I am Lori Flory. I live in Billings, MT with my husband of 31 years. We have two grown daughters, Catherine (25) and Danielle (22). I have been teaching for 27 years. I started out in New Mexico teaching a 4th/5th grade combination class. After three years in New Mexico, we moved back to Montana. I taught K/1st grade combination in Fort Smith. In 2003, I transferred to Hardin. Here I taught 4th grade for 22 years. This is my first year as a school librarian.

I love to read, crochet, and scrapbook. Most of my spare time I spend in my ceramic studio. We have three cats now, Olive, Georgie, and Simba.

I’ve been in education for over 20 years as a substitute teacher, Properties Instructor at a university, Outreach Educator for a regional theatre, and finally as a Library Paraeducator and Manager in Wisconsin and here in Oregon. I’ve found my home in the library and hope to pass on a sense of belonging and a desire for information to the students I work with.

Moving to Oregon, we also acquired 3 cats, Tesla (the inventor), Raven, and Oso: 2 rescued us, and one neighborhood stray adopted us by poking his head in the window. I decided that all 15 pounds of him were starving, I fed him, and he stayed.

When not working, I like to make things, garden, and hike. My favorite hike of all time is the Narrows at Zion National Park.

I think that the most important things we can do right now as Teacher Librarians or TL-adjacents are to prepare our library policies and ourselves for the book challenges we will inevitably receive, advocate for the importance and need for our spaces and staff, and make sure that every student finds themselves in books in our collections.

"The Women Who Rode Miles on Horseback to Deliver Library Books"

and watched:

"Librarians as Navigators" Tedx Talk

Short synopsis of each (really short):   

Overview of WPA program in Appalachia that unusually employed women to take reading materials through the communities.

Comparison of Libraries to travel agencies - both organization types that haven't gone under in the face of technological change, but morphed and taken on the challenge to do lots of things better, using technology as a tool and a medium for information!

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. & 2. & 3. The success of the Pack Horse Library program depended not only on the physical determination of the women employed to get through to remote areas on a pushing schedule, but also on the communities ability to provide reading materials. Donations, existing library collections, and even creating scrapbooks to bring to remote areas was typical.

   
   

 4. Libraries have a plethora of physical items (beyond books) and spaces to "borrow" - from tools to passes for art/sport events in the community and from maker spaces to recording studios.

 5. The digital divide continues - 73/74% in urban and suburban areas have access to broadband internet (so 1 in 4 doesn't) and in rural areas it's worse, 1 in 3 can't - there is an aspect of ability to pay but, especially in rural areas, also just straight lack of availability.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

I enjoyed learning more about the WPA program - I definitely need to read more about them! I had no idea that the materials brought around were so dependent on the vagaries of the county or community collective ability to donate, purchase, or create! I'm going to look up some of the scrapbooks created for these efforts to see if they are something we could use as an example to create a "Mears Middle School" scrapbook. I really enjoyed the concepts from the video framing Librarians as navigators of information. That really aligns with how I feel I spend most of my time, connecting people with the information they can use or never even knew existed. I got 10 minutes at our first staff meeting to share with my staff a new student computer management program-lightspeed - and it was awesome to see how excited many of my teachers were as they grasped its possibilities.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. What are the current stats for my community in terms of access to and use of broadband internet? How can I find out?

2. What is special about our state/city/school community that we should memorialize to share with others in a scrapbook?

Monday and Tuesday were filled with planning and training meetings. I have not yet unboxed the books that arrived during the summer months. So I am a bit behind again with only myself to blame, but I have no regrets.

After driving a rafting bus and gardening during the summer, I am not mentally prepared to return to the school year regiment. My partner and I agreed to accept a foreign exchange student into our home on August 14. She arrived in Billings on the 19th and started classes in Absarokee on the 21st. She stayed with the coordinator while we drove to Denver to see Chris Stapleton in concert on August 22.

This coming weekend my partner and I are going to a concert at Red Rocks in Colorado, and our student will stay with the coordinator again. This week I will have my middle school classes in the afternoon. Next week we will begin the regular middle school library visits during their ELA classes. Somehow, I will find time to catch up and read articles for this class.

On a different note, I work with some wonderful staff in the high school and middle school. Last year, Mr. O, English teacher, earned a bus driver CDL and did some driving for the rafting company, too. He is an award winning teacher who taught me things about research and writing academic papers while I took notes for students with special needs. His room is at the far end of the building and, even with the new construction of 2021, it is very hot in the afternoon. He agreed to answer the Suggested Teacher Questions exercise

My afternoons are filled with middle school classes that are assigned to me: Keyboarding, MS Spanish, and an Exploratory Class. So this year, instead of clogging the library space with middle school priorities, I am teaching those classes in a room in the middle school. High school or middle school teachers can send me an email to reserve the library space on a Google Calendar specific to the Library Space. 

These questions were answered in order by Mr. O, during a walk in the hallway towards the lunchroom.

1. How do you use the library now in supplementing or supporting your teaching?

This year I will be reserving the library for my afternoon English classes for the first 2 weeks. Last year, we would use the commons area that is outside of the library, but there can be distractions. It will be nice to avoid those distractions this year.

2. Approximately how many books do you, yourself checkout for use in the classroom?

I have collected the books that I need for my classes over the years, and have not really used our school library. 

3. What could students be learning in the library that would best support your teaching?

The atmosphere and acoustics in the library are better for my students when I lead them in Socratic discussions. The Library is also a great physical representation of the Burkean Parlor Metaphor.

4. Do your children look forward to going to the library?

Of course.

5. Do you see them bringing books back to take home?

Only 5% of my students seem interested in reading for pleasure, so, no, not many check out books.

6. Do you, at present, have the opportunity to collaborate with the library?

Collaboration is difficult because of our busy schedules. It is not something that we have done in the past.

1. Librarians as Navigators by Jaclyn McKewan 

2. Reaching All Readers by Stephanie Persson

Short synopsis

1. This selection was a Ted Talks video focusing on how librarians  navigate us through various stages of development.  Libraries are used for more than just locating information.  Some other uses of libraries include meeting rooms, maker spaces, providing free wifi as well as computers to use.

2. This selection focuses on educators finding ways to reach their students and influence their reading.  The author suggests that we as educators think and act like detectives.  We need to be asking our students questions as well as following the clues they leave us.
   
   

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings?

Selection 1)

1. Not everything published in book form after 1923 is available online.

2. Librarians can help people fill out job applications.

3. Some libraries have musical instruments and technical equipment for people to borrow.

4. Librarians can assist tenants with disputes concerning landlords.

5. Libraries can be an asset in finding ancestry information.

Selection 2)

1.  I need to remember to see students as individuals and not a particular group of kids.

2. Conducting environmental surveys of my school will assist me in staying up to date with the diverse learning population.

3. Moving from teacher to librarian, I can encourage students by speaking passionately about certain books.

4. Pay close attention to the types of books my students are reading.

5. Be aware of my ELL students.

My response to the chosen readings:

Selection 1)  Honestly, I hadn’t really thought of librarians as being navigators, but it makes sense.  We guide and direct students in various ways.  Librarians also assist adults with a variety of life issues.  I am encouraged by the author’s statement that Google can provide one with 100,000 answers, but a librarian will provide the right answer!

Selection 2)   I very much agree that as educators, including librarians, need to make connections with and get to know their students.  I like the analogy of a librarian acting like a detective and searching for clues.  I  understand the significance of finding out what students are interested in.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

Selection 1:

1. With the many needs a library provides, what does the future look like in terms of library use?

2. What exactly is a Google books project?

Selection 2:

1.  How will I get to know each of my 300 students?

2.  Is it possible to really know my ELL students without violating confidentiality?

I provided these questions to third, fourth and fifth grade teachers.  My fourth grade colleague uses our library for her students to check out independent reading books.  She also uses the library to search for necessary books to use for teaching.  She currently checks out one grade level text each year.  My colleague  believes that students could be learning about IEFA, geography, Montana history, as well as state knowledge in the library in order to support  her teaching.  Her students love going to the library because they have the opportunity to check out new books and have time to fall in love with reading.  In terms of collaboration, our schedules changed dramatically from last year.  The grade level teachers now meet while I have library classes.  We are trying to find a time to collaborate with each other.  She commented on the Montana state reports that the fourth graders did with the librarian last year.  The projects were insightful and allowed the students to learn about our state.

My 5th Grade Colleague’s Answers 

1. There are resources in the back of the Library that I use. We have a selection of class books that we use to do Book Clubs. There are videos that we can check out for Science and Social Studies lessons.

2. I think last year I checked out about 5 books maybe. I haven’t really been counting to see.

3. I think students could be learning about research on the different topics that we teach in Science and Social Studies. They could do projects related to Engineering, Space, Explorers, etc.

4. Most of my students say they look forward to going to the Library. I asked them why and they responded that they like to check out and read books so they can learn.

5. At this time, our school does not have an opportunity to collaborate with the school librarian. We are currently trying to find a meeting time where the lead teachers can meet with the Librarian.

6. This does not apply at the moment.

7. New scheduling has made it difficult to collaborate with the Librarian. A time needs to be created within the schedules so that teachers can meet with the Librarian and share ideas and collaborate on projects.

My 3rd Grade Colleague’s Answers

1. I use books from the library to either introduce a new topic or to wrap up a topic. In the past, I have also used it for Social Emotional Learning.

2. I usually check out one or two books every couple of weeks.

3. Students could be learning ABC order, or any kind of read aloud.

4. In the past, yes my students like going to the library.

5. To an extent, I have the opportunity to collaborate with the librarian. I will share science, social studies, and language arts themes.

and read the article "Reaching All Readers" by Stephanie Persson (2).

Short synopsis:

1) Librarians do so much more than they used to to serve their community. They are no longer “gate keepers” of information, but now navigators of information.

2) Get to know your learners and magic will happen.

Five ideas that I learned from the readings.

1) Librarians as navigators is a different perspective to approach school librarianship. How can I teach students to be navigators of the information world?

2) Supporting the community and their needs in our schools.

3) Build relationships with your learners and your community.

4) Make an extra effort to get to know learners, their diverse interests.

5) Keep reading both in my interests and in my learners' books.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can.

1)Jaclyn related what I was pleased to discover when I started my library journey, that libraries and Librarians are definitely not ye olde stereotype: glasses, hair in a severe bun, shushing patrons left and right. Libraries are much more vibrant and vital. My Teacher Librarian said it best today, "I like it when there is a little chaos during choice time. I know you're enjoying learning." I love messes and mistake making. Librarians are also not the same. The name alone, Teacher Librarian, indicates that. They are much more approachable and human as navigators of the information world. ...or maybe super human.

2) Relationships, relationships, relationships are the keys to being a relevant librarian and successfully serving your learners.

Two questions that came out of the reading for you:

1) How can I cross the "digital divide" for my students?

2) How can I remember all the books I read for school so that I can authentically engage with my learners about books that they want to read or don't know yet that they need to read?

The teacher I interviewed is teaching 2nd grade this year, but has previously taught 3rd grade for several years. She reads a picture book a day to her class, and checks out several books for her students to read at their level for book boxes and to take home. She has an extensive library of her own, but checks out 2-3 books a month from the library.

She said that students learning about digital coding, our online resources, having books read to them, learning how to choose a book they like, communication skills, teamwork, and the hands on manipulatives are all things that her students learn in the library that support their learning and her teaching.

Her students look forward to going to the library? "Oh, yeah!" and she sees them taking books home with them too.

Unfortunately, because of recent budget cuts and changes in TL scheduling, she does not have the opportunity to collaborate with the library. She has, in the past collaborated with the TL to teach research lessons.

 4 Ways to Build Relationships with Students Whose Backgrounds Differ From Yours

Short synopsis:  This article focuses on different ways teachers can learn about their students in order to build relationships with them.  It’s important to see the perspective of our students.  At times we as educators need to reach out to other teachers in our building.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. Informal conversations with parents will demonstrate my commitment to relationship building.  

2. My lesson plans will have to be adjusted according to the needs of my students.

3. I could learn more about the Crow culture in order to build better relationships.

4. Minority teachers usually work in environments where the community matches their own cultural identity.

5. Creating relationships with all of my students requires a consistent effort as well as an understanding.

My response to my chosen reading:  I understand the importance of building relationships with students.  Personally, I struggle with building relationships with those students who are defiant, disrespectful, or simply “push my buttons”.  I acknowledge that students need to feel cared for, but what about the students who are just plain lazy and unmotivated?  I have six different classes every day.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. I feel as though I am the teacher/librarian as well as the parent.  Where do I draw the line?

2. How do I build relationships with those “chronically absent” students?

 Title:  The Reading Brain in the Digital Age:  The Science of Paper versus Screens

 Short synopsis:  There has been a generational transition in the way we read.  While those of the younger generation prefer to read from a screen, most of us from the older generations prefer to read from paper.  Modern screens and e-readers may inhibit reading comprehension.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

 1.  The increase in technology has changed the way we as a society view reading.

 2.  Text is a tangible part of the physical world we inhabit.

 3.  Some people comprehend less when they read on a screen because screen-based

     reading is more physically and mentally taxing than reading on paper.

 4. Many people think of reading from a screen as less serious than reading from paper.

 5. Engineers and designers are striving to make reading on a tablet or e-reader closer

     to reading on paper.

My response to my chosen reading:  Call me old fashioned, but I think that NOTHING can replace or compare to the experience of reading a book.  Yes, our society depends a lot on technology, but I still think that children need to be allowed to experience the pleasure of reading from a book.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1.  Is there any correlation between the increase of screen time from our students and

     their low reading proficiency?

2.  With such an increase in cell phones and tablets, how can I keep my students

     excited about reading books?

In Addition

Part of a curriculum map for 3rd graders: (I’m not sure how in depth I need to go)

September:  Getting acquainted with the Alexandria system to find books.

          Continue locating and recording call numbers.

          Review Dewey Decimal System.

October:       Continue using Alexandria to find books within reading range.

          Discuss fiction vs. nonfiction.

          Introducing Treasure State Nominee Books.

November:   Treasure State Nominee Book Read Alouds

          Introducing Internet Safety

          Continue with using Alexandria

December:   Finish Treasure State Nominee Read Alouds.

            Voting on Treasure State Books & Create Posters.

          Award Winning Books:  Caldecott, Newberry, Scott King, etc.

 Title (s) 

1) 4 Ways to Build Relationships with Students Whose Backgrounds Differ From Yours by Jaslynn Laurence

2) The Difference Between Smart and Dumb Find Out Here by Chronicle Cloud, Inc

3) On Libraries - Building Relationships With Students by Hilda K Weisburg

Short synopsis of each (really short)   

1. Building relationships with students in a culturally responsive manner

2. What is growth mindset is, and one way to teach it to students. 

3. The importance of creating and how to create a relationship-based culture in the library.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. Relationships are something that you are continually working on with a smile - students AND teachers

2. growth mindset is the belief that intelligence is not just something we’re born with, but rather, intelligence is something we can grow.

3. appreciate, don’t appropriate, an aspect of your students’ cultural backgrounds

4. It’s important to remember that creating relationships with your students is going to take time and consistent effort. It will require interest and understanding and should be a priority for the beginning of the school year.

5. Don’t ask students what they did during the summer, ask what they want to learn this year.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

1. Part of building relationships with students is about learning where they’re from; their neighborhood, where they grew up, whether they have older or younger brothers and sisters or are an only child, and what life is like when they leave school. Lowrie is a neighborhood school. I'm not really allowed to visit as a paraeducator, but I can make an educated guess by their address a little bit. I’m working on building relationships with students always from a Paraeducator’s pov. I am also in a unique position to watch the students engage in library time from the sidelines when the Teacher Librarian is there, and can notice what tweaks need to be made so that we can relate library to students who may not be engaged. I really needed the reminder that I am working on relationships with students and teachers, even as a paraeducator, with a smile. I sometimes forget my smile for passing teachers, as I’m rushing to get things done. I absolutely love learning about students’ cultures and what makes them who they are. This article gave me suggestions on what to keep my eyes open for, so I can learn better through observing and not just conversation.

2. I absolutely loved this sentence from the reading: “The growth mindset is the belief that intelligence is not just something we’re born with, but rather intelligence is something we can grow.” I see students every day who beat themselves up because they don’t understand a concept, and some slump into the “I’ll never understand. I’m too dumb.” mantra. Teaching growth mindset is more than teaching kids to use “yet” in their rhetoric; it’s also about understanding how their brains work and what happens when they practice. 

3. It all comes down to what kind of library you want to have and how you build that library. I watch my Teacher Librarian build a library based on relationships and trust and am amazed. She must go home exhausted everyday. She definitely leaves it on the field, so to speak. She learns names and remembers them, she emanates “I’m so glad that you’re here” vibes to every student, and she knows when to correct students and when to let them be. All while teaching and engaging students wholly. She is my Teacher Librarian hero. She is kind to all, consistent in her expectations of students and in who she is. She shows students and teachers respect and gets it back in spades. And she has high expectations for student behavior without telling them that it’s high. I want to grow up to be like my TL.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. What would teaching about how the brain works look like in library? Reading The Magical Yet by Angela DiTerlizzi plus information.

2. What are some tricks to remembering students’ names?

For my interview, I spoke with a veteran Kindergarten teacher, of probably 30+ years.

1. How do you use the library now in supplementing or supporting your teaching?

She uses the library for specific units. She collects books herself or asks library staff to pull them. Sometimes she checks out for whole Kindy team. She also uses it for author studies. 

2. Approximately how many books do you, yourself checkout for use in the classroom?

Depends - whole team, a lot 50ish. 5-10 for class unit.

3. What could students be learning in the library that would best support your teaching?

For kindy - parts of a book (cover, back cover, author, word, what is a sentence.), can read multiple times before return; as reading to them, ask some concrete Qs and a few more abstract; 

4. Do your children look forward to going to the library?

Yes, very much so. They don’t want to give them up.

5. Do you see them bringing books back to take home?

Oh yeah. Bringing back is another question.

6. Do you, at present, have the opportunity to collaborate with the library?

Yes. they pull books, find ones she can’t, use inter library loan

7. If you do, what is something that you feel is successful?

Very prompt

ON LIBRARIES – Building Relationships with Students – Hilda K. Weisburg

In this entry, Hilda Weisburg discusses the importance of not only working with teachers but fostering relationships directly with students.  Libraries need to be welcoming and inclusive spaces. Building connections with consistency, respect, high expectations, and kindness fosters long term relationships. 

I have really enjoyed this aspect of being a librarian the last couple of years. I did not use the question suggestion in the text for the first library session. She said not to ask students about their summer because it may have been a terrible time for them. Instead ask what they want to learn. Last year, I took a picture of what students had written on the white board for summer goals. Most students did reach their goals, and it was enjoyable to hear the better parts of the students' summer without feeling like it was an assignment.

How do I continue relationship building with high school students when they do not have a scheduled library time like the middle school students? 

Teaching Kids About “Flipping Their Lids” - The Responsive Counselor

and Setting Up a Peace Corner and Teaching Students How to Use It - The Responsive Counselor

These two blogs, from the Responsive Counselor, are about helping students learn to regulate their emotions and be aware of dysregulation. I like the story board idea with the dog, the owl, and the elephant, which represent the amygdala, the prefrontal cortex, and the hippocampus. We talk about those parts of the brain during Traffic Education when we learn about emotional driving and how dangerous it can be. For the Library, I ordered Amazon.com: 8 Calming Corner Posters For Classroom Must Haves For Teachers - 11x17" Calm Down Corner Supplies, Feelings Chart For Kids Ages 4-8, Toddler Emotions Chart, Rainbow Classroom Decor : Office Products this summer for a converted cabinet that has come to the library. Some students like to sit inside the cabinet to read silently, so I wanted to add informational posters about calming self-regulation.

Will this seem childish to high school students and make the library less welcoming for them?

Page 12 comparison shows the advance towards diversity, equity, and inclusion from 2005 to 2021

Coding the standards on page 1 afterthe contents helped me connect an idea about standards.

Standards are more about overarching guiding principles than data or scope and sequence.

Standards can be repetitive.

The Standards for World Languages contain benchmarks as well as the overarching guiding principle.

Is it okay to say that I actually miss having guidance like benchmarks or a scope and sequence of what we are expected to teach? That brings me to another article,posted by Dr. Martin at the beginning of this discussion. In her article, Knowledge is the Missing Subject, Whitney Whealdon suggests that the emphasis of teaching reading and math skills in the near absence of application in social studies and science has led to lower test scores. Critical thinking skills have a basis in a level of knowledge.

Even though teachers intuitively know that science and social studies are important knowledge building subjects, they spend disproportionately more time on decoding and computation skills.

Knowledge of social studies and science information enhances critical thinking about works of literature.

I also read this article:

"Association of College and Research Libraries. Academic Library Impact on Student Learning and Success: Findings from Assessment in Action Team Projects." Prepared by Karen Brown with contributions by Kara J. Malenfant. Chicago: Association of College and Research Libraries, 2017.Published online at www.acrl.ala.org/value.

The study was conducted over 4 years at more than 200 colleges and universities in the United States to find out how important library instruction and collaboration is for successful student outcomes. They found that overwhelming data showed that:

1. Freshmen students benefit from library instruction in their initial coursework.

2. There is a correlation between library use and student success.

3. Collaboration between librarians and instructors and services in the library enhance student learning.

4. Information literacy instruction strengthens general education outcomes.

5. Librarians as Research consultants greatly improved the academic writing produced by students.

I think I will print this article and reference it for my administrators as I try to do more collaborative librarian stuff and less of the specific middle school classroom teacher duties.

"Communicating the Library as a Learning Environment"

Short synopsis (really short):   The article digs into the idea of precisely describing things with accuracy helps users get the most out of library builds or renovations at the university level.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. IMLS problems seems to have taken out access to the Learning Space Toolkit, don't see any other way to get ahold of it.

2. NSF investigated the relationship between spaces and student learning in their learning in informal and formal environments study.

3. Four of the top used terms that focus beyond the university level on key facets of student learning related to their library environment are: "focus", "collaborate", "enclosure", "atmosphere."

 4. The range of terms shows the breadth of what we want, plan, and expect from our library spaces.

 5. Physical design and ambiance are the key attributes we have control over.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

I think the overall idea behind their research was solid, I wish they had gone beyond the project descriptions and gotten some actual data on ways the various features of the spaces were used successfully or unsuccessfully.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. What would be the best organization for self-directed space in the library?

2. I would like to find a copy of the Learning Space Toolkit - may have to write the authors?

How can this awareness of development inform teaching and learning strategies in order to promote improvement in writing skills? 

Arcuate fasciculus are the white structures of the brain at the back of the frontal cortex that connect it to the superior temporal regions which are responsible for language production and comprehension. are the arcuate fasciculus and language constructs such as phonological awareness and vocabulary knowledge. The study published in Science Direct, "White matter in infancy is prospectively associated with language outcomes in kindergarten" supports what has been taught in NM ECED courses for decades. The fact that the formation of underlying brain structures for language and literacy are present as early as the first year and possibly in prenatal life highlights the importance of early childhood educators and programs such as Headstart, as well as the care of mothers and fathers of preschool children. Language and literacy are connected and must not be taught in isolation. Healthy life experiences and language immersion help form connections in the brain that lead to better language and literacy skills.

The New York Times article outlined a history of how writing instruction has been approached over the decades. Like reading, writing is a complex activity with different "rules" for different situations. Freewriting, child centered writing, has its place, but not to the neglect of grammar and structure lessons. I was reminded of a powerful example from one of the EDEC classes. The "ferocus dobamin pinsir" is much more interesting than the "bad dog", but I can also see how a student who wrote the first description might struggle with the more formal writing that is expected in an academic setting. Dr Judith C. Hochman proposes that it is time to teach students to write beginning with the basics of sentence building. Because I think that it is important not to get stuck on a single idea, this quote resonated with me, "In classrooms where practices like freewriting are used without any focus on transcription or punctuation, 'the students who struggled didn’t make any progress,' Dr. Troia, the Michigan State professor, said. But when grammar instruction is divorced from the writing process and from rich ideas in literature or science, it becomes 'superficial,' he warned."

How can I know which books to read aloud to inspire better writing from the students?

"The reading brain in the Digital Age: The Science of Paper versus Screens"

Short synopsis (really short):   The article delves into comparing the experience and research in comprehension behind reading on paper and various electronic formats. Bottom line, if paper wasn't so successful, why are we trying to make most electronic reading platforms so similar to the experience of reading on paper?

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. I think the idea from the initial advertisement kicking off the article that digital natives will not be able to fathom what to do with paper is ridiculously naieve. They are very creative and have a broad range of experiences.

2. Over the years the level of comprehension of reading from electronics vs paper has evened out and now primarily leans towards personal preference of people reading (paper).

3. Especially on long or technical pieces, people want the tactile experience of a physical document due to difficulties navigating longer electronic texts.

4. Reading on screens may take more mental effort and make it harder to recall specific info.

5. This may in part be because we tend to approach electronic texts with less focus - a state of mind less conductive to learning- than we do text on paper.

6. The brain treats letters as physical objects.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

The idea of navigating textual landscapes differently because of the physical structure of the text in comparing paper to electronic forms of text makes me wonder how different forms of paper texts, from magazines, to thick bound books, to novels in verse, to graphic novels make us tackle those in different ways responding to their unique structures.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. Knowing that one is more likely to learn less from an electronic text going in - can you change your attitude in attacking the text to ensure a different outcome?

2. Would practicing cursive writing help grow the "writing" area of the brain as well as participating in different types of writing?

 Title (s) 

 Rethinking Reading: Differentiating Comprehension from the Components of Reading by Hugh W. Catts, Alan G. Kamhi

Short synopsis of each (really short)   

This complex and meaty article posits another view from which to teach reading.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. Teaching ELA is very complicated

2. In this case, reading and comprehension are two separate processes and taught as such

3. Knowledge is a foundation for understanding text/speech, and gives an anchor for new information to attach to in memory. It provides a ton of support toward comprehension.

4. Standardized tests rely on background knowledge. So those without that particular background are at a disadvantage.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

I did well in elementary school. I came in and had all the appropriate background knowledge to soak up whatever learning was sent my way. I think back to my experiences when I worked in an ESoL classroom, especially. I was their Paraprofessional. My first year with those students, I realized that these students that I worked with didn’t know the nursery rhymes I grew up with. They hadn’t had the experiences of growing up with a Mom with varied interests that shared those interests with her children. They hadn’t had the experiences of living in a small town that valued the most current trends of education. These students had knowledge and experiences all their own. But they didn’t fit the worksheets they were given to work on. Those worksheets that referenced livestock and English nursery rhymes. 

This article both overwhelmed me and fascinated me. It hit on my wonderings from 20 years ago, how do we build knowledge. And turned them on their head. I wish I could go back to that ESoL classroom and convince the District to let their teachers meet their students where they are at.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. How can I get an endorsement in ELA? It’s fascinating.
   
   

2. This article feels like common sense and that it hits that piece that seems to be missing in some reading curriculum. Where can I read more about this approach?

In addition,

• Include a short review of a couple of lesson ideas and approaches from the readings and sources you find.  What do you think is substantive or not? What would you do?

Content-rich literacy program. I think this approach is great! For example, if you did a study with Global Read Aloud books and participants. Not only do students get to read a great author and discuss him/her with students from around the globe, but they can write postcards to those students, learn about other countries and states, compare and contrast all the books that the author wrote, and participate in a long distance book club. 

• Compare and contrast how lessons will be different in the library. Explain why you think the differences would occur. 

Lessons would be different in the library than the classroom, mainly because of time of the library meeting and also the fact that most classes visit the library once a week. The teacher would just need to be very organized and present each aspect of the class in small chunks.

 Title:  7 Ways to Teach Critical Thinking in Elementary Education

Short synopsis: This article focuses on different strategies educators can use to teach and encourage students to utilize critical thinking.  From asking questions to brainstorming to making connections with different ideas, students can learn and use critical thinking skills.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1.  Encourage students to use decision making skills by weighing the pros and cons of varying solutions.

2. Making connections among different ideas is key to teaching students critical thinking.

3. Art projects and constructing inventions are ways students can use critical thinking.

4. Cooperative learning can encourage students to think critically.

5. Brainstorming is an excellent way for students to utilize their critical thinking skills.

Give a response to your chosen reading:

Teaching critical thinking skills doesn’t have to be difficult or “painful”.  Encouraging my students to think critically can be enjoyable as well as creative.  As a new librarian, I feel encouraged to introduce these strategies to my students. 

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1.  How can I use open ended questions to encourage my “unmotivated” students?
   
   

2. I have several “quiet” students who rarely speak.  How do I encourage them to share their perspectives?

"Assessment of Learning in the Library"

Short synopsis (really short):  The article discuses modifications of assessing learning from classroom practices to fit the library.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. The author breaks down teaching her elementary students how to use the searching software in much greater detail than I do with my middle schoolers.

2. She has task cards for students to practice - something similar could be set up with a quiz or Kahoot based in a Canvas course that teachers and students could access.

3. As I review my library's website, I'll be looking for places to include Jing videos on using our LS2 catalogue system.

4. Task card sets for library skills can be available for student or class independent use.

5. I could provide portfolio documentation for students who spend substantial time in the library and gain specialized skills.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected) 

The idea of assessing students directly hadn't previously occurred to me as most of what I do is working with the class on skills they need within a larger project directed by the teacher. Usually I don't have the time with them to do a more formal assessment, I do things like understanding checks with fingers held up, or exit tickets.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. Would using more extensive, more formal assessments give me different information that would alter what I do in the library in different ways than my formative assessments currently used?

2. How can I fit in a pre/post assessment of students' library use & information gathering skills?

Can we teach critical thinking? I think that we can teach anything that we put our minds to teaching. Kaminske defines critical thinking as "a higher-order skill that involves the mastery of low-level skills before you even begin to tackle the critical thinking part," and distinguishes between general critical thinking skills and domain specific critical thinking skills. I agree with the author, critical thinking is hard. Transferring critical thinking skills across subjects is even harder.

Within the article was a little nugget about "dual coding" that I had to know more about. Basically, it wasn't coding like computer code. It was about drawing diagrams and pictures as well as writing out notes when we study. And that led to a discussion on semantics of learning style or modalities, which have not actually been well studied using a scientific method. While learning styles may not be supported with scientific evidence, it is good teaching practice, and certainly more memorable, to incorporate as many of the senses as possible into lessons.

It has been noteworthy while working with middle and high school students that they can put all the correct answers on paper, but they still make human mistakes and seem to miss the point of the humanities lessons. Can we teach critical thinking? I am not certain anymore, but I believe that we must keep trying.

We must keep trying, because of things like one of my small frustrations as a school librarian. Quite often, students ask, "Is this for a grade?" Against my personal desire to be honest, I have begun to lie to my students and say, "Yes!" Somehow, many students that I work with have lost a desire to show off their innate curiosity within the school setting. I want them to do activities or read for their own enjoyment, so I plan and prepare, and am crestfallen when they ask that deflating question. Shall I toss out rubrics and never use them again, because students use them only as a road map to a good grade and completely miss the point of some assignments? Maybe. I like the suggestion that came from the comments of another English teacher: 

I have used rubrics and templates, but have found that standardized methods do not produce quality results. The best results come from peer reviews, teacher comments and rewrites. 

The English teachers in our high school use a spreadsheet to  teach peer review. Mr. O creates a response form which saves the data in a spreadsheet, which I will try to add to Padlet. 

Smith, Megan & Yana Weinstein. "Learn How To Study Using... Dual Coding", The Learning Scientists, 28 Feb. 2019, https://www.learningscientists.org/blog/2016/9/1-1

Pashler, H., McDaniel, M., Rohrer, D., & Bjork, R. (2008). "Learning styles, concepts and evidence." Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 9, 105-119. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26162104/

Hurley, Jennifer. "Rubrics and the dehumanization of Education, Part 1" Medium. https://profhurley.medium.com/rubrics-and-the-dehumanization-of-education-19f1907860e6

How do I begin to create a curriculum to teach critical thinking skills?

When my lesson plan is too broad, what is the best way to narrow my focus?

Do I need to create rubrics for lessons that will not receive a grade?

Inquiry-based learning is an effective way for students to progress through Bloom’s Taxonomy. A teacher’s role in inquiry-based learning is as a conductor, assistant, leader, and artist.

  It is possible to assess students in all disciplines, both in OF learning and FOR learning. Be intentional with what you want students to learn and be creative in how you assess them and fit it in to your time.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

Inquiry-Based Learning

1. Planning for instruction and assessment is key and best practice. 

2. Planning and flexibility are both warranted and do not cancel each other out. Stay focused on the key ideas you want your students to take away/learn. - “good teachers are masters of connecting ideas and finding creative ways to squeeze in content”

3. The idea behind inquiry-based learning is to ignite students’ curiosity and love for learning.

4. The true art of teaching is to “ask the right questions, become a thought partner (interaction during instruction), and then assist in students’ discoveries.”

5. Inquiry-based learning helps students personalize the content in ways that make the most sense to them.

Assessment of learning

1. You can fit it in. Be creative

2. Be intentional with instruction, learning targets AND assessment

3. Use task cards, kind of like exit cards. She used them as kids checked out, but not many kids check out each time at my school. …. Exit card to choice time?

4. Just because an idea is simple, doesn’t mean it’s not effective

5. 2 types of assessment - assessment FOR learning (go over learning targets before lesson), and assessment OF learning (ask questions, quiz, gameify learning after lesson) 

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

I am anxious to try inquiry-based learning in a library lesson. I took the Inquiry-Based Learning class this summer and loved it. I would love to teach the lesson myself, but I saw how it would work better as a cooperative lesson for elementary students. Stubbornly, I still want to figure out how to do it in a library lesson. Maybe this would be best addressed through a mini-lesson for Global Read Aloud or something to support what’s being taught in the classroom, but also separate. 

What I absolutely love about the library is having the opportunity to ignite curiosity and inspire lifelong learning. The use of inquiry-based learning really hits all the right notes for me. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem that my school does much of it in between all the assessments and new curricula teachers are tackling right now. 

Whether I can incorporate this time of learning into my lessons or not, I can still plan everything and be intentional with my plans; learning goals, lessons, and assessments. I can still be flexible in carrying out those plans. I can still be on top of connecting ideas and find those moments to squeeze in lesson context ideas to what students are interested in. And knowing my students, all 500 of them, all while I am being creative with my assessments.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. How often should I revisit or remind students about a lesson so that students remember what they “learned”? Many of our students have a ‘where things are in the library’ lesson one week and then don’t remember what was taught, 2 days later. 

2. What would an inquiry-based unit look like in an elementary library lesson that’s only 10-15 minutes long, once a week? Has anyone tried it?

 Title:  10 Popular Educational Trends

Short synopsis: This article focuses on trends and issues educators should be aware of.  Some of these issues may be familiar to us, while others have recently become educational trends.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. Standards based grading measures how well students have developed the necessary skills.

2. Genius Hour is a technique allowing students to work on self-selected and self-paced projects for an hour every day.

3. Teaching students mindfulness techniques can aid in how students respond to stressful situations.

4. Experiential learning, including virtual field trips, allows students to learn and develop skills in a setting outside of the classroom.

5. STEAM Curriculum can improve students’ creativity as well as their academic performance.
   
   

My response to my chosen reading:  Standards based grading has been a topic of discussion in our district.  I understand the reasoning behind it, but I’m not sure what that would look like for me as a librarian.  I like the idea of “Genius Hour.”  With only 40 minute library class sessions, I don’t see this happening in our building.

Two questions that came out of the reading. 

1. How could I incorporate mindfulness into my lessons?
   
   

2. What are some ideas for a virtual field trip as a library lesson?

Some trends I see presently include “Conscious Discipline”.  Identifying one’s triggers and having strategies to navigate through them is something we as a staff have been working on.  We have also incorporated “Brain Breaks.”  This gives the students an opportunity to move around and take a mental break from academic tasks.

The trend of “Genius Hour” appeals to me.  I would love to incorporate this with my fifth graders.  However, my class sessions are only forty minutes in length.

"Kids as Young as 8 are Using Social Media More than Ever"

Short synopsis (really short):   The article from two years ago evaluates and discusses a then-newly-released survey done by Common Sense Media showing changes in the prior three years in child social media and online use.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. & 2. Looking at 2019-2021 compared to previous 4 years, can't be too surprised about increase of digital time, given the pandemic. More interested in next comparison to see if those trends continue.

   3. Age group 8-12 spent tons of time on insta/fb/snap despite "13yo" age minimum.

   4. Families supported with low income jobs tended to be less likely to be able to work from home during pandemic- and would continue to be able to be less flexible currently.

   5. Survey suggests that students of all ages aren't primarily using their online time to connect with peers.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

Overall, all ages of students are spending more time on all types of online activities. It means they have less time for interpersonal relationships, fewer guiding moments from knowledgeable others regarding an facet of informational or digital literacy and that they are becoming more isolated from society and verifiable information.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. Are they actually even able to be tracking the socials and games our kids are spending time on when they change up so very quickly?

2. What activities that my students used to do are being replaced by their online game/social use?

"Strict Rules Can Foster Calm Classrooms. But Some Students Pay the Price."

Short synopsis (really short):   The article uses an example of a charter school network in the state of Indiana to examine the effect of strict discipline policies on students with disabilities.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. Some familes with SWD are still supportive of the high quantities of discipline based loss of instructional time to achieve a quiet, ordered school environment that they want to see.

2. In Indiana, there appears to be no expectation for replacement instruction to be provided at home for SWD after large numbers of days of suspension.

3. This artlcle already mentions slashing funding has reduced the civil rights investigations centering around the use of exclusionary discipline practies - and this article is from Sept 2025.

4. It acknowledges that exclusionary discipline practices DO often provide the bandaid of a classroom break from that particular misbehavior and a chance to brainstorm other options to try out other paths of behavior response.

5. A little disappointed that the article didn't go into any research on what portion of students need a quiet environment for what activities for learning to be successful and what portion of students need a more active environment.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

Thinking in terms of the library, I am lucky in that my library is quite large. I can easily provide an environment that allows a fair bit of noise for one group finishing a project in one area of the library while also supporting a silent spot for a student that needs that. I don't have to just pick one noise level. I've also never been a fan of the idea that silent seated rows of students = learning. In my experience its more likely to = they have just learned to comply. Which means you have forced students deeper into their brainstem for behavior and relatively little is being learned.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. In Indiana, what is happening in the regular, public schools that have to accept all students?

2. Is there a great model for a discipline process that acknowledges and coaches a positive replacement behavior in place of the one that got the student suspended in the first place and provides enough instructional support so students don't fall academically behind?

 Title (s) 

“10 Popular Educational Trends And What You Need to Know” by Andy Minshew,

Short synopsis of each (really short)   

The article listed 10 trends in education and gave a short description of each. Within several of the descriptions, there were links to look into each trend further.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. Personalized Learning is when a curriculum is adaptive to a student’s needs. 

2. Standards-based grading allows students to practice skills over and over, until they learn them and not get discouraged.

3. Genius hour allows students to choose their own projects/learning and at their own pace for an hour a day. 

4. Teaching mindfulness gives students skills to deal with stress and can help them their entire lives. 

5. Experiential learning gives students the opportunities to learn outside the classroom. Ie, a field trip or virtual field trip for younger students. Like BizTown for 5th grade.
   
   

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

I look forward to incorporating STEAM into MakerSpace in my library. A lot of teachers do art in the classrooms, but it has to be non-messy art with the students. Or, easy to clean up because of time. Sometimes I think art needs to be a little messy for it to be meaningful. There has to be some wiggle room within the expectations of a day of lessons.

I’m curious about bite-sized learning and how i can make it work for library. After I’ve surmised so much about it, I want to take on the challenge of making it work meaningfully in a library lesson. It may be that we are already doing it, but I’d like to look into it a little more. 

I would really like to give experiential learning a try in a library lesson or makerspace activity too. A virtual field trip could be a really fun activity.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. What year was the article written? Although several of the trends are being used in my school currently, a few seem like they should have been used during the Pandemic.
   
   

2. What would Personalized Learning look like on a large scale? For a class. It sounds like it would be a lot more work but maybe carrying it out is in the approach and preparation. An adaptive curriculum also sounds like a unicorn. It feels like curricula are pretty black and white, at least for elementary-aged students. 

• What trends appeal to from the readings? STEAM curriculum. Include one or two that you would like to try in your library in your reading response post. 

• What trends do you see at present in your school?

 I hear Standards-based grading at our school when teachers talk about grade cards and conferences. 

Trauma-informed practices are carried out on a daily basis. They have been incorporated into our way of doing business. We are an inclusive school district, and many people have moved to our district because of that. Trauma-informed practices have become necessary. 

Genius hour was talked about at the end of the year last year, but I don’t know if it actually happened. Teachers did do something of the sort, the last hour-ish of the school day for students, which was self-directed learning. 

Digital citizenship has been absorbed into library lessons as a necessary skill for today’s students. 

Bite-sized learning was talked about during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic. Students' attention spans were just so short. Unfortunately, they still are, and we seem to be teaching toward that still instead of helping students develop longer attention. 

Our Counselor has focused on SEL and mindfulness for several years. We incorporate a few practices into daily lesson time, like the breathing ball to reset brains and get ready to learn. 

Depending on the grade, the class, and how their day is structured, for example, if there is a lot of sitting time in a row, teachers will incorporate a brain break/movement break into the day. 

The library has STEAM lessons incorporated into its MakerSpace. 

• Are there any that you question? I question bite-sized learning. It seems like a great way to introduce a unit or tease the newest books in the library. But we should be teaching students to be able to lengthen their ability to focus. The pandemic is over, and even though technology teaches students that you can get all they need to know about the latest dance craze in less than five minutes, I can’t help but feel that school should teach them the tools students need to be able to focus longer than five minutes. How will they take tests? How will they hold down a job in the future? In the same vein, I recognize that library lessons are incredibly short and must be presented to be able to engage for that “bite-sized” lesson time. So maybe bite-sized learning has its place and time, but we shouldn’t give up on presenting a lesson that’s a bit more involved.

Reading for enjoyment has been declining for the last 30 years because of both technology distractions and time constraints. Smartphones, social media, and streaming services have helped create a culture of increasing instant gratification. In addition, teens feel the pressure of time constraints from homework, resume building activities, and college prep, as well as part-time jobs.

Moyer, Melinda . “Kids as Young as 8 Are Using Social Media More than Ever, Study Finds.” The New York Times, 24 Mar. 2022, www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/well/family/child-social-media-use.html. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

The time that children spend with screens has increased so much. The concern is that they are losing precious time doing healthy activities and that they are exposed to ideas and activities that they are not ready to process in a healthy way. A few ways to reduce screen time include a 24 hour vacation from tech, a parent/child agreement about screen time, and a list of 25 things that a child could do without a screen.

France, Paul France. “Rethinking “Progress” in Education.” ASCD, 1 May 2025, www.ascd.org/el/articles/rethinking-progress-in-education?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=corwinsocial&utm_campaign=pls. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.

May 1, 2025 • 5 min • Vol. 82 • No. 8.

"When ideology outpaces evidence, progress can take a step backward." Educators are cautioned against following trends to an extreme or following bias without supporting research. Individualized educational technology will never replace teacher instruction because it tends to ignore the social component of learning. It really does come back to building relationships.

In my ELA methods class, the instructor strongly emphasized that Silent Sustained Reading only works if we as teachers also engage in the activity. If we grade papers or answer emails while students read, we send the message that we would rather work than read. In my case, that might have been true for a while, but I have been rediscovering the joy of silent reading with the students. I think I had lost the joy for the same reasons stated in the Dollisso article - not enough time/too much pressure. I have cringed for years as my grandchildren are babysat by screens while their harried parents try to accomplish the impossible, even though I remember that I did the same thing using vhs tapes and CDs. 

How can I measure growth in my patron's ability and desire to read? 

How will I know if it is really related to classroom practices like SSR?

How should I present what I am doing and findings to my stakeholders?

"We Are Still Here! Native American Truths Everyone Should Know, Lesson Kit"

Short synopsis (really short): The lesson kit goes along with a 2021 book of the same name with activities to support groups learning about important facets of the current Native American experience.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. Review many native tribe's websites to get a feel for the variety of the groups.

2. Look at #HonorNativeLand!

3. Look at as many organization's land acknowledgements as possible to get a sense of the ways they are similar and different. Consider what some of the often included or omitted pieces might indicate.

4. Native News in Alaska can be from https://alaska-native-news.com/ or Southcentral foundation, AFN, or News section on various regional museums, village corporations and regional corporations.

5. See if you can find an Alaskan native TED talk that isn't the native language being saved by outsiders but highlighting the efforts of the remaining speakers and their other tribal members to save their own language.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

This is a great guided dive into many of the key issues that educators need to be aware of in the area of modern indigenous education.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. Is there an indigenous show or podcase older than Molly of Denali/Warrior Kids and younger than Reservation Dogs to show at school?

2. How can we build our local Denaina language into our building and library in a meaningful way?

"Seven Myths Preventing Teachers from Implementing Creative Projects"

Short synopsis (really short): A myth buster article by a Project Based Learnning guru promoting everyone having access to creative assignments.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. Consider what your team's, or grade level's or curriclum area's or school's most memorable learning experience has been as learners & Discuss.

2. Structure and complete pre-planning definitely critical to a creative project assignment working well.

3. Structures for adults in creative projects can come from "Radical Candor" or "The Brain Trust".

4. Try Harvard's Project Zero's Thinking Routines Toolbox.

5. Creative projects work for everyone in every subject area.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

If you have been trying to get a reluctant school or group to try a project based learning assignment - this article would be a great starting point to dig into why they are reluctant and perhaps pull down the reasons behind that to start moving forward.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. Can this be modified to convince teachers to try collaborative (& creative) projects in the library with the librarian?

2. How do you convince others of the value in upending and reorganizing their classroom "plate" around student voice and choice?

 Title:  1) Noise and Its Effects on Children

2) Noise is an Increasing Problem in Learning Environments

Short synopsis:  

1) An excessive exposure to noise can interfere with young children’s speech and language development as well as an inability to concentrate in a noisy environment.

2) The increase of noise in our schools is becoming a problem that can affect the detectability of speech.  Furthermore, classrooms can be an obstacle to effective learning.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? (Title 1)

1. Nearly 5 million children suffer from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss.

2. Noise exposure can cause harm to a child’s physical health.

3. Noise can impair one’s learning ability.

4. Chronic exposure to loud noise can elevate blood pressure in children.

5. Noise can disrupt a child’s sleep patterns.

(Title 2)

1. Noise is becoming a problem in schools, which affects learning opportunities for students.

2. Noise can result in one’s decrease in motivation as well as an increase in annoyance.

3. Background noise can cause some students to miss out on sound frequencies.

4. Background noise can interfere with students hearing what is being said in a particular lesson.

5. An increase in daily water intake can enhance audibility and even improve learning.

My response to my readings:

1)  I know a little bit about hearing difficulties in children.  My younger daughter had several ear infections, as well as speech delays when she was little.  I wasn’t aware of the learning repercussions due to excessive noise.  However, for me personally, too much noise at a time “gets to me.”  

2)  I totally agree that noise is becoming an increasing problem in our schools.  Being in        a central location, I hear other classroom teachers and students, as well as the office staff.  I have had to close my door in order to provide quiet thinking time for my students.

My two questions from Title 1: 

1. Because of the location of my library, I hear kids in the gym, the office area, as well as the classroom across the hall.  Besides keeping my doors closed all the time, what are my options to minimize the “extra noise”?
   
   

2. With such an increase in kids using electronic devices (and their noise levels), how can I encourage students to monitor their use while protecting their ears at the same time?

Title 2:

1. What types of noise reduction strategies are realistic in order to reduce my vocal strain? 

2. What types of nonverbal cues is the author referring to?  I use a nod of my head or a forward wave of my hand.

 Short synopsis of each (really short)   

Bookworms:  Gonser discusses the purpose of leveled reading and the benefits of going beyond leveling a student to challenge them. 

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. Leveling students’ reading is a tool that can be used well or poorly.

2. There are wide inconsistencies between the leveling done by Fountas & Pinnell, Lexile, and Accelerated Reading. 

3. We shouldn’t assume that a love of reading is so durable that we shouldn’t nurture it.

4. There is a middle ground we can strive for. 

5. Starting in second grade, once kids are past the decoding stage, it’s good to challenge them with reading a little above their level.

6. Kids should also be given the chance to choose a book for their own pleasure to read, at their discretion.

Give a response to each of your chosen readings and relate your answers to those readings as well as you can. (Perfection not expected)     

I agree with Gosner, that there is middle ground to be had with reading. Leveling shouldn’t be the only tool that teachers rely on. I am seeing teachers more and more ask for bookbox books at the student level, then allowing students to choose their own books for library time. There was a time when students were instructed to know their level and find books at their level only. And then when students were to get a book at their level and also one of their own choice. I think the bookboxes and own choice library time is a great middle ground to achieve forward motion with lifelong reading. Another teacher this year is going a step further, doing both bookboxes, personal choice library time, AND, booktalking books that she thinks her students would like, AND recommending books for them to try out in addition to all the other books they have. She has turned her class of reluctant readers into a class, which when they came to library this week, I had to break up two arguments over who was going to get specific books. She was previously a middle school librarian and a 3rd grade teacher. She’s now teaching 3rd grade again and going the extra marathon. She’s really making a difference with those students. It makes me wonder how I could have as big an impact on students when I am a librarian. I won’t have the facetime with them that a classroom teacher does, but I can booktalk books, and check in with the classroom teachers and fill in where needed as far as reading goes.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. What are other ways that I too can have as big an impact on students’ reading.?
   

2. We do level our bookbox books according to F&P. Is there a chart that relates the three levelers to each other, reliably? Is there a more reliable way to level a book?

Wits University. “Noise Is an Increasing Problem in Learning Environments.” Phys.org, 11 Aug. 2016, https://phys.org/news/2016-08-noise-problem-environments.html.

Wexler, Natalie. “Elementary Classrooms Are Too Noisy for Kids to Learn.” Forbes, 18 July 2022, www.forbes.com/sites/nataliewexler/2022/07/18/elementary-classrooms-are-too-noisy-for-kids-to-learn/?sh=2de155283c60.

Surprisingly, open school designs are not only a fire hazard, but they are also distraction rich environments where learning is hindered. Another surprise is the disparaging opinion of the standard ELA organization in elementary school classes. Teaching small reading groups while others read and write independently seems to  only benefit the strong readers. Weaker readers fall further behind.

Reading for Module 7

Title:  6 More Games to Play with Elementary Students

Short synopsis:  This article talks about different games to play with your students in order to introduce a book or topic of study.  Some games can even be used to recall information previously learned.

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. “Never Ending Word” is a game used to introduce a book.  Students have to listen to each other and not repeat “words” that have already been said.

2. “Snowball Fight” is a game used to check for understanding of a topic or comprehension of a book.

3. “Drumming up a Question” is a game where students use rhythm while asking as well as answering questions in relation to a book or topic of study.

4. “Find the Odd One Out” is a game similar to “Which One Doesn’t Belong?”  This game is used to check understanding by providing students with three different examples of a category or concept and one non-example.

5. “The Name Game” is similar to a word association activity.  Students receive a topic or category. They have to then name three more things that go with that topic. This could be used as a reflection after the lesson.

My response to my chosen reading:  I like the idea of using games occasionally to review a concept or check for understanding.  The game, “Find the Odd One Out” could be incorporated into my upcoming lessons on genre.

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1.  With the snowball fight game, what would be an alternative to “throwing the crumpled up paper”?  Putting them in the center of the table?
   
   

2.  How could I make the drumming up a question game more complex for my fifth graders?

My ideal library will be an open space with picture windows on each wall, providing natural light, but also the room will be well-lit, by ceiling lights for those cloudy Oregon days in the winter. The windows will look out onto enclosed plant gardens and a butterfly house that students can access for library STEAM activities.  The plant gardens and butterfly house will have all school access and ownership, too. 

The interior of the library will have taller bookshelves all along the walls (four shelves high), with a set of shorter bookshelves (two shelves high) inside them. Interspersed with the bookshelves are pieces of movable furniture, small overstuffed chairs, large tufted footstools, and comfy large rugs so students can rearrange and find their ideal reading spot, but we can also have a space for a class to meet as a whole. We will also have a “zoo” of stuffies that students can check out and read to.

In the center of the room, several stations can be set up. These stations will have more seating (more functional, less comfy) around tables and the makerspace with changing STEAM activities. The makerspace area also has plenty of storage for iPads, drawing and collage, coloring, building, animation supports, a 3D printer or two, and project supplies. I would like to connect with my District’s science group and see what animals I can bring into the space - salmon eggs, chicken eggs, duck eggs, maybe even a library dog. Once all of this is in place, different corners will be found where readers can tuck in and read a good book with a pillow or two.  

A fireplace on one wall would be nice too.

Title:  Three Student Privacy Laws Every Teacher Should Know

Short synopsis:  This article focuses on three student privacy laws:  

FERPA- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

COPPA-Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act

CIPA- Children’s Internet Protection Act

What are five ideas that you learned from the readings? 

1. I didn’t realize that FERPA was the first law that protects student privacy, or that this law only gives parents a certain extent of rights to their child’s records.

2. COPPA was enacted in 1998 as a means to limit the collection of personal information of students without parental consent.

3. Add-ons like Safe Doc can assist in blocking potentially harmful content.

4. I have never heard of CIPA before, or that it protects students from darker places while online.

5. As an educator, I have the power to uphold CIPA by making sure my school has an internet safety policy.

My response to my chosen reading:

I think it is important to have these laws in place because the safety of our students is vital.  Before reading this article, I had never heard of COPPA or CIPA.  As an educator, how does one learn about such laws?  

Post two questions that came out of the reading for you. 

1. How would I find out if our school is utilizing the Safe Doc browser?
   
   

2. As a librarian, how can I ensure that students are being safe online?

While scrolling on FaceBook (because the outside temperature is 5° F) I stopped to read an article about Margaret W Rossiter, who described the "Matilda Effect" where the contributions of scientists who were female were systematically erased or credited to male scientists. I also saw an article about Nona Gaprindashvili. She sued NetFlix for a single defamatory line in The Queen's Gambit, a series that I watched and enjoyed. The irony is that the show, about a fictitious woman who successfully competes in world class chess competition, slipped in a single line negating Nona's successes in real world class chess competitions. 

Lessons in Chemistry has captured my interest as trailers for the series tempted me to get AppleTV. I listened to the audio book instead. Bonnie Garmus highlighted many of the ways that the "Matilda Effect" happens. There was just plain theft, harassment and hostile work environments, and even physical assault. Early in the story, the main character allowed her contributions to be credited to her husband because they worked together and it was for the good of scientific work. When I was married to a building contractor, we built 17 log homes in 15 years. I was consulted on all parts of the projects, but the part I am most proud of is re-working floor plans to fit the customer's needs. It never occurred to me that I should have been given any credit for the work that I did. I think that the message of a "man's world" is so ingrained in our cultural psyche that many people do not even recognise the injustices caused by that message. 

For our class I read:

Fargo, Hailley, Kristin Fontichiaro, Jennifer Luetkemeyer, Trent McLees, Renee McGrath, Allison Renner, and Julie Stivers. Teen Literacies Toolkit. Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), American Library Association, July 2017. PDF. https://www.ala.org/sites/default/files/yalsa/content/TeenLiteraciesToolkit_WEB.pdf

I was struck by the many different literacies: Critical, cultural, digital, etc. and was reminded that strength in one literacy may not include strength in another.

Alyssa Teaches. “10 Ways to Promote Reading in Your Classroom or School.” Alyssa Teaches, 11 Aug. 2019, alyssateaches.com/10-easy-ways-to-promote-reading-in-your-classroom-or-school/. (alyssateaches.com)

1. Read. (Yes, I do that.)

2. Provide access to diverse literature. (Yes, I do that.)

3. Offer books your students want to read. (I try.)

4. Share about your reading life. (Maybe.)

5. Integrate Technology. (I have done a couple things in this section, and I will try a couple that I had not thought of before.)

6. Participate in Reading initiatives. (I know about Battle of the Books and will check into Global Read Aloud.)

7. Showcase books that are pro-reading. (Good idea: a suggestion list was included.)

8. Get creative. ( Of course.)

9. Involve your community. (Stagefright.)

10. Don't make reading a chore. (It has been a fine line between #1 and #10, especially during the holidays.)

I will leave this reflection with a quote from a coach's training manual.  "If it isn't fun, the kids won't want to stick with it."

Ramm, Millie. “10 Hygge-Inspired Books to Keep You Cozy This Winter” 1000 Libraries Magazine, 7 Dec. 2025, www.1000libraries.com/10-hygge-inspired-books-to-keep-you-cozy-this-winter/?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&_kx=-Vg_nQ_VdvspE9R8ve0znjpB-O8xHW1WC5F5n7e3qt0ruOzrUYju8T_hYtN-xvTH.WQTZCr. Accessed 9 Dec. 2025.

Hygge is a Danish word for coziness and contentment. Hygge - A Danish ritual | Euromaxx is a video that explains this further. As we move through the rest of this holiday season, I want more of this. I want to let go of seasonal affect disorder and the hustle and expense of materialism, and just curl up with a good book. In her article, "10 Hygge-Inspired Books to Keep You Cozy This Winter", Millie Ramm suggests titles that include 2 or 3 cookbooks as well as a magazine article and some other novels. The book that I will put on my list for winter break is Collected Works by Lydia Sangren, a generational mystery novel about an author that almost was. 

Aaaannnd my musing was interrupted by the arrival of books that I paid for to satisfy one of my favorite students. This is another reminder to me that I really need a fund to purchase books throughout the year when they are requested by my patrons. Also today, I learned that one of my 7th grade students is reading a copy of Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. I thought that it was odd given this particular student's history of checking out Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid books. I wonder.

Turban, Stephen. “12 Research Skills for Middle School Students That You Should Know About.” Lumiere Education, 11 Nov. 2024, www.lumiere-education.com/post/12-research-skills-for-middle-school-students-that-you-should-know-about.

Research skills involve more than how to look for information. Stephen Turban has made a list of 12 essential skills.

1. Critical thinking 

2. Scientific Writing

3. Analytical thinking

4. Data collection 

5. Source evaluation 

6. Time management 

7. Note taking

8. Information synthesis 

9. Collaboration 

10. Digital literacy 

11. Presentation skills 

12. Curiosity and inquiry

Each of the 12 skills were explained and contained links to programs that teachers can use to help middle school students build these skills. I think this is a good outline for a unit that I might explore further.