Loading…
The annual conference of the Massachusetts School Library Association
Sunday, May 7
 

7:30am EDT

Registration and Coffee
Coffee, tea and continental breakfast available in the Foyer.

Sunday May 7, 2017 7:30am - 8:30am EDT
Grand Ballroom Foyer 1st Floor

8:30am EDT

President's Welcome
Speakers
avatar for Anita Cellucci

Anita Cellucci

Library Teacher, Westborough High School
ANITA CELLUCCI is the Teacher librarian at Westborough High School, Westborough, MA. where she is also the K-12 Library Department head. As a Teaching Lecturer for Plymouth State University, NH she teaches an online course for children’s and young adult literature with a focus on... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 8:30am - 8:35am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

8:30am EDT

Building Community
How do our students make connections with the broader community outside school walls while keeping these connections authentic? Through authentic community connections via books and community building projects.

Speakers
avatar for Liz Phipps Soeiro

Liz Phipps Soeiro

Librarian, Cambridgeport School
Liz Phipps Soeiro is an elementary school librarian in the Cambridge, MA, Public Schools and the founder of the Cambridge Book Bike. She is the Legislative Committee co-chair for the Massachusetts School Library Association and sits on two state legislative commissions, she is also... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor
  Ignite Talk

8:30am EDT

DigCitKids: Amplifying Student Voice and Student Choice
DigCitKids is digital citizenship for kids by kids. Join this Ignite session with this ten year old presenter as he shares his story about the importance of being a connected student both in and out of the classroom. This Ignite session will include why student voice and student choice is critical in embedding digital citizenship into curriculum and instruction.

Speakers
avatar for Curran Dee

Curran Dee

Founder & CKO (Chief Kid Officer), DigCitKids
Curran is the Founder & Chief Kid Officer (CKO) of DigCitiKids, digital citizenship for kids by kids.  Curran is an international speaker (#DigCitSummitUK and #DigCitSummit at Twitter Headquarters). He has also presented online at both EdChange Global and Global Maker Day. He is... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

8:30am EDT

Dreaming of Possibilities
Inspired by the entrepreneurial ventures of my 7 year old son, I reflect on why we (and our students) read. “Possibilities” inspire us to do such things as stand at the end of the driveway (on our dead end street) for an hour after school for two weeks with a small, tattered sign for an overpriced car wash. My son dreams of the possibility of a little cash in his pocket and a shopping trip to Target’s toy aisles. Why do we read? As readers we know what beauty and opportunity exists in a book. My son dreams of a booming car wash business (or at least 1 car other than the family vehicles) because opportunity is beckoning. Will he do business? That remains to be seen, but the neighbors are now waving at the determined little boy at the end of the driveway. Determined readers are opening a world of possibilities.

Speakers
avatar for Wendy Garland

Wendy Garland

Librarian, Avery Elementary School
Wendy Garland is an Elementary School Librarian at the Avery School in Dedham, MA. She is currently participating in the AASL Induction Program. She was awarded the Goldin Foundation for Excellence in Education Award in 2016 and the 2017 MSLA Super Librarian Award. She tweets at @dancelibrarian... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

8:30am EDT

Giving Students a Voice with Touchcast
Our school has exploded with video projects in the last three years and students love the chance to shine on-screen! Come hear how we are giving students a voice with Touchcast!

Speakers
avatar for Laura Gardner

Laura Gardner

Teacher Librarian, Dartmouth Middle School
Laura Gardner, a National Board Certified Teacher in Library Media, is Teacher Librarian at Dartmouth Middle School in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Laura was awarded the School Library Journal (SLJ) School Librarian of the Year Co-finalist Award in 2016 and the AASL Reader Leader social... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

9:00am EDT

Opening Keynote: Global Stories for Young Readers: Ten Questions about Race, Culture, and Power
In a globally connected but increasingly xenophobic era, fiction is the perfect way to inspire children to cross borders and build bridges. How can the stories we share with the next generation contribute to the formation of a compassionate and just imagination? Author and educator Mitali Perkins will discuss ten questions that equip us to see "below the waterline" of a story.

Speakers
avatar for Mitali Perkins

Mitali Perkins

Author, FORWARD ME BACK TO YOU
Mitali Perkins has written twelve novels for young people, including You Bring the Distant Near (nominated for the National Book Award), Rickshaw Girl (a New York Public Library top 100 books for children in 100 years; film coming soon), and Tiger Boy (winner of the South Asia Book... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

10:00am EDT

See. Do. Lead. Learning Commons Mindset
Learn how to see library spaces and resources with a learning commons mindset, what you can do to make changes, and how leadership and collaboration will transform your existing program and services into an effective learning commons. We believe this is the catalyst that allows librarians to provide essential resources and services to today's learners.

View our slides here!

Speakers
avatar for Pam Harland

Pam Harland

Assistant Clinical Professor, Plymouth State University
Pam Harland has been a librarian for over 25 years working in school libraries, academic libraries, and at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston as a research librarian. She coordinates the Library Media Specialist and Digital Learning Specialist MEd programs at Plymouth State Unive... Read More →
avatar for Rachel Small

Rachel Small

Teacher Librarian, Burlington Public Schools
Pine Glen Elementary Teacher Librarian


Sunday May 7, 2017 10:00am - 10:55am EDT
Cape Cod 2nd Floor

10:00am EDT

The Reality Is... Recently Published NF Books Kids Will Want to Read
How can we make research more than just words on a page or a screen, and facts to be memorized? The Library of Congress has a massive collection of digitized primary sources available for teacher use, from photographs of jailed suffragettes and disenfranchised child workers to recordings of the first jazz songs ever recorded to videos of early protest marches to pamphlets discouraging the entrance of early immigrants into the country. Once upon a time, to see these incredible items, you had to travel to the Library of Congress, a feat that may not been possible for most, otherwise you were gazing at secondhand photos, reprinted content, and textbook renditions. The Library of Congress has begun the process of taking their colossal collection and digitizing them, making them available to educators and students everywhere--history is now available at your fingertips. But how can you access them? How can you make the best possible use of these sources? Join this session to see how you can access these amazing treasures to use in your library to make history come to life. You will see a lesson in action, a unit in which a fifth grade class used primary sources to build a day in the life of a young colonist in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, quite literally putting themselves in history’s shoes and experiencing what life was really like for these real people who really existed. You will learn to how to access these sources, and conduct a primary source analysis by having students observe, reflect, and question primary sources, developing connections between their own investigations and real historical events.

Speakers
avatar for Susannah Richards

Susannah Richards

Professor, Eastern Connecticut State University
Susannah Richards is an associate professor of education with a specialty in literacy and literature for youth. She was a member of the 2013 Newbery Medal and 2017 Geisel Committees as well as other award and literacy event committees at the state and national level. She regularly... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 10:00am - 10:55am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

10:00am EDT

Creativity and the Writing Process: YA Author Panel
Moderators
avatar for Cathy Collins, Ed.D

Cathy Collins, Ed.D

Library Media Specialist, Sharon Public Schools
Ms. Collins has worked as a Media Specialist/Librarian for 20+ years. She is currently a library media specialist for Sharon Public Schools, where she has worked for the past seven years. She holds a Doctorate in Education with a specialization in Curriculum, Leadership, Teaching... Read More →

Authors
avatar for Ife Oshun

Ife Oshun

ii, Papa Grace
Ife Oshun is the author of the Angelica Brown series, and its upcoming spinoff series To Protect and Serve. Raised on a strict diet of music and sci-fi/fantasy, she attended the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University. There, while working in local music promotion and as... Read More →
avatar for Kathleen Duble

Kathleen Duble

Author
Kathleen Benner Duble had sixteen car accidents before she was twenty-one.  Being an at-home writer keeps her from hitting the road (or anyone else)!  She is the author of nine books for children.  Kathleen loves digging for unique historical fiction plotlines and encouraging students... Read More →
avatar for Kristy Acevedo

Kristy Acevedo

YA author & English teacher
Kristy Acevedo is a Young Adult author and high school English teacher. A member of SCBWI,she has her M.A.T. in English from Bridgewater State University and has taught high school in Massachusetts for sixteen years. CONSIDER, her debut novel, won the 2015 PEN New England Susan P... Read More →
avatar for Nancy Werlin

Nancy Werlin

Author
The author of 10 young adult novels, Nancy Werlin decided to become a writer in the fourth grade when she realized that there were actual, real, living people whose job it was to write books. Among her award-winning novels are THE KILLER'S COUSIN, which won the Edgar award for best... Read More →



Sunday May 7, 2017 10:00am - 10:55am EDT
Orleans 1st Floor
  Panel

10:00am EDT

MA Libraries: Breaking Mental Health Stigma
Mental Health is an issue in schools around the nation. We live in a time when depression and anxiety are at an all time high among our youth, Massachusetts towns are all affected by this national trend. In the 2014 Metrowest Adolescent Health Survey we found that 30 percent of our high school girls and 14 percent of our high school boys reported "depressive symptoms" in the past 12 months. As early treatment offers the best results for recovery, it is imperative to provide educational programming that will bring knowledge, awareness, and empathy to the issue. As a recipient of a LSTA grant for 2015-2016 school year at Westborough High School Library, this session will give an overview of the grant, resources and curriculum for programming and then allow participants to participate with in depth discussions around mental health in libraries. Focus for discussion will center around breaking stigma, reaching out to the community and the role of libraries in the mental health crisis.

Speakers
avatar for Maureen Ambrosino

Maureen Ambrosino

Library Director, Westborough Public Library
Maureen Ambrosino became the Library Director at the Westborough Public Library in 2010, at the same time her colleague Anita Cellucci started working at Westborough High School. Discovering they both had a passion for teens and their unique needs, Maureen and Anita became "partners... Read More →
CB

Courtney Balacco

Clinical Coordinator, Center for Student Success, Westborough High School
avatar for Anita Cellucci

Anita Cellucci

Library Teacher, Westborough High School
ANITA CELLUCCI is the Teacher librarian at Westborough High School, Westborough, MA. where she is also the K-12 Library Department head. As a Teaching Lecturer for Plymouth State University, NH she teaches an online course for children’s and young adult literature with a focus on... Read More →



Sunday May 7, 2017 10:00am - 10:55am EDT
Barnstable II 1st Floor

10:00am EDT

City X: An Adventure in Creativity, Problem Solving, and 3D Printing
CityX Slideshow - Google Slides 

City X is a free, online curriculum that challenges students to invent solutions that address the real-world problems faced by a group of humans who are attempting to settle an alien planet and found a city. The issues (represented by a character card) cover topics such as energy, transportation, health, and communication. Over the course of the project, students are guided through brainstorming an idea, creating a prototype for their invention, and then translating their prototype into a 3D printed object (an optional step). Given the dynamic, hands-on nature of the project, I plan to guide participants through an abridged version - they will be challenged to select a problem, brainstorm an invention and create a prototype during the first hour. In the second hour, participants will receive an introduction to Tinkercad, a free, online 3D printing software, and will be guided to create a keychain that can be exported and printed if they have access to a 3D printer when they leave the conference.

Speakers
avatar for Maya Bery

Maya Bery

Library Media Specialist, Carlisle Public School
Maya Bery is in her fifth year of teaching as the library media specialist at the Carlisle Public School. She was a 2016 PBS LearningMedia Local Digital Innovator and is a past recipient of the Massachusetts School Library Association's President's Award. She has taught professional... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 10:00am - 11:55am EDT
Hyannisport East 2nd Floor

10:00am EDT

Touchcast Video Production
Join Laura Gardner, a 6 – 8 Teacher Librarian and 2016 Touchcast Ambassador to hear how to use Touchcast for curricular projects including math raps, science news shows, PSAs and more. Touchcast is a project based learning tool that addresses Common Core standards, 21st century skills and helps students practice oral presentation skills. TouchCast is an interactive video platform and a free iPad App that allows teachers to easily transform their classroom into a green screen studio. This user-friendly tool is different from any other video authoring tool, as it integrates all the supplemental materials within the video itself. Authors can include green screen effects, whiteboards, and vApps (video apps) such as web pages, polls, quizzes, PDFs, other videos, images, and more. These vApps are inside the video and viewers (teachers, students, or parents) have the ability to interact with the materials without leaving the main video. This increases students’ engagement and provides a wealth of resources all in the same place. The process of making a video with TouchCast requires planning a script, researching the topic to be presented, incorporating online sources and media, gathering supporting materials, and selecting the preferences for the presentation of the information to create fantastic media with an interactive video experience.

Speakers
avatar for Laura Gardner

Laura Gardner

Teacher Librarian, Dartmouth Middle School
Laura Gardner, a National Board Certified Teacher in Library Media, is Teacher Librarian at Dartmouth Middle School in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Laura was awarded the School Library Journal (SLJ) School Librarian of the Year Co-finalist Award in 2016 and the AASL Reader Leader social... Read More →



Sunday May 7, 2017 10:00am - 11:55am EDT
Hyannisport West 2nd Floor

11:00am EDT

Collaborating for Student Success: Working with ELL in the Library
Our session will detail how school librarians and classroom teachers can collaborate to make libraries a place of meaningful learning for students. Specifically, we will focus on how to create engaging research lessons for ELL students. We will also look at some resources to support ELL’s and discuss how we have expanded our work to not only support students but also their families and the greater community. Fenway High School had its first SEI (Sheltered English Immersion) cohort arrive in 2015, which brought new challenges to information literacy instruction in the library. We will begin our presentation by talking about the creation of Fenway’s SEI program and what led ESL and SEI Humanities teacher Saskia Fabricant to begin collaborating with School Librarian Bonnie McBride. We will discuss the research projects that our SEI students do and Bonnie McBride will explain ways she modified existing lessons to support our SEI students, including specific resources such as statewide databases and places to purchase foreign language books. We will then take a broader lens to look at how our collaboration has enabled the library to become a place where students go for support. Some of our students have become voracious readers and Bonnie learned that they were also checking out books for their family members to read. Together, Bonnie and Saskia hosted an SEI Family Literacy Night where we invited SEI students and their families to engage in variety of activities relating to literacy. We will talk about the activities we had available for families as well as how we worked with the Boston Public Library to encourage families to use library services. By the time of the conference, we will have hosted our second annual SEI Family Literacy Night.

Speakers
SF

Saskia Fabricant

ESL and Humanities Teacher, Fenway High School
Saskia Fabricant is an ESL and SEI Humanities teacher at Fenway High School in Boston. Prior to working in Boston, she taught ESL at Lawrence High School and has taught teenagers and adults both in the United States and abroad. She earned her master’s degree in Teaching English... Read More →
avatar for Bonnie McBride

Bonnie McBride

Librarian, Fenway High School
Bonnie McBride has worked at Fenway High School since 2013 and became the Librarian in 2015. She earned her MSLIS from Simmons College in 2015; along with being a certified school library teacher, she is also trained as an archivist.  A 2018 Massachusetts School Library Association... Read More →



Sunday May 7, 2017 11:00am - 11:55am EDT
Cape Cod 2nd Floor

11:00am EDT

How to Teach the Tough Issues Through Literature and Enrichment Activities
Join us for a time of brainstorming and sharing of best practices when it comes to using books to teach about "tough issues" like poverty, hunger, war, refugees through literature and enrichment activities.

Speakers
avatar for Mitali Perkins

Mitali Perkins

Author, FORWARD ME BACK TO YOU
Mitali Perkins has written twelve novels for young people, including You Bring the Distant Near (nominated for the National Book Award), Rickshaw Girl (a New York Public Library top 100 books for children in 100 years; film coming soon), and Tiger Boy (winner of the South Asia Book... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 11:00am - 11:55am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

11:00am EDT

Storytelling is an Art (Form): Elementary/Middle Illustrator Panel
The focus of this panel will be on storytelling through art; how to bring out a story through art, art form, style, tone; and how to bring diversity to stories through art.

Moderators
avatar for Jennifer Reed

Jennifer Reed

Library Teacher, Mason-Rice Elementary School

Illustrators
avatar for Ekua Holmes

Ekua Holmes

Illustrator
In 2016 the book, Voice of Freedom, Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, garnered a Caldecott Honor, a Sibert Honor, the Flora Stieglitz Strauss Award from Bank Street College and is a Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Book. Holmes won the Society of Illustrators... Read More →
avatar for Scott Magoon

Scott Magoon

Illustrator
Scott Magoon is the author-illustrator of Breathe, a Kirkus Reviews Best Read Aloud, a Huffington Post Best Book of 2014, and Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2014; and The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot, which Kirkus Reviews called, “Entertaining and clever—and that’s no lie... Read More →
avatar for Vita Murrow

Vita Murrow

Illustrator
Ethan and Vita Murrow work collaboratively on a variety of artistic projects including writing, video, film, drawing and photography. In addition, Vita is the director of a literacy project in Massachusetts. Their book The Whale is a story of two children determined to find the Great... Read More →
avatar for Raul the Third

Raul the Third

Illustrator
Raul Gonzalez is the 2017 Pura Belpre Illustrator Award recipient for Lowriders to the Center of the Earth. His previous graphic novel, Lowriders in Space, was nominated for a Texas BlueBonnet Award 2016-2017. In 2011, he collaborated with over 125 kids from all over the city of... Read More →

Sunday May 7, 2017 11:00am - 11:55am EDT
Orleans 1st Floor
  Panel

11:00am EDT

What's New with Statewide Databases and eBooks
Beginning July 1, there will likely be significant changes to the statewide databases program plus there's been a lot of change with the Commonwealth eBook Collections program. This session would be part update and part Q&A.

Speakers
avatar for Steve Spohn

Steve Spohn

Resource Sharing Director, Massachusetts Library System
Stephen Spohn has served as MLS Resource Sharing Director since 2013 where he is responsible for efforts related to print and digital resource sharing. Prior to joining MLS, Steve worked in academic libraries served as an independent consultant.


Sunday May 7, 2017 11:00am - 11:55am EDT
Barnstable II 1st Floor

12:00pm EDT

Lunch
Sunday May 7, 2017 12:00pm - 1:30pm EDT
Bass River Room 2nd Floor

12:00pm EDT

Exhibitor Set Up
Sunday May 7, 2017 12:00pm - 3:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom I 1st Floor

1:30pm EDT

LibGuides & Information Literacy: A High School Librarian's Success Story
This 55-minute session will focus on the LibGuides I designed for Notre Dame Academy in Hingham, MA. This resource is the result of a year-long initiative and redesign of our library's resource page, and it is in accordance with our school's focus on collaboration between departments, technology integration in our lessons, and an increased focus on digital citizenship for all students. This presentation will give a brief background followed by examples from my LibGuides page, along with success stories from teachers and students.

Speakers
avatar for Emily Louise Warner

Emily Louise Warner

Library Director, Notre Dame Academy
Miss Emily Warner is currently in her 12th year as a school librarian. After graduating in 2005 from Southern Connecticut State University with her M.L.S., Miss Warner began working at a local elementary school in Connecticut. In 2010, she began working in the library at Berkshire... Read More →



Sunday May 7, 2017 1:30pm - 2:25pm EDT
Hyannisport West 2nd Floor

1:30pm EDT

Two Schools, One Story

This session will explore the process of identifying, defining, and establishing a one-book summer reading program at the middle and high school levels serving a diverse student population.   Participants will explore the practical steps a librarian can take to create a dynamic one-book summer reading program.   Participants will learn how to:

  • Identify and collaborate with stakeholders 
  • Select the reading materials 
  • Promote the program  
  • Develop programming 
  • Identify funding
  • Plan an author visit.


Speakers
KB

Kendall Boninti

Library Teacher, Cambridge Rindge and Latin
High School Library Teacher, Cambridge Rindge and Latin
LC

Lucy Clerkin

Library Teacher, McDevitt Middle School
Middle School Library Teacher, McDevitt Middle School Waltham, MA
avatar for Kathymay1

Kathymay1

Library teacher, Kennedy Middle School
Middle School Library Teacher Kennedy Middle School Waltham, MA



Sunday May 7, 2017 1:30pm - 2:25pm EDT
Cape Cod 2nd Floor

1:30pm EDT

Global Collaboration to Fit Your Needs
We allseem to discuss the need for global collaboration and get excited when others do it, but how do we bring this into our own environments?  Global collaboration isn't meant to make more work for you, but instead meant to engage students and staff in a more authentic manner in already pre-existing learning.  Come to this workshop and find ways to fit global learning and global connections into what you are already doing, without the need to be 1-to-1 or have crazy amounts of technology.

Speakers
avatar for Pernille Ripp

Pernille Ripp

Keynote Speaker, Oregon Middle School
Since Pernille Ripp was a child growing up in Denmark, she knew she wanted to work with kids. She began her journey in education as a math resource teacher, then transitioned into the classroom as a 4th and 5th-grade teacher, and has now found her home as a 7th-grade English teacher... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 1:30pm - 2:25pm EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

1:30pm EDT

Four Authors on Research & Writing: Nonfiction Panel
How does a fact, an observation or a news article find its way into a book for youth? This session will showcase four talented and highly recognized nonfiction authors, Sarah Albee, Loree Griffin Burns, Susan Hood, and Melissa Stewart, who as a group have published over 200 books for young audiences. This informational session will provide insight into their writing process and suggest strategies to use their books for reading and writing with elementary and middle school students.

Moderators
avatar for Susannah Richards

Susannah Richards

Professor, Eastern Connecticut State University
Susannah Richards is an associate professor of education with a specialty in literacy and literature for youth. She was a member of the 2013 Newbery Medal and 2017 Geisel Committees as well as other award and literacy event committees at the state and national level. She regularly... Read More →

Authors
avatar for Loree Griffin Burns

Loree Griffin Burns

Author
Loree Griffin Burns has written several titles in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s popular ‘Scientists in the Field’ series, including Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion and Beetle Busters: A Rogue Insect and the People Who Track It. Her next title... Read More →
avatar for Melissa Stewart

Melissa Stewart

Author, Acton, MA
Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 180 nonfiction books for children, including Seashells: More than a Home, Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs, and Can an Aardvark Bark. She is the co-author, with Nancy Chesley, of Perfect Pairs... Read More →
avatar for Sarah Albee

Sarah Albee

Author
Sarah Albee is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 books for kids, including recent nonfiction titles Why’d They Wear That? (National Geographic) and Bugged: How Insects Changed History (Walker/Bloomsbury). She enjoys visiting schools and presenting to kids of... Read More →
avatar for Susan Hood

Susan Hood

Author
Susan’s first picture books were published in fall 2012, but she’s not a newcomer to children’s publishing. Susan was the Children’s Content Director of Nick Jr. Magazine, where she edited original stories by the winners of the Caldecott Medal, the Coretta Scott King Book... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 1:30pm - 2:25pm EDT
Orleans 1st Floor

1:30pm EDT

Massachusetts Library System and Your School Library
The MLS Executive Director and other staff and Executive Board members will facilitate this discussion of the desired role of MLS with school libraries and ways that school libraries can become active members within MLS will facilitate this session. As part of the MLS goal to develop an advocacy plan, we’ll also discuss strategies to encourage advocacy among school libraries and their constituents seeking input from attendees on this important topic. This session is designed as part of the strategic activities from the MLS Strategic Plan: 2017-2019 to strengthen the Massachusetts library community.

Speakers
GP

Greg Pronevitz

Executive Director, Massachusetts Library System
Greg Pronevitz was appointed the head up the newly formed Massachusetts Library System (MLS) when it was founded in 2010. MLS’ mission, as a state-funded non profit, is to build the capacity, empower, and provide support, training, consulting, online content, physical delivery and... Read More →
avatar for Elena Schuck

Elena Schuck

Library Media Teacher, Mattacheese Middle School
I have lived and worked on Cape Cod for over, dare I say this, a quarter century! I work at Mattacheese Middle school in Yarmouth as a Library Media teacher. I have an undergraduate degree in Biology, with a Masters in Library Science and Reading. If you have any Doctoral ideas... Read More →



Sunday May 7, 2017 1:30pm - 2:25pm EDT
Barnstable II 1st Floor

1:30pm EDT

ESSA for School Librarians
Find out the most current information on the new ESSA legislation and how it directly impacts school librarians. The workshops will: * include the most current information on developments at the Federal level and work through the sections of ESSA that can be directly linked to the school librarian/library program; * connect ESSA language to school librarian’s role; and * discuss current state work with recommendations for opportunities at state and local levels to ensure the ‘effective school library program’ language in ESSA. The hands-on small group work will aid in identifying stakeholders, building coalitions, message crafting, and elevator speech development. Join Anita and Pam as they present both the state and national perspective on ESSA and how it impacts your school library program.

View our slides here

Access the handbook here

ESSA and School Libraries website 

Speakers
avatar for Anita Cellucci

Anita Cellucci

Library Teacher, Westborough High School
ANITA CELLUCCI is the Teacher librarian at Westborough High School, Westborough, MA. where she is also the K-12 Library Department head. As a Teaching Lecturer for Plymouth State University, NH she teaches an online course for children’s and young adult literature with a focus on... Read More →
avatar for Pam Harland

Pam Harland

Assistant Clinical Professor, Plymouth State University
Pam Harland has been a librarian for over 25 years working in school libraries, academic libraries, and at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston as a research librarian. She coordinates the Library Media Specialist and Digital Learning Specialist MEd programs at Plymouth State Unive... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 1:30pm - 3:25pm EDT
Hyannisport East 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

Be More Like Charlie Brown #BMLCB
Poor Charlie Brown doesn’t get the respect he deserves. Generations have coined him as just a blockhead, but he has always been so much more than just the underdog. If Charlie Brown was a student in your connected classroom today, what would it look like? One thing is for certain, Charlie Brown would be exactly the same online as he is offline. Charlie Brown is the model the digital citizen. We all have something to learn from good ol' Charlie Brown.

Speakers
avatar for Marialice Curran

Marialice Curran

Founder & Executive Director, DigCitInstitute, Digital Citizenship Institute
Dr. Marialice B.F.X. Curran is the Founder and Executive Director of the Digital Citizenship Institute. Her advanced graduate and doctoral studies on adolescent development at Boston College reinforced her commitment to service learning as Dr. Curran leads by hand, heart and mind.As... Read More →



Sunday May 7, 2017 2:30pm - 3:25pm EDT
Hyannisport West 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

Formative Assessment Smackdown: Fun Formative Assessment Tools
Formative assessments allow for 100% participation, establish a “mistake-friendly” culture, and allow for just-in-time learning and adjustments to instruction. Join in to test-drive a range of free, kid-friendly formative assessment tools for all ages. Participants will take on the role of students as a variety of quiz games are demonstrated. Add new and engaging quiz games to your digital toolbox and return to your classroom with fun, easy to implement options to change how you assess your students’ learning.
Resource: Formative Assessment Smackdown

Speakers
avatar for Traci Jansen

Traci Jansen

Elementary Technology Integration Specialist, Wilmington Public Schools
Traci is dedicated to teaching engaging lessons that lead to the development of complex thinking, creative problem solving, and collaboration among students. In the role of Elementary Tech Integration Specialist in Wilmington, Traci helps teachers build a powerful Professional Learning... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer Judkins

Jennifer Judkins

Director of Technology & Innovation, Woburn Public Schools
Jennifer Judkins provides on-going professional development as well as in-class support to teachers and students in grades K-12 as a Digital Learning Coordinator in the Lynnfield Public Schools District and a Google for Education Certified Trainer.


Sunday May 7, 2017 2:30pm - 3:25pm EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

2:30pm EDT

Genre-fying: Tales from the Trenches
Genre-fying is all the rage in school libraries, but is it really worth it? Why genre-fy? It makes browsing easier, students discover new authors and titles within their preferred reading genre, and it can be adapted to suit the needs of your particular population. When you’re done you will know your collection better than ever before! In this session you’ll learn different methods for genre-fying, how to get students and community members involved and what to do with those pesky books that cross genres. Learn from our mistakes so you know what not to do! Come hear about two very different school libraries and their librarians’ experiences in the trenches of genrefication.

Speakers
avatar for Laura Gardner

Laura Gardner

Teacher Librarian, Dartmouth Middle School
Laura Gardner, a National Board Certified Teacher in Library Media, is Teacher Librarian at Dartmouth Middle School in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Laura was awarded the School Library Journal (SLJ) School Librarian of the Year Co-finalist Award in 2016 and the AASL Reader Leader social... Read More →
avatar for Wendy Garland

Wendy Garland

Librarian, Avery Elementary School
Wendy Garland is an Elementary School Librarian at the Avery School in Dedham, MA. She is currently participating in the AASL Induction Program. She was awarded the Goldin Foundation for Excellence in Education Award in 2016 and the 2017 MSLA Super Librarian Award. She tweets at @dancelibrarian... Read More →



Sunday May 7, 2017 2:30pm - 3:25pm EDT
Cape Cod 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

Beyond Inspiration: Middle Grade Author Panel
How middle grade authors empower readers to explore, support, and improve their world.

Moderators
avatar for Christi Farrar

Christi Farrar

Consultant, Mass. Library System
Christi Showman Farrar started her library career as a youth services librarian and spent a decade serving children, teens, and their families in public libraries. Christi now works as a Consultant for the Massachusetts Library System (MLS), where she gets to be a “librarian’s... Read More →

Authors
avatar for Dana Alison Levy

Dana Alison Levy

Author
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher was her first novel, and has received several starred reviews, been placed on a number of “Best Of” lists, and is on five state reading lists. The companion novel, The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island, was released in May 2016. Her newest... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer Jacobson

Jennifer Jacobson

Author
Jennifer is the author of many award-winning children’s books including Small as an Elephant (Parents' Choice Gold Award), Paper Things (ILA Social Justice Award) and her newest launch, The Dollar Kids illustrated by Ryan Andrews (Indie Next List and Amazon Book of the Month).  This... Read More →
avatar for Lauren Wolk

Lauren Wolk

Author
Lauren Wolk is a novelist, poet, visual artist, and Associate Director at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod. Her middle grade novel, Wolf Hollow, is a 2017 Newbery Honor as well as the winner of the 2016 New England Book Award. Her next book, Beyond the Bright Sea, will be available in May 2017... Read More →
avatar for Megan Frazer Blakemore

Megan Frazer Blakemore

Author
Megan Frazer Blakemore’s middle grade novels include The Firefly Code, The Friendship Riddle, The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill, and The Water Castle, the latter of which was named Kirkus Best Children’s Book of 2013, a Bank Street College Best Book 2014, a Junior Library Guild... Read More →
avatar for Nate Ball

Nate Ball

Author
Nate Ball is the host of the Emmy and Peabody award-winning PBS reality shows Design Squad and Design Squad Nation. An MIT graduate with a master’s in mechanical engineering, He is the co-author of the Alien in my Pocket series. Nate is also the cofounder of Atlas Devices, a two-time... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 2:30pm - 3:25pm EDT
Orleans 1st Floor
  Panel

2:30pm EDT

Integrating LGBTQ Topics, Literature, and More into Your Curriculum
This workshop will be a facilitated discussion as to how we can begin to effectively and thoughtfully integrate LGBTQ issues, stories, literature and more into our curriculum. We will explore ways to promote gender and sexuality equity in the library. We will start with a brief introduction to key terms and concepts surrounding gender and sexuality and then explore the importance of including these issues in our libraries. Finally, we will share what we do in our own libraries. Each participant will be given resources and annotated booklists for their own professional use.

Click here for the Google presentation for this session

Click here for the Google presention of recommended books

Click here for additional resources

Click here for an article describing gender neutral pronouns - PLEASE READ this beforehand if you have time.  If you can't, no worries! 

Speakers
avatar for Talya Sokoll

Talya Sokoll

Library Co-Director, Noble and Greenough School
Talya Sokoll is a middle and high school librarian at the Noble and Greenough School in Dedham. She holds a B.S. and an M.A. from N.Y.U. in English Education and an M.L.S. from Simmons College in Library Science. Her research is in representations of Queer and Trans teens in Young... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 2:30pm - 3:25pm EDT
Barnstable II 1st Floor

3:30pm EDT

IdeaLab: MSLA Award Winners
Speakers
avatar for Melinda Adams

Melinda Adams

Library Teacher, Upper Cape Cod Regional Technical School
It is truly an honor to receive the MSLA Super-Librarian Award for the Southeast region. A shout out to my fellow Upper Cape Tech teachers who are support the library program. I love to collaborate, research, and match a book to a reluctant reader!
avatar for Courtney Ahearn

Courtney Ahearn

Library Media Specialist, North Andover Public Schools
Courtney has been working in libraries for over ten years, and recently made the switch from public to school librarianship. The former head of both the Children's and YA Departments at the Salem Public Library (MA), she is now the library media specialist for two elementary schools... Read More →
avatar for Andrea Belanger

Andrea Belanger

Library Teacher, Hampshire Regional High School
avatar for Lani Blechman

Lani Blechman

Librarian, Leverett Elementary School
avatar for Cathy Collins, Ed.D

Cathy Collins, Ed.D

Library Media Specialist, Sharon Public Schools
Ms. Collins has worked as a Media Specialist/Librarian for 20+ years. She is currently a library media specialist for Sharon Public Schools, where she has worked for the past seven years. She holds a Doctorate in Education with a specialization in Curriculum, Leadership, Teaching... Read More →
CE

Cindy Erle

School Librarian, Center School
avatar for Wendy Garland

Wendy Garland

Librarian, Avery Elementary School
Wendy Garland is an Elementary School Librarian at the Avery School in Dedham, MA. She is currently participating in the AASL Induction Program. She was awarded the Goldin Foundation for Excellence in Education Award in 2016 and the 2017 MSLA Super Librarian Award. She tweets at @dancelibrarian... Read More →
avatar for Kim Keith

Kim Keith

Library Media Specialist, M. E. Small Elementary School
avatar for Paige Rowse

Paige Rowse

Teacher Librarian, Needham High School
As a social studies teacher for seven years in New York, Paige learned the importance of research and the value of a strong library program. In becoming a teacher librarian, she strives to provide such a program to her students: refining research skills, building tech savviness, and... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 3:30pm - 4:30pm EDT
Centerville 1st Floor

3:30pm EDT

Bookstore
Sunday May 7, 2017 3:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom I 1st Floor

3:30pm EDT

Exhibit Hall Opening. Click here for list of exhibitors
Appetizers and cash bar available in the exhibit hall. Be sure to visit our exhibitors and thanks them for supporting our conference. 
  • ABDO Publishing Company
  • Barnes & Noble (conference bookseller)
  • Best Book Fairs
  • Bound To Stay Bound Books
  • Branden Books
  • Children's Plus, Inc.
  • EBSCO Information Services
  • Eduporium
  • Follett (Platinum Sponsor of Shannon Miller)
  • Gale, a Cengage Company
  • Garrett Book Company
  • Greenhaven Publishing
  • Gumdrop Books
  • Heifer International
  • Mackin Educational Resources (Platinum Sponsor of Kristin Holzweiss)
  • Mass Literacy
  • Massachusetts Library System & Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium
  • Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at Boston Public Library
  • OPALS Media Flex (Silver Sponsor)
  • OverDrive
  • Perkins Library
  • Perma-Bound Books
  • Pingitore & Associates
  • Robert  H. Lord Company, Inc.
  • Rosen Publishing Group/Cavendish Square
  • Salem Press
  • Salem State University Graduate Program in Library Media Studies
  • Scholastic Library Publishing
  • School Furnishings, Inc.
  • Simmons College Graduate School of Library & Information Science
  • Stop Falling Productions
  • University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library & Information Studies
  • WGBH/PBS Learning Media

Sunday May 7, 2017 3:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom I 1st Floor

4:30pm EDT

Author Meet & Greet
Speakers
avatar for Mitali Perkins

Mitali Perkins

Author, FORWARD ME BACK TO YOU
Mitali Perkins has written twelve novels for young people, including You Bring the Distant Near (nominated for the National Book Award), Rickshaw Girl (a New York Public Library top 100 books for children in 100 years; film coming soon), and Tiger Boy (winner of the South Asia Book... Read More →

Authors
avatar for Dana Alison Levy

Dana Alison Levy

Author
The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher was her first novel, and has received several starred reviews, been placed on a number of “Best Of” lists, and is on five state reading lists. The companion novel, The Family Fletcher Takes Rock Island, was released in May 2016. Her newest... Read More →
avatar for Ife Oshun

Ife Oshun

ii, Papa Grace
Ife Oshun is the author of the Angelica Brown series, and its upcoming spinoff series To Protect and Serve. Raised on a strict diet of music and sci-fi/fantasy, she attended the Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University. There, while working in local music promotion and as... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer Jacobson

Jennifer Jacobson

Author
Jennifer is the author of many award-winning children’s books including Small as an Elephant (Parents' Choice Gold Award), Paper Things (ILA Social Justice Award) and her newest launch, The Dollar Kids illustrated by Ryan Andrews (Indie Next List and Amazon Book of the Month).  This... Read More →
avatar for Kathleen Duble

Kathleen Duble

Author
Kathleen Benner Duble had sixteen car accidents before she was twenty-one.  Being an at-home writer keeps her from hitting the road (or anyone else)!  She is the author of nine books for children.  Kathleen loves digging for unique historical fiction plotlines and encouraging students... Read More →
avatar for Kristy Acevedo

Kristy Acevedo

YA author & English teacher
Kristy Acevedo is a Young Adult author and high school English teacher. A member of SCBWI,she has her M.A.T. in English from Bridgewater State University and has taught high school in Massachusetts for sixteen years. CONSIDER, her debut novel, won the 2015 PEN New England Susan P... Read More →
avatar for Lauren Wolk

Lauren Wolk

Author
Lauren Wolk is a novelist, poet, visual artist, and Associate Director at the Cultural Center of Cape Cod. Her middle grade novel, Wolf Hollow, is a 2017 Newbery Honor as well as the winner of the 2016 New England Book Award. Her next book, Beyond the Bright Sea, will be available in May 2017... Read More →
avatar for Loree Griffin Burns

Loree Griffin Burns

Author
Loree Griffin Burns has written several titles in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s popular ‘Scientists in the Field’ series, including Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion and Beetle Busters: A Rogue Insect and the People Who Track It. Her next title... Read More →
avatar for Megan Frazer Blakemore

Megan Frazer Blakemore

Author
Megan Frazer Blakemore’s middle grade novels include The Firefly Code, The Friendship Riddle, The Spy Catchers of Maple Hill, and The Water Castle, the latter of which was named Kirkus Best Children’s Book of 2013, a Bank Street College Best Book 2014, a Junior Library Guild... Read More →
avatar for Melissa Stewart

Melissa Stewart

Author, Acton, MA
Melissa Stewart is the award-winning author of more than 180 nonfiction books for children, including Seashells: More than a Home, Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs, and Can an Aardvark Bark. She is the co-author, with Nancy Chesley, of Perfect Pairs... Read More →
avatar for Nancy Werlin

Nancy Werlin

Author
The author of 10 young adult novels, Nancy Werlin decided to become a writer in the fourth grade when she realized that there were actual, real, living people whose job it was to write books. Among her award-winning novels are THE KILLER'S COUSIN, which won the Edgar award for best... Read More →
avatar for Nate Ball

Nate Ball

Author
Nate Ball is the host of the Emmy and Peabody award-winning PBS reality shows Design Squad and Design Squad Nation. An MIT graduate with a master’s in mechanical engineering, He is the co-author of the Alien in my Pocket series. Nate is also the cofounder of Atlas Devices, a two-time... Read More →
avatar for Sarah Albee

Sarah Albee

Author
Sarah Albee is the New York Times bestselling author of more than 100 books for kids, including recent nonfiction titles Why’d They Wear That? (National Geographic) and Bugged: How Insects Changed History (Walker/Bloomsbury). She enjoys visiting schools and presenting to kids of... Read More →
avatar for Susan Hood

Susan Hood

Author
Susan’s first picture books were published in fall 2012, but she’s not a newcomer to children’s publishing. Susan was the Children’s Content Director of Nick Jr. Magazine, where she edited original stories by the winners of the Caldecott Medal, the Coretta Scott King Book... Read More →

Illustrators
avatar for Ekua Holmes

Ekua Holmes

Illustrator
In 2016 the book, Voice of Freedom, Fannie Lou Hamer: Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement, garnered a Caldecott Honor, a Sibert Honor, the Flora Stieglitz Strauss Award from Bank Street College and is a Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Book. Holmes won the Society of Illustrators... Read More →
avatar for Scott Magoon

Scott Magoon

Illustrator
Scott Magoon is the author-illustrator of Breathe, a Kirkus Reviews Best Read Aloud, a Huffington Post Best Book of 2014, and Chicago Public Library Best Book of 2014; and The Boy Who Cried Bigfoot, which Kirkus Reviews called, “Entertaining and clever—and that’s no lie... Read More →
avatar for Vita Murrow

Vita Murrow

Illustrator
Ethan and Vita Murrow work collaboratively on a variety of artistic projects including writing, video, film, drawing and photography. In addition, Vita is the director of a literacy project in Massachusetts. Their book The Whale is a story of two children determined to find the Great... Read More →
avatar for Raul the Third

Raul the Third

Illustrator
Raul Gonzalez is the 2017 Pura Belpre Illustrator Award recipient for Lowriders to the Center of the Earth. His previous graphic novel, Lowriders in Space, was nominated for a Texas BlueBonnet Award 2016-2017. In 2011, he collaborated with over 125 kids from all over the city of... Read More →

Sunday May 7, 2017 4:30pm - 5:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom Foyer 1st Floor

6:00pm EDT

MSLA Awards Dinner Ceremony
Sunday May 7, 2017 6:00pm - 8:00pm EDT
Bass River Room 2nd Floor

8:10pm EDT

Dinner Keynote: Passionate Readers - The Art of Reaching and Engaging Every Child
With 28% of adults reporting that they have not read a book in the last 12 months, we are facing a mounting reading crisis.  So what can we, as the educators who teach this future generation of readers, do to create more engaging readingexperiences?  Focusing on teacher reading identity, classroom environment and library, as well as student reading identity, this is a keynote sure to inspire.  From re-thinking major literacy decisions, to all of the small decisions we make daily; this is meant to be a practical keynote that will offer up ideas to be implemented the very next day.

Speakers
avatar for Pernille Ripp

Pernille Ripp

Keynote Speaker, Oregon Middle School
Since Pernille Ripp was a child growing up in Denmark, she knew she wanted to work with kids. She began her journey in education as a math resource teacher, then transitioned into the classroom as a 4th and 5th-grade teacher, and has now found her home as a 7th-grade English teacher... Read More →


Sunday May 7, 2017 8:10pm - 9:00pm EDT
Bass River Room 2nd Floor
 
Monday, May 8
 

7:30am EDT

Registration
Coffee, tea and continental breakfast available in the Exhibit Hall.

Monday May 8, 2017 7:30am - 8:30am EDT
Grand Ballroom Foyer 1st Floor

7:30am EDT

Bookstore
Monday May 8, 2017 7:30am - 2:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom I 1st Floor

7:30am EDT

Exhibit Hall open until 2:30pm. Click here for list of exhibitors
Be sure to visit our exhibitors and thanks them for supporting our conference. 
  • ABDO Publishing Company
  • Barnes & Noble (conference bookseller)
  • Best Book Fairs
  • Bound To Stay Bound Books
  • Branden Books
  • Children's Plus, Inc.
  • EBSCO Information Services
  • Eduporium
  • Follett (Platinum Sponsor of Shannon Miller)
  • Gale, a Cengage Company
  • Garrett Book Company
  • Greenhaven Publishing
  • Gumdrop Books
  • Heifer International
  • Mackin Educational Resources (Platinum Sponsor of Kristin Holzweiss)
  • Mass Literacy
  • Massachusetts Library System & Massachusetts Higher Education Consortium
  • Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at Boston Public Library
  • OPALS Media Flex (Silver Sponsor)
  • OverDrive
  • Perkins Library
  • Perma-Bound Books
  • Pingitore & Associates
  • Robert  H. Lord Company, Inc.
  • Rosen Publishing Group/Cavendish Square
  • Salem Press
  • Salem State University Graduate Program in Library Media Studies
  • Scholastic Library Publishing
  • School Furnishings, Inc.
  • Simmons College Graduate School of Library & Information Science
  • Stop Falling Productions
  • University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library & Information Studies
  • WGBH/PBS Learning Media

Monday May 8, 2017 7:30am - 2:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom I 1st Floor

8:30am EDT

President's Welcome
Speakers
avatar for Anita Cellucci

Anita Cellucci

Library Teacher, Westborough High School
ANITA CELLUCCI is the Teacher librarian at Westborough High School, Westborough, MA. where she is also the K-12 Library Department head. As a Teaching Lecturer for Plymouth State University, NH she teaches an online course for children’s and young adult literature with a focus on... Read More →


Monday May 8, 2017 8:30am - 8:35am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

8:30am EDT

Changing school culture: How we got our students (and teachers!) to embrace the big ideas of creative credit, copyright, and fair use
Just a few years ago, teachers and students at our school regularly used images without citing sources. The tech teacher and I decided to equip our 5th and 6th grade students with the knowledge they would need in order to teach younger students--and teachers--why this is wrong and what to do about it. In this ignite talk I will share how we used confessional videos (of teachers and students), Common Sense Media lessons, and student-made iMovies to change the culture of our school in regards to giving credit to creators near and far. While there are many fine resources out there, I contend that a collective sense of mission and a sense of humor are the components that can truly drive a change in school culture in this area.

Speakers
HL

Heather Lobenstine

Library Teacher, Shutesbury Elementary School
Heather Lobenstine is a veteran teacher who has taught in the classroom as well as in the library. She loves when students recommend books to her, when they devour new books and return to old favorites, and when they get excited about information they locate online or in books. She... Read More →


Monday May 8, 2017 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

8:30am EDT

Intertwining: A way to consider weaving value into information literacy instruction
School library teachers all use different versions of or add variations to information literacy models. Some SLTs work with a staff that is open to following exact points of the information literacy model, while others have to incorporate points in a clandestine manner. To improve upon the approach to information literacy, consider beginning with value as a concept that binds the school library teacher’s goals and the school educator’s goals. Both professions want students to use credible information to produce quality work. Both professions want students to engage in research with fidelity and feel proud at the knowledge gained. Through the concept of value we shift the thinking of information literacy away from a set of oscillating processes and skills taught to one that emphasizes genuine thinking and consequences associated with information behavior choices. Thus, at the various points of which ever information literacy model is being used students intertwine a set of value check points, weigh the consequences, and make action choices before committing to the next information literacy step. This Ignite Talk is to spark thinking of those essential elements that bind educators and school librarians in collaboration, in order to build better student researchers.

Speakers
avatar for Georgina Trebbe

Georgina Trebbe

Librarian, Minnechaug Regional High School
Georgina Trebbe, Ed.D. is the school librarian at Minnechaug Regional High School in Massachusetts. She is also an adjunct instructor for Simmons University’s School Library Teacher program. Georgina’s area of study was the development of Intertwining as the value of concept woven... Read More →



Monday May 8, 2017 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

8:30am EDT

School Librarian Identity Crisis

As it becomes more common to integrate libraries with the tech department, and as librarian jobs are in jeopardy, our profession faces an identity crisis. I believe our most important role in 6-12 is as a teacher of research skills, integrated with the core subject curricula. How can we promote a vision of that model with our teachers, principals, and districts?


Speakers
avatar for Samantha Musher

Samantha Musher

Library Technology Teacher, Rindge Ave. Upper Campus
Sam Musher has been a middle school librarian for twelve years, first at the Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA, and now in the Cambridge Public Schools. Her favorite question is, “Ms. Musher, what should I read now?”


Monday May 8, 2017 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

8:30am EDT

SEL- The Social-Emotional Library
This ignite talk will give an overview of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in education and generate ideas of how librarians can demonstrate to school administrations and funding decision-makers that library programing supports SEL goals. The Every Student Succeeds Act has opened the door to assessing measures outside of the traditional academic areas. National and MA state education legislation has formalized SEL standards and even this past summer’s MA superintendent’s conference theme was “Meeting the Social-Emotional Needs of Today’s Diverse Learners.” All signs point to SEL being here to stay and this could be great news for libraries. As librarians, understanding the bigger SEL picture, and how libraries fit into it, could be especially important in times when budgets are shrinking and more and more library positions are ending up on the chopping block. In effect, SEL initiatives could act as a lifeline for school libraries. I will share ideas and identify programming that most school librarians always do that already fits within SEL objectives. This brief overview will help librarians thinking about how to use tools to demonstrate to administrations how librarians can be leaders in SEL educational reform.

Speakers
avatar for Chani Craig

Chani Craig

School Library Teacher, Turners Falls High School and Great Falls Middle School
An educator since 1995, Ms. Craig has been a teacher, coach, advisor, librarian, and, most importantly, a student. Studying and teaching in Italy, Japan, and Australia, as well as on both coasts of the US, has given Ms. Craig a unique perspective on education and identifying problems... Read More →


Monday May 8, 2017 8:30am - 9:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

9:00am EDT

Opening Keynote: Libraries are the Red Cross of the Soul
Showcasing the importance of libraries for academic and socialwell-being

Speakers
avatar for Kristina Holzweiss

Kristina Holzweiss

School Library Media Specialist, Presenter, Author, Professional Developer, Bayshore Middle School
Kristina Holzweiss is a school library media specialist at Bay Shore Middle School, as well as a presenter, author, and professional developer. In 2015, she was named the School Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal and Scholastic. She also received the Lee Bryant Outstanding... Read More →



Monday May 8, 2017 9:00am - 10:00am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

10:00am EDT

Exclusive Exhibit Hall Time
Be sure to visit our exhibitors and thank them for supporting our conference. Coffee and tea available in the exhibit hall.

Monday May 8, 2017 10:00am - 10:30am EDT
Grand Ballroom I 1st Floor

10:30am EDT

New Science Standards: Create Library Lessons to Integrate and Collaborate
Massachusetts DESE has adapted the Next Generation Science Standards for grades PK-8. The implementation will be carried out in the next two years for full implementation (and MCAS-type test accountability) in the 2018/2019 school year. This session will empower librarians to team with classroom teachers to create lessons, ensure collection alignment and construct pathfinders which align with the new inquiry based standards.

Speakers
avatar for Dorothy A. Kramer

Dorothy A. Kramer

Librarian, J. Haynes Elementary School
Dorothy Kramer has been a librarian and technology teacher for over 25 years. She has taught Preschool through High School students in the country and city, in public school, and in private, and she has found one thing common to all--if we make the library a warm and welcoming place... Read More →



Monday May 8, 2017 10:30am - 11:25am EDT
Cape Cod 2nd Floor

10:30am EDT

The Social Emotional Library
Session Description (maximum of 300 words) This session will give an overview of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) in education and generate ideas of how librarians can demonstrate to school administrations and funding decision-makers that library programing supports SEL goals. The Every Student Succeeds Act has opened the door to assessing measures outside of the traditional academic areas. National and MA state education legislation has formalized SEL standards and even this past summer’s MA superintendent’s conference theme was “Meeting the Social-Emotional Needs of Today’s Diverse Learners.” All signs point to SEL being here to stay and this could be great news for libraries. As librarians, understanding the bigger SEL picture, and how libraries fit into it, could be especially important in times when budgets are shrinking and more and more library positions are ending up on the chopping block. In effect, SEL initiatives could act as a lifeline for school libraries. In this session, after learning some of the basics principles of, and research supporting, current SEL instructional models, we will transition to small group workshops where participants, grouped by grade level, will brainstorm and share new ideas as well as identify programming that already fits within SEL objectives. A sample SEL library action plan template will be provided so as librarians work together, discussing and sharing ideas, they can begin to draft plans to submit to administration. In short, this session provides useful tools to demonstrate to our administrations how librarians can be leaders in SEL educational reform.

Speakers
avatar for Chani Craig

Chani Craig

School Library Teacher, Turners Falls High School and Great Falls Middle School
An educator since 1995, Ms. Craig has been a teacher, coach, advisor, librarian, and, most importantly, a student. Studying and teaching in Italy, Japan, and Australia, as well as on both coasts of the US, has given Ms. Craig a unique perspective on education and identifying problems... Read More →



Monday May 8, 2017 10:30am - 11:25am EDT
Orleans 1st Floor

10:30am EDT

Making a Difference with Makerspaces

This presentation will offer the participants a number of ways that they can create community service activities in their library makerspace.The participants will learn how to create community service projects in their schools, whether or not they have a makerspace, using low budget materials.



Speakers
avatar for Kristina Holzweiss

Kristina Holzweiss

School Library Media Specialist, Presenter, Author, Professional Developer, Bayshore Middle School
Kristina Holzweiss is a school library media specialist at Bay Shore Middle School, as well as a presenter, author, and professional developer. In 2015, she was named the School Librarian of the Year by School Library Journal and Scholastic. She also received the Lee Bryant Outstanding... Read More →



Monday May 8, 2017 10:30am - 11:25am EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

10:30am EDT

Developing a Maker Culture in Our Schools
Maker spaces have been a big topic of conversation at conferences for the past few years. What does it take to create and sustain a successful maker space? Is a “space” enough or should we be working to develop a maker mindset across disciplines in our schools? Join this roundtable and come discuss maker culture in your school, your goals and challenges, and learn from colleagues about their experiences with maker spaces.

Link to presentation

Speakers
avatar for Jennifer Hanson

Jennifer Hanson

Jennifer Hanson is the Director of Library Services at Worcester Academy. She was awarded the 2016 ISTE Librarians Network Secondary Librarian Award. Prior to joining Worcester Academy, Jennifer was the Librarian at Primary Source, a nonprofit professional development organization... Read More →


Monday May 8, 2017 10:30am - 11:25am EDT
Barnstable II 1st Floor

10:30am EDT

Books on Stage

We’ll work together to turn a familiar text into a 5-minute play, then start getting it ready to perform! By the end, you’ll be ready to run this project with your students. The process teaches Common Core standards of writing, editing, and adaptation, as well as encouraging students to own a project and take positive risks. Bring your laptop and phone with Google Docs app if possible!


Speakers
avatar for Samantha Musher

Samantha Musher

Library Technology Teacher, Rindge Ave. Upper Campus
Sam Musher has been a middle school librarian for twelve years, first at the Dana Hall School in Wellesley, MA, and now in the Cambridge Public Schools. Her favorite question is, “Ms. Musher, what should I read now?”



Monday May 8, 2017 10:30am - 12:25pm EDT
Centerville A 1st Floor
  2 Hour Workshop

10:30am EDT

Guided Inquiry Design in Your Elementary Library
Does “inquiry” leave you with questions? Guided Inquiry Design is a framework for designing inquiry learning developed by Kuhlthau, Maniotes, and Caspari for students of all ages. Regardless of what you teach, guided inquiry provides a framework that offers a way of teaching within a meaningful and integrated context so that students gain deep understanding of curriculum content while internalizing an inquiry process. In addition to these two types of learning, students will also be learning how to learn, social skills, and literacy competencies (Kuhlthau, Maniotes, Caspari, 8). Participants will explore the eight steps of guided inquiry and develop ways to apply the principles of guided inquiry in their own teaching. Whether you are working in a fixed or flex schedule, participants in this session will collect ideas and develop lessons that will help capitalize on students’ natural desire to ask questions and learn through inquiry.


Speakers
avatar for Laura DElia

Laura DElia

Library Teacher, Armstrong Elementary School
Elementary School Librarian
avatar for Jenny Lussier

Jenny Lussier

Library media specialist, Brewster Elementary School
Jenny Lussier is a teacher librarian for grades PreK-2 and formerly a fifth/sixth grade teacher in Regional School District 13 in Durham & Middlefield, CT. She has a passion for research, children’s literature, and technology and loves to share and learn with kids and adults! You... Read More →



Monday May 8, 2017 10:30am - 12:25pm EDT
Centerville B 1st Floor

11:30am EDT

The Issues Inquiry Project: Begin with Catcher in the Rye and End with a TED Talk
The Issues Project is research based, inquiry project in 9th grade English that was developed during library-led professional development. Students choose an issue they care about, research it, advocate for a solution and present their work to their peers. The research skills are rooted in the fundamental inquiry method ( à la Barbara Stripling) and incorporate additional strategies such as the Question Focus Protocol (from Right Question Institute) that allows for convergent and divergent thinking, learning routines from Ritchart et al., Making Thinking Visible and presentation skills rooted in the approach of Stand & Deliver, a public speaking educational group based in California that breaks down presentations into manageable parts. The final result is a TED-like presentation to their peers that presents the issue, explains why they should care and advocates for a solution. We will provide context on how this fits with the school wide learning goals, talk about the role of the library, explain how this might inform the Information Literacy Scope & Sequence being developed. Google Docs, website evaluation with the CRAAP test, Noodletools and database research are also integrated. Get presentation slideshow here.

Speakers
avatar for Deeth Ellis

Deeth Ellis

Head Librarian, Boston Latin School
Ms. Ellis has been the head librarian at the Harry V. Keefe Library at Boston Latin School since 2013. She received her B.A. in History at Bennington College in Vermont (1987), a M.L.S. at Simmons College (2006), and an administrative license from Boston University through The Education... Read More →
JM

Jeff Mikalaitis

Teacher, English Department, Boston Latin School
Jeff Mikalaitis has taught English literature and co-teaches the senior Capstone class at Boston Latin School. He earned since an M.A.T. in English Education from Boston University in 2005. When he is not teaching, Mr. Mikalaitis enjoys playing guitar and spending time with his wife... Read More →


Monday May 8, 2017 11:30am - 12:25pm EDT
Cape Cod 2nd Floor

11:30am EDT

Touching History: Primary Sources from the LOC
How can we make research more than just words on a page or a screen, and facts to be memorized? The Library of Congress has a massive collection of digitized primary sources available for teacher use, from photographs of jailed suffragettes and disenfranchised child workers to recordings of the first jazz songs ever recorded to videos of early protest marches to pamphlets discouraging the entrance of early immigrants into the country. Once upon a time, to see these incredible items, you had to travel to the Library of Congress, a feat that may not been possible for most, otherwise you were gazing at secondhand photos, reprinted content, and textbook renditions. The Library of Congress has begun the process of taking their colossal collection and digitizing them, making them available to educators and students everywhere--history is now available at your fingertips. But how can you access them? How can you make the best possible use of these sources? Join this session to see how you can access these amazing treasures to use in your library to make history come to life. You will see a lesson in action, a unit in which a fifth grade class used primary sources to build a day in the life of a young colonist in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, quite literally putting themselves in history’s shoes and experiencing what life was really like for these real people who really existed. You will learn to how to access these sources, and conduct a primary source analysis by having students observe, reflect, and question primary sources, developing connections between their own investigations and real historical events.

Speakers
avatar for Kate Powers

Kate Powers

Library Media Specialist, James M. Quinn Elementary School
Kate is the Library Media Specialist at the James M. Quinn Elementary School in Dartmouth, where her students have been named Best in State four times in the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. Kate loves reading, writing, endurance running, craft beer, really good coffee, and traveling... Read More →


Monday May 8, 2017 11:30am - 12:25pm EDT
Orleans 1st Floor

11:30am EDT

My Favorite Things: Celebrating Good News and Innovation in Libraries
In this presentation, Shannon McClintock Miller will share a few of her favorite things including library celebrations, Future Ready Librarians, educational resources, digital tools and apps, and lots of tricks and tips that have worked for her. You will hear about each and lots of real-life examples of how they have worked for Shannon, her students and other educators. You will gain lots of inspiration and creative thoughts from this presentation, along with your very own
toolbox filled with a few of your new favorite things.
You will find the presentation online here. 

Speakers
avatar for Shannon Miller

Shannon Miller

K-12 Teacher Librarian, Speaker, Consultant, Author, Van Meter Community School
Shannon McClintock Miller is an international speaker, consultant and author who has a passion for education, librarianship, advocacy, technology, social media and making a difference in the world and lives of others, especially children. Shannon serves as the K-12 district teacher... Read More →


Monday May 8, 2017 11:30am - 12:25pm EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

11:30am EDT

Everyday Advocacy for Extraordinary Results
Advocating for strong school library programs is an essential focus area for each of as educational specialists in digital literacy. Resources are plentiful, but we need to work hard to ensure our piece of the pie on behalf of our students. This interactive panel discussion seeks to examine and discuss best practices for further advocating for strong school library programs. Participants will Become aware of the need for advocacy for school libraries Become familiar with selected advocacy tools and strategies through interactive discussion. Share ideas and experiences drawn from best practices and lessons learned in advocacy efforts. At the end of the workshop, it is expected that participants will have further developed their capacity for advocacy, which they can use to implement advocacy efforts in their own institutions and beyond at the local, state and national level.

Speakers
avatar for Cathy Collins, Ed.D

Cathy Collins, Ed.D

Library Media Specialist, Sharon Public Schools
Ms. Collins has worked as a Media Specialist/Librarian for 20+ years. She is currently a library media specialist for Sharon Public Schools, where she has worked for the past seven years. She holds a Doctorate in Education with a specialization in Curriculum, Leadership, Teaching... Read More →


Monday May 8, 2017 11:30am - 12:25pm EDT
Barnstable II 1st Floor

12:30pm EDT

Boxed Lunch
Distributed in the Exhibit Hall. Enjoy your lunch in the Foyer, Lobby, Exhibit Hall or Bass River Room and outside deck (weather permitting).

Monday May 8, 2017 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom I 1st Floor

12:30pm EDT

Exclusive Exhibit Hall Time
Boxed lunches distributed in the Exhibit Hall. Enjoy your lunch in the Foyer, Lobby, Exhibit Hall or Bass River Room and outside deck (weather permitting). Be sure to visit our exhibitors and thank them for supporting our conference. 

Monday May 8, 2017 12:30pm - 1:30pm EDT
Grand Ballroom I 1st Floor

1:30pm EDT

Bringing Poetry to the World: A Wealth of Poetry Reading and Writing Activities
As experienced teachers of poetry, we are eager to offer a workshop that will inspire and equip library teachers to teach poetry independently and/or in collaboration with classroom teachers. This workshop draws on and distills years of experience empowering students to read and write poetry with purpose and pleasure. It will include a framework for writing poetry (Georgia Heard’s “doors of poetry”), the four questions we use to help readers appreciate and understand poems, and a wealth of poetry activities, projects, and resources that can be used across the curriculum (and out into the world). Participants will have the opportunity to explore these tools and to envision how they might use or adapt them. They will leave with ideas, print and digital resources, and a new or renewed commitment to incorporate poetry into their teaching practice.

Speakers
HL

Heather Lobenstine

Library Teacher, Shutesbury Elementary School
Heather Lobenstine is a veteran teacher who has taught in the classroom as well as in the library. She loves when students recommend books to her, when they devour new books and return to old favorites, and when they get excited about information they locate online or in books. She... Read More →
SS

Siri Scott

Fourth Grade Teacher, Shutesbury Elementary School
Siri Scott teaches fourth grade at Shutesbury Elementary School, a small rural public school in western Massachusetts. She loves nurturing her students' curiosity and creativity through all subject areas, creating safe and joyful learning communities, and believes that imagination... Read More →



Monday May 8, 2017 1:30pm - 2:25pm EDT
Cape Cod 2nd Floor

1:30pm EDT

ELL Students in the School Library: Tips and Teaching Strategies for Their Success
Massachusetts schools are experiencing growth in the number of English Language Learners (ELL) students. The school library can be the place with the necessary resources for ELL to access curriculum and be a welcoming space where  ELL students feel included. With the AASL mantra "All Students Achieve At The  School Library" as a guiding principle for this session we will present easy to  implement teaching strategies for instructing ELL students in any school library.Learning - and understanding - academic vocabulary can be a challenge for ELL  in all subjects, including subject specific library words. Participants will learn the definitions for Tier 1, 2, and 3 vocabulary. Engaging with each other  in small groups, participants will apply definitions and sort library terms into tiers. Using an audience brainstorm, a Tier 1 and Tier 3 word will be  defined and the process for integrating academic vocabulary instruction in the school library modeled.    Understanding academic vocabulary empowers all children and especially ELL as they grapple with standardized tests and the rigors of Common Core. Students require resources that they can read and understand in English and in their own  language. Creating an accessible as well as a diverse collection is a first step in  creating an inclusive school library program. Session participants will learn tips and  tools to create an accessible school library collection that reflects a  culturally and linguistically diverse school population - and the world.    A strong home connection enhances a child's education and school experience.  The school library can be an ideal place to welcome families new to the country and  the school. How to make effective outreach to the ELL parent community will be  addressed suggesting traditional as well as some innovative approaches.

Speakers
avatar for Chris Swerling

Chris Swerling

Interim K-12 Coordinator of Library and Media Services, Newton Public Schools
Chris Swerling is the Coordinator of School Libraries K-12 for the Newton, Massachusetts Public Schools and a former National Board Certified Library Media Teacher. She has given numerous presentations on school librarianship at state and national conferences and taught library science... Read More →
avatar for Mary Frances Zilonis

Mary Frances Zilonis

Director of Libraries K-12, Wellesley Public Schools
Mary Frances Zilonis is the Director of Libraries K-12 for the Wellesley, Massachusetts Public Schools. She earned her B.S. and M.Ed. from Bridgewater State College and her Ed. D. from Boston University. She has co-authored A Strategic Planning Guide for School Library Media Centers... Read More →


sa05 mp3

Monday May 8, 2017 1:30pm - 2:25pm EDT
Orleans 1st Floor

1:30pm EDT

High School Library and the Hour of Code
The session will include a brief overview of the Hour of CodeTM and "how to" implement this program initiative for your first time in a high school library media center.  I will cover all considerations made before rolling to out the week long program at the high school and timelines.  Lastly, a demonstration of some of the different programs that were used during the Hour of CodeTM, what was successful and not successful this year and how it will be tweaked for 2017.

Speakers
avatar for Susan Hall Heinz

Susan Hall Heinz

Library Media Specialist, LIttleton High School


Monday May 8, 2017 1:30pm - 2:25pm EDT
Centerville B 1st Floor

1:30pm EDT

Raising the Voices of School Librarians: The Massachusetts School Library Study
A panel of members from the Special School Library Commission formed by the Massachusetts Legislature reveals responses from over 700 school librarians to a 2015 statewide survey about access in their schools to library staffing, facilities, information resources, technology, funding, and instruction. Join the conversation  in an audience-friendly panel discussion as members of the Commission and MSLA talk with the researchers, Dr. Carol Gordon and Dr.. Robin Cicchetti, to find out what they learned and what they are recommending to the State Legislature.

Moderators
avatar for Robin Cicchetti

Robin Cicchetti

Librarian, Concord-Carlisle Regional High School
High school librarian with a mission to ignite inspired readers. Advisor for the CCHS YA Galley Club, Visiting Instructor at Salem State University.The second author of the Massachusetts School Library Study: Access and Equity for the Students of the Commonwealth. School libraries... Read More →
avatar for Judi Paradis

Judi Paradis

School Librarian, Plympton School
Judi Paradis, Library Teacher at Plympton Elementary School, is a Former President of MSLA, and currently serves on the Massachusetts Legislative Commission evaluating the status of school libraries.
GP

Greg Pronevitz

Executive Director, Massachusetts Library System
Greg Pronevitz was appointed the head up the newly formed Massachusetts Library System (MLS) when it was founded in 2010. MLS’ mission, as a state-funded non profit, is to build the capacity, empower, and provide support, training, consulting, online content, physical delivery and... Read More →
avatar for Liz Phipps Soeiro

Liz Phipps Soeiro

Librarian, Cambridgeport School
Liz Phipps Soeiro is an elementary school librarian in the Cambridge, MA, Public Schools and the founder of the Cambridge Book Bike. She is the Legislative Committee co-chair for the Massachusetts School Library Association and sits on two state legislative commissions, she is also... Read More →

Speakers
avatar for Dr. Carol Gordon

Dr. Carol Gordon

Principal Consultant, Gordon & Associates Consulting
Dr. Gordon's biographical information can be found here: http://drcarolgordon.com/educator.html


Monday May 8, 2017 1:30pm - 2:25pm EDT
Grand Ballroom II 1st Floor

1:30pm EDT

Tech PD for Teachers by Teachers
In 2014, six teachers planned and executed a teacher-led half day conference that included a keynote speaker, 21 workshop choices, and time for professional networking. Educators shared best practices for integrating technology into lessons, projects, and classrooms.  For a change, this PD was received positively by teachers and the day was declared a success!    This half-day professional development was replicated in 2015 with a change: more time for teachers to learn from one another.  Participants had the choice to attend two sessions, or one longer, more in-depth session.    Our workshop, Tech PD for Teachers by Teachers,  will take participants through the process of planning a district-wide professional development conference from beginning to end. We’ll share our planning documents and discuss how we involved community and school stakeholders, as well as our tips for success and mistakes we made along the way. A template for replicating this program will be provided.

Speakers
ED

Erin Drew

Library Teacher, Heights Elementary School
Erin Drew is a K-5 library teacher in Sharon, MA
SF

Susanne Fuller

Library Teacher, Sharon Middle School
Susanne Fuller is a middle school library teacher in Sharon, MA


Monday May 8, 2017 1:30pm - 2:25pm EDT
Centerville A 1st Floor

1:30pm EDT

Video in the Library: C-SPAN StudentCam Documentary Contest
Eighth grade students at Baird Middle School participate in StudentCam, C-SPAN's annual national video documentary competition that encourages students to think critically about issues that affect our communities and our nation. In three years of participation they have earned four honorable mentions selected from over 4000 video entries and the C-SPAN mobile studio bus visited the school. Spanning about two months, the Project Based Learning (PBL) style project addresses three quarters of the English and History standards for 8th grade. Elements include researching an authentic question; finding and interviewing experts in the field; recording interviews, narration, and b-roll footage; selecting appropriate CSPAN clips; adding supportive visual elements; and sophisticated video editing. You will view some of the the mini lessons presented to students on writing and responding to professional emails, writing good interview questions, creating a storyboard, and filming techniques, as well as get a brief overview of equipment. The session will be led by the school librarian, the eighth grade English teacher, and the eighth grade history teacher who collaborate to create this unit with a specialized reading teacher and special education teacher.   Note: There is an optional follow up playground session using WeVideo online video editor. This session is best for grades 8-12.

Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WwNUtaEtu9QmvE_2kpnTy-mbsyV6NJXK2RppjgVyhCM/edit?usp=sharing
Documents Folder: bit.ly/mslacspan


Speakers
MD

Michelle D'Amore

English Teacher, Paul R Baird Middle School
Michelle D'Amore is in her eighteenth year at Baird Middle school and has served as the English/Reading Department Chair for the past six years. While she was tentative about embarking on such a "high tech" project with students, she was pleased to realize that providing for students... Read More →
avatar for Jordan Funke

Jordan Funke

School Librarian, Paul R. Baird Middle School
Jordan Funke (2016 MSLA Super Librarian Accolade) is the librarian at Paul R Baird Middle School in Ludlow, MA where they regularly incorporate video into projects and Project Based Learning.


MSLA C SPAN gslides

Monday May 8, 2017 1:30pm - 2:25pm EDT
Barnstable II 1st Floor

2:30pm EDT

IdeaLab Table 01: Showing and Sharing Our Learning: Seesaw and Digital Badges in the Library
Digital badges are a way to demonstrate the acquisition of specific skills or accomplishments, and can provide a great window into what students are learning in the library. The challenge is selecting the right platform and, with younger students, finding a way to appropriately manage and share these badges. My IdeaLab presentation will focus on self-created badges using Canva, an online design website, then sharing them with students and families through Seesaw, a private, free, digital portfolio. Students are able to feel a sense of accomplishment at what they've learned, and parents get to see some of the innovative and engaging learning happening in the library through the badges and their descriptions. 

Speakers
avatar for Maya Bery

Maya Bery

Library Media Specialist, Carlisle Public School
Maya Bery is in her fifth year of teaching as the library media specialist at the Carlisle Public School. She was a 2016 PBS LearningMedia Local Digital Innovator and is a past recipient of the Massachusetts School Library Association's President's Award. She has taught professional... Read More →


Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor
  IdeaLab

2:30pm EDT

IdeaLab Table 02: Cast Away Traditional Summer Reading...or, How to Survive the First Month of Middle School
Research indicates that a robust summer reading program can help mitigate the “summer slide.” Research also suggests that independent reading is more successful when students have a choice in selecting their books. With this in mind, Concord Middle School library staff designed an innovative summer reading program that incorporated choice and fun - and supported our efforts to build a community of readers at our middle school.      Throughout the summer, students submitted creative projects on books they read (book trailers, artwork, original songs, poems, etc.) via our library website.The incentive? Every project submitted earned points.     Our summer reading website had over 16,000 views. Project submissions included 120+ book trailers, 240 pieces of art, 50 movie posters; 40+ timelines, and 35+ podcasts, 250+ book reviews. Participation exceeded our expectations!    Inspired by Talia Squires, winner of the 2015 Follett Challenge and her “Conquest of the Realm” game, we created our own community-building survival game to follow the summer reading. The summer points were used to start The Game (Concord Castaways: A Page Turning Survival Adventure!) in September. The Game was a four week survival adventure in which homeroom teams competed to “escape the island” by exchanging points for challenge cards.  Students added to their summer reading points by completing tasks and solving puzzles that combined teamwork and critical thinking, and which took them to all academic areas.  Not only did the students have fun, The Game provided a wonderful vehicle for new students to acclimate to a new school.    Our presentation would include an anecdotal summary of our ideas in building the reading program and ensuing game, as well as sharing the technology platforms and set up we used to communicate with students and families during the summer, collect digital project submissions, and run Concord Castaways in the fall.

Speakers
BE

Bonnie Echmalian

Library Assistant, Concord Middle School
I have been an assistant librarian at Concord Middle School for 5 years. I enjoy sharing my love of reading and engaging with the middle school audience.
ES

Elizabeth Stockwood

Library Media Specialist, Concord Middle School
I have been the Library Media Specialist at Concord Middle School for 9 years. I enjoy combining elements of an M.A. in Children's Literature with an M.Ed. in Instructional Technology to create an innovative approach to engage middle school students.


Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor
  IdeaLab

2:30pm EDT

IdeaLab Table 04: Extra! Extra!: Publishing for Engagment, Understanding, and Assessment
Publishing focuses student learning and provides opportunities for dynamic teaching and assessment . Digital and print publishing experience encourages the creation of original content and cultivates the use of existing content in respectful (and lawful) ways. Authentic publishing also let’s us talk about being the same person online and off.  In this session we will explore a variety of publishing platforms: a classroom “Instagram” board, interactive timelines, digital portfolios, and even books!

Speakers
avatar for Victoria Lane

Victoria Lane

Library Director, Park School
Tory is at the Park School in Brookline MA, where she runs the library makerspace, collaborates with the tech team, fights with printers and works at getting the right book to kids just as they need them.



Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

IdeaLab Table 05: Making Clubs Work in an Elementary Program
Wish you could extend further topics with clubs?  Not sure when students could participate with the challenges of an elementary schedule?  Come learn some ways to bring clubs into your library program.  Also discover ideas, resources, and tips for a variety of types like: Newspaper Club, Story Club, Maker Club, Comic Club, Creativity Club, Book Club, Reading Club, and a Book Cafe.

Here's a presentation with resources.

Speakers
avatar for Bethany Robertson

Bethany Robertson

LMS, Wheelock School
@libfunnessBethany has taught K-12 as a Teacher Librarian, but is most currently at Ralph Wheelock Elementary School in Medfield. Funergizing learning, sparking innovation and tapping into students’ creativity are what Bethany is most passionate about.


Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

IdeaLab Table 08: The Making of Makerspaces at Lynnfield Public Schools
Interested in establishing a makerspace in your school library, but not sure where to start? Come hear from two Lynnfield library media specialists who started this journey almost two years ago. Information on where to begin, funding, and community outreach will be shared. We will also share lessons learned along the way, as well as best practices and tools for both the elementary and high school level.

Speakers
avatar for Janice Alpert

Janice Alpert

Library Media Specialist, Lynnfield High School
Janice Alpert is in her 21st year as the Library Media Specialist at Lynnfield High School. She has a Masters Degree in Library Science from Simmons College and a Masters Degree in Education with a concentration in English from Tufts University. Her certifications include Library... Read More →
avatar for Alex Caram

Alex Caram

Library Media Specialist, Town of Lynnfield
Alex Caram is the library media specialist at the Summer Street School in Lynnfield. She loves children's literature, collaborating with teachers and using technology with students. Follow her on Twitter @librarycaram to see student work and makerspace happenings.



Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

IdeaLab Table 09: OSMO's for Elementary School
The OSMO game system allows students to interact with the iPad. The games focus on shape, word, math, and coding. There are also drawing interactives. OSMO literally makes the iPad an education accessory that engages students. It is a great tool to use for student differentiation. This hands on activity can be used by students in pairs as well. PLAYOSMO says it best:  Osmo fosters learning in key areas such as: creative problem solving, art, STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) and common core.  
  • Coding teaches logic and problem solving skills.  
  • Tangram fosters spatial relational skills.  
  • Words teaches spelling and critical thinking skills.  
  • Newton fosters creative problem solving skills.  
  • Masterpiece teaches drawing and creative confidence.  
  • Numbers teaches counting, addition and multiplication.  

Link to session resources

Speakers
SO

Susan Owens

Media Teacher, Huckleberry Hill Elementary School
Title 1 Tutor and Library Assistant in Danvers, Massachusetts for 5 years. This is my 12th year in Lynnfield, Massachusetts: 10 years at the Lynnfield Middle School and my 2nd year at the elementary level.


Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

IdeaLab Table 12: Create Stories, Games, and Animations Using Scratch
Join the Scratch community, ignite student creativity and inspire innovative thinking with Scratch programming.  Participants will interact with student Makey Makey and Lego projects, experience block coding with Scratch Jr., and learn the newest features of Scratch for Educators that allow teachers to manage classes and students. Session resources at: teachingforward.net/msla

Speakers
avatar for Traci Jansen

Traci Jansen

Elementary Technology Integration Specialist, Wilmington Public Schools
Traci is dedicated to teaching engaging lessons that lead to the development of complex thinking, creative problem solving, and collaboration among students. In the role of Elementary Tech Integration Specialist in Wilmington, Traci helps teachers build a powerful Professional Learning... Read More →
avatar for Jennifer Judkins

Jennifer Judkins

Director of Technology & Innovation, Woburn Public Schools
Jennifer Judkins provides on-going professional development as well as in-class support to teachers and students in grades K-12 as a Digital Learning Coordinator in the Lynnfield Public Schools District and a Google for Education Certified Trainer.


Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor
  IdeaLab

2:30pm EDT

IdeaLab Table 13: Reading for a Cause: How Your Students Can Help End World Hunger with Authentic Learning
Approximately 15 years ago, MA frameworks began to require that World Geography be the focus for social studies learning in 6th grade. Hopedale Memorial needed a cost-conscious but effective way to begin meeting standards. Heifer International, a nonprofit organization dedicated to ending hunger and poverty, offered a number of free resources and a highly motivational reading incentive program for educators who wanted to introduce global issues into the classroom.  The school seized an opportunity to merge library media skills, world geography, and current events curricula by building a program around Heifer's resources, especially the Read to Feed program. Now, this globally- focused, project-based learning yields powerful results every year as students apply information from content-based mass media texts to current events and real-life scenarios. The children are changed by this experience and discover how, as 6th graders in Hopedale, they can improve lives all over the world.   

Led by the library media teacher in collaboration with 6th grade staff, students annually participate in a number of activities to gain critical skills:  
  • Research current events (media literacy, including evaluation of sources, recognition of bias in reporting, examination of real-life examples from current media)                  
  • Read to Feed, a reading incentive program that encourages reading while heightening students’ awareness that their actions make a difference in the lives of others. As students read more books, they improve their reading abilities and more families receive gifts of livestock and training. Students set goals and collaboratively choose the best use of funds raised based on previous geography learning.    
  • Create video PSAs about areas of need in the world, Heifer International's work or the issues of hunger and poverty (research skills, writing, presentation skills, use of technology)   
  • Educational presentations including a day-long, hands-on experience at a Heifer Learning Farm and Global Village 
  • Community Reading Day highlighting hunger issues worldwide with professionals from the community (allows students to see the application of their skills within careers)                                                                  
  • Reflective writing before, during and after conclusion of the Read to Feed program    
This presentation will feature sample work created by 6th grade students at Hopedale Memorial.  Laurie Wodin, veteran library media teacher, will share her experience in integrating multiple subject areas and implementing their program. Presenter Kate Sheehan, Community Engagement Manager for Heifer International, Northeast U. S. Region, will be available to share information about Heifer's work and educational resources.

Speakers
HI

Heifer International

Community Engagement Manager for Heifer International Northeast U. S. Region, Heifer International
Kate Sheehan is the Community Engagement Manager for Heifer International Northeast U. S. Region. She has been on Heifer staff for over 12 years and was previously a Heifer volunteer. Kate has extensive experience of working with educators who are implementing Heifer’s education... Read More →
LW

Laurie Wodin

Library Media Teacher, Venerini Academy
Laurie Wodin was a longtime Library Media Teacher at the elementary, middle and high school levels, mostly in Hopedale, where she taught generations of children. Laurie was a Central MA liaison to the MAEM board (Massachusetts Association of Educational Media) in the late 1980's and... Read More →



Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

IdeaLab Table 14: Future Ready Librarians
Speakers
avatar for Shannon Miller

Shannon Miller

K-12 Teacher Librarian, Speaker, Consultant, Author, Van Meter Community School
Shannon McClintock Miller is an international speaker, consultant and author who has a passion for education, librarianship, advocacy, technology, social media and making a difference in the world and lives of others, especially children. Shannon serves as the K-12 district teacher... Read More →


Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

Playground Table 03: Play with WeVideo Online Video Editor
WeVideo is a cloud-based video editing tool that works well on Chromebooks. It is intuitive with extremely helpful video tutorials, allows collaboration, has green screen capability, and allows you to control the walled garden, making it appropriate for all ages. At Baird Middle School every student has a pro account and we use it to make book trailers, documentary videos, demonstrations of STEM projects, newscasts, and public service announcements. If you have lots of video editing experience or none at all you will find something useful here. WeVideo donated 30 trial pro accounts for this workshop which will be first come, first served. Please bring a laptop or chromebook. There will only be a handful on site. There is a WeVideo app for phones/tablets but it does not include all the capabilities. 

Invite Code: L8YS2GMQ8YNU

Speakers
avatar for Jordan Funke

Jordan Funke

School Librarian, Paul R. Baird Middle School
Jordan Funke (2016 MSLA Super Librarian Accolade) is the librarian at Paul R Baird Middle School in Ludlow, MA where they regularly incorporate video into projects and Project Based Learning.


Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

Playground Table 06: Creating, and Embracing, Your HS Makerspace
The Hopkinton High School Library created a makerspace during the 2014-2015 school year, with the help of grant funding from the Hopkinton Educational Foundation. Our makerspace consists of a 3D printer, sewing machine, Lego Mindstorms Robotics kits, and various textile materials. Initial response was incredible, but as the luster of the "new" makerspace began to fade, we had strategize how best to grow the space and take it from novelty status, into a viable resource for independent innovation and creativity, as well as curricular needs in the classroom. High school students can be elusive - given their many extracurriculars, they often do not have the time to explore the makerspace as much as they would like to. Visit our table for ideas on how to keep your high school students engaged in the maker movement with acitivities realistic for their busy schedules! 

Presentation slides: Creating, and Embracing, Your HS Makerspace

Please see our Google Doc for links to all of our handouts!

Speakers
avatar for Charleen Belcher

Charleen Belcher

Library Assistant, Hopkinton High School
Charleen Belcher is the Library Assistant at Hopkinton High School. She has a bachelor's degree in English/Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. Charleen advises the book club and enjoys helping the students grow and utilize all the library's resources.
avatar for Kirsten Fournier

Kirsten Fournier

Librarian/Computer Science Teacher, Hopkinton High School



Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

Playground Table 07: BreakoutEDU: What is it and how can you utilize this interactive game to teach teamwork, problem solving, critical thinking, and troubleshooting
Breakout EDU games teach critical thinking, teamwork, complex problem solving, and can be used in all content areas. With a Breakout kit, you’re able to play countless Breakouts. Each kit comes with a collection of locks, hidden contraptions, timers, keys, and other “diversion hardware” that can be used to play the Breakout challenges available from the store.  Currently, all the games in the game directory are free! Come see how Lynnfield Public Schools is using Breakout Edu to make learning interactive and fun. http://www.breakoutedu.com/welcome

Speakers
avatar for Janice Alpert

Janice Alpert

Library Media Specialist, Lynnfield High School
Janice Alpert is in her 21st year as the Library Media Specialist at Lynnfield High School. She has a Masters Degree in Library Science from Simmons College and a Masters Degree in Education with a concentration in English from Tufts University. Her certifications include Library... Read More →
avatar for Alex Caram

Alex Caram

Library Media Specialist, Town of Lynnfield
Alex Caram is the library media specialist at the Summer Street School in Lynnfield. She loves children's literature, collaborating with teachers and using technology with students. Follow her on Twitter @librarycaram to see student work and makerspace happenings.



Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor

2:30pm EDT

Playground Table 10: Makerspace: It's Easier Than You Think
Joining the Maker Movement can be exciting and scary all at the same time. Using Scratch, Makey Makey, Blue-Bots, Little Bits and other tools is easier than you think! Our students are prepared to take on the challenge and most of the these tools are very intuitive for even the youngest learners! Once students understand the basics of how these tools work, they are ready to take on different challenges and the sky's the limit!    In this hands on session, become familiar with programming in Scratch, using Makey Makey, coding Blue-Bots and creating with Little Bits. Learn how to use these tools in your learning space and see examples of student work. Some projects include creating an Interactive Book using Scratch and Makey Makey, using the DoInk App to create videos on animal research, programming Blue-Bots to Waltz and other dances, and various STEM challenges used on our Maker Fridays.  

Speakers
MS

Maria Sylvain

Library Media Specialist, Assawompset Elementary School
Maria Sylvain is the Library Media Specialist at Assawompset Elementary School in Lakeville, MA.


Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor
  Playground

2:30pm EDT

Playground Table 11: #HackYourCharacters with Little Bits
What if your favorite character from a book or movie had a new superpower?! Well, the power of littleBits and making can help you bring a character to life by giving him or her a new superpower, like a wand that lights up and casts a spell! Participants will explore the many options with littleBits modules that can add interactivity of lights, movement, sound and more! Then the next big step is building it into the design when creating their new 2.0 version of the character using recycled materials!   We will be working through the process of brainstorming, creative designing, prototyping and publishing the updated character narrative. Hopefully this will spark new ideas you can take back to your classrooms!

Link to Presentation tinyurl.com/superpowercharacters

Speakers
avatar for Diane Horvath

Diane Horvath

Technology-MakerEd Integration Specialist, Blake Middle School
🍎Learning in Beta🙌Tech Int Spec. with #MakerEd Creativity & Innovation GoalsAdvocate for Girls in STEAM and empowerment (former Technovation Coach)K-8 CSTA Representative#DLDMedfield Team, MassCue Innovation Pathfinder Recipient🖼️ig: techmonstaah#microbitchampions #cr... Read More →



Monday May 8, 2017 2:30pm - 3:30pm EDT
Hyannisport East & West 2nd Floor
 
Filter sessions
Apply filters to sessions.