COLLECT + CONNECT

As we look toward summer and (possibly) have a little extra time on our hands, it might be a good time to create/refine/boast your library website. A virtual library is a MUST for any library existing in the 21st century. A virtual library needs to work just as hard as a physical library. The presence of an updated, well- functioning, engaging website is not just good for patrons/students, it's good for librarians and the profession as a whole. School librarian extraordinaire Jennifer LaGarde writes, " we cannot afford to maintain spaces (physical or virtual) that leave people wondering what our value is. Every ounce of real estate we control should send the message that our work changes lives - because it does." Check out LaGarde's post Creating GREAT Library Websites for TODAY's Learners! Even those of you who are limited to a certain interface -say, if the district requires you to use its web development tool - can supplement with other features that enhance yo...

I wanted to share both an idea and a link to a previous post with additional resources to help you educate others about the importance of Native American heritage and culture. So the idea... DIGITAL CHOICE BOARDS These learning menus are a pretty great way to not only integrate digital literacy into the library curriculum but to amplify student voice and choice while also diving into core content. A digital choice board is essentially a hyperdoc. I challenge you to complete the choice board I made to celebrate Native American Heritage Month. 😊 To learn how to make your own choice board using Google Slides, take a look at this video from EdTech Classroom.  It's a short, easy-to-understand video with some tips and tricks and a free template you can use. In fact, I used the creator's template to make my choice board.

It's always a good time to use the State Library's 50+ free, vetted e-resources and databases for research, literacy, and inquiry.  For more efficient access for teachers and students, the State Library has categorized the K-12 databases into elementary , middle , and high . Librarians can also link specific databases to their websites, blogs, online newsletters, OPACs, etc. Visit Technical Help on our Resource Guides. WAYS TO ACCESS There are three options depending on your circumstance: QUICK: Instantly anywhere with the physical borders of South Dakota through nifty IP tracking technology called GeoIP. QUICK BUT DEVICE SPECIFIC: Instantly at school with registered school devices. If new devices have been purchased, it's likely SDSL will need the new IP range from your school. Contact Kim Bonen for that. HANDY WHEN TRAVELING OUT OF STATE: Each school has an SDSL ecard. Students, parents, and staff are able to use those login credentials to access most of the databases w...

Like a Bitmoji classroom, a Bitmoji library is a virtual replica of a real library. This article,  Educators Turn to Bitmoji to Build Community and Engagement , covered much of what you'd need to know before embarking on your own Bitmoji project. Click/tap the image below to view my project that reads more as a Bimoji wall than a Bitmoji library/classroom. That's the cool thing about this concept - it can be whatever you want because it's really just a fancy hyperdoc . Speaking from personal experience, this project was somewhat time-consuming . You will also need to have decent Google Docs skills to not get super frustrated. BUT.... it's a fun way to improve your digital literacy skills while also supporting your work and your patrons. A Bitmoji library/classroom can be a creative way to deliver information and resources to your patrons or lessons and concepts to your students. It's also a way to differentiate instruction and allow for deeper learning. Access  an e...

On April 20, South Dakota-based TIE (Technology and Innovation in Education) offered a virtual conference in lieu of their face-to-face conference held each year. I not only learned a lot thanks to the keynote speakers and the well-rounded sessions, but I was also able to present on a very library-based topic. DIGITAL CURATION Sometimes You’re the Subject. Sometimes You’re the Direct Object. Curation isn't just a trendy word in education. It's a core competency for participation in our digital world. Humans have been curating for centuries and continue to do so on a broad scale and with modern tools. Learn the basics of digital curation and how the process can be used to enhance our lives - both professionally and personally. Access all of my session resources. Bonus #1! TIE is making all of the speaker/presenters session resources available! You're sure to find loads of good stuff for yourself or to share with your staff. Bonus #2! You can earn CEU h...

In November I had the opportunity to attend the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) conference in Louisville, KY. This conference happens every two years and this was my second time attending. Whenever I go to a conference, I like to share one or two nuggets of genius. One session was particularly useful and adaptable so I knew I wanted to share it with you all. Carolyn Allen and Julie Jamieson, both elementary teacher-librarians from the St. Louis area, presented a session titled “Show Me” Readers, Makers, Explorers, & Innovators." This session was all about creating blended library lessons using hyperdocs. Hyperdocs is the way to go when you’re looking to flip a classroom or build in multiple literacies or get more of the standards covered. And, chances are, some of you have already built a Hyperdoc in a Google Doc or a Google Slideshow and didn't even realize there was a word for it. Read more about hyperdocs . hyperdocs.co Using the Hyperdocs model, A...

Each summer the American Association of School Librarians puts out its annual list of Best Apps for Teaching & Learning and its Best Websites for Teaching & Learning . This is a good opportunity to share with your staff via a quick email series or via a PD session or staff meeting. By sharing, you're not only promoting technology as a teaching resource and learning tool, but you're also promoting the library and the work you do. These opportunities to share resources absolutely count as collaboration! All apps and websites on the lists are 'crosswalked' with the AASL Shared Foundations - helpful to librarians and classroom teachers alike when selecting the digital tool/resource but also when lesson planning. I've already shared in a past post  my five picks from the Best Websites list , so now I'll share my five picks from the Best Apps list. Be sure, though, to check out the entire list; you're sure to find your own favorites too! doi...

Each year at the ALA Annual Conference, the American Association of School Librarians puts out its annual lists of Best Apps for Teaching & Learning and Best Websites for Teaching & Learning... and the lists are out! Apps and websites on the lists are 'crosswalked' with the AASL Shared Foundations - helpful when selecting the digital tool/resource but also when lesson planning. I'll use this post to share my five favorites from the  Best Websites for Teaching & Learning  list but be sure to check out the entire list of quality educational websites for use in the library - spaces where teaching and learning happen just as they do in the classroom. Of the five I've listed below, three are ones that I've used extensively; in fact, they were already on my curated resource lists here  and  here . These five resources are spot-on when it comes to beefing up library services in terms of inclusive and global curriculum as well as curation ...

cultofpedagogy.com I really enjoy the practical, here's-what-you-really-need-to-know content of  The Cult of Pedagogy and so much of it is very applicable to the school library world. After all, school librarians are teachers and a school library is a classroom. In Teaching Students How to Legally Use Online Images you'll learn loads about how to teach students to locate and incorporate online images. Hello, digital citizenship! This is definitely a must in terms of digital literacy skills for students. In the meantime, I will share the nuggets of goodness I took away from the read: LICENSE YOUR IMAGES If students create their own images, then they own the copyright and can license it through Creative Commons . This licensing process not only teaches kids about the importance of copyright and fair use, it also validates their own sense of independence and ownership. USE OPEN LICENSE IMAGES My favorite sites for free, open license images are Pixabay...

It's a reality of today's culture: videos are king (or queen, thank you very much!). YouTube is the most popular social media platform in America . And, guess what, it's the most popular for adults too - even surpassing the Facebook. It stands to reason that students are motivated by video consumption AND video creation. So let's share a few video creation tools. Flipgrid  is a simple-to-use tool that sparks conversation topics and discussion with students. Simply post a topic and your audience responds via video in 90 seconds, from anywhere, using just about any device. Appropriate for kindergarten and up. Can be used to showcase learning, evaluate progress, or even for professional development to enhance discussion and collaboration. Wanna see how easy FlipGrid is to use. Ready? Simply follow this link https://flipgrid.com/sdslschoollibs and use the FlipCode sdslschoollibs to create a short video to test out FlipGrid as if you were a student. ...

We've welcomed in 2019, but I wanted to share with you the  20 Best EdTech of 2018 from Common Sense Media. Common Sense looked at 180 tools (websites, apps, games) for learning, collaborating, and creating and then narrowed them down to twenty. I'm sharing seven that look to be especially inviting for school libraries or for sharing with staff. ZoteroBib Evo by Ozobot Loom Google Applied Digital Skills Grasshopper: Learn to Code Digital Civics Toolkit Please Knock on My Door P.S. Here's an  ongoing list of all the Tech Roundups!  Feel free to share with your staff. Disclaimer: The South Dakota State Library does not endorse any service, product, or recommendation listed in this blog.