AASL13 IdeaXchange Recap

Every national conference I look forward to the booths of the  IdeaxChange.  There are so many great ideas buzzing in one place and I collect tips, hyperlinks, brainstorms, and pre-tested wonders to bring back to all our local librarians.  If you didn't get the opportunity to attend AASL 2013, please mark your calendar for Columbus, Ohio in 2015.    Listed below are just a few of the great ideas shared during this fabulous conference:  

• If you are wondering where to get started with LIBRARY CENTERS,  then you will want to check out this website from the 'Centered School Library http://librarylearners.com/  This group presented how they are committed to library centers as a way of learning in their space.  
• The John Hersey High School, outside of Chicago, developed an Academic Resource Center to support academic success by providing space, resources, a store, help, technology, etc.   Why not check out their page or drop them a note and ask questions.  Come up with a "name"  to make what you already do "visible"  and take it to the next level!  http://bit.ly/167kuLf 
• A few librarians from Boston Arts Academy demo'd an App called "Nearpod"  which was interesting.  This App enables teachers to use their ipads to manage content on students' ipads, ipohone, or ipods.  I guess this is virtual device sharing?!  
• The Heifer International Group was there with a booth suggesting that they are utterly a great "action" cause for classrooms who get a "call to community action."   While speaking in Arkansas, I had the opportunity to see the Heifer International Headquarters and was impressed.  This is such a worthy cause and I made contact with our state representative who will come and do in-building connection and provide ideas for curriculum integration.  It so happens that in NY, some "exemplary" curriculum has just the "spot" for this endeavor.  We will be rolling out this beautiful bovine idea locally, hopefully, this winter.  
• Two Connecticut librarians  shared their idea of using Library Pals - shared blog to connect with primary grade students.  I loved this idea of getting kids used to "contributing" (presenting knowledge) early in their educational career.   There link:  http://tiny.cc/libPals 
• Songbird Sue Kowalski and her bullhorn,  proclaimed the merits of her IStaff student tech team in Syracuse NY.  Not only is Sue always smiling and funny, but she is known for her unique student integration programs.  If you haven't seen the merits of her student IT training, you should contact her.
  
   This highly acclaimed student-empowering program is easily replicated and helps all teachers in her building.  Her website is: http://pinegrove.libguides.com/iStaff   
• Digital Citizenship was discussed by a couple of booths, and here's one link for your perusal: https://sites.google.com/site/digitalcitizenlessonplans/  Don't miss it. 
• Long-time library friend and publisher, Hilda Weisburg was there with her recently released fantasy novel: Woven Through Time - Don't miss this award winning new book.  And...the cover is lovely.  We librarians know that books are often chosen for their cover! This is on my must-read list. 

• DO NOT MISS  this wiki which is a wonderful resource of Mentor Texts!  http://best-book-lists.wikispaces.com 
• Stacey Ratner presented her "mock" Newbery program which successfully picked Ivan last year.  Even her students will tell you this is not "mock"  This is serious business. This too is easily replicated in your library.   
• IF I HAVE MISSED YOUR IDEAxCHANGE, please leave your links and message in the comments and share those with all!  We'd love to see you showcase your great idea! 

So mark your calendar for the next AASL conference and plan on attending to bring home many great innovations to your space.   

Repackaging Research for the Common Core

While preparing for my  AASL breakout session scheduled for Saturday,  I thought I'd share some documents with our virtual library world.   Many of you cannot attend this national conference in Hartford for various reasons, and we will miss meeting you face-to-face!  

Since we are all in this paradigm shift together, I thought I'd share two research tools that I crafted to help inspire your teachers to "Repackage Research" for the Common Core:  A teacher self-assessment and a student self-assessment for research--Common Core style! 

There's a great deal more in my session than these two self-assessment checklists, but in case you can't attend, I didnt want you to miss out on what I believe is an incriminating self-assessment for teachers who are caught in the old paradigm of "fetching facts." 

If you attend my Saturday morning session, we will do some hands-on activities to understand how classroom  activities can evolve into "short term or more sustained" research activities.  We will share a recipe for creating Essential Questions and attendees should leave feeling that they understand how research within the CCSS should be vastly different that the old-school, low-budget, fact-fetching lame-excuse-for-research endeavors.   As Ross Todd says, "why bother?"  

 ResearchSchematic NYS (PDF -484 KB)

 SCDN Synthesizing! - Student (PDF -396 KB)

 Teacher self-assessment (PDF -314 KB)

 Repackaging Research Handout (PDF -865 KB) Sat @ 10:00 

When we return to work on Monday, our NYSED governing board will be voting on whether a research paper will be a requirement (postponed until December meeting) for HS graduation.   Most high performing schools are there already,  but we all know that some schools and classroom teachers are "territorial"  and do not collaborate with their librarians.  That is not CCSS aligned and you can diplomatically inform them.    

Here is our Commissioner of Education, Dr. John King,  speaking to 1000+ NYS Network Training ELA teachers last May about "research."   Long live the King!  

Also on Friday at 8:00  we are presenting Raising eReaders:  Rising above reluctancy 

Please join us for that session, if you are sitting on the fence wondering why or how to get started with eBooks for popular fiction!    

Here is a handout from that session:  Raising eReaders (PDF -270 KB) - Friday @ 8:00