Tonight we’ll be talking about I Heart You, You Haunt Me. Next session we’ll be discussing The Dangerous Days of Daniel X.
Remember: the handouts can be found here.
Archive for the ‘Administrative’ category
Handouts for tonight’s class
February 9th, 2009Our role in the learning community
January 29th, 2009For the librarians outside of our district, you may find it helpful to see how we describe ourselves:
On Wednesday, January 28 we met as district librarians to address a statement of a common purpose as well as how to prepare our students for success in an unpredictable world.
We see our roles as educational partners for our learning community, both in the site-based and district-wide senses. Where we see success is when the library has become the nerve center for informational fluency, helping students to effectively and ethically use the resources available to them. Because reading is crucial to success in the academic setting as well as for lifelong learning, we will provide activities that encourage an enjoyment of reading as well as proficiency in workplace texts.
We also want to help teachers, especially new teachers, coordinate instruction in ways that engage their students. We want to see technology use flow seamlessly into instruction and not have technology just for technology’s sake. We want GPS to thrive in a complex information environment.
We want to make others look good.
AZ K-12 Technology Leadership
January 20th, 2009I’m at a technology conference and teachers/librarians, I totally recommend it. It’s the AZ K-12 Technology Leadership conference put on through NAU. What’s great is that I’m typing from a conference-provided laptop during one of the breaks. The sad thing is that I can’t take home the MacBook. (As a Mac fanboy it’s a lot of fun to see so many Macs here. I haven’t seen one PC yet, and this is a conference talking about pushing the limit of current technology. Interesting…)
One session that has blown my mind are the new features of Google Docs. I had followed this during the beta for Word and Excel files. Now have you seen Presentations and Forms? Why would anyone pay for surveys to be created anymore?
The best part has been hearing from the speakers. We’re hearing from Tony Vincent, Amanda Hughens, and Tim Tyson.Â
The whole point? Find your vision and align everything to that. Whatever students do must be meaningful. Don’t just add technology: an interactive whiteboard used as an interactive blackboard is pointless. Use technology to have students create something that the world has never seen before.
Using YA Lit Class
January 12th, 2009Session 2 was tonight. The handout is online at the Teen Lit section.
I must admit that I was somewhat nervous about tonight. Hunger Games is very dear to me.
Grand Canyon Awards Committee
December 12th, 2008On Thursday I got an e-mail about our AzLA presentation, Set Your Library on Fire II (it was a sequel year). I received an invitation from Kerrlita Westrick to be on the Grand Canyon Reader Award Committee.
To put it into context for the non-librarians followers of the site, the Grand Canyon Reader Award is a collection of the best books within the past five years. The committee recommends ten books and then students vote on the best book, like an Oscar award for a book. On top of that, places like Phoenix Book Company and Barnes and Noble will designate special places of honor in their displays for the Grand Canyon Awards. Librarians will buy multiple copies of the books, even if they haven’t read them, simply because they’re on the list.
I get to do Griggs Greats for the state. I am very thankful and excited.
AzLA Documents
December 9th, 2008Some of the audience members asked for permanent links to the handout and the guidebook. The permanent button will be here.
(You can click on AzLA in the header menu bar, as well.)
Set Your Library on Fire II: The Handout
December 8th, 2008We’re almost ready to present at AzLA tomorrow. (I think we’re in a large room. I’ll definitely have to take pictures.) Check back regularly this week for updates from the conference.
The first update: here’s our handout.
YA/Teen Lit Staff Development Class Full
November 26th, 2008The class registration opened up yesterday afternoon at 4pm. It’s 9am the next day and I already have 30 teachers signed up and we’re working on a wait list.
I guess YA/Teen Lit is popular.
The Fashion Show is at azcentral
November 17th, 2008Emily Gersema from the Arizona Republic did a great job covering the fashion show. Check it out here.
photo by Cheryl Evans
Bogus to Bubbly by Scott Westerfeld
November 12th, 2008If you liked reading about Tally and Shay and all the other bubblies in the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, you’ll definitely like Bogus to Bubbly.
It’s full of trivia about the books. For instance: look at the cover of Uglies. Notice anyone in the girl’s pupil? That’s the reflection of the photographer from the photo shoot. And the design in Aya’s eye on the Extras cover was inspired by the videogame The Last Starfighter.
Check the last word of each book. Notice a pattern?
The real treat is the insight that Scott Westerfeld adds for aspiring authors. He gives quite a bit of honest information about his writing process and the thoughts behind sections of the book.
Floating Ice Rink
I have no idea where this idea came from, except that it allowed me to write a scene that put together my three favorite things: fireworks, falling, and miscreant behavior.
He highlights where the technology from the books intersects with real-life, like how cuttlefish camouflage can actually match checkerboard patterns and that there are flash tattoos under people’s skin that can detect blood sugar. (I did not know that people actually have surgery to put diamonds on their eyes. Ouch.)
And I appreciate Westerfeld’s great sense of humor. The book reads like you’re checking his blog’s RSS feed.
So littlies aren’t considered ugly in Tally’s world – they’re too cute and innocent and small. Like penguins.
If you’ve just created a cool new building that uses smart matter supports, you don’t want someone coming along and turning that matter into, say, liquid. Because that would be bad.
He also describes the process behind creating effective slang and using it in regular conversation. (I actually used “dizzy-making” in conversation with one of the school secretaries without realizing it.) He has an acronym to help with coming up with slang, but I want you to check out this bubbly book.
