The Daring Librarian

WARNING: Rant Below. So, my last post was about an easy interactive reading promotion idea using Post-It Notes I got from my fabulous friend (and one time mentee) Tiffany Whitehead. Didn't read it yet? Just landed here? That's OK, maybe you should go back and read it before going much further... it's OK, I'll wait.  (watches Ancient Aliens loves that memetastic Giorgio A. Tsoukalos but can't stand the annoying voice of that David Childress) This post was inspired by an anonymous blog comment. I'll post it below. Oh wait! Eep...sorry You also probably should skim this Reading Promotion post , too! It's cool, I'll go check Twitter while you do and Tweet back to my favorite band of all time XTC & Andy Partridge. Reading is the Key! 'Cause that's where the anonymous or unknown comment was left. My below rant will make more sense if you get the context. OH! I know, I'll screenshot it. Wait here for a sec. BRB. Here's...

Sometimes, when you're sharing the benefits of a professional Social Media presence, it can become a bit bewildering and overwhelming. I get that! With so many choices, it can make your head swim and quickly turn intimidating, and it's easy to say "no way, not yet, not now, no how!"  And you let it slide for another week, month, or year! I've been there! So, I wanted to create a cheat sheet, an At-A-Glance Worksheet that would demystify the steps to crafting your Social Media presence with continuity across several platforms, making it easy to follow while still making sure you're not missing anything important. I wish I had this when I was starting out 10 years ago!  Yes, this is a Paper Handout, What? I created this as a PDF to share even as a .....now, don't be too shocked, a printed hand out . Honestly, I admit I like to check off things on a hard copy when I'm working on a project. It makes me feel like I'm accomplishing stu...

(This is a mirror post to the NEA Today Magazine article online and on  Pages 18-19 ,  under a shorter title - why did they change my title? I thought it was charming! They also only used one of my graphics, don't worry, I'll cry later- silent slow tears on my pillow) In technology (and in life!), sometimes you’re the teacher and sometimes you’re the student - and it’s completely normal to always be a bit of both. One day, you help a colleague learn the joys of the copy and paste keyboard shortcut, and the next day you’re learning how to create and edit a YouTube video or a Gabsee 3D animated Avatar ! So, whether you’re teaching or learning, or a bit of both, here are a few practical tips to make it a little easier for the reluctant tech user.   1. Make it Personal Teaching technology in isolation never works. But teaching tech with a personal twist works most every time.  When a reluctant tech user learns how to do something with technology cen...

This article is planned to be published in the May issue of NEA Today Magazine  (sadly, without my nifty custom graphic) but it's already online ! So YAY! I guess I can share it with you early! I’ve been sharing on social media professionally for eight years now, and I have to admit, it can be kinda tricky. There is a goldmine of information out there for teachers, but also landmines that can be quite treacherous if not deftly avoided.  As educators, I passionately believe we should use social media to push the positive, celebrate student successes, share resources with our colleagues, and connect with parents and the community.  But how do we professionally use these tools without torturing ourselves over every Tweet, update, or Instagram pic? Easy! Try these six tips to share sensibly online. Follow School District Policy   Does your district have a technology and social media policy? If so, read it and follow it to the letter. I’m so proud that my distric...

5 Ways to Reflect, & Not Regret, Teaching OR... Summer Thoughts for Fall Success! I love teaching! I love being a School Teacher Librarian & Technology Specialist. I love my practice, my profession, my school, my library, my students, my families, and my community! I can't imagine doing anything else that feeds my soul like being an educator. I love the seasons and the time and tide of it. * Full confession, this is an update of a blog post I wrote a few years ago - because I think we should reflect on these subjects every summer or every year. Every new school year is a do-over. Any and all the mistakes or things you didn't get to do the year before can be corrected the next year. It's like an on-going karmic gift that keeps on giving year after year! I can't think of any other profession that gives you such a clear start and stop and a time to reflect. The great thing about summers off (other than that they are made of awesome) is the ability...