The Big 6

I have found a new love ... infographics!  They can take complex processes and simplify them in an instant.  They can organize statistics in an engaging and powerful way.  Thousands are available online ranging from infographics (yes, there are infographics about infographics) to education around the world and  selecting sunscreen to Taylor Swift.  You name it, I bet you can find an infographic for it.  

If not, create one yourself!  Below is an infographic about the Big 6 research process.  I created it quickly on Canva, a free online tool that is user-friendly and intuitive.  This article has 5 online tools for creating infographics.  How could your students utilize them?

Images in the Classroom

Using pictures in lessons instantly engages students.  Images can evoke an array of emotions, encourage deep and reflective thought, and rouse opinions that must be expressed.  Below are a few ideas for using image editing software in the classroom.

BIGHUGELABS

This website includes a number of fun ways to use images.  Students can use the motivational poster generator to highlight their favorite quotes in a current book they are reading.  Assess students’ understanding of relevant themes in a story by having them collect a variety of images related to the theme and displaying them with the mosaic maker.  Create a magazine cover with political cartoons in a government class.  With the numerous possibilities at bighugelabs, its user-friendly templates, and the creativity of students, your lessons are sure to rise on the engagement scale.

Dfrg.msc (24 Sept. 2006).  A picture of corks [Wikimedia Commons].  Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corks019.jpg CC-BY-SA-3.0

FOLDPLAY

I am so pleased to have been introduced to this site!  There are a variety of activities that involve paper folding and cutting.  Math and art teachers will love it too!  The site has clear instructions for creating kaleidocycles (and if you don’t know what that is, you really need to check it out!), fold books, and paper models.  The kaleidocycles are great for a functional art class and students can use images that reflect their personality.  Students can create a fold book to chronicle a series of events in history, a story, or their own lives.  I am particularly fond of the poly puzzles.  They would be a fun addition to a geometry class when teaching changes in perimeter and area. 

TUXPI

This site involves a lot of special effects and modifications that can be applied to photos.  However, my favorites are the newscast and wanted poster.  Have students create a newscast image that reflects a particularly shocking moment in history.  Use the wanted poster to highlight different characters from literature or different historical figures.  Beware, hours can fly by while playing with the many options tuxpi offers.

Please leave a comment if you have some additional ideas for using images in the classroom!

Summer Reading

My school year has ended and my summer has officially begun.  The last few days were dotted with bittersweet moments of students saying their goodbyes, packing up my classroom, and wishing my colleagues a fantastic summer (not to mention a few celebratory parties for my upcoming career change). 

So now what?

Sure, there will be plenty of outdoor activities planned such as swimming and soaking up the sun (now that the entire east coast has retired from its three week rain marathon), hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains, and lots and lots of grilling.  But what I look forward to the most in the summer, naturally, is reading (surfside anyone?). 

jgoge (23 Apr. 2012)  Woman reading at the beach [Wikimedia Commons].  Retrieved from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AWoman_‌reading_on_the_beach.jpg CC BY 2.0

If you work with high school students and are looking for some excellent YA literature to read this summer, I recommend making a selection from the following Virginia Reader’s Choice list for the 2016-2017 school year. 

I’ll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Like Water on Stone by Dana Walrath

I Will Always Write Back: How One Letter Changed Two Lives by Caitlin Alifirenka & Martin Ganda with Liz Welch

Gabi, a Girl in Pieces by Isabel Quintero

Half Bad by Sally Green

Diamond Boy by Michael Williams

Girls Like Us by Gail Giles

How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon

Sway by Kat Spears

The following link will navigate you to the Virginia State Reading Association’s site where you will find winners and lists from previous years.  This year’s Virginia Reader’s Choice winner was Chesapeake native Lamar Giles’ Fake ID.

https://www.vsra.org/vrc/past-winners/ 

Happy summer reading!

Blink ...

First impressions are important.  Whether it is a first impression of a new colleague, the trendy coffee shop everyone is talking about, or a blog you stumbled upon, you form an immediate opinion.  Granted, your opinion can morph and transform after your colleague tells a joke, you take your first sip of sumatra, or you read a poorly written post (fingers crossed this isn't one).  But that first impression typically influences future decisions you make about a person, place, or thing.

I had some fun creating the design of this blog in hopes to make a good first impression.  The warm browns and plums were carefully selected to set a welcoming tone.  I tried to avoid too much clutter and distraction and followed Garr Reynolds' advice to practice restraint in my design.  It is easy to continue adding more bells and whistles, but it takes much more strength to know when to stop.  I did my best to step on the brakes at the right moment.  The typeface I chose for the title and headings, Cherry Cream Soda, is a fun and relaxed sans-serif font that I believe reflects my personality.  It gives a professional appearance without seeming stiff.  Molengo, the sans-serif used for posts, is complementary and harmonious to the heading font.

Did you feel comfortable and welcomed upon your first visit to The Top Shelf Library?

I hope so.  This is also the kind of first impression I would like students, parents, and faculty to have when entering my library.  An immediate sense of comfort and welcome.  A feeling that they can't quite put their finger on, but know that this is a space they will want to return to again.  Perhaps students will feel inspired to linger a little bit longer in the fiction section to find a third book to add to their pile for checkout.  Or maybe a faculty member will decide to join the YA book club after seeing our comfortable furniture.  Even a parent may offer to volunteer help at a program after seeing his daughter's artwork hung on the wall.  I would like every person who enters my library to have a desire to return, thanks to the fabulous first (and every thereafter) impression they form.

For a great read on first impressions and snap judgements, I highly recommend Malcolm Gladwell's Blink.

Reynolds, G.  (2014).  Presentation zen design: A simple visual approach to presenting in today's world.  San Francisco, CA:  New Riders.

21st Century Learner

The above word cloud was created from the AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner.  Not surprisingly, we see "information" as the predominant descriptor.  This word alone carries an incredible amount of weight and importance for students of the 21st century.  Information retrieval, analysis, proper usage, and most importantly (in my opinion) information curiosity.  That's a tall order for students to learn and teachers and librarians to teach.  Challenge accepted!

Image created with Tagxedo.
AASL. (2007).  Standards for the 21st century learner.  Chicago, IL:  American Library Association.

Welcome to my tiny corner of cyberspace ...

After much thought and miles of pro and con lists, I have decided to change careers from a high school mathematics teacher to a high school librarian.  I know, complete 180, right?  In this blog you will find ideas, anecdotes, and challenges I face along the way.  Join me on my journey to becoming a top shelf librarian!