The Daring Librarian

I don't usually get too philosophical on this blog, keeping more with the "how to" or "try this!" nor do I usually wax rhapsodic. But this is the time of year where I must. I love my career! I love my teaching, my practice, my profession, my students, my families, and my community! I can't imagine doing anything else that feeds my soul like teaching! I love the seasons and the time and tide of it. The great thing about summers off (other than it's made of awesome) is the ability to step back and reflect about the past school year. And for those of you who are rolling your eyes at my flippin Pollyanna positive attitude [grins] I know, right? Maybe you really need to read this now !  So here are my 5 R's to help with that reflective journey. 1. Relax Before you can truly reflect you gotta relax. And it doesn't have to be a week at the beach (but that helps!) but it should be a seeking of solace. Mindfulness. Quieting your thoughts, read ...

Mirrored & adapted from my MHMS Daring School Library Blog Keep Reading: Summer Reading for Kids, Librarians, & GAMERS! I love loaning my adorable kids (my students) over to my local public library for the summer. We're A+ partners and they love my kids, too! Of course not as much as *I* do but pretty close! We just had a representative from our Howard County Savage Branch Library come out to talk to our 6th graders - I set her up in our MHTV Studio & videotaped it (yes, w/a VHS! Our distribution center is still analog) We did the first show LIVE, with a presentation of the HoCo Summer Reading game and 2 booktalks with my 2 amazing media helpers Desiree & Chyna! And then we put the tape into the distribution center so that the English Teachers could call up & start the video at any time to show their classes! Every year I promote to our kids the Summer Reading Lists to the kids in several way. What is cool is that the lists are created collaboratively between...

Exciting times ahead! As Lady FauxGa said above the ISTE conference in San Diego is being held from June 24-27 and is the largest ed tech gathering IN THE WORLD! (Don't miss my post: Daring Conference Packing Tips & Tricks ) A Life-Changing Ed-Tech Event My first NECC (now ISTE) conference was in 2007 - Atlanta - was epic! It's also where Kathy Schrock first introduced to me the virtual world of Second Life! See, I had been presenting every year at my state ISTE affiliate MSET since 1996 but had never had the moolah $ or the gumption to go to the "big show" until 2007. When I finally decided that saving all year for the conference was the best investment in my professional growth...I was forever changed. It was crazy! Overhwelming! Exhausting! But mostly it was amazingly inspiring and it challenged me to "step up' my professional game and to seriously dedicate myself to being the best educator and change agent I could be. So, if you're ...

Hi! My name is Gwyneth and I was a Gleek in high school. Though there was no name for that, then. It was the 80's and I was an alternative / new wave / hardcore punk rock chick with short spiky red & dyed black hair who had a part-time job at Kemp Mill Records (!), wearing skinny vintage men's ties & round band buttons & who hung out with the other freaks behind the high school on the theater loading dock. There's nothing that said bad-ass in 1983 like a black leather Members Only jacket adorned with safety pins. BwaHaHa! Was I teased? You Bet!...Bullied? Hmm, occasionally. Though snarky charm has always been my armor. Sometimes tough as iron and sometimes tissue thin. (Pssst! Keep reading for my first FREE BOOK Giveaway!) Having lots of friends in studio art, music-theater & punk rock scene, I had lots of LGBT & geeky friends who were reeeeally bullied. And it sucked! I guess the term Ally wasn't created then, either. I guess I was just a f...

Sorry guys...men...dudes. Half of this post contains girlie talk. Here's a post that features Zombies . (anyone who doesn't have a Zombie Survival Plan...I just think is short sighted! Just sayin.) This post features packing tips for conferences. Travel Tech, Clothes, Makeup, Tips, & Tricks. Some might be non-girlie! But most are pretty darn girlie! For the guys let me start with the n on-girlie! (Also, don't miss my blog post ISTE12: Let's Go to San Diego! ) Techie Packing Tips Powerstripping I always pack a powerstrip. Actually, I bring two. One regular lightweight blue (so I can't lose it) power strip and one Belkin powerbar w/2 USB charge docks! Belkin Mini Surge Protector Dual USB Charger . Sometimes hotel rooms need more power! I'm a geek so I have a LOT of electronics. Check out my Gadget-A-Go-Go page for some of my "must have" toys. Power strips make friends! If you're in a session room & near a wall with only ...