The Digital Shift 2013

The Community Joins In:  Library Makerspaces

I had a wonderful experience presenting for The Digital Shift 2013! My fabulous co-presenters were Justin Hoenke from the Chattanooga Public Library and Amy Koester from St. Charles City County Library District. You can read about my co-presenters at The Digital Shift and view our slides below.

The Community Joins In: Library Makerspaces from Justin Hoenke

Teamwork: Lion Style

Showing your School Spirit

This past week was homecoming at Henderson High School, and everyone showed their lion spirit!  The week was filled with fun dress up days and special events.  This week I was adopted by the science department. We transformed ourselves into "lions" to cheer on our favorite lions--our students. We even made a special guest appearance at the pep rally.  What I learned most this week is how blessed I am to work at HHS.  We truly love our students and fellow teachers.  I am honored to be a part of the Magnificent Seven.

Being a Connected Librarian Rocks!

On Saturday, I was fortunate enough to join connected librarians Elissa Malespina, Gwyneth Jones, Nikki Robertson and Tiffany Whitehead on a panel for the New Jersey Association of School Librarians.  

I had a blast and the following tweet sums it up nicely.

We discussed great resources for connecting with colleagues in our profession.  Twitter was at the top of the list for sharing, collaborating, and making connections.  Are you using Twitter yet? If not, what are you waiting for? Twitter offers the best professional development 24/7 for FREE.  Did I mention free?   Aside from making connections, Twitter provides a forum for numerous professional chats.  A few of my favorites include:

               #TLchat 2nd Tuesday at 8:00 pm EST

               #Edchat Every Tuesday at 7:00 pm EST

               #TXEDchat Every Wednsday at 8:30 pm CST

               #TXLchat 2nd & 4th Tuesdays at 8:00 pm CST

For more educational chats, hashtags and Twitter resources for educators, visit Jerry Blumengarten's Cybraryman page.  Happy tweeting! 

Paying It Forward: The Power of a PLN

Paying It Forward: The Power of a PLN

Do you have a professional learning network of educators you can call on for advice, resources and inspiration? Everyone deserves a PLN as amazing as the one I have been fortunate enough to build. My network includes librarians, teachers, tech experts, principals, authors, and many virtual colleagues. They motivate me on a daily basis and challenge me to be a better person--not just for me, but for the students. As a librarian, I sometimes feel isolated. Since I became a connected educator, I know guidance, support, and collaboration are only a click a way.  Educators across the nation share many of the same challenges, concerns and goals.  Our greatest resource is each other.
Please meet a few of my PLN:

Sharon Gullett has been my teacher, mentor and friend for more years than I can remember. When I was just a shy quiet librarian student, she saw potential in me. Potential I did not see in myself at the time. She pushed me out of my comfort zone over and over again because she knew I would rise to the challenge. Today I speak at conferences, lead professional development, and view everyday as a learning opportunity because of Sharon's influence. I cannot ever repay her, but I can pay it forward to the students, teachers and administrators I come into contact with daily.

Scott Floyd is a true change agent and visionary. He works tirelessly to create an environment whereby students and teachers have the technology resources, freedom and leadership to achieve their goals. He inspires me to make a difference and always be forward thinking.

Nikki Robertson is a rock star librarian and friend. She creates innovative library programs and is a leader among school librarians.  One tweet to Nikki, and we have a whole new adventure-TL News Night. We hold a monthly newscast featuring school library news and in depth discussions with a panel of school library leaders.  The all-star panel includes Elissa Malespina, Sue Levine, Tamara Cox and Shannon Miller. I am honored to be a member of TL News Night Crew.

Terry Everitt is my principal, but he is also a man of character our students and teachers admire and respect.  His motto is, "Make Everyday Count." What a simple but powerful statement.  Our students need us every single day. They need us to genuinely care, provide guidance, and be dependable role models. We never know the day our students may need us the most. Can they count on you?

If you have not taken the time to build a personal learning network, now is the time. Join a network of connected educators! As Helen Keller once said, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much."

Vampires vs. Werewolves vs. Immortals

Fictional Book Character Smackdown

What better time to start a Vampires vs. Werewolves vs. Immortals Book Character Smackdown than October?  My students have worked hard to create brackets for our most popular characters similar to March Madness. 

The students began voting today for their favorite characters using a Google form.  Each week we will announce the winners and get closer to crowning our ultimate victor. We had numerous requests to put Edward and Jacob from Twilight on opposite sides of the bracket. Many of our students are hoping for an Edward and Jacob showdown! Girls and guys both are busy predicting who will win the first round and attempting to persuade their classmates' choices. May the best vampire, werewolf, or immortal win! Stay posted for the results on Halloween.