littlebits- demo

      Yesterday the librarians in my district were invited to an administrators meeting , as they were presenting littlebits.   Littlebits is a company that provides kits with colored coded  electronic building blocks for students to use in classes and in maker spaces,  The emphasis is on the STEAM areas for school use but they say it can be used in all areas.
      I had seen them before- I am thinking it was last year at our SSL conference in August. The presenters did a good job of showing how they could be used.
     There was a group of students who tried out the littlebits, and built cars that they controlled. I wish I would have taken photos-They had a grand time, and at the end they competed in a race. It was fun. 
        Our new assistant superintendent talked about implementing  them in out schools. they also discussed going to several schools to see how they used the littlebits.  It should be interesting!\
       Do any of you have littlebits in your school or library? How are they used ? Are they used in  your maker-spaces? Please comment below- our administration wants input from us regarding ideas.

littlebits.com/

Exciting News- The Organized Librarian !!

  I am very happy to announce that within a few  days I will have  "The Organized Librarian "  in my hands!! At that time , I will be giving away my proof copies ,so stayed tuned and come back.  Anyone of my followers will be  included in the random drawing.  so follow me at the The Organized Librarian  here , and you will be included!    The book came out nicely- and it has a lot of tips and ideas to keep you on track and organized!

AASL Standards- Using them

 How can the new standards be used and implemented?  Yes , I am still excited about the AASL  new standards.  They are not a curriculum, but they will help as you redo or develop lessons to meet your students information needs.
   As you work on your lessons, you can use the standards to guide your ideas about activities that will help students develop the competencies they  need. Also you can use these as part of your own professional  learning. These will also help you as you determine the success of your lessons and programs.
   I can also see using the 4 domains for students to use as a guide as they progress through research projects, For each learning domain m there are 3 o 4 competencies that go along with the completeion of each one.
   The book has so much to offer and I have only reached the first couple of chapters , so I will continue reading and learning, and sharing  items of interest,

AASL Standards for School Librarians

    I just attended a great conference at the Syracuse ( NY) Sheraton. It was the School librarians  transform Learning : Teaching with the new AASL Standards.It was hosted by the NYLA/AASL for New York State school librarians
   Each participant was required to bring or buy the Book - AASL National Library Standards for learners, school Librarians, and School Libraries,.
  After an overview of the framework, we jumped into learning about the shared foundations and the 4 competencies ( think, create, share, and grow).  The best part was working as a large group- we were about 117 in number. And then  as smaller groups, we divided our selves into grade levels.I got to meet, socialize, and discuss with other NY state middle school librarians.
  Yes , it was overwhelming at times, as all conferences usually are. But I learned a lot and have some really good  ideas for the fall.
  The Book it  self is a great combination of information, charts,  and explanations . We worked on a lesson plan and I even got to discuss our lessons!!
   You will be hearing more about these standards and how they bring connections between students , teachers, and school librarians.

Organizing your day at the library- Your Desk

     One way to keep yourself organized and help maintain your focus at your desk is a wire step file. Label several folders  like this: Do, Announcements, staff list, read , file , hold, and monthly report.These are what I have and am planning for the new school year. These are folders I refer to on a daily basis.  Customize what you put on your folders depending on your needs throughout the year.
   
    Other files are kept in one of my other filing areas ( more on that later) . These are items I do not need on a daily/ weekly basis. At the end of the day, each piece of paper ( or printed email if I deem necessary) are placed in one of these folders if I think it is necessary. Otherwise , I 'file' anything I don't need in the wastebasket.

    Each day I take my Do File to work on items  that need action. I usually only have two tasks in there at a time,with notes to myself as needed. Any other pending tasks next on list I put in "hold" file.

    This helps keep me organized  and focused. It keeps my desk neat and I can accomplish what I need to without clutter.

Making things Easier- Technology logging off

  When I am working on a project that requires a lot of computer time , I take frequent log off breaks. If I am working on a large project ( whether  I am  on the computer or using a computer print out) , I work in several eye and exercise breaks.
  When I am doing reports , inventory, searching for websites and activities for teachers ( Just to name a few) I plan on several breaks.   This is important especially if I am about to have long stretches of time on one project.
  I log off ( or just close down)  and gt up out of my seat. Then I do something to rest my eyes and stretch my lets. I grab a drink, do some easy stretches or walks around the library to shelve or straighten some books.
  I do a 5 or 10 minute break. This gives me some time to re energize and be more  focused for accomplishing  the task at hand.
  See "The Organize Librarian" for some more  tips on organizing your day. Follow me for details on  when the print book comes out.

Stay on target- make your day easier!

Stay on Target- 
    When you are working on an activity or task, stay focused and keep your mind on the goal of finishing your task. You could use an app on your phone to track your time  if you are a big techie . ( these you start a timer when you begin and it tells you how long the task took).
    I don't use theses- I just try to stay focused and keep working .When I start a task, I try to keep working until I get to the stopping point.( either the end of the project or the end of my allotted time for the task.
   I also plan on doing something totally different or taking a bathroom break or grabbing a coffee or tea when I complete the task. I also can just take a few moments to stretch my legs, move around , or just do something to signal I am done.
  Since I am at school , most times I work on a bell to bell schedule. I try to beat the bell . Sometines I batch my tasks and get many small tasks done in one time period. ( See The Organized Librarian- very soon it will be out in print edition- watch for the announcement)  That's how I stay on target and get things done!