Science program at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. She had the wisdom to know that despite my reservations, I belonged in the library. So, when Dr. Pasco called and told me about my current position, my choice was made. When Dr. Pasco calls, you listen.

And I’m so grateful that I did. So in the celebration of the season and celebrating an “Attitude of Gratitude,” here’s why I’m so thankful to be a Teacher Librarian:

The students

As I just mentioned, one of my biggest concerns about leaving my classroom was leaving my students. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to build the same kind of relationships I had with “my” 7th graders. I saw this same group of 125(ish) students every other day all year long. That’s a lot of contact time to truly get to know a group of students. I was afraid that a change to the library would inhibit me from making deep connections with my students.

I was right . . . and so wrong.

Although it’s a little more challenging to build relationships with 900 students than it was with 125, I quickly came to realize that I have the benefit of expanding my potential to build relationships, to support literacy, to ignite passions, to be the “cheerleader,” and to watch the growth of every single student in my building because they’re all “mine.” It may take me longer to get to know my students, and I may not know all of them the way I did my 7th graders, but being their Teacher Librarian throughout their four years in my building means I have time.

And the added bonus: I get to be the one to help them celebrate, to help empower them, and to show them that the library can be their safe place where they are always welcomed and respected, no matter what.

The collaboration with fellow educators

Collaboration is empowering for everyone involved.

In my previous position, I worked closely with a group of 5 other teachers, all of whom taught different subjects, but were all 7th grade teachers. I loved working with my fellow 7th grade teachers, especially when it came to planning cross-curricular units. I always loved sharing new tools or resources I’d discovered that could help enhance our students.

My position as a Teacher Librarian has increased my opportunities for collaboration exponentially. . . . literally. I now have the opportunity to work with 50+ teachers in my building to help support their curriculum, technology integration, and literacy. I could write an entire blog post--a love letter, if you will--dedicated to how grateful I have been for my staff. Time and time again, they’ve welcomed me into their classrooms with open arms and don’t run screaming for the hills when I whirl-wind in with another idea!

The opportunity to work with so many amazing educators within my own building, the opportunity to extend the impact of the library beyond the physical walls, the opportunity to help students see a transfer of skills and information have all been absolutely amazing.

The books

Okay, so let’s be real. Many of us became teachers because we wanted to share our passions (or at least that’s one of the reasons). One of my passions is literacy, particularly the access to information and ideas. Reading is empowering. There is no greater feeling that connecting a reader with that perfect book, that perfect resource. And as a Teacher Librarian, I’ve got a lot of books (and access to resources) that allow me to share my passion with every student (and adult) in my building!

The change

Teacher Librarians are Teacher Leaders.

My role as a Teacher Librarian has allowed me to have an impact on all facets of the educational environment not only in my building, but also in my district. As a classroom teacher, my interactions were often limited to only the other members of my grade-level or subject-area team. Being a Teacher Librarian has opened up the opportunities to interact, which has meant that I have the opportunity to communicate and initiate change.

Teacher Librarians are perfectly poised to be the force of change we want to see in the world (particularly the educational world). We have the resources and the access to multiple classrooms in multiple grade levels to truly be a voice for our students and teachers. We see the “big pictures,” we offer support, we are all about making the world a better place.

To reference my favorite Spiderman quote: “With great power comes great responsibility.” I’m just grateful to be in the position to advocate for my students and staff..

My fellow Teacher Librarians

Of all the things I’ve appreciated as a Teacher Librarian, I am probably most appreciative of my fellow Teacher Librarians.

There’s just something about Teacher Librarians. Maybe it’s because we want to help, we want to support, we want to empower others,  but I have never met a more caring and supportive bunch of educators. The relationships I’ve built with my fellow Teacher Librarians over the course of the last year have been some of the deepest and most empowering relationships in my life. Whether in person or virtually, I know that I have an incredible support group, a group always ready to help, to share ideas, and embark on crazy journeys! That means more than words can possibly express.

So in the spirit of the “Attitude of Gratitude,” when times are tough and days are (metaphorically) long, I challenge you to share what blessings have come your way because you are lucky enough to be a Teacher Librarian.

*Note: This blog was originally written and published (by me) via the Iowa Association of School Librarians Blog: http://www.iasl-ia.org/2015/11/attitude-of-gratitude-why-im-thankful.html