WCPSS Teacher Librarians Presented at NCSLMA Conference in October

Fifteen teacher librarians presented at the annual conference of the NC School Library Media Association in Winston-Salem on October 9-11.  These educators shared their expertise in literacy, media and instructional technology with other media coordinators and teachers in attendance from across the state.

Kristen Ziller, Durant Road Middle, and Kendra Allen, Holly Grove Middle, presented their work with family history research projects and gave participants instructional strategies, personal examples, and online resources to use.  8^th grade language arts teacher Laura Richardson, Durant Road Middle, also shared her work with the project.

Nancy Torborg, Root Elementary, presented a session on improving your book collection using data collection.

Jan Healy, Green Hope High, engaged participants about effective models for professional development with teachers.

Brenda Shore, Conn Elementary, shared her K-1 research journey and inquiry process with attendees, guiding them on ways to help our youngest students answer their questions and share their findings.

Allison Briggs and John E. Smith, Heritage High, had participants take a deeper look at current library trends related to social media, higher education, and virtual libraries.

Paula Barnes Cardinale and Marta King, Powell Elementary, engaged participants with their One Book One School program, sharing the implementation process and evolution of their program.

Christine Tuttell and Karen Pahl, Bugg Elementary, discussed the transformation of their media center into “The Hub” of the school through collaboration, maker’s spaces, technology tools, transformative displays, social media and public relations.

Deanna Harris and ELA teacher Sigridur Mitchell, East Cary Middle, presented their co-teaching and revamping of teaching the classroom novel with students.  Harris also presented a session on teacher leadership, having participants explore effective leadership skills and guiding them to set goals to affect change.

Karen Waller, Timber DriveElementary, shared her work with learning centers and collaboration with 4^th and 5^th grade teachers.

Stephanie Fiedler, Mills Park Middle, presented attendees with augmented reality to bring books and periodicals alive.

Angie Morris, Rolesville Middle, led participants in a session on building school-wide ownership of strong library media programs.

Debbie Dupree, Wake Young Women’sLeadership Academy, and Tess McMains,  Carnage Middle and East Garner Middle, showed how to use the AASL’s best websites for teaching and learning to enhance collaboration and instruction with teachers in various content areas.

Linda Dextre, Wendell Middle, shared her work with the after-school digital literacy club, or DigiLit, sharing activities that students explore.

The Fabulous Jacqueline Woodson and her Brown Girl Dreaming

At the recent NCSLMA conference, I had the chance to see one of my favorite authors, Jacqueline Woodson.  She had participated in our conference before, at least ten years ago, and I remembered her as gracious and engaging. At that time, I had read a few of her books -- The House You Pass on the Way and If You Come Softly -- but I don't believe her novel Miracle's Boys was out yet.

Since then, I have voraciously read almost all the books she has written, including her young adult novels and her picture books, and I am constantly booktalking and recommending them to my middle school readers in my library.

Her latest novel, Brown Girl Dreaming, is a wonderful story of her growing up in South Carolina and New York, of her falling in love with words, and of her as a young child figuring out the world, the good and the bad.  Told in verse, the memoir is a lovely read, solidifying Woodson as a prolific writer.  The book has received numerous starred reviews and is a finalist for the National Book Award.

New Year, New You: January Library Displays

One of my new year's resolutions or goals is to make sure that I have attractive, engaging, and inviting displays in my library media center.  While life without a library assistant is harder, I know that the displays that my former assistant used to put up after brainstorming with me really did make a difference in the appearance of our space as well as circulation and general browsing of the collection.

Here are the January displays:

  

 

 

 

Going Lean and Getting Clean in 2014

Happy new year!  Just like every other year, so many folks make resolutions to kick off the new year and usually by mid-March (if they are lucky to get that far) their resolve has gone by the way.  Just like my fellow resolution makers, I have set goals to lose weight, be healthier, study more, read more, be kinder, complete Bible studies, and umpteen other life enriching plans to mark the new year.  Some years I've been more successful than others, but ultimately I like reflecting on the previous year and looking forward to improving my life and the lives of my family and friends.

A friend was deciding on her own resolution for the year and wanted something with a catchy phrase.    I suggested a few: going green in 2014; giving up caffeine in 2014; living like a queen in 2014; more love, less mean in 2014.  Other friends offered just as quick mottos for the new year and I liked one of them: getting lean in 2014.

While I feel like the gist of this phrase is about getting healthy and losing weight, I liked the idea of lean as also being more efficient, less wasteful, clean.  So I'm going with the resolution:

Going Lean and Getting Clean in 2014

This doesn't just mean working towards living a healthier lifestyle - eating better, moving more.  It means clearing out my head, meditating and praying more.  It means making our home more lean and clean, clearing out clutter, getting rid of unnecessary items.  It also means cleaning up relationships, focusing on the positives and dismissing the negatives.  It means getting organized in all areas - physically, financially, personally and professionally.

What goals have you set for yourself for the new year?