MSLA 2017 Conference

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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?

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.