All Good Things Must Come to an End

I finished year 22 as an educator, and thus far it has been unpredictable, laughable, crazy, fantastic, happy, sad and down right fun. As I approach year 23, I find myself in uncharted waters... not for the first time, but for the first time in a long time.   I have accepted a high school library position in Mansfield ISD for the 2017-2018 school year.  I will be the only librarian for 2000+ students and faculty members.

Why make the change now?  I have analyzed that over and over again, and  I have come to the conclusion that I simply need a different challenge.  I believe I have been in the business long enough to know the grass isn't necessarily greener on the other side.  Therefore, I am not looking for greener grass, just a different lawn to water.  Mansfield Summit High School is the place I chose, and I hope it is the change I need.

It has taken quite a few years, but Blanca, Karen and I have constructed a library program in Duncanville of which to be proud.  The Duncanville High School Library is a place people love to visit.  We have enjoyed our time together, but as the saying goes, eventually "all good things must come to an end." I feel as if I have been on autopilot for the last couple of years, and I hate that complacent feeling.  When Karen left mid-year to accept the position of Coordinator of Library Services at Faith Family Academy, I knew then it was time to find something different.  Although Karen and I no longer work in Duncanville, it is comforting to know that Blanca is staying to watch over the library program and to continually improve the library for its patrons.

I will miss all of the students, colleagues and friends I have made over the years in Duncanville ISD.

However, I think Winnie-the-Pooh says it best ...

A Year in the Life of a Duncanville ISD Librarian

As you know, one of my many hats is "District Lead" librarian in Duncanville ISD.  I would be remiss in my job if I didn't brag on the wonderful librarians with whom I work.  We have 17 librarians in our district, that is one per campus and 2 at the high school level.  We are quite fortunate in that fact as the many districts around us begin to staff their libraries with para-professionals or share librarians between campuses.  We are also fortunate to have such dedicated individuals in all of our libraries.

In looking at our library statistics this year, you can judge for yourself.  

Here you go... 2016-17 Duncanville ISD Library Statistics

If you decide you don't want to wade through all of that information, here is a summary of what happened at each level within our district.

In the elementary schools this year....

In the intermediate schools this year ...

In the middle schools this year ...

At the high school this year ...

Of course, actions always speak louder than words.  We have an open door policy.  Please consider visiting one of our campuses next year to observe the Duncanville ISD library experience.

Thanks for stopping by!

A Day in the Life of a STAAR Librarian

This post is not about being a "STAR" Librarian; it's about being a "STAAR" Librarian.  In other words, this is all about what a DHS librarian does when she is not actually giving the STAAR test, not assigned to a boot camp or assigned to a senior classroom.

At the end of March, our campus administered the English I and English II STAAR tests.  With that came lots of online testing.  So back up the timeline to a month before the testing.  That is when I warned our teachers that the mobile labs were going to be confiscated for these tests; I hate to rip away key resources from our hardworking teachers without warning.  

Now, fast forward to the week before the tests.  My faithful library aides along with our staff picked up 13 mobile labs and brought them to the library for the tech department to load the STAAR program on each laptop.  The Monday of testing week, we delivered 8 mobile labs to their rooms, and we kept 5 in the library "just in case."

Tuesday, March 28 at 7am ... the morning of the English I test.  Blanca and I visit every mobile lab and classroom lab to make sure the students could log onto their computers.  If a student does not know his/her password, we replace it with a temporary one that the student then uses to change it to a permanent one.  Once we reset passwords, our main concern became to make sure the laptops were working.  We seem to have an issue with the laptops as they travel from one side of the building to the other.  They seem to fall off the server.  Usually the prompt we see is "no logon servers available."

Although there are many theories out there as to why this happens, theories do not make the computers work.  Between 7am to 8:30am that morning, we had 1 lab that had not been loaded with the STAAR program and one that was completely dead.  After that, we had over 40 laptops from the other labs that gave us the "no logon servers available" prompt.  Thank goodness for 5 extra mobile labs sitting in the library.

Once everyone was settled, I picked up the power cords and delivered them to each room with a mobile lab.  We had a problem with some of our laptops shutting down during the fall testing.  Then it was back to the library to await any other emergencies.  Yikes!  Not exactly what I envisioned for this particular morning, but we powered through it.  Every student who needed a computer did take his/her test online.  Thank goodness we had a day to recover before the English II test, and the tech people had a day to fix the laptops and deliver them back to the proper rooms.

Wednesday, March 29 ... check each classroom lab and mobile lab for power outages.  We had quite the storm the night before.  All I needed was 8 dead labs because the storm tripped a breaker.  All were in working order.

Thursday, March 30 at 7am... same drill.  First we go room to room offering to reset passwords. Then we hang around to make sure the labs are working.  We had 30 laptops this day with "no logon servers available."  Again, so happy we had extras in the library.  We were back in the library by 8:30 after we made sure each student once again had a working laptop.

Friday, March 31...bring all the mobile labs back to the library and make a list of all the missing laptops.  I had to switch a few labs around because a couple of them had 10 or more laptops that were at the tech center being reloaded.  No one wants a lab with that many computers missing.  By Friday afternoon, all labs were back in the teachers' classrooms ready for Monday's lessons.

Things that I learned last week...

• 5 extra mobile labs was not an excessive amount to keep "just in case."
• Wear comfortable shoes... I logged in 54,222 steps that week which is roughly 18.5 miles.
• Don't panic.  Trust that you are prepared for all the problems that arise.
• This is a sensitive time for the students, and many already have test anxiety.  My frustration does not help the situation.

Thanks for stopping by!

More about TCEA 2017

So it really bothered me that I could not find the presentations, "Virtual Reality" & "The Best of Tech You Thought You Knew" from the TCEA conference I attended last month. After searching through my TCEA app and the pictures on my phone, I did find some information for the latter of the two presentations.

Here are some of the tools that were mentioned in the presentation,  "The Best of Tech You Thought You Knew" at TCEA 2017.

Wevideo:  What impressed me about this tool is that it allows the user to edit a video that will run on both the Mac and PC platforms.  It is a cloud-based tool that allows easy access from any device.  Of course there is both a free and paid for version, and there are more options if you purchase it. However, the basics are free, and it works much like iMovie or MovieMaker.  Here is a 5 minute overview of this tool. https://youtu.be/LJzIAhJJDPg

Sutori: This is an interactive  timeline that allows the user to insert information, videos and even quizzes.  Here is a couple of quick tutorials to get you started.
2 minute intro: https://youtu.be/_ZOGQpkSljA
4 minute tutorial: https://youtu.be/MzyU9Ymim9c

Mysimpleshow:  This is a tool much like GoAnimate or PowToon.  It allows the user to create short animated videos.  Here is a quick introduction to Mysimpleshow. https://youtu.be/KVjIz-TxADg

Adobe Spark: This is a free graphic design tool that allows the user to create visual quotes and short, animated videos.  Here are a couple of short YouTube videos to get you started.
To Make Quotes: https://youtu.be/gjCnpLrU92U
To Make short videos: https://youtu.be/7oe0rc1k7DM 

Kahoot:  This is a platform where the user can create interactive learning games that can be accessed from any device.  I have used this one before with both teachers and students.  Both love the competition and the instant results.  It is great to review any material using this tool.  Here is a quick 5 minute YouTube video to get you started. https://youtu.be/pAfnia7-rMk

Some of the other tools that were mentioned were Thinglink, Symbaloo, Padlet and Poll Everywhere. I'm not sure I learned anything new about these tools, but they are worth mentioning if you have not used them before.

Thanks for stopping by!

TCEA 2017 & Snapchat

I always like to talk about TCEA right after I attend so I don't forget all the fabulous sessions.  I went to 9 sessions and presented 1 this year.  Lots of relevant information which overwhelmed me greatly... but in a good way.

The sessions I attended (with links to the presentations)

• Augment Your Classroom with AR Apps
• 1,275 Badges Later: Changing PD with Digital Badges
• Virtually Reality (presentation not available)
• Becoming the Social Media Librarian
• Sharing your Story is a Snap
• The Best of Tech You Thought You Knew (presentation not available)
• App Smackdown
• Student-Centered, Blended Learning with GAFE
• Teach Students, Not Subjects: Memes & Movement

The session I co-presented with my fellow librarians was called The Library After Hours.  We talked about our family events we hold in the library during the evening of the fall open house and the spring Texas Public School Week.  Funny enough... many of those events are in this blog which helped us remember what we did for this presentation.

Here is a picture of us with our good friend, Bill Young, former librarian and employee of Duncanville ISD.  He was there to help us set up our presentation because we came with lots of props. Thanks, Bill!

Whether or not you were fortunate enough to attend this conference,  all of the TCEA 2017 handouts can be found here...  http://www.tceaconvention.org/2017/handouts/

Out of all the sessions I attended, I really enjoyed the one about Snapchat (Sharing your story is a Snap).  Karen has tried to entice us onto Snapchat before, and I actually downloaded it onto my phone at one point in time. After this presentation about using it in the classroom, I see us doing a lot of the same things here in the library.  So I actually created an account, but I haven't had time to figure it out yet. Having said that, I am collecting the resources I plan to use while learning more about this app.

Here are all the things I have started to gather on Snapchat to learn more about it and how we plan to use it in the library. https://www.pinterest.com/tahaneyj/snapchat-in-the-library/ 

This is definitely going to be a work in progress and who knows... it could be our next presentation.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thank You School Library Journal

About 3 years ago I was selected to be a reviewer for School Library Journal which has been so much fun.  I love the fact that I receive a new book every month (or sometimes every other month).  Some books I would have definitely picked on my own, but some of them would not have been my first choice.  However, almost every book I have read so far has been worth the time I invested.  In addition to receiving the book to read and review before it is published, I also receive an additional hard copy when the book is published.  So I'd like to take the time to say "Thank you School Library Journal." Both me and the DHS Library have greatly benefited from this arrangement.

Here are a few of my favorites that I read this year and the reviews I gave them...

Kingdom of Ash and Briars - Hannah West

In the kingdom of Naissera, Bristal works as a common kitchen maid.  Be that as it may, her world completely changes when she is kidnapped, thrown into the “Water” and transformed into an elicromancer.  The elicromancers, now almost extinct, are an ancient race of magic beings.  Bristal’s power is the ability to change forms; she is a shape shifter.  Once she makes the transition from mortal to magic, Bristal is befriended by the only two elicromancers in the kingdom, Brack and Tamarice.  Brack encourages Bristal to use her magic for its intended purpose which is to serve those who rule Naissera.  Tamarice, however, believes the elicromancers should use their magic to serve themselves instead.  Under the tutelage of Brack, Bristal finds herself in many predicaments that reflect some of the fairy tales Walt Disney made famous.  The reader will recognize the resemblances to the storylines in Snow White, Cinderella, and even Sleeping Beauty as Bristal uses her magic to help the mortals of Naissera.  Under the tutelage of Tamarice, Bristal begins to understand the allure of power.  It is a balancing act she might not be able to handle.

In Kingdom of Ash and Briars, Hannah West is able to create a world where kings and queens seamlessly blend with the magic of elicromancers.  The characters are robust while the theme of good versus evil is universal. Books by Alex Flinn, such as Beastly (Harper Collins, 2007) and Cloaked (Harper Collins, 2011), come to mind as one reads about Bristal’s endeavors.  The twisted fairy tale theme is a popular one among young adults, and Hannah West does an admirable job of constructing a story that is reminiscent of multiple tales of old.  For this reason, Kingdom of Ash and Briars is recommended for both middle and high schools students from grades 7-12.

The Door that Led to Where - Sally Gardner

AJ Flynn is a typical underachiever.  He has failed all but one of his final exams, and now at 17, his future seems grim.  Despite his less than stellar academic career, AJ lands an interview with a prestigious London law firm thanks to his mother’s connections.  AJ believes this is the job he needs to break free from his mediocre life.  Once he is hired, AJ finds a key that opens a door to the past, 1830 London to be exact.  During his journey between both worlds, AJ has a decision to make.  Should he stay in the present, or start a new life in the past?

In The Door that Led to Where, Sally Gardner creates a world where a door that connects the present to the past seems believable.  She anchors each version of the city using the appropriate landmarks of London, both past and present.  The characters are universal, and many teens will be able to connect to their hopes and dreams.  The pacing and plot development are seamless which adds to the easy readability.  There are, however, many British terms and slang that the average reader may not be able to decipher.  Therefore, this book is recommended for general purchase, but not for reluctant or slow readers.  Due to the lack of language or adult themes, this book is recommended for Middle and High school libraries, grades 7-12.

This is My Brain on Boys - Sarah Strohmeyer

Addie Emerson attends a private high school, Academy 355, near Boston, MA. She and her lab partner, Dexter, are competing for the prestigious Athenian award which would surely finance Addie’s college education; she wants to attend Harvard.  She and Dexter are trying to manipulate the human brain to make subjects fall in love.  After researching and conducting one trial, Addie believes she has successfully guided two students to fall in love by placing them in life-threatening situations.  Now she needs to prove this theory by conducting one last experiment.  That is where Kris Condos enters the picture.  Kris is on probation and is spending the summer at Academy 355 working off his crime against the school - vandalism. The year before Kris and his girlfriend at the time trashed the lab where Addie and Dex worked.  In light of this action, the Dean of students has assigned Kris to Addie’s experiment.  Addie, however, seems to the be the only person attending Academy 355 who does not know Kris Condos’ involvement in wrecking the school’s science lab.  As the trials take place, Addie gains a new understanding of the world around her.  Through her struggles, Addie grows and perseveres.  The reader will enjoy the twist at the end of the story.

Author Sarah Strohmeyer has created an enjoyable piece of realistic fiction.  She designed a believable and very smart female character in Addie Emerson.  Addie has a very high IQ and finds it difficult to interact with the world around her because of her intellect. Many gifted high school students will relate to her struggle.  Although the writing style is complex, the theme is universal.  Books written about love are not new to the literary world, but the scientific approach the author fabricates in this story does put a new spin on this overtaxed theme. Because the vocabulary is reflective of the main character’s intellect, this would probably not be a book to recommend to reluctant or slow readers.  However, it is a book for the average and above average readers.  In addition, there are some situations that are not appropriate for a younger audience.  Therefore This is My Brain on Boys by Sarah Strohmeyer is recommended for high school, grades 9-12.

Thanks for stopping by!

Panther Go - Freshman Library Orientation

2016 - 2017: It's a new year with new goals...and another year of new administrators, both on our campus and in the district.  To be honest, we didn't have time to worry about that situation at the beginning of the year.  Instead, we had about 1,400 Freshman students that needed to learn more about our school's library. So how did we do that this year?  We tapped into the ever popular Pokemon Go craze that happened at the end of the summer.

I sent a text before school started to my cohorts in crime, Blanca, Karen and Judy, expressing my interest in rearranging the Freshman Library Orientation around the Pokemon Go game, and they were ready. So ...how were we going to do this?  A few days into my research, I came across this article, Pokemon Scavenger Hunt in the Library. It was the information we needed to organize this part of the orientation.

In the article, the author is so organized and even has resources to download which was great. However, instead of using her information as is, we put our own spin on things by creating a Panther Go scavenger hunt. Our mascot is a panther, and our new principal, Ms. Simmons, was and still is focused on school spirit.  Our Panther Go game could promote school spirit while helping the students learn more about the library.

Instead of 8 Pokemon "hidden" around the library, we had 8 panthers.  Each panther also had a QR code the students scanned to learn more about that area of the library.  Either the kids could bring their own device and download a free QR Reader, or use one of the school's iPads.  We broke the students up into groups of 2, 3, or 4. (We let them decide.) Then the students explored the library, found the Panthers, scanned the QR codes, and then had to record where they found each panther on the Panther Pokedex sheet.

That was the  fun part of our library orientation, but it wasn't the only thing we did with them.  To give you the "big picture," our Freshman Orientation went something like this...

• students logged onto a computer and set their first password of the year (While they did this, we played the school's first ever "Lip Dub.")
• students logged into their Skyward Student Access account to see their grades, class schedule, and new district Google email addresses
• librarian gave a short explanation of the library brochure...including where to go to access our databases (see link below for a copy of the brochure - minus our usernames and passwords for the databases.  Those are only available to our students - sorry)
• librarians gave a short explanation about the Panther Go scavenger hunt and the expectations and boundaries needed (we have a really big space, and kids like to run...even 9th graders).
• librarian passed out iPads to the groups that weren't using their own devices and let them wander around the library to find the Panthers.
• student groups who completed their Pokedex were able to pick a prize from the basket.  We had pencils, stickers, tattoos, and blue or red beads...all Panther stuff since it was a Panther game.
• After the scavenger hunt, students were free to check out a book, play a game, do some homework, or access a computer until the period was over.  We called this their "free time."

 In order to cover all of the Freshman, we targeted the English classes.  Those teachers have been working with us for years.  We are always grateful they are willing to give us a day to cover our library routines.  We all know how precious time is.  So we ended up doing this class 48 different times, or 16 times each for the 3 of us.  It was a long 3 weeks, but we managed to see all of the classes.

       

 In addition to the 48 English classes, we also did the Panther Go scavenger hunt during our "Meet the Teacher" night.  Then it was open to all grade levels, not just the 9th graders.  Overall, I think the students had fun and were able to learn more about our library in a way that "speaks" to them....using tablets and games.

Thanks for stopping by!

For all of our Freshman Library Orientation links, handouts and brochures, go to http://duncanvillehs.libguides.com/Freshman2020