Guest Post: BULLIED

This week's blog post and super rad program idea comes to you from Elizabeth M. Timmins, Muehl Public Library Director & Programmer, Seymour, WI J

Guest Post: BULLIED

Author: Elizabeth M. Timmins, Muehl Public Library Director & Programmer, Seymour, WI

Thanks to Scott Langteau, homegrown Seymour, WI talent, who has written another amazing picture book. This one, BULLIED, is aimed toward middle schoolers. In the book, two bullies named Billy and Bella Bully grow up regretting their negative actions. In fact, in the hopeful ending of the book, they actually turn themselves around as adults. 6th grade students acted in a Reader's Theater production of the book on April 25, 2019 at our public library. I paired Scott’s book with a PowerPoint of the marvelous picture book BULLY by Laura Vaccaro Seeger.

We had a packed room of patrons to experience both stories and then do Q & A with Scott. Many of his high school classmates were in attendance. The support was palpable. We collaborated with the Seymour School District and the Community Family Resource Center in our community to get word out about this special event. Sadly, our program was the same evening as the funeral for two slain children in our community. However, we persevered. Scott lives in Los Angeles and was home for a small window of time that we had to optimize.

After Q & A, we had book selling and autographing time. Scott autographed a copy of his book for the library...his words are touching and wonderful! "Note to ourselves...always be ourselves...and always be KIND doing it."

Scott Langteau loved the reader's theater that I scripted for his picture book BULLIED and he gave me permission to freely share it with educators.  (Scott has a BFA in Theater and a Masters in Acting!) This is an amazing creative outlet for me!

So here are the two links where educators will be able to find it. Hurray!

https://www.teachingbooks.net/tb.cgi?tid=64793

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/BULLIED-by-Scott-Langteau-Readers-Theater-4569408

                                                                 BOOK COVER

6 students who acted out the script, Scott Langteau on right, me on left:

Crash Course: Navigating Digital Information

Sweet, sweet John Green.  What did we do to deserve you...?

A recent blog article in School Library Journal discussed one of the newest offerings in the Crash Course series: Navigating Digital Information, a 10-episode series developed in partnership with MediaWise.  (Unfamiliar with Crash Course?  It's a super-rad online series of informative, entertaining videos available on YouTube!)

We all know the importance of digital literacy and how vital it is that our communities understand how to find and utilize credible sources while trying to navigate the ever-expanding worldwide web.  And, with each episode in the series clocking in under 15 minutes, incorporating them into a lesson or program is easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

As John Green states in the first episode: "Getting better at evaluating information means becoming a better citizen of the communities where you live; it also means become a better informed and more engaged person."

Here's the complete "lesson plan" for the Navigating Digital Information Crash Course.

Looking to incorporate this fabulous resource in other ways?  Crash Course offers series on a variety of topics, including--but not limited to!--the following:

Media Literacy

Engineering

Theater and Drama

World History

Astronomy

DFTBA!

OK Go Sandbox - Full STEAM Ahead!

If you're at all familiar with the band OK Go, you know they have some pretty rockin' music videos, taking on everything from treadmill dancing to Rube Goldberg machines.

(And if you haven't seen any of their videos yet, you can check them out here! https://www.youtube.com/okgo) 

After learning that educators were using their videos to teach the fundamentals of science, OK Go joined forces with the Playful Learning Lab at the University of St. Thomas (led by Dr. AnnMarie Thomas) to create OK Go Sandbox, a free online resource for educators that uses the band's music videos as a jumping off point for discovery, creativity, and scientific exploration.

Included for each featured music video is the video itself, a Q & A video, and a few video-specific challenges that are complete with educator guides, worksheets, and more!  

Even better?  It sounds like the band is looking to expand the offerings on OK Go Sandbox, so more STEAM fun could be headed our way!  (Oh, and did I mention it's free?!  There's a link to donate should you so choose, but it is in no way required to access the materials provided.)

Watch the NBC News report discussing the OK Go Sandbox project here.

Best Websites for Teaching & Learning 2017

Each year the AASL (American Association of School Librarians) releases a list of "websites, tools, and resources of exceptional value to inquiry-based teaching and learning."

All the websites on the list are free, user-friendly sites that encourage collaboration, creativity and active engagement.  The list is broken down into sections including: Media Sharing, Digital Storytelling, and Curriculum Collaboration.

Check out this year's list of recommended sites HERE.

Creating Kits for Homeschoolers in Chippewa Falls

Many thanks to Colleen Crowley, youth services librarian at the Chippewa Falls Public Library, for this guest post.

Math Kit

 Are you continually thinking about ways your library could reach out to homeschool families in your community?   The Chippewa Falls Public Library recently created several homeschool kits. The kits circulate not just to homeschool families, but also to elementary school educators, parents looking for additional learning opportunities for their children, and daycare providers. The Chippewa Library is not alone in offering hands-on kits to its patrons. Several libraries, like the Manitowoc Public Library, offer kits for a variety of ages and learning needs. The main difference is that the Chippewa Library kits have been created specifically with homeschoolers in mind.

Oceans kit

After a lengthy process of feedback from homeschool families we developed a number of kits that are being checked out on a regular basis. We gave careful consideration to include materials that would serve a variety of ages, learning styles, sensory issues.  We were also looking to ensure functionality and durability, and to provide curriculum supports.

Solar System kit

The kits cover broad-topic science-related themes such as weather, the human body, the solar system, and oceans. There is also a math kit covering concepts aimed at preschoolers through 4th graders. A preschool kit is the newest addition, and will focus on early literacy skills.

To make this project sustainable, staff only examines the kit once after each circulation.  We tried to strike a balance so that the kits had great things but they wouldn't be unreasonable for checking in. The kits are housed in plastic tubs and are stored in a back room.

Patrons can request a kit and a staff member will obtain it for them. The entire content summary for each kit is listed on the OPAC records, so patrons can check on their availability. No holds may be placed on the kits--they are available on a first come, first serve basis and must be checked out at the Chippewa Falls library. The check-out period is 3 weeks with no renewals.

The library staff have received much positive feedback on the kits. Families are enthusiastic about the level of attention used to expand this collection. Homeschoolers new to the area are often surprised to find such useful hands-on materials. Every week we have new families coming in to the library looking for support and information about homeschooling, and the kits are a great thing to be able to offer-- just one of many services that libraries around the country could think about offering for this population.

If you have any questions please contact Colleen, one of the children's staff, at the Chippewa Falls Public Library at 715-723-1146.

TeachingBooks.net

TeachingBooks.net is an easy-to-use website that adds a multimedia dimension to the reading experiences of children's and young adult books. The online database is developed and maintained to include thousands of resources about fiction and nonfiction books used in the K-12 environment, with every resource selected to encourage the integration of multimedia author and book materials into reading and library activities.

TeachingBooks.net is available statewide as part of the Badgerlink project of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Division for Libraries, Technology, and Community Learning. Give TeachingBooks.net a try!!

Celebrate 2008 Newbery/Caldecott/Other Awards with Great TeachingBooks.net Resources

From an email sent out from this company!

Hi. I thought you might enjoy the following free access to a great batch of original interviews and unique readings that we at TeachingBooks.net made with this year's ALA book award winners.

We have dozens of multimedia, online materials with these authors and illustrators to let you learn from these terrific creative people right now!

Please feel free to circulate this as you wish so all your colleagues and young readers can meet these 2008 winners!

Nick Glass