Thursday, December 19, 2024

Winter Break is Here!

 



T'was the Day Before Winter Break


T'was the day before the winter break, and all through the schools,


The students were wired, forgetting the rules.

The staff clung tightly to their last ounce of cheer,

Knowing winter break was practically here.


The bell rang at last, and the halls emptied out,

With backpacks and jackets, the kids gave a shout!

And the staff sighed loudly as they locked up their doors:

"Happy Winter Break to all - we'll be back next year for more!"



Poem not my own, but it was definitely fitting for today.  I hope each and every one of you have a wonderful holiday break!

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Lots to Do in December

 


I'm not sure what happened, but all of a sudden it was December.  And as the title implies, there is "Lots to Do in December" here at the SHS Library.  So much so that I am already exhausted.  I hope the students are having fun.


Mystery Box - all month long

I actually do this every month.  I have one of those BreakOut EDU boxes, and I use the regular key lock.  (Of course, any box with a lock will do; the BreakOut EDU boxes just happen to be sitting in my library.)  Inside the box, I have free books, snacks, and stickers.  Students finish the activity of the month, bring it to me to check, and then I give them the key to the box.  They can choose 2 items from the box, and then give the key back to me.  Other than keeping the box stocked, this is a great passive program.  This month's activity is a Christmas word search.

12 Days of December - all month long

This is a passive program for the teachers. I send them the activity calendar at the beginning of the month, and they can open a box each day to see what the day's activity is.  I put a few treats in there along with some book recommendations, some tech tools, and brain breaks.  Here is the link to this year's 12 Days of December in case you need a visual.

Bundle Up with Books - all month

This is the reading contest in Beanstack.  So this program runs itself.  Students log in their reading minutes, and the program keeps track and rewards them digital badges along the way.  Once the students have met the required number of minutes, they come to me for a reward.  This month is combined with January.  So I probably won't be giving out any rewards this month.

FirstPage Friday - Dec. 6

This is a program for my avid readers.  They fill out a form every month with a preferred genre.  And on the first Friday of the month, I give them 2-3 books I have picked just for them along with a snack and a prize.  Think of it like a monthly subscription service, but with library books.  So the books come back to the library, but the student keeps everything else.  Here is the presentation I used last year and this year to introduce the program:  FirstPage Friday

Office Aides Gifts - Dec. 10 & 11

I try to do something special for my library office aides at least once a semester.  I have 22 Office Aides this year.  These are seniors, and Office Aide is a class.  They have to report to an office or area, and their main job is to run errands for the adults in the office.  Although the class is designed to be only a semester, many of them take the class both in the Fall and in the Spring.  Some of the students may change, but mostly we have the same students all year.  This year I gave the Office Aides a small bag of snacks and a hot chocolate bar so they can fix their own hot chocolate and put in all the fixin's.

Book Club - Dec 11

Book Club happens twice a month except for November and December due to the holiday breaks, testing, and all kinds of things that happen during the Fall Semester.  Our Book Club is called the 40 Book Pledge, and we get together to talk about books.  I do not assign a book of the month.  Our task is to read 40 books by the end of the school year.  So that is an average of one book per week.  Not all students read 40 books, but all of them read more books than they did the year before.  Here is the information about our book club:  The 40 Book Pledge.

District Library Meeting - Dec 11

Somehow I said yes to baking cookies and doing a short presentation during our meeting this month.  I am going over Genially.  It might not be my go-to program, but I do enjoy using it from time to time.  To be honest, the presentation is less than 10 minutes which isn't an issue unless I go over my minutes since I am used to presenting for 45 to 60 minutes. LOL! Here is my presentation:  Genially in the Library.

 Due to the fact that I have definitely over extended myself this month, I opted to buy my cookies . . . actually they are brownie bites.  I am sure everyone will still eat them.  LOL!

Hot Chocolate Bar for Office Aides and Book Club - Dec 12

I believe I already mentioned the Hot Chocolate Bar for my Office Aides.  I also include my Book Club people.  So I usually pick a date and combine the 2 groups.  I serve hot chocolate every lunch that day.  If students forget, they have to wait until next time.  This is also the day I am serving hot chocolate to the teachers if they are keeping up with the "12 Days of December."  I bet I see more students than teachers though.  I guess I will find out tomorrow.

Senior Breakfast - Dec 13

Thank goodness I am not in charge of this one, but it is in the library, and I did agree to help.  I have agreed to bake 4 breakfast casseroles for Friday.  To be honest, that should be easy.  I have a great recipe with minimal ingredients which takes about 40 minutes to prep and bake.  Back to the actual event, the seniors seem to enjoy it every year.  We play the Polar Express in the background, and the students wear school appropriate pajamas.  It is not open to all seniors, just the ones who pay the $15 to get in.  With the amount of food served, it is well worth the $15. Plus they get out of 2nd block and Advisory.  It's a win-win!

Holiday BINGO - Dec 13-19

This is also in Beanstack.  I have created a BINGO where students can participate for another crack at the Mystery Box.  Some of the activities they have to be present for in the library, and other activities are online.  That starts on Dec. 13th, and the students have until the 19th to finish and collect the key to the Mystery Box.

National Buddy the Elf Day - Dec 18

This is also an easy program.  I pick a different day each month from the "National Day" calendar.  We celebrate that day by giving away SWAG related to said day.  For Buddy the Elf Day, I am giving away Elf vinyl stickers and candy canes.

Last Day of Class - December 19th 

Today is a day of nothing - at least no planned events in the library.  Students are taking final exams, and we are unplugging everything in the library and our 5 computer labs.  This is in an effort to conserve energy while away on break.  Did I mention how ready I am for the Christmas break?


Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Presentations This Year

 


This year I am presenting 3 different topics 5 times at 3 different venues.  So yes, there are some repeats! One venue has already passed.  I presented at the Region 10 Library conference on September 11th.  That topic was "Prepping your Library One Year at a Time."  I have done this presentation many times before, and I am happy to do it again if asked.  This presentation was mostly about making sure what you are doing in the library also aligns with your library appraisal.  Then how to organize it all.

I have 2 presentations at the Region 11 Library conference which is just a couple of days away, on November 21st.  Pam and I are talking about Reading Contests, and then I have another presentation about passive programming.  The reading contests presentation is new.  The passive programming is a repeat from the summer TCEA Library conference. I'm a little worried about presenting twice in the same day at Region 11.  As an introvert, presentations take a lot out of me.  Regardless, I will give it my all.

Then in January at TCEA, it is a repeat of both presentations from Region 11.  Those have been scheduled on 2 different days.  So I am not as worried about the amount of energy I need for these.

If you would like a sneak peak of our presentations, here they are . . . 

I was really sad that TLA didn't want our presentations this year.  Something about the amount of  people who submitted their ideas.  Apparently, theirs were better. So, alas, you will not see me presenting at the conference in Dallas this April.  But I guess there is always next year!

Tuesday, November 5, 2024

Second 6 Weeks Check In



 Another six weeks is behind us, and I think I am most proud of the books circulated this time around.  After comparing last year to this year, I believe we are on the right track.  I believe that has something to do with our new reading program, Beanstack.  I have both teachers and students participating.  That is what is driving up the amount of books being checked out.  This is also my goal this year due to my disappointing numbers last year.

Pam and I are presenting later this month at Region 11 and at TCEA this year.  Here is a slide where I am comparing last year to this year, as far as books checked out goes.  The first 6 weeks was a bit disappointing, but I was just rolling out Beanstack to my library introduction classes.  So maybe that is the reason for a few less books this time around. However, my hope is that by our presentation on Nov. 21st, I will have surpassed the whole of the 3rd six weeks from the year before.  I just have to fill in the blanks when the time comes.  As of the first presentation, I will be about 11 days into the 6 weeks.  Wish me luck!


Besides the book circulations, I am also proud of the database usage. My first year here, 1st 6 weeks, I recorded 354 searches within our databases, and roughly 200 of those were teachers using TeachingBooks.net.  Yes, I said 354.  @#$%! Google was definitely the friend of this campus when I first arrived.  Today I am happy to report we had 42,002 database searches this 6 weeks.  Less Google, more authoritative sources.  Yay! And I'm not saying Google is bad; it's just our students and their refusal to vet their sources from said search engine.  They want answers, and they want them fast.  Showing them how to vet a source is always taxing, but I still do it.  I guess more choose our databases after that presentation.  LOL!  




Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Book Review: Hurdles in the Dark


Here is my latest School Library Journal book review . . . 
 

Hurdles in the Dark is the personal memoir of Elvira K. Gonzalez, who is best known as a Mexican American athlete and track star. Elvira, or Kristi as many of her family and friends called her growing up, delves into overcoming immense challenges in her life. The majority of her memoir centers around her high school career as a track and field hurdler.  Kristi saw this sport as her opportunity to earn a college scholarship and to make a better life for herself.  However, the physical hurdles were not the only obstacles in her path.  Kristi had to jump many hurdles in her life as well including leaving the barrio where all her family lived, raising $40,000 to save her kidnapped mother who crossed the border for a wedding, being arrested and taken to a juvenile detention center, and being sexually abused by her track and field coach.

 Despite all the obstacles in her way, Kristi ended her high school track and field career ranked fourth in Texas and among the top twenty in the nation.  She committed to the University of the Incarnate Word with a full athletic scholarship where she was successful until a series of injuries forced her to quit the team and lose her scholarship.  From there, she moved to New York to finish the book she started back in the juvenile detention center.  Without a steady income, she found herself back in the sport of track and field; this time she was a coach.  Kristi eventually created a thriving track and field club team.  Then she enrolled in school and became a first generation college graduate. There are just so many life lessons packed into this memoir. 

The author’s writing style absorbs the readers into her world.  The readers experience all of Kristi due to the honest account of her setbacks and triumphs. She is able to write her memoir as if it were happening in the present due to the many journals and diaries she kept growing up.  The tone shifts to the grown up Kristi, or Elvira, once the reader reaches the Afterword of the memoir.  It is here that Elvira explains her life lessons, her college experiences, and her time in New York city.  She also talks more about the darker side of sports, grooming, and sexual abuse. This topic might be a trigger for some readers, but Elvira handles it with such ease and has facts to back up her statements.  All throughout the Afterward, Elvira talks about the importance of mental health and finding the right help. Her memoir is a cautionary tale meant to help others through the obstacles in their lives.  

Therefore, Hurdles in the Dark is highly recommended for any high school library, grades 9-12, that needs more memoirs emphasizing the importance of mental health.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024

A Look at the First 6 Weeks



 It has been a busy 6 weeks.  I introduced our new reading program, Beanstack, to all of our Junior ELAR classes, and the advanced Freshman and Sophomore ELAR classes.  I am hoping to get to the rest of the Freshman and Sophomore classes this 6 weeks.

Looking at the highlights, I can already see a difference in the number of books checked out by classes.  When I first started to keep the books checked out by homeroom statistic, the numbers were so low, like I think the largest number was 27.  27 books checked out by one class during a six weeks!  Yikes!  Now I see that the homerooms are checking out triple digits . . . mostly.  I call that an improvement.

The database usage looked a bit high for the first 6 weeks, and then I remembered that the ProCom classes were working on a speech, the Art I classes were researching art movements, and I showed some of the classes our databases when they came in for the Library Introduction.

So overall, I am happy with the usage statistics this 6 weeks.  However, I am excited to have the other Freshman and Sophomore classes come to the library so I can introduce Beanstack and the databases to them as well.

Thursday, August 29, 2024

New School Year - New Goals


August 2024.  Year 30 in education. Year 22 in the library.  Why am I still here?


I can honestly say I feel myself slowing down.  I can honestly say waking up to an alarm that goes off at 4:45am five days a week is getting old.  However, I can also honestly say I really enjoy this job; I love the students, I love the people who work here, and I love my school.  That is why I am still here.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel . . .  retirement, but I'm not quite there yet.

After analyzing last year's usage statistics and the ones from the year before that, I decided my goal this year is to increase book circulation.  I have concentrated on technology for 2 years now, and it is time to get back to the basics - reading.  I have all of these programs to promote reading, but have I actually been promoting book check out?  Maybe, but not as much as I should as indicated by my circulation statistics.  To see that comparison, check out last May's blog, "End of Year Check In." 

One of my main tools to increase book circulation this year is Beanstack.  That is a reading program we purchased as a district this year.  It has been fun watching the students get back into reading.  If you are not familiar with Beanstack, it is a program where students can track their reading, earn digital badges, and prizes.  Every campus handles the prizes differently.  I have an online prize wheel that I let the students spin after they complete a reading challenge in Beanstack.  The prize wheel includes snacks, books, a large Sonic Drink, a medium Dutch Bros drink, and a Chick-Fil-A lunch.  The food and beverages were donated by way of gift cards.  Since our district policy is not to give out gift cards as prizes.  I purchase the food/drink for the students with the gift cards, and they come pick up their prize during lunch.  We will see how long the gift cards will last. 

I am looking forward to diving into this new reading program to see what I can do.  They have lots of templates you can use, or you have the option to create your own reading challenge.  I promise I am not getting any compensation for this product, but so far, I like what I see.

Monday, July 15, 2024

Book Review: Kisses, Codes & Conspiracies

 Here is my latest book review for School Library Journal . . . 



“Kisses, Codes and Conspiracies” by Abigail Hing Wen is equal parts romance and adventure.  Set in modern day Palo Alto, Tan Lee seems like a typical teenage boy who happens to have a crush on the girl, Winter Woo, who has rented a room in his home. After going to prom together, the two decide to distance themselves for the sake of their families.  In addition, Winter believes Tan still has feelings for his ex-girlfriend, Rebecca Tseng.  Their plans go awry when Tan’s parents and Winter’s mom take a trip to Hawaii together, leaving Tan and Winter at home to babysit Tan’s little sister, Sana.  To complicate matters, Tan’s former girlfriend reappears on his doorstep after ghosting him for months.  She brings with her three rare coins stolen from her father.  Rebecca has run away from her parents and is trying to start a new life in California, and she needs Tan’s help.  After a 9-1-1 call that leads to the wrong people, Tan, Winter, Rebecca and Sana find themselves on the run, trying to outsmart international hackers with only one goal in mind: get home safely before their parents return from Hawaii.


Wen’s story is thrilling and keeps the readers engaged with her intricately woven plot twists.  The mix of high school drama with espionage is executed seamlessly, making the story both relatable and exciting.  Her writing style is crisp and engaging with a good balance of dialog and description. Her ability to convey the tension and excitement of espionage, as well as the emotional nuances of teenage life, makes the book a compelling read.


Verdict: “Kisses, Codes, and Conspiracies” is a must-read for any young adult audience, but especially those who savor romance laced with a bit of mystery and action. Those who enjoyed “The Jump” (Simon & Schuster, 2023) by Brittney Morris and “Thieves’ Gambit” (Paulsen Books, 2023) by Kayvion Lewis will appreciate this fast-paced and entertaining story.

 


Friday, June 28, 2024

June Conferences


Two conferences this summer, both in June. I have attended the TCEA Virtual conference  for the 2 previous summers, and I really enjoyed it both times.  It fuses two of my passions, the library and technology.  

The other conference came as a complete surprise.  The library coordinator from Region 10 asked me to present at their virtual summer conference and their fall conference.  She was interested in seeing the presentation I did for Region 11 . . . "Prepping Your Library, One Year at a Time." I don't mind repeating a presentation, but I am always conscious of making sure I don't use the exact same slides every time.  The library is more fluid than that, and things happen from one year to the next.  Although I did not have to create this presentation from scratch, I made sure to add or take away items as appropriate to reflect this year.

For TCEA, I did create that one from scratch.  It was actual inspired by "Prepping Your Library."  There was just SO MUCH information in that particular presentation. I decided to take just a part of that presentation, passive programing.  In doing so, I am able to give the programs more time.  Instead of just a passing mention, I can go into each one and explain how and when I use them. Therefore, the TCEA presentation became "Nobody's Got Time for That: Passive Programming for Students & Staff."

I believe both presentation went smoothly.  With it being virtual, you can't really gage the faces in your audience.  So it's like flying blind.  After each presentation, I received a lot of "thank yous" and a few questions.  They sounded engaged to me.

I will be remixing both of these presentations for the next school year, and this time they will be in person.  I will be talking about "Prepping Your Library" again in September for the Region 10 Library Conference on September 11th.  And then *fingers crossed* I submitted "Nobody's Got Time for That" to both the state TCEA conference in February and the TLA conference in April.  Only time will tell.


Monday, May 20, 2024

End of Year Check In

 


It's been another great year in the library.  I can't believe it is coming to an end.  This was my 29th year in education, and 21st year in the library.  Where does the time go?

In analyzing my EOY (end of year) statistics, I see that my numbers are a bit down from the year before.  However, I know some years are just busier than others.


I already knew my circulation was down from the year before, and I think that will be my goal for next year.  We purchased a reading program called Beanstack, and I am ready to use that to help our circulation statistics.  To be honest, I had Beanstack this year, but I just didn't find the time to get in there and figure it out.  Again, part of my goal for next year - Beanstack and book circulation stats!


Tuesday, April 23, 2024

TLA 2024 - So Much to See and Do


 There is always so much to see and do at TLA.  Lots of authors, sessions, friends new and old, and don't forget the books!  So many books.  TLA is consistently generous in giving out books.  My book club will be the recipients of those books tomorrow when we meet, and I can hardly wait to give them away.

Here is a list of the programming sessions I attended.  The author sessions are not included because there were no digital presentations . . . just authors and books. (*sigh*) You can't get any better than that!


Wakelet of programming sessions:    https://wakelet.com/wake/z0lm0JaQlxRuK6oTOoI9m


My favorite session was the Mavericks YA session. I'm going to be honest about this one.  I ended up in the wrong room.  I thought my session was in 301, and it was in 303.  To my surprise, the Maverick YA Graphic Novel list was in 301.  So I stayed, and I am so happy I did.

2 of the authors have popular YA Graphic novels; well at least they are popular in my library.



Molly Ostertag wrote/illustrated the Witch Boy Series and The Girl from the Sea.  Both are popular in my collection.  Jen Wang wrote The Prince and the Dressmaker.  Another graphic novel that seems to fly off my shelf.  In these sessions, it is always fun to hear about what the authors are doing next.  I guess I need to put those books on my list for next year. 

The other author, Greg Neri, has a graphic novels that I have in my collection.  He is the author/illustrator of Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty.  I'm not as familiar with that book, but it is a biography of an 11 year old gang member. Wow! That sounds like some heavy material.

Switching over to programming, the session that I enjoyed was "Promote Your Library with Professional Development."  (Second link in the Wakelet) I really enjoyed this one because it broke down presenting into small steps.  The librarians shared many ways one could present at teacher PLCs, campus meetings, district conferences, and then state conferences.  It was teaching the audience what to present - a presentation about presentations. So clever! I can appreciate that.  I love to present, and I think it is my duty to do so and share what is happening in my library.  Not necessarily because it is perfect, but because it is real, and not always perfect.  However, when others ask me what they could present, I draw a blank.  Now I have the tools to walk someone else through the process to find something they will be confident presenting.

I guess the one thing I would add is to make sure you are presenting something that you are actually doing in your library or you have tried with other classes.  You might think that is a "no-brainer." However, in my 20+ years of attending conferences, I have seen my fair share of programs "in theory" rather than in practice.  Usually the presenters of theory get caught up in the Q & A session afterwards.  It is definitely awkward when a presenter stammers over an answer because he/she/they haven't actually tried that program in their library.  You should always be able to tell the do's and don'ts of your program.  That helps others decide if the program is worthy of repeating.

I would be remiss in my duties if I didn't also share that the presentation that Pam & I did had a great turn out. "Creative PD to Ace your Library Evaluation" was a hit.  Lots of questions afterwards, and yes, we were both able to answer them.

Next year, I believe we are in Dallas.  I enjoy travelling out of town, but I'll be able to take public transportation next year; that is always an adventure.  Maybe not the same as being in San Antonio, but an adventure none the less. 

Monday, April 8, 2024

5th Six Weeks Check In

Here is the SHS Library 5th Six Weeks report. Well, I did see some improvement from the 4th Six Weeks to the 5th Six Weeks, but not much if we are looking at books checked out.  It seems as if I have less students checking out books this semester, which makes me sad.  However, the database statistics are great . . . thanks to the English III research unit. And the number of student visits were definitely on point.



Tra'vion was the student who checked out the most books.  So he is next to set up his favorite books in the student run book display.  I haven't changed that book display out as much as I would like, but it is a popular display.  I need to be better about that next year.  

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Student Run Book Display

 I have been working with a student for the past 2 weeks to put up our first student run book display.  Hunter checked out the most books during the 4th six weeks; so I decided to start with him.  He curated a list of his top 10 book favorites from our library.  We pulled the books and created a display.  Hunter then went into Canva to create his own sign for the display.


Yesterday I sent out the book display concept in my "Library Tip Tuesday" email that goes out to the staff twice a month. In the email, I asked for recommendations of students who liked to read and might want to do their own book display.  To my surprise, I was given 4 names within 30 minutes of my email.  I was surprised because one often wonders how many people actually read your emails.  So happy that at least a few do.  I know I can put one of those obnoxious "read notice" on the email, but I'm not going to do that.

Now back to our regularly scheduled program . . . Hunter arranged the books, and I printed out his Canva sign.  He asked to put library/read stickers on his table.  Since I have about a billion of those, I let him go through my stickers to find the ones he wanted out on his table.  Now we just need to see what kind of foot traffic the display gets.  I am hoping to swap it out twice every 6 weeks.  I think the table turned out great, and Hunter is especially proud of it.



Tuesday, March 12, 2024

FirstPage Friday Concierge Book Service

 


After going to a "PD in a Box" session at TCEA, I was determined to do something with that information.  However all of the research I found said the PD in a Box was a success when test-piloted, but no one seems to have gone past that initial phase, mostly due to budget constraints and man power.  There was one instructional coach who created a few pre-made PD boxes and traded them around.  So they were not created with a certain teacher in mind.  They were generic learning opportunities based on that campus's needs. That is a possibility, but really I am not an instructional coach.  Therefore I'm not sure I am ready to commit to that kind of work to watch the dust settle on my PD boxes.  However, I did decide to use the concept and apply it to the library.

Introducing the "FirstPage Friday Concierge Book Service," which is just a fancy way of ripping off the idea from all those subscription boxes out there.  We have Hello Fresh and Bark Box.  We have Dollar Shave Club and Stitch Fix.  There are coffee boxes, wine boxes, makeup boxes, beef jerky boxes, and so much more.  Why not a library book box?

The FirstPage Friday box will have 3-4 books (genre of choice), a snack, and a surprise or two.  Students return the books to the library, but they get to keep the snack and the surprise.  I am also planning to open this up to the faculty as well.  I decided to do a test run these last 2 months of school just to see the time and organization I need for next year.  Hence I am using my book group, The 40 Book Pledge, as my guinea pigs.  I have both students and adults who participate in that.  What is the 40 Book Pledge you ask?  I have a few previous posts about my book club, but here is the latest information:  40 Book Pledge 2023-2024

However, I digress . . . back to FirstPage Friday.  During my book club last week, I gave a very short presentation, and I think I have them hooked.  Adults don't usually come to the book club meetings. I emailed them the presentation, and I already have a few who have signed up.  I plan to hit up both the adults and students one more time the week after Spring Break.  

I created 2 surveys that the participants had to fill out.  One was a profile survey with all of their generic information like favorite genres, how many minutes a day do you read, favorite snacks, are you allergic to any foods, etc. (That survey they only have to fill out once a year.) The other survey was specifically about the first book box, which will be delivered the first Friday of April (hence the name "FirstPage Friday"). 

With the monthly survey, I have decided that the participants only have to fill out the next month if they want to change genres.  Therefore, if they fill out the April survey, but not the May survey,  I will assume they want the same genres and snack they indicated in the April survey.  If they want something different, they need to fill out the May survey.  I should have a deadline for that, but I haven't set that up yet.  I am literally winging it here. 

I'm not really sharing my materials yet because this is so raw.  I will feel better about sharing after I have a couple of months under my belt.  So I guess I will have a follow up post in June.  Until then, keep reading!



Thursday, February 29, 2024

Teacher & Staff Fun - Valentine's Edition

 My goal this year was to boost teacher/staff morale by organizing a fun activity every other month.  This month I did a Valentine scratch off card.  I created 3 different cards. 



I made 8 copies of the "DutchBro" drinks, 24 copies of the "Mystery Prize" (which was a cup of candy with a Mardi Gras necklace and reading stickers), and then I made 148 "candy" prizes.  I have roughly 180 faculty, staff members, custodians, and cafeteria workers at my high school.  The scratch off part of the ticket is a sticker that I placed over those 3 prizes . . . which I found on Amazon.  I bought the 1000 piece roll, round stickers, gold, one inch.

We are about to close this activity; I originally ended the activity on Feb. 16th, but decided to give teachers and staff the whole month to claim their prizes.  So far I have given away lots of candy, 12 mystery prizes, and 0 DutchBros drinks.  I guess we will soon see who won those, or theDutchBro cards will stay forever unscratched in the mailroom.  How sad!

I have used the scratch off ticket 3 times this year.  I did an August scratch off that also doubled as an introduction to the library.  The front of the ticket was the prize, and the back of the ticket highlighted some quick ways to use the library.







I did a Halloween scratch off (only one-sided) where everyone won candy.




And this month was the Valentine scratch off, also one-sided.  If you would like to use any of these scratch offs, I made them in Canva.  Here are those template links.
What did I do for December you might ask?  After all, I did say I was trying to do a fun activity every other month.  I created a  December "12 Days of Christmas" calendar.  Teachers opened each day to find a book recommendation, a brain break, a treat, or a technology tool.  I created that in Genially.  Here is the copy version: 12 Days of Christmas.  If you have a Genially account, go to the bottom of this presentation and click the button that says "reuse this genially." It should create an editable copy & place it in your account.

In April, I am planning a "self help" Tic-tac-toe card.  I stole this one from a presentation and adapted it for my activity.  Here is that template if you want it:  Self Care Tic-Tac-Toe board

Where do I get the money to finance these activities?  It's a combination of Activity Funds and my own back pocket.  It just depended upon whether I got the PO request done in time for the activity.

As always, I need to give credit where credit is due.  These ideas are not always my own.
  • The original scratch off card I borrowed from Pam Pinkerton, former high school librarian & current library coordinator in Mansfield ISD.
  • The Self Care Tic-tac-toe board came from a presentation called "Collaborate and Compete with Canva" which was part of the Winter Virtual Showcase hosted by the Canva Librarians & Teachers FB page.

Tuesday, February 20, 2024

4th Six Weeks Check In

 


I'm not going to lie, my check out statistics are disappointing for the 4th six weeks.  I saw the downward trend coming, but this is probably an all time low for me.  It's time to push book check outs because we all know if the students are not checking out books, they are not reading books . . . in general.  We do have classroom libraries in each of the ELAR rooms, and I know some students buy books or download them.  Regardless, we should have more than 336 books checked out in 6 weeks!

I have added different data collection to this report after seeing Shannon McClintock Miller at TCEA.  She didn't go over library statistics specifically, but her presentations inspired me to go to her blog.  One of her blog posts, "Sharing Our Library Statistics and Celebrating our Readers by Setting Up New Carousels in Destiny Discover," gave me some great ideas.  I like how she ran the stats for top patron readers and top homeroom classes, and then the top books checked out.  So the second page of my library statistics looks like this . . . 


I am hoping to spark some competition with the students and maybe even the ELAR teachers.  I plan to post this report on social media and email the staff too.  If you look at the actual check outs, they are low.  However, I have to start somewhere.  There is only one way to go from here. 

Another fun statistic I added to Destiny is a ribbon which has the top 20 books checked out from our library this year.  (Thanks, Shannon . . . again)  I didn't rank them according to how many times they have been checked out.  I just did Alphabetical order, but I think we might get some check out traffic with this new ribbon:  https://search.follettsoftware.com/metasearch/ui/26295 

Something else I thought to include is to have a shelf where my top readers can recommend their favorite books.  Maybe that will also spark some book check outs.


Then, of course, I will continue my book check out incentives.  Right now we are giving out Mardi Gras necklaces.

In addition, my school purchase Beanstack, and I have yet to promote that.  I love the product, and to be honest, I am not sure why I have been hesitant to try something new, especially when it is hooked to reading.  I guess I will get over myself, and dive into Beanstack, and maybe do a school wide challenge after Spring Break.  That gives me plenty of time to talk it up to the teachers and students before the actual challenge.

I believe I am ready for the 5th six weeks.  Stay tuned to see how this all goes.

Friday, February 9, 2024

TCEA Did Not Disappoint This Year



TCEA did not disappoint this year.  Lots of new learning, new people, old colleagues, and AI.  As always, some sessions were better than others.  We did get some positive feedback on our session which was the first day at 1:30 pm.  It wasn't a packed house, but not as many people were there on Saturday.  To be honest, I would have skipped Saturday if I wasn't already presenting.  As I  get older, my weekends become sacred.  I need downtime these days.

The best session I attended was AI & Research Tools: Transforming Libraries for Dynamic Outcomes.  What made it stand out from the others was the practical ways a librarian could use these tools with students and research.  So many AI presentations are all about the theory of AI - where it pulls its data, the history, etc.  I guess I am past knowing about the theory/history and am ready for the practical examples of how to use AI in the classroom.  After all, AI is just the next tool.  If we are not using it, we are obsolete.  Will AI replace my job? . . . not in my lifetime.  Will someone using AI replace me?  That is the better question, and I believe the answer is YES.  AI is definitely here to stay.

Other sessions I attended are listed below with my take away piece of information.


These are a few of my Favorite Things - I want to create a choice board of digital breakouts for students to do at their own pace. Great idea from this session.


Creative PD to ACE your Library Evaluation - okay, this was our presentation, but my one take away - create with purpose. Create your programs and activities around your library standards.

Canva: Amplifying Student Voice in School Libraries - pay attention to the design - what can people see? what do you want to emphasize? Also loved the "New Year's Reading Resolution" that students could design and put up in the library


EdTech Bytes: A Subscription Box to Rule them All - I WANT TO DO THIS!!! not sure if I will try with teachers or students first. Still thinking




Tools you Can Use Tomorrow - I think I need to revisit Padlet


Unlock the magic of Genially - I really am better at this program than I thought. I need to explore the breakout examples.


Tech Badge Dash: Building Teacher Capacity within Your School  - I've always wanted to do this, but this session was a bit too technical for me. More coding than I am comfortable doing.


Magic of AI in Canva for Education - that icebreaker is worthy of adapting and doing with a group of teachers or students


Tech Tastings for Teachers - need a digital binder or hub for all teacher training, I might be doing that with Canvas. Need to revisit.


My Favorite AI Apps - need to look at Copilot (Microsoft's version of ChatGPT)



Like I said, TCEA did not disappoint this year. I have lots of new ideas, and I need to see where they will fit in my library program.

Monday, January 29, 2024

Looking Forward to TCEA

 


I am looking forward to TCEA this year.  Pam & I are presenting again, but this time we are on day 1 of the conference.  We are armed with vinyl stickers, candy, and a solid presentation if I do say so myself. So I am waking up early on Saturday to make sure I get to Austin in time.  I'm not going to lie; I was hoping to sleep in.  It's been a long couple of weeks.

As I am looking over the program, I see a lot of AI sessions, Canva, Canvas and Google stuff too.  I spotted my favorite presenter, Leslie Fischer.  She always has great sessions. Shannon Miller has a few sessions too.  I was hoping for some Beanstack sessions since I just bought it this semester; I didn't see any.  However, I was invited to a Beanstack breakfast.  So hopefully there will be a presentation as well. I also have their booth selected. I'm sure they will have some demonstrations there.

Of course I have selected way too many sessions, and some of them are concurrent.  Can't be in two sessions at the same time unless your are Hermione with the time turner necklace!  I have 13 sessions highlighted for Monday alone.  My brain will be dead for sure!  I am so glad I am staying at the conference hotel.  My brain goes to mush so quickly at these conferences, and I am going to need some down time. It's definitely an information overload problem, but there is always such good stuff to learn here.  Hopefully I will go back to school with new information and fun things to do in the library.  Because isn't that what it is all about?