COLLECT + CONNECT

News literacy is said to be the acquisition of critical-thinking skills for analyzing and judging the reliability of news and information, differentiating among facts, opinions, and assertions in the media we consume, create, and distribute.  The term media literacy is synonymous with news literacy.   News literacy is best taught in cross-curricular, inquiry-based formats, and at all grade levels. librariandesignshare.org The Stanford History Education Group released a free curriculum called Civic Online Reasoning (COR). COR is modeled after methods used by professional fact-checkers. The COR curriculum provides free lessons and assessments that help librarians and other types of educators teach students to evaluate online information that affects them, their communities, and the world. The evaluation process is based on three main questions: Who is behind the information? What’s the evidence? What do other sources say? COR encourages lateral reading - the act of verifyin...

During the month of July 2020, fifteen school librarians from around the state participated in a book study facilitated by the SD State Library. The book?  Passionate Readers: The Art of Reaching Engaging Every Child by Pernille Ripp. Laura Kelly, the Children & Youth Services Coordinator at the SD State Library, enrolled in the course and she kindly wrote about her experience. ...from Laura Kelly I have worked at the South Dakota State Library (SDSL) for the past two years. I serve 110 public libraries in South Dakota which include combination school/public libraries.  I help librarians provide literacy programs for children, teens, and adults. One way I am able to serve others is by actively participating in continuing education as a learner. I started my career in education teaching reading as a Title I teacher in North Dakota and then I transferred into an elementary school librarian teaching position. I taught for a total of ten years and then transitioned into the p...

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...

Every year the SD State Library puts on a professional development event called School Library Boot Camp which is usually in the summer. This event, we changed things up a bit. The face-to-face portion of the event was held in conjunction with the annual SDLA conference on September 25 in Spearfish and the rest of the two credit course was online. We had a full house! Thirty people participated with quite a variety of backgrounds ranging from certified teacher-librarians to library para-professionals to English language specialists to school counselors to teachers. In total, 18 districts/entities were represented. This year's theme was centered around inclusion, equity, and diversity. Attendees focused on how they as educators can support ALL students with a unique focus on students with special needs, those with disabilities, English Language Learners, LGBTQI+ students, and the culturally diverse. During the face-to-face segment of the course, teacher-librarian Jennif...

Last spring a few school library staff from central South Dakota asked if we could meet up in sort of an EdCamp + Library 101 course + social summit kind of way.   So... we made the mash-up happen! A mighty little group of library professionals + a classroom teacher showed up at Kimball School Library ready to connect and learn in an informal way.  And did we! Take a look at  the notes  from our time together. My hope is that you'll take away a nugget or two and share with others. Also, if you're interested in hosting one of these trainings/get-togethers, email  Alissa Adams , SDSL School Library Technology Coordinator. (this event has already occurred)

Thirty-seven library and other school staff across South Dakota successfully completed the first round of the one-credit online course  An Introduction to the 2019 SD School Library Standards .  This course is part of the Learn & Lead series from the South Dakota State Library and is specifically for school librarians and others who work with and in school libraries including classified staff. Participants made their way through a digital workbook incorporating a variety of related topics including: a comparative look at the 2010 and 2019 standards the history of the SD School Library Standards  the process of standards revision in South Dakota  a deeper dive into each strand of proficiency of the new standards. Additional rounds of this course are scheduled for fall 2019 and spring 2019. Registration for the fall session will open in September with 20 virtual seats available. Here's what recent participants had to say about this course: ....

About 40 library staff across South Dakota are diving into the first round of the online course  An Introduction to the 2019 SD School Library Standards. This course is part of the Learn & Lead series from the South Dakota State Library and is specifically for school librarians and others who work with school libraries. This one-credit course aims to introduce the new 2019 School Library Content Standards and help guide school librarians and other educators in their professional practice. Additional rounds of this course are scheduled for Fall 2019 and Spring 2010.  To learn more for this upcoming opportunity, visit LEARN & LEAD: An Introduction to the 2019 SD School Library Standards or contact Alissa Adams.