Massachusetts School Library Association

The Westborough Public School’s Diversity Literature Collection

11/26/2018

A woman with shoulder length brunette hair is smiling. The rest of her body is not really visible, but she is posed against a bookcase in the background.

Laura Beals D'Elia, Armstrong Elementary School Librarian

Armstrong Elementary School Library
Laura Beals D'Elia, School Librarian

It just so happened that 3 years ago when I started my position at the Armstrong Elementary School, the district also relocated the K-12 ELL Director, Maeve Hitzenbuhler, to the tiny office in my library. And it just so happened that I had been to enough of Judi Paradis’s ELL conference sessions about her relationship with her ELL staff that I knew that this was a good thing. And because we were so close to each other every day, it just so happened that Maeve and I began to talk about diversity, picture books, ELL students, and plenty of other interesting topics. And it just so happened that the following year when the building principal needed to relocate classrooms and offices that I figuratively threw myself in front of the bulldozer when he told me that he was moving Maeve’s office out of the library. I went out of my way to convince him otherwise. It worked. Well, it just so happened that all of this led to Maeve and I starting an initiative to train district staff in using diverse and inclusive picture books in their classrooms.

I had been known to occasionally pop into Maeve’s office to show her a new inclusive book I just purchased that I thought she would like. We would “Oooh” and “Ahhh” over it together. When Maeve received grant funding to be used specifically for books for her department and programs, she asked me if I had any thoughts about which books to purchase? Because I follow lots of amazing people who are tuned into diverse and inclusive literature, I sure did have lots of thoughts! In fact, I offered to put a list together and even offered to order the books through my vendor which gives me great discounts. Now every time she has access to funding for books she comes to me first.

We would often lament that we wished staff used more of these gorgeous picture books in their classrooms and that’s when we decided to offer a district course called “The Many Voices Diversity Book Club: Connect Your Curriculum to Students Through Inclusive Literature and Themes.” Everytime we offer the course, we receive funding from the district out of the PD budget to purchase more inclusive picture books. The course is a lovely combination of Maeve’s expertise in English language learning and teaching and my knowledge of inclusive children’s literature.

As a result, my library is now the proud home of the district’s Diversity Literature Collection. The books do not belong to the Armstrong library collection; they are not catalogued. Instead, I created a spreadsheet and labeled each book so that staff can visit the library and sign out any book from the collection that they would like to use. This collection will continue to grow as the relationship with my ELL Director grows. It is already a beautiful collection and I am looking forward to seeing what titles we will add in the future.

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Makerspace at McDevitt Middle School

10/23/2018

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A woman with curly dark hair is smiling. She is wearing glasses. There is a wall behind her.

Lucy Clerkin, McDevitt Middle School Librarian

McDevitt Middle School Library/ Ms. Clerkin's Tech Literacy Class

Lucy Clerkin, Librarian
Barbara Walsh, Library paraprofessional

When you have a library full of kids long before the start of the school day, it’s time to get creative, and it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. About three years ago, Library Teacher Lucy Clerkin and Library Paraprofessional Barbara Walsh, like many other library professionals, decided to build a MakerSpace. For us, that meant a space stocked with stuff mostly borrowed and found that we hoped would someday and somehow be transformed into something.

And then, three years later, it happened. There was a book, Calling All Minds: How to Think and Create Like an Inventor by Temple Grandin, a book about inventions and how they work, and a book about why things work the way they do. Calling All Minds is a book about inspiration filled with the coolest of projects including building your own marionette, creating optical illusions, and constructing your own stilts just like those I had one time in my own childhood. Calling All Minds is a book about inspiration, and it inspired us to take a look at all of the maker stuff we already had, reflect on our school values for creating safe and engaging spaces, and most of all having fun while making creativity happen.

There is a table with books in the foreground, and a table with chairs and a lamp in the background. There are also words displayed on the wall that read

Cardboard castle challenge inspiration

And then, and there was this quote: “When I was young, my mother let me use every kind of material from around the house to create my experiments from her old clothes and scarves to the cardboard inside my father’s shirts when they came back from the cleaners. That cardboard was treasure!” With that in mind, morning library cardboard challenges took shape.

Enter the Cardboard Castle Challenge.

The rules:

You can work in teams of two or more
Your castle can’t be taller than one Math Teacher Ms. Woods 5” (see photo)
Your castle can’t be wider than one Math Teacher Ms. Woods x 2: 4’ (see photo)
Use cardboard and other found objects to build your castle
Imagine, Build, Play, Share, Inspire

A student is posing with a completed cardboard castle on a table in the library.

This challenge is still in progress, and students are having a great time building their cardboard castles. As the challenge grows, we want to involve more students. Similar to the Global Cardboard Challenge project, we may add a writing and sharing element to the contest whereby students would make up a narrative to go along with their castle and share it with their school community. For now, it’s about keeping kids engaged in the library before the start of the school day.

What are you making in your library?

A group of three female presenting students are gathered around an orange basket and taking out friendship bracelets.

Thanks for stopping by. Don’t forget to grab a friendship bracelet on your way out!

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Kicking off the School Year at Algonquin Regional High School

9/16/2018

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A white female-presenting person with short, red hair is standing against a green-yellow background, wearing a beige top.

Kimberly Honey, Algonquin Regional High School Librarian

Algonquin Regional High School Library
Kimberly Honey, Librarian

And they’re off! Every year I feel like the number seven horse charging out of the gate … the start of school is a frantic pace of get the library set up, supporting teachers, and jump starting all of the programming that you dreamed about over the summer. Well, seven days in and my head is spinning, but the Algonquin library has been rocking. September is still young, but we have had wonderful opportunities to work with the English and History departments.

To invigorate their independent reading component of their curriculum, four members of the English department brought their students to the library to participate in “Biblio Speed Dating.” Students had the chance to “meet” over 60 books during their speed dating session and were able to decide if they wanted to take any on a “date.” Fun seemed to be had by all and over 200 books were checked out. I’m excited to work with teachers to develop another interactive activity to get students into the library and exposed to what we have to offer.

Three piles of books are on a table with a sign saying

Students in four English classes got a chance to "meet" more than 60 books during a "Bilbio Speed Dating" event.

This year the freshman United States History classes have been unleveled and the library is a member of the energetic PLC that is involved in the development and implementation of this curriculum shift. It is an amazing opportunity to work on a regular basis with a dedicated team of teachers to seamlessly integrate research and evaluation skills into the curriculum. It is exciting to think that library databases, reference materials, and print materials could become a natural and commonplace source for information for these students. This week all members of the freshman class participated in a big group activity in the library that had them talking about “Why Study History?” and completing an archeological dig to discuss the merits of primary and secondary sources. Next week, they will be heading down to discuss bias using resources from the Boston Massacre.

The library is building programs that will engage students and faculty outside of the classroom. Each week we host “Trivia Tuesday” before school and the winner gets a crown and a candy bar of their choice; faculty book club provides an opportunity for staff to meet and talk –our next read is “Love that Dog” by Sharon Creech; and we are in the process of implementing a Library Advisory Board which will give students a voice in program and collection development. The one program we are looking to expand this year is our Speakers Series. This program allows students to make a direction connection to what they are learning in the classroom and the “real” world we are excited about our first two speakers of the year who will talk about how their passions and advocacy drove them to start their own businesses.

There is a projector screen displaying a trivia question and four answer choices from the app Kahoot - red triangle, orange circle, blue diamond or green square. There is also a picture of Sully from Monsters, Inc.

Early morning Trivia Tuesdays help build enthusiasm and engagement with the library.

This week has been crazy and at times I’ve asked myself, “What were you thinking?”, but the energy in the space is invigorating and I have the pleasure of working with two amazing people in the library who help me keep my balance and going over the edge.

As the year unfolds, I hope you experience moments that inspire you, surround yourself with people who support you, and settle into a comfortable pace. Have a wonderful year!

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5th Grade Student News at Greenlodge Elementary School, Dedham

6/6/2018

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A woman with medium length light brown hair is posed against a gray background.

Sarah Bickel, Greenlodge Elementary Librarian

Greenlodge Elementary School Library
Sarah Bickel, Librarian

After many iterations of school announcements, we have found success (for now)! We have a great crew of fifth grade news reporters who create a weekly video called Greenlodge News. This has allowed the school to cut down on the length of morning announcements, and more importantly, gives fifth graders the chance to become news reporters! In addition to collaborating with peers to interview and write up news reports, produce a video product, and use a green screen, students are much more confident because of the experience!

How does it work?
Interested fifth graders apply to be a news reporter at the beginning of the year. Each week, four to five students work together to interview staff and students about school events. (We rotate through all students who take the application seriously. This year more than half the fifth grade class applied, so they each participate every two-ish months.) Each week I pull together a list of events and topics to start us off, but students often bring ideas of local news stories. I use “filler” news stories as needed (This Week in History, Interview a Staff Member, Book Review, Weather, Joke of the Week, etc.) to make sure that each student has two news stories each week. On Mondays, the reporters for the week decide who will report on which stories, including if they will work alone or with a partner. They have three days to write interview questions, interview people around the school, and write and edit their script in a shared GoogleDoc. Students also either take photographs or select images acceptable for re-use for their backgrounds. On Thursdays, students record each other using a green screen, and on Fridays they use the app DoInk to put the images and video clips together to create the final video. The video is then aired for the entire school to watch the following Monday.

This seems like a lot of time! How do you do it?
Working out the schedule and the time to do the work was definitely the most difficult part. Fifth grade teachers agreed to give up the few news reporters during their morning meeting time (20-30 minutes) three days a week. I don’t have a class during that morning time because students use that time to check out books, so the library is extra busy those mornings, but it’s definitely worth it! It can be difficult when students are reporting who may need extra help with the writing, but we always manage to work it out. Some students choose to continue to work during lunch, recess, after school, etc. When students apply, they agree to give up their recess two days a week on the weeks they are reporting to do the recording and editing of the video. Also, the Speech and Language Pathologist often helps. I asked her initially so that the video would still happen even when I was out for a day, but having another person to help is great, and she often practices the speaking with her students who do the reporting.

What technology do you use?
I got a green screen and iPad adapter for a tripod for filming. (I was lucky that my principal agreed to pay for the green screen this year. Before that, I just hung up a green tablecloth from the Dollar Store, so you really don’t need anything fancy.) I recommend a microphone to better pick up the sound, though ours is super old so I don’t recommend that specific one. I project the GoogleDoc script on the board so students aren’t looking down at a paper while reading, which is nice but not necessary. We record the video clips on the iPad, and then use the app DoInk to put the video clips and images together. DoInk is only $2.99 and is easy to use once you’ve figured it out (directions here). Once the video is finished, I put it in my GoogleDrive and share it with the staff. The school watches it during lunch once a week, and it’s also put on the school website so that kids can share the videos with their families at home.
Do you have anything I can use that might help me get started?
Absolutely! I’ve attached many documents I created that I use for the process. Feel free to edit and use as you’d like. And if you have any questions I haven’t answered, please reach out to me!

Application Form
Student Introduction
Weekly News Schedule
News Report Checklist
End of Year Reflection -- I haven’t actually done this yet. My plan for the last edition is to record students sharing some type of reflection about the experience, and to include a compilation of these along with bloopers from the year. Ask me how it went in a few weeks!

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Banned Books Week at Stoneham High School

5/10/2018

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A blond woman with a bob style haircut looks over her shoulder. The image appears to have been taken at dusk.

Stoneham High School Librarian Alison Connelly

Stoneham High School Library
Allison Connelly, Librarian

I thought I’d share my experience from this past fall on the expansion of our yearly banned book week display to include an activity. We've been doing banned book displays for several years, and have invited teachers to bring their classes down to the library to take a look, but we’d never had a request to teach a class on banned books. I assumed no one had time with their jammed packed High School English curriculum to do it.

Books are arranged on a table wrapped in brown paper with a caution stamp across the front. There is also a tiered display that looks like flames popping out behind an explanation of the banned books display.

Banned Books Display at Stoneham High School Library

Well, was I wrong! After a teacher asked if I could include a discussion on banned books during her class visit, I thought "why not take it to the next level and include a fun activity?" And so Banned Book Bingo was created! This has been a hit with classes from freshmen to seniors, challenged learners to AP students.

Here’s how it works:

After a brief introductory explanation on what Banned Book Week is, why it's important and how we handle a challenged book here at school, students were given a few minutes to walk around and look at the displayed books. They were then asked to return to their seats and form teams at each table. Each team got a laminated bingo card with the covers of banned books (each card is slightly different) and a set of small cut up pieces of paper for bingo markers. I then picked a paper on which I had written a brief description of a banned/challenged book and an explanation of why it was challenged or banned from a basket. Students had a minute or two to guess the title, and I added more hints if needed. Once they knew the title, they looked at their bingo sheet to see if they had the book cover on their bingo sheet. If they did, they placed a maker on that cover. The first team to get a row of banned books wins a goofy bookmark for each member.

Three tables are set up in a U shape - there are signs explaining why each book was banned behind each book on the table, as well as tiered displays with fake flames.

Banned Books Week Display

Laminated bingo sheets with the covers of various banned books

Gameboards and other materials needed for Banned Books Bingo

I asked the classes if they wanted to keep playing and they always said "YES!" This was a lot of fun for students and helped to create interest around the subject of banned books and censorship. The feedback from teachers was great, and we are looking forward to doing it again next year!

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Happenings at the Concord-Carlisle Regional High School Learning Commons

3/29/2018

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Three people are dressed up in Halloween costumes. The woman on the left side is dressed as a witch, the man in the middle is dressed as a ship captain, and the woman on the right is dressed as a cheerleader.

From left to right: CCHS Head Librarian Robin Cicchetti, Assistant Librarian Max Close, and Assistant Librarian Lou Ann Franke in their Halloween costumes.

Concord-Carlisle Regional High School Learning Commons
Dr. Robin Cicchetti, Head Librarian

The Concord-Carlisle Regional High School Learning Commons is a busy place! For the past ten years we have conducted head counts once per block, and our data tells us that last year we hosted 65,718 student visits, not counting visiting class or before/after school activities. Our lively after school club program, overseen by library assistant Max Close, runs until 5pm daily.

The Learning Commons program has been focusing on three initiatives, each chosen to support an aspect of the school improvement plan. The work links to a partnership that began two years ago with Challenge Success, an organization dedicated to helping school communities regain a “more balanced and academically fulfilling life” for students. A large part of this includes helping students build stress management skills and strategies.

Combating Student Stress
Our monthly coloring contests have been an incredible hit with students. Library assistants Lou Ann Franke chooses the monthly theme and has a folder where students can store their work until it is finished. At the end of the month all are displayed and students vote for their favorite. It is an easy, fun activity that students enjoy, builds community, and gives them a fun and relaxing activity during their busy day.

Three coloring pages that have been completed are displayed in plastic stands. The image is of a jack o'lantern with the words

Monthly coloring contests provide a fun way to de-stress and build community.

We also have an “old school” white board where students respond to various themed prompts. This began earlier in the fall when students were discussing their mood and the coming week. They collaborated with the library assistants and posted the prompt “How are you feeling?” The data (displayed as a Wordle) gathered from this action research clearly indicated that students characterized their mood as stressed. November’s prompt focused on thankfulness (it was nice to have it featured on the school Instagram account), and December asks them about their wishes for 2018.

Different words to display student feelings are digitally written on a black background. The most prominent words are stressed, excited, and tired.

Data gathered from a whiteboard prompt about "how are you feeling?" revealed that students feel stressed and overwhelmed.

November's themed prompt: what are you thankful for?

Academic Integrity
Another aspect of Challenge Success and our School Improvement Plan is academic integrity. Revisiting our old policies and procedures made it clear that it was time for an update. Two years ago I worked with a colleague to do a review of peer schools and make a recommendation for updates to the CCHS policy and procedure. The proposal is now making its way through the academic departments for feedback and will be implemented next year. The biggest change is a switch from punitive language and rigid consequences for plagiarism, to a growth model that supports students in acquiring skills. Consequences for a 9th grader who is still working on the nuances of in-text citation should be different than those of an upper classmen with a high similarity match on Turn It In that indicates intentional plagiarism. The slide deck that outlines our process can be found here. (Shout out and thanks to Weston High School! We really liked the way they chose positive, aspirational language and used academic integrity as a way to describe their community. We found that inspirational.)

Fostering a Reading Culture
One of our school goals is fostering a reading culture throughout our community. Not just for our students, but for our faculty as well. We started the initiative two summers ago with an optional faculty summer reading activity that was subsidized by our Parent Association during the first year. It was designed to build buy-in to the idea of a shared reading culture and has found an enthusiastic core that encompasses members from all departments. Our discussion groups have met in private homes for dinner, during lunch blocks during the school day, and the most recent met at a local restaurant. We were all amazed at how many people go out on a school night! Students have been invited to participate and this remains an area of growth for the program. We are leveraging our Advisory program to build interest. We chose titles using a thematic approach that gave people flexibility in choice and the potential for a broad discussion with many access points.

2015-16
Brown, Daniel James. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. New York, Penguin Books, 2014.
Doerr, Anthony. All the Light We Cannot See. Scribner export ed., New York [etc.], Scribner, 2015.

2016-17
Adichie, Chimamanda Ngozi. Americanah. 2017 ed., New York, Alfred A. Knopf, 2017.
Coates, Ta-Nehisi. Between the World and Me. New York, Random House Publishing Group, 2015.
Hobbs, Jeff. The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League. New York, Scribner, 2014.

2017-18 (no thematic approach)
Vance, J. D. Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis. New York, Harper, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 2016.
Whitehead, Colson. The Underground Railroad. New York, Doubleday, 2016.

This coming summer we will be working on a One School, One Question program. A student and faculty panel will be formed to solicit recommendations. The final selections will hopefully mark a true transition to a school-wide, shared, reading culture.

Participating in the Commonwealth eBook Collection helps broaden access to reading materials for students.

The Commonwealth eBook Collection has been a cornerstone of our efforts to continue to innovate and build access to reading to our students and faculty. We actively promote it before vacations and it is gaining a solid following. Many are especially appreciative of the audio book selections for long rides.

Keeping our students at the front of our planning, tightly aligned to our school goals, is helping us achieve our vision for our program.

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Graphic Novel Unit at the Fenn School, Concord

2/20/2018

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A woman with shoulder-length dark hair is posed against a blurred background of trees. She is wearing blue earrings, a black pearl necklace, and a magenta top.

Liza Halley, Library Teacher, Fenn School

Fenn School Library
Liza Halley, Library Teacher
Sam Kane, Library Director

Teaching graphic novels is a great passion of mine. The following is a brief overview of a graphic novel unit for fourth grade students at the Fenn School in Concord. What follows is an explanation of how the unit was structured, what I learned from the experience and tools you can use if you decide to try something like this in your own library.

Over the course of the unit, here are some essential questions students considered and answered:

What can we learn from author interviews?
How can we take down information from a video?
What can we learn from author interviews?
How can we take down information from a Q & A on a Website?
What elements distinguish a graphic novel as a genre?
How do we tell stories in the sequential art format?

The unit unfolded in the following sessions:

KWL. Panels and Story Arcs. Brainstorming our own comics. Reflection.
A closer look at panels - Independent work examining a selection of books, looking at panels as communication. Work on our own creations. Reflection.
View Padlet - Author Interviews. Note taking. Work on our own creations. Reflection.
View Padlet - Author Q & A on Author Websites. Note Taking. Work on our own creations. Reflection.
Sharing our Creations. Summing up our learning.

Two boys bend over their worksheets to work on their graphic novels.

Students work on their graphic novel project.

A student's worksheet featuring planning details for their graphic novel.

A student's planning sheet for their graphic novel.

Looking back over the unit, I would do almost everything the same way again with next year’s fourth graders. As usual, I wish I had more time each session, especially to be able to share more graphic novel shorts - like the stories in Comic Squad. I had wanted to read aloud the stories on the projector each week and discuss what each artist/writer was doing with panels and their story telling, but we did not have enough time to do that and also accomplish the other goals.

It was so inspiring to see the students’ work and the spark of excitement in their eyes. The boys were allowed to work alone or in pairs to complete a story. I was loose about the finished product - some boys practiced using panels and working on expression and story arcs while others were determined to tell a full story/ The unit allowed me to get to know the boys and their personalities better.

Next time I think I would set some parameters about the stories - for instance, while I said no guns, there was still a fair amount of violence in some of the stories. Like the Comic Squad books, I would pick a theme, like School Recess or Lunchtime and have students try to build a story around that.

A male-presenting student is sitting at a table. He has a pencil in one hand and is looking at a graphic novel. There is a worksheet next to the book. The student appears deep in thought.

A student examines a graphic novel while planning his own work.

Below you will see some letters the students wrote to the students coming in next year. For our early finishers, I had students write letters of advice to future students based on what they learned. This was a nice way for them to synthesize their learning.

Dear Fourth Graders,
Here’s some tips on how to make a good comic book. Add a lot of humor (my comic had some potty humor). Only put in details on one or two people. You always need for other people to understand your setting. Doodle a lot and then pick one of your doodles and turn that picture into a super great story!
Jack P

Dear Fourth Graders,
One tip I would give to you is put some expression in your picture, to make the person look real. Also, make your thought bubble surround what’s happening in it. That is some advice for graphic novels.
Tyler B

Dear Fourth Graders,

READ! That’s the main step. If you read a lot, you can get ideas on stories. Then work on handwriting and pictures. DOODLE. That can make you better at drawings and it could give you ideas.

Liam K

Dear Fourth Graders,

Graphic novels are one of the most fun things in library. Here are some things to keep in mind.

Don’t always make panels the same size. Make them bigger or smaller for different things.
Try to add some funniness in your books. It makes it much better.

Henry G

Dear Fourth Graders,
Some advice I have for you is think about your favorite things and favorite animals then maybe put them together. Second, read other graphic novels to see what they are like.
Xavi W

Here are the Materials Needed:

Pencils
A range of panel templates.
Folders for each student to keep their work in each week.

Online Resources Used

Padlet: graphic novelists’ websites with Q & A
Padlet: online interviews with graphic novelists
Comic Pages Printable Paper
Lotsie Tutorial Panel Variations
Panels as communication
Google Slideshow created for the entire unit using Slides Carnival

Liza Halley is one of the library teachers at the Fenn School, an all boys private school, grades 4 - 9, in Concord, MA. She can be reached at lhalley@fenn.org.

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Robotics at Norwood Elementary School Libraries

1/13/2018

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A woman with curly brown hair is pictured against an outdoor background of trees. She is smiling and wearing a pale purple top.

Donna Miller, Norwood Public Schools

Norwood Elementary Schools
Oldham Elementary (Donna Miller)
Balch Elementary (Lora Roberts)
Callahan Elementary (Aaron Reuland)
Cleveland Elementary (Annmarie Higgins)

We four elementary library teachers (Donna Miller, Lora Roberts, Aaron Reuland, Annmarie Higgins) in Norwood have started using various robots in our library programs to teach coding and computational thinking in our library programs. Last year we started with BeeBots in the lower grades.

In the spring we presented our tech dept with a proposal for additional robots. Over the summer, they purchased a class set of Sphero. We will be rotating both the BeeBots and the Spheros through the five schools throughout the year. We are using the Spheros with our 4th and 5th grades which was spearheaded by Aaron Reuland, who recently presented to our school committee.

Two students bend over a chart with squares drawn on it. There are yellow cards with directional arrows laid out on the grid and one student holds a Bee Bot robot in their hands. They are attempting to direct the robot to the target.

Second grade students laying out the “code” for BeeBots.

Four students surround a piece of paper with a black path drawn on it. They are attempting to program the Ozobot robot to knock down some bowling pins.

Students using the Ozobots - creating a path for it to travel using color codes to adjust speed and direction. They are also creating a path to knock down the bowling pins.

In addition, we wrote a grant and received multiple sets of Ozobots so that each school has a set to use. We are launching these this year with our third grade students. This year is a learning year for all of us as we incorporate these into our curriculum and brainstorm ways to get teachers using them as well. Student response has been very enthusiastic.

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Podcasting and Media Production at Winthrop School

12/8/2017

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A woman with black hair is wearing glasses. She is taking a close-up selfie of herself.

Karen Sekiguchi, Winthrop School Librarian

Winthrop School Library
Librarian: Karen Sekiguchi

In the 2016-2017 school year, Winthrop School, a PreK-5 elementary school in Ipswich, purchased new computers and podcasting equipment to create a media production center in the library. Winthrop has encouraged content creation vs. consumption over the years by providing cameras of all types to students and teachers, but the school did not have a dedicated space for working on multimedia projects.

Last year, as we discussed possible locations for our studio, we decided that it should be in a place where the equipment could be left out as an open invitation for anyone, students or teachers, to use. Since Winthrop School was built in the 1950s, long before media production for all was a possibility, our space choices were limited. Closets and offices were considered but ruled out because they were taken, or small, or lacking in outlets. The library turned out to be our best option, but for many reasons, it was not the ideal location.

The Winthrop library is a 1600 sq ft space used by many groups throughout the day. It is noisy and busy and filled-to-the-brim with furniture and books. (Did I mention the giant plants/trees?) However, we had to make it work. First, we moved out twelve desktop computers that took up an entire section of our limited floor plan. Then we cleaned out shelves and storage bins. Then we moved a tree. Then we selected one of our round library tables to be used as the podcasting center. Finally, we set up our new 25” screens/computers (one PC and one Mac) where the desktops had been. Voila, production “studio.”

A sound mixing board sits on a table surrounded by multiple microphones and headphones. They are on a round table. There are book cases in the background.

Four Shure microphones and Tascam headphones

Yes, it’s noisy and part of the main space, and sometimes you can hear voices in the background of our podcasts even if we ask for “quiet on the set.” Fortunately, some audio problems can be fixed in Audacity, the free program we use to mix the recordings.

Since last May when the studio opened, we’ve completed several interesting projects. During library classes we’ve recorded a podcast series for our digital citizenship unit. Teachers have recorded podcasts to model writing assignments for their students. Students have read and recorded their essays and research. This year, we are asking students to visit the studio to record original songs and poetry or readers’ theater. We are enthusiastically open for business!

While I have been the one recording and mixing the podcasts so far, I have started to train teachers and students who can run their own sessions. We are actively promoting podcasting to all grades. Our principal and school nurse have been training students to film and edit, and several film and green screen projects have been completed so far this year, both during school and in after-school clubs.

Two desktop computers sit on tables with two chairs in front of them. There is a backdrop of blue, yellow and green flowers in the background.

Mixing Station in close proximity to the circulation desk

A sound mixing board is on a table with a microphone and headphones in front of it.

Mackie ProFX12 mixing board

We’ve learned that a media studio doesn’t have to be fancy--in our case it’s an open corner in the library--but it does help to have a welcoming attitude and a willingness to try something new. In the short time since we’ve opened our (non-existent) doors, the media studio has brought more traffic to the library and has allowed for more interaction and collaboration between the librarian and classroom teachers. It has empowered both students and teachers to be creators, and as more teachers have realized its potential, use of the new equipment has continued to grow. In a short time, the media studio has become a real game changer, not only for the library, but for the entire school.

Three signs on shiny silver paper are set up trifold style on a table. The middle sign reads make a podcast ask us how. The left sign reads do you have a question? And the right hand sign reads podcast station.

Signs encourage conversations about podcasting

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Library Renovation at Lunenburg Middle-High School Library

10/27/2017

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A woman is standing in front of a house wearing sunglasses. She has long, curly, dark hair, and is wearing a scarf around her neck.

Lunenburg Middle-High School Librarian Pam Vallee

Lunenburg Middle-High School Library
Librarian: Pamela Vallee

The new Lunenburg Middle-High School library opened in August 2016 and includes a sunny room of comfy chairs, outdoor seating, a Media Cafe, library classroom, and lots of group work spaces. The new library is gorgeous and spacious, and my goal has been to transform the empty space into a welcoming library shared by all students in grades 6 through 12. I have been the Lunenburg High School library media specialist since October 2000, and this is my second year as both the middle and high school library media specialist. Although it has been a challenge trying to assist so many students and teachers, I realize I am uniquely situated to know and reach every student in the building.

Tall red chairs sit in front of tall square tables in front of a whiteboard and wall-mounted projector.

The Media Café

Purple chairs are placed in front of tables on top of a red carpet. There are two whiteboards and wall-mounted projectors in the room as well.

The library classroom

A row of three metal tables with attached seats outside the library

The outdoor seating area

Green and blue armchairs sit in a sunny window area with a red carpet and some small tables

The popular "comfy chair" area

Moving into a new library meant deciding where collections would be located and unpacking hundreds of boxes. I placed fiction books near high traffic areas to attract attention. The high school fiction was placed near the “comfy chair” room, while the middle school fiction was located near the library entrance. Nonfiction books follow the fiction collections, with a reference section acting as the buffer between the two school collections.

Rows of empty bookcases sit in the new library space. There are low cases and higher cases.

Empty bookcases waiting for books!

Rows of boxes are stacked on top of each other. They contain library books waiting to be unpacked.

Boxes waiting to be unpacked!

A shared online Destiny catalog meant that I needed to indicate whether a book belonged to the high school or the middle school collection, and this required recataloging and adding new spine labels to all middle school books. I decided to go ahead and place the middle school fiction into genres, labeling each genre with colorful signage and each book with color-coded labels. Knowing I would be really busy managing the library myself, I thought using genres would make finding a good book easier for students. New middle school books are added into the genres as they arrive. I started adding the color-coded labels to some of the high school fiction, but those books remain in author rather than genre order. After organizing the middle school books into genres, I realized that students often ask for help determining the order of books in a series. So I decided to start a series labeling project using a label maker that allows for different patterns. This way I could indicate different series for the same author within a genre. And of course the project would not be complete without a series tracking spreadsheet indicating which books are available in either the middle or high school collections, which collections were missing books from series, and which books I needed to order next.

A book case with books in the sports genre

Genrefied Middle School fiction

A close up view of books in a series with special labels to denote series order

Labeling series within a genre

A female student is standing behind a desk covering a new book with protective film

Library volunteer Jill works to cover a new book

I could never manage without the help of my amazing student assistants. Last year, seniors Claudia and Sarah helped cover and process hundreds of new books for both the middle school and high school collections. This year, senior Shawn has helped reorganize library spaces, provide tech support for students and teachers, and assist me with library activities. Juniors Jung Chen and Jung Hsuan volunteer after school organizing the shelves and library spaces. And junior Jill has been a lifesaver volunteering during her studies to shelve books, help students find books, and cover new books.

I am continuously writing library curriculum for my new middle school classes, testing out lessons and activities, and revising after reflection. Students participate in Book Speed Dating to learn about genres, create word clouds to represent themselves visually, team up to solve complicated puzzles in BreakoutEDU activities, work on source evaluation and advanced searching skills, learn how to find print and digital resources for research, and hopefully discover that the library is a fun place for learning, creativity and collaboration. Plus students think it’s cool that I can check books in and out using an app on my phone

Three students (one female and two males) are clustered around a worksheet on a table. They are using a UV pen to try and solve the puzzle.

Students trying to BreakOut of the library

Tables are covered with books for a speed dating event

Books laid out for speed dating

I also have a close-knit senior high school advisory that meets in the Media Cafe. Each week we plan a fun activity such as carving pumpkins, participating in cupcake wars, and playing very competitive Scattergories. I am really going to miss them when they graduate.

A group of students sits at tables carving pumpkins

Students carving pumpkins during Senior Advisory

We are all still settling into the new library spaces, both physical and virtual. High school students engaged in Virtual High School courses use the library as their classroom, and teachers reserve the library spaces for group projects and research assignments. Students, teachers and administrators constantly visit the library for books, space to work, and technology assistance. I am in the process of rebuilding the library website to provide better access to print and digital resources. I hope to promote reading through displays and online programs, and encourage students to recommend books that should be added to the collections. More and more teachers seek out library resources to support research and projects. But most importantly, I want all students in grades 6 through 12 to feel welcome coming to the library to discover a great book, find help with research, and learn something new.

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Library Internship Program at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School

9/18/2017

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Two women pose in front of a book case. One is blonde and wearing a denim jacket over a coral colored top. The other is a brunette wearing a black dress with a gray sweater on top.

Librarian Amy McHugh and senior intern Katie Wrobel

Cape Cod Regional Technical High School
Librarian: Amy McHugh

Is there anything better than a win-win? Not at Cape Cod Regional Technical High School’s Library, which is hosting its second year of a pilot library internship for students. Student interns were put to work after brainstorming ways to get reliable helpers who would understand all aspects of the job and be a consistent presence in the library. The results have been fantastic.

For years, students asked to work in the library during their lunch, but the small snippets of time didn’t allow me to teach more in-depth tasks. Allowing a full period for students to intern in the library instead of going to gym (we are a technical school) seemed as though it would be beneficial not only for myself, who was drowning in books, but also for students who could learn valuable skills.

The program started small, with two juniors and two seniors who worked different periods of the day. All were voracious readers who I believed would benefit from the experience of learning the science behind how the library operates. The students I asked were highly motivated and interested in learning about the library rather than just using it as a place to hang out (and get out of gym!). The screening process was a series of questions focused on their interests and expectations of the position, as well as their current knowledge about copyright, patron confidentiality, and the way the library is organized. This digital document was used as a pre-assessment for my SMART GOAL, which focused on student proficiency/mastery of various responsibilities as a library intern. My professional practice goal centered on creating curriculum, units, and lessons for the intern program.

It’s been a worthwhile investment to train each of them in all areas of the library, such as circulation, book processing, maintaining a blog, shelving books, website design and upkeep, and writing book reviews. The variety of students’ interest suited the positions in that one gravitated toward organizing the books and putting them away. Another student favored circulation and learning the Library World circulation system well. A journalism student created her own page on the library’s website and loved finding book trailers and book quotes to share with other readers, as well as writing reviews and asking students for feedback.

As with any class, certain students are better at self directing than others. However, all interns have been receptive to direction. Cell phone issues and talking to friends when in the library have not once been a problem. Many have helped students in the library, which has made them feel knowledgeable and also empowered them to do more and try more.

A female student is moving a cart full of books

Intern Katie Wrobel is in charge of helping with routine library tasks.

We established a routine of first checking in and determining what areas are in most need. There is a list of tasks, such as checking in books, putting books away, going through the local weekly papers for any mention of our school, and cataloging books that are always ongoing, so sometimes the book drop remains full and a beautiful science fiction display is created. Some students like to plan their week and break it down by what they want done by what day. The projects that are met with the most enthusiasm are the creative ones, but I did have a student last year who loved putting books away! Senior Kate Wrobel is determined to have our library organized by genre. She’s already started to break it down.

Wrobel agrees that the experience in the library been worthwhile. “I’ve become much better with my organizational skills and I love being able to help students find a book that they’ll like to read. I’ve also learned about the Dewey System and where everything goes. I love working in the library,” she said.

The success of the program has me wondering why I didn’t do it sooner. It is a wonderful way to get to know students better, something that I missed when I left the English classroom. The intern program has freed me to work on curriculum, research projects, teacher collaboration, and other professional responsibilities that were tricky to juggle with no help. I’m looking forward to another year with the program and meeting students who are ready for a win/win!

A female student works on shelving books.

Intern Katie Wrobel works on genrefying and shelving books.

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Creative Technology Center at Winchester High School

6/22/2017

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A dark haired woman with shoulder-length hair smiles at the camera

Winchester High School Librarian Andrea Zampitella

Winchester High School Learning Commons
Librarian: Andrea Zampitella

The Winchester High School Creative Technology Center is a place in the WHS Library for students and staff to come together, share ideas and come up with creative problem-solving solutions. The room is designed to be flexible – with mobile furniture. The space is a combination of a lab, workshop and collaborative conference space which can be utilized by students and staff from different content areas, fostering a multidisciplinary way of thinking, and learning. This student-driven, creative space is equipped with tools that will help to aid students into hands-on learning approaches. Our goal is to help students to acquire collaborative strategies, critical thinking skills, and technical competencies in order to become independent life-long learners. The space is equipped with high end technology such as Mac workstations, HD video cameras, green screen, 3-D printers,and a sound studio with mixing boards, audio software and microphones. The Creative Technology center is research driven and encourages work at the intersection of culture, education, design and technology.

This year, ITS Specialist Kathleen Grace, Art Teacher Paul Hackett and I developed the CTC Lecture and workshop series. The idea behind the lecture series is to engage students and staff through presentations and workshops that cross the boundaries of disciplines and include creative uses of technology. In addition, students developed their own research projects.

A group of students work at tables to create wearable tech. Some students are seated, others are standing. There are containers and supplies all over the tables, and a book on how to create wearable tech.

Students work on creating wearable electronics during a workshop with Deren Guler.

A student shows off their wearable tech creation - a bracelet that lights up.

A student shows off their wearable electronics creation.

One student used the Xbox Kinect to create gesture controlled music. By utilizing multiple platforms and reaching out to developers she was able to successfully utilize a combination of software to produce gesture controlled sound.

A computer screen illustrating the blue and green image of a person moving on one side and the sound waves generated on the other.

Students used the XBox Kinect to create gesture controlled music as part of an original research project.

Students also had the opportunity to work with Broadway producer and expert on the interactive projection software Isadora, Jared Mezzocchi. The CTC obtained a copy of Isadora and students were able to customize projections. These project-based learning opportunities allow students to question, research and complete independent projects using technology found in the CTC.

Three students hold up pieces of paper with projections of a Native American icon.

A multicolored digital display of an eye

Students learned how to use Isadora, an interactive presentation software, to project images onto objects.

A computer screen demonstrating how to program the Isadora software

Students attended a series of workshops given by Musical Mad Scientist, Andrew Hylnski on Abelton Live Software. During these lectures students learned how to effectively use the Ableton Live software and also learned about the physics of sound. Students have been using their new knowledge to create a score called The Sounds of Winchester High School.

A man stands in front of a whiteboard that has an image explaining the physics of sound waves.

Learning about the physics of sound with Andrew Hylnski at a CTC workshop

CTC students also created the Shrek Dragon for the school play. Students researched, designed, and built a 10 foot dragon puppet to be used in this years production of Shrek. Art and engineering skills were needed in constructing the dragon puppet.

A group of students poses on stairs holding a ten foot long pink dragon puppet.

CTC students pose with the 10-foot dragon puppet constructed for the production of Shrek.

We were able to run the following lectures and workshops:

Brian Knepp (11/9/16)- Lecture media artist whose works range from large-scale interactive installations to microscopic sculptures.
Deren Guler (11/23/16)- Wearable Electronics Workshop
Jared Mezzocchi - Improv Workshop using Isadora software
Nathalie Miebach (3/8/17) - Lecture on intersection of art and science and the visual articulation of scientific observations using traditional basket weaving techniques
Jeff Lieberman (2/16/17) - Host Time Warp on the Discovery channel. Lecture combining his passions for art and science in ways that reveal how one influences the other.
Regie Gibson and the Speakeasy Project- Shakespeare to Hip-Hop Authorfest
Andrew Hylnski - Ableton Live Workshops - Music and the physics of sound
Dr. Mukai (5/6/17)- Lecture on Ophthalmology and iPhone Apps

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Makerspace at Lynnfield High School Library Media Center

5/18/2017

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A blonde woman in a purple top holds a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird.

Lynnfield High Librarian Janice Alpert

Lynnfield High School Library Media Center
Librarian: Janice Alpert

For the high school makerspace, I have been working on monthly challenges or seminars to spark interest and foster creativity. In September, we hosted Jose Gomez-Marques from MIT. Jose worked with three different LHS science classes where he taught students about paper fluidity using ampli kits, and explained how medical devices such as nebulizers and epipens work using hands-on demonstrations.

A blue poster advertising a presentation by Jose Gomez-Marquez, a designer of practical medical devices for poor countries.

Welcoming José Gómez-Márquez to the Lynnfield High Makerspace

Two girls work with Mr. Gomez-Marquez in the library. There is a device on the floor and one girl is holding a controller in her hand.

Students engage in hands-on work with visiting presenter José Gómez-Márquez.

During October, students were challenged to create post-it art with a Halloween theme. The post-it art decorated all the windows in the library media center. Our math teacher offered extra credit if students found the area of their design.

A girl stands in front of the library door holding her laptop. Her laptop has a planned image of her artwork, and a black cat made of Post-Its decorates the side of the door behind her.

A student showcases her planned and finished Post-It artwork for the Halloween-themed maker challenge.

For February, we had one of our staff members host a chocolate seminar. Students dipped oreos, pretzels, and marshmallows into gooey chocolate goodness and topped it off with sprinkles and heart toppers. While students sampled their creations, they were taught about the chemistry of chocolate.

Three girls take turns dipping food into melted chocolate.

Students enjoy making sweet treats during the Valentine's Day maker activity.

A presenter teaches a group of girls about the chemistry of chocolate.

Learning about the chemistry of chocolate.

March's challenge was a green screen photo challenge were students used the green screen to create either a St. Patrick's Day or a March Madness Video.

A poster advertising a March Madness Green Screen Video competition for the March Makerspace activity.

Calling all filmmakers for the March Makerspace Activity!

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Teen Tech Squad at Hingham High

4/24/2017

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A blonde woman with short hair stands in a library.

Hingham High School Library Teacher Katy Gallagher

Library Teacher: Katy Gallagher
Hingham High School Library Media Center

The Hingham Tech Squad is a student-centered solution for school-wide technology integration. Students involved in this program learn how to use existing educational technologies, as well as how to evaluate and make informed selections among the technologies available to complete a task or project. Students not only learn technology skills but also crucial 21st century skills, such as planning and collaboration. They learn how to help teachers integrate technology into classroom lessons, how to use school technology, and how to provide tech support. The Hingham Tech Squad members work with teachers throughout the school to plan tech-infused lesson or provide tech support. The result is an authentic project-based learning experience for the students and sustainable technology support for the teachers. Math Teacher Sarah Coughlin created the program 4 years ago and continues to teach this popular elective.

A group of seven high school students, five boys and two girls, pose with their teacher. The students are part of the teen tech squad. They are showing off their custom t-shirts. The boys are standing and the girls are on the floor with their teacher.

Highham Tech Squad students pose with teacher Sarah Coughlin (bottom right)

After completing the Tech Squad course students are invited to join the Tech Squad Help Desk, based in the school library. Tech Squad Help Desk Students are on call during their assigned period to field in-the-moment technical issues happening throughout the building. Teachers know to call the library extension if an issue arises with technology during a class. Library staff communicates the need to the Help Desk Student and sends the student to the classroom. This format is extremely helpful to teachers whether the issue is equipment failure, software compatibility issues or technology set up and break down. Knowing there is someone to call for support when something goes wrong puts teachers at ease in terms of trying new technology. Help Desk students also manage library equipment delivery throughout the building (50 Chromebooks, projectors, etc.), the library desktop computers (11PCs and 4 Macs), and train teachers on new technology during teacher prep time. During any down time Help Desk student take technology based online courses through Alison.com, which are self paced. Future plans include a Maker Space in the library to be managed and operated by the Tech Squad and Tech Squad Help Desk students, which will provide students in the program with experience developing curriculum and training for the technologies within the Maker Space, in addition to acting as on demand support for student and teacher users throughout the day.

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Teen Tech Week at Needham High School

3/12/2017

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A woman with long brown hair and glasses stands in front of a sign saying

Needham High School Librarian Paige Rowse

Librarian: Paige Rowse
Needham High School Library

Inspired by the American Library Association’s Teen Tech Week, Needham High School is hosting our second annual Teen Tech Week program! We have a number of tech-related activities available for student participation both in the library and beyond. It is our hope that students will engage with new technology in a meaningful way as well as think more conscientiously about how they engage with technology and social media every day. This year, we are taking that a step further by embracing this year’s ALA theme of “Be the source of change”. Collaboration is a key component for success in our daily workshops and weeklong activities.

Overall, this program is a result of collaborating beyond the library that includes the technology center and the Da Vinci Workshop (a hands-on engineering and technology tinkerlab where students explore robotics, 3D printing, laser cutting, and more). Together, we planned Teen Tech Week activities such as the TTW Scavenger Hunt (linked here) wherein students earn points based on the activities selected. Following @TheNHSLibrary on twitter or downloading the YALSA Teen Book Finder app is worth 5 points each, whereas more complex tasks such as creating a bookish meme or a library PSA video are worth more. Students have the week to earn as many points in the hunt as possible. Thanks to a donation from our Parent-Teacher Committee, we are able to provide Amazon, Google Play, or iTunes gift cards as prizes to students who earn the most points in the Teen Tech Week Scavenger Hunt.

The image is divided in three. On top are two signs reading

Teen Tech Week at Needham High features a variety of activities

One of our more popular components of Teen Tech Week is the History of Technology exhibits on display throughout the library space. My open email to the staff requesting donations of old technology received an overwhelming response. Turns out people are reluctant to throw away ancient tech, but are thrilled to donate it to the library! I was amazed by the variety and age of some of the pieces including Brownie cameras from the 1940s and a still-working Apple IIGS. The faculty and staff have also been drawn to the exhibits and find endless entertainment in watching students try to boot up the computer, put a disc in the drive, panic when the drive cranks, and attempt to navigate basic prompts and document interface.

Images from the historic look at technology exhibit, including old computers, old iPods, CD players, an old camera, and a vintage Nintendo game system.

History of Technology Exhibit for Teen Tech Week

Each day, we offer Teen Tech Week Workshops during lunch periods with the collaboration of student clubs. Our goal is to have a club ‘adopt’ a day to organize and lead. Ideally, the club is responsible for creating the activity of the day and can use the opportunity to promote their club. We have worked with the Robotics Club, the Environmental Club, the “Choose-to-be-Nice” Club, several programming clubs There is always at least one adult available to ensure the students have everything they need. We also have a small group of student tech leaders who are familiar with the workshop topic to help. Depending on the clubs involved, some workshops have changed from last year and some remained the same. Workshops from this year and last include:

Tech Crafts: LED bookmarks and circuit-marker cards
Tech Dismantle: guiding students in disassembling a desktop Mac retired a few years ago
Robotics: showcase of student-made robots and opportunity for students to control them
Makey Makeys: available for students to explore circuits by connecting food to the computer to ‘play’ as game controllers or digital instruments
Code: playing games with students to learn concepts in coding
Virtual Reality: using iPods, Google Cardboard, and a variety of VR apps to explore the real world as well as the fantastical world
3D Printer and Laser Cutter: hosting students in the Da Vinci Workshop to tinker and create a personalized item
Solar Energy: showcase of student-built solar powered charging station

Several images of students doing multiple technology-centric activities combined into one image.

Students get to engage in a variety of activities during Teen Tech Week.

We are continually striving to make improvements. The Technology Integration Specialist was awarded a grant for a 360-degree camera which will allow us to make our own virtual reality videos. We are also adding a social media component by promoting the hashtag of #sparkchange to highlight how students are already living the theme: be the source of change. We have designed signs (linked here) that say “I #sparkchange by…” that students can complete with how they affect change in their world. The “Choose to be Nice” Club will be taking pictures of students holding these signs which will also be posted in the student lobby. When assembled together, the signs create an image of Needham High School with the text “Needham High School - Let’s #sparkchange!”

Each year, we reflect on how to make improvements to the Teen Tech Week program, especially in terms of increasing student participation and ensuring that each year’s program is engaging and fresh. We are always excited to connect with other educators and would love suggestions on how to make our Teen Tech Week program stronger!

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February Spotlight: Harry Potter Book Day at Holten-Richmond Middle School

2/13/2017

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Two women standing in front of a chocolate fountain in a library. One is younger, with longer hair, and the other is wearing a dark t-shirt, and has shorter, dark hair.

Holten-Richmond School Librarian Sarah Woo (right) and public librarian Michelle Deschene-Warren (left).

Librarian: Sarah Woo
Holten-Richmond Middle School Library Website

At Holten-Richmond Middle School in Danvers, we are lucky to have a very strong, ongoing, collaborative relationship with the public library. Michelle Deschene-Warren, Head of Youth Services at Peabody Institute Library (PIL) in Danvers, and I work on many projects together. We are grateful that our flexible schedules - along with a flexible principal and director - allow us to fit in collaborative time to help us meet the challenging and changing needs of our students.

We develop the summer reading list and promote it by doing book talks and videos each year, and we often run a summer reading book fair at Barnes & Noble, during which we feature titles on the list. We each purchase the list titles, and I check out our copies to PIL for the summer. Michelle creates a display and manages the program for the summer with the help of the rest of the staff at PIL. We also collaborate on regularly scheduled book talks, activities, and book checkout with all three grades during library orientation and throughout the year. These visits have evolved into events which include videos, slide shows, and speed-dating with books, in addition to old fashioned book talks. Throughout the year, we work on single events that have in the past included superhero trivia and author visits. We also run an after school book club together, too, called BookIt. We meet at the school library after school once a month for conversation, snacks, and often a related activity. We are about to launch a new, unfortunate book club around the Lemony Snicket series, anticipating a resurgence of interest in the books because of the new Netflix series.

Michelle develops programming for our early release days, which occur once a month. Not only are all middle school students welcome, but also we provide a bus from the school to the library for all who are interested. These programs have featured live animals, cooking demonstrations, historical sword fighting demonstrations, art instruction, along with speakers presenting on various topics, such as the haunted history of the state and astronomy. Popular movies are also screened once or twice per school year. Another area of collaboration that we look forward to each year is around poetry. Michelle has created a program called Poetry in the Margins, which attracts upwards of 100 people, including students, families, and friends. Students perform original or favorite poems and/or songs at the event, which always occurs at the end of April. We promote the event with signage around the school, emails to parents, and “poem of the day” readings by students and staff during morning announcements throughout the month of April. To further stoke interest in Margins, we hold a Spine Poetry competition, which entails students visiting the library during SSR and after school to create spine poems. Michelle and I take photos of these poems, each one assigned its own number, and hang them up outside the library. Students are asked to vote for their favorite poem.

Finally, our most ambitious, well-attended, exciting event each year for the past three years is Harry Potter Book Day, a global event held on the same day each year around the world, sponsored by Bloomsbury Publishing. We do advertise it as a worldwide event, but but we always deviate from Bloomsbury in terms of theme. Michelle is usually busily thinking about the theme for the following year as we are cleaning up from the present year. The first year we dressed up the windows looking out to the hallway as though it were a stroll down Diagon Alley. At the event itself, having been sorted into their proper House, kids created potions, transfigured lollipops into spiders, shopped for pigmy puffs, ate lots of sweets from Honeydukes, and competed in a Hogwarts trivia quiz.

Last year we created a Hall of Portraits in our library windows, having convinced many staff members to dress up and pose as Hogwarts professors. Witches, wizards, and muggles alike walked past the amazing Hall of Portraits to get to the Hogwarts Classrooms. There they were sorted into Houses, created monster books and death eater masks, played Quidditch, and competed in Hogwarts Jeopardy Trivia.

This year, Michelle thought of expanding to include schools of magic other than solely Hogwarts. Having witnessed the brilliance of the previous two Harry Potter event themes dreamt up by Michelle, I was willing to embrace the latest. Thus began the 3rd annual Harry Potter Book Day: The International Schools of Wizardry Exposition of 2017. I’ve attempted to capture the spirit of the event with the photos on this page. Five schools of magic, along with the schools of wizardry map presented on Pottermore.com, were represented in our windows: Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the United States of America, Mahoutokoro School of Magic in Japan, Uagadou School of Magic in Uganda, Durmstrang Institute in northern Europe, and Beauxbatons Academy of Magic in southern France.

A poster advertising the event done in the style of an old newspaper called

Event publicity!

Windows in a hallway are decorated to represent different schools of magic from the Pottermore universe. Pictured are windows for Ilvermorny, Mahoutokoro, and Uagadou.

Library windows decorated to represent the different international schools of magic.

Inside the library, the space was transformed into additional schools of magic, represented either by food and decorations, or crafts and decorations. We provided snacks such as:

bolo de rolo, brigadeiro, and pão de queijo (aka jelly roll, chocolate cupcakes, and cheese buns) in Castelobruxo in Brazil;
rooibus and honeybush tea, biltong/dried ostrich, and sfenj/donuts soaked in honey (aka tea, beef jerky, and glazed munchkins) in Uagadou;
éclairs, macarons, baguettes avec du fromage/cheese with French bread, and croissants in Beauxbatons;
chips, chocolate chip cookies, popcorn, and Boston baked beans in Ilvermorny;
kransekake, floderbolle, and lattemiele (aka waffle tower, chocolate marshmallow treats, and milk & honey cookies) in Durmstrang;
mochi ice cream and other treats in Mahoutokoro;
in addition to drinks and the pièce de résistance: the fontaine de chocolat - a chocolate fountain, which was a huge hit.

A table covered in treats and different types of food.

Delicious treats from around the world for guests to eat.

Students are gathered around a chocolate fountain.

The chocolate fountain!

Attendees gathered in the Great Hall to hear an introductory speech given by Headmaster Federico (our principal - a convincing, enthusiastic, and unflappable presence throughout the afternoon) that set expectations for the event. They then entered the library and pulled a miniature scroll that, when unrolled, revealed the school into which they were sorted. Next, they helped themselves to snacks and were allowed to choose one major craft - first come, first served. Their choices were:

the dark art of Matryoshka (nesting doll and “fabergé” egg painting) in Durmstrang,
Dreamcatchers in Ilvermorny
Charmes de parfum (“scent charms,” using jojoba oil and their choice of 16 essential oils) in Beauxbatons

Other activities in which they could engage, either after completing their chosen major craft or instead of one of the major ones if the numbers were already at the maximum, included lessons in the art of origami in Mahoutokoro; lessons in creating gimp wristbands in colors representing their schools; and viewing Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, the book/film in which Durmstrang and Beauxbatons - and the concept of 11 schools of wizardry - were first introduced.

A group of boys works on origami crafts while a woman watches them.

Students working on origami crafts.

A group of students is working at a table, painting Russian nesting dolls.

Students painting matryoshka dolls.

The final activity saw students of the four schools engaging in lively matches of Conscriptio (aka Pictionary) in competition with each other. Finally, prizes were awarded for most creative crafts and winners of Conscriptio. In addition, one of our teachers donated a jar of jelly beans and a Pop Voldemort, both of which were handed out to the student who came closest to the actual number of jelly beans contained in the jar.

100 witches, wizards, and no doubt a few muggles, attended. All got into the spirit of the event and participated joyfully, as did the approximately one dozen volunteers from the middle school and the public library, without whom we never could have pulled it off. Lastly, Rita Skeeter put in an appearance to record and misrepresent the entire celebration.

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January Spotlight: Transforming the Hopkinton High School Library

1/16/2017

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Brunette woman with shoulder length hair is posed against a blue background

Hopkinton High School Librarian Kirsten Fournier

Librarian: Kirsten Fournier
Hopkinton High School Library

The Hopkinton High School library underwent a transformation during the summer before the start of the 2016-2017 school year. Thanks to a generous grant from the Hopkinton Education Foundation, we were able to convert our previously existing floor plan, which was very traditional and stack-heavy, into more of a learning commons model. Although the renovation was grant-funded, we did need to be strategic in repurposing existing furniture and shelving during the remodel in an effort to stretch our budget.

To begin our transformation, we heavily weeded our print collection based on circulation statistics and year of publication. This took place during the months of May and June, with the help of our library assistant and several student volunteers. We donated books whenever possible, and used some of the now empty shelving to carve out group study areas, as well as our recently formed makerspace (which had previously been housed in the work room of the library).

Multiple low bookcases are seen in the picture

The old library layout was very traditional and stack-heavy.

An orange ladder is seen in the middle of the library space to show construction in progress

The library under construction.

In addition, we ordered new seating options, which included modular soft-style armchairs with attached desks, high-top tables and chairs, a couple of sofas and an area rug (since we were unable to replace the existing carpet), as well as two collaboration stations with Apple TV capabilities. The walls received a fresh coat of paint in complementary blues, and two large whiteboards on wheels were ordered for the space to enhance instruction and brainstorming sessions (the space already housed an LCD projector and screen). In addition, the circulation desk was moved to a more prominent and central location in the room, allowing for easier supervision and increased visibility of library staff.

Student response to our changes have been very positive. We’ve noticed increased productivity in their use of the space; classroom teachers have been bringing their students to the library more regularly to make use of the space; we’ve been able to host more than one class at a time (in addition to study students) because of the more efficient floor plan; and I have been able to deliver better organized research instruction to students. Students have also been very appreciative of the myriad of seating options available to them now. They are no longer limited to the uncomfortable hard-backed library chairs and tables.

High school students sit on comfortable armchairs and work on their laptops in the library.

Students enjoying the new, comfortable couches at the HHS library.

A group of students sit at a table with their laptops doing work.

Students working in a group.

Finally, we’ve been able to promote the library as more of an HHS community space. In conjunction with makerspace resources, we’ve been able to host various workshops for students and staff. A sample of these workshops include building phone chargers with upcycled Altoid tins, sewing for charity, learning to code in Scratch, and more. All in all, we’ve been quite pleased with our renovation and that we were able to make some significant changes within budget!

A poster advertising an event to learn Scratch programming.

One of the many workshops hosted in the HHS Library include learning how to program in Scratch.

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December Spotlight: Genrefying the Saugus High School Library

12/10/2016

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Librarian Kate Payne sits at her desk. She is wearing a white shirt with red sleeves.

Saugus High School Librarian Kate Payne

Librarian: Kate Payne
Saugus High School Library Website

The decision to genreify the fiction collection was a big one for me. I knew that the project would involve a significant change to the organization of the library. I am alone in the library and am the only librarian in my district, so I knew the project would be wholly up to me. After getting approval from my principal, I decided to do the project over the summer. I brainstormed with several English teachers was able to brainstorm with several teachers in the English department, who were excited about the project and happy to give their input. I also talked to some students, who thought the project was a good idea.

I started re-categorizing the fiction call numbers before the end of the year. This way I would have a starting point when I walked in over the summer. When I began the project in July, I used tables to organize the fiction books into genres. I used the list of fiction books that I had already generated to pull books from the shelves. These re-categorized books were the easy ones: books that I knew well and was able to put into genres without having to think too hard.

A stack of books is organized on a table. The sign next to them reads

Books were sorted into piles by genre before the labeling process began.

Once I had these books in piles, I went back and sorted through the stragglers and weeded, which helped me remove a lot of old and outdated fiction. I used genre stickers rather than creating new call number labels for the books because I wanted students to be able to easily distinguish between the sections.

A stack of books on a shelf with spine stickers indicating that they belong to the dystopian genre.

Dystopian books organized with their new spine labels to indicate genre.

Next, I had to move the reference section to where the fiction collection had been, and then move the biographies to the reference area. This was particularly challenging on a 90 degree day in July with no air conditioning, but it was worth it. The old fiction collection had been on short shelves that are crowded together and hard to see, so I wanted to move them to a more visible area. Once I was done moving books, I was able to measure the shelves and allocate space for the new fiction sections. All time considered, the project took three and a half weeks.

A row of bookcases with newly organized fiction books, signs indicating sections, and spine label stickers to denote genre.

The end result - a more visible, well-marked, genrefyed fiction section.

The fiction genres I chose to use are: Realistic, Historical, LGBTQ, Sports, Romance, Dystopian, Fantasy, SciFi, Mystery/Thriller, Horror/Paranormal, and Classic. I recently added a Magical Realism section because I couldn't reconcile putting books like Bone Gap and Rocks Fall, Everyone Dies into either Realistic or Fantasy, and the English teachers and I are beginning to market Magical Realism to the students. I decided to use a separate LGBTQ sticker after talking to the gay-straight alliance students. I don't know that this would work at every school, but my students felt it would beneficial to have a separate LGBTQ fiction section, and it has worked well so far.

Even though we are only partway through the school year, I can confidently say that the project has been a success. Saugus does not give a lot of money to libraries or to schools, and there is not a huge reading culture here. It often feels like an uphill battle to be the first librarian that students have seen, but I have already had a huge increase in checkouts for fiction. Some of this is due to the help of my awesome English teacher colleagues (the senior English teachers in particular are focusing on free voluntary reading this year, and we have been working together to promote books and get students more interested in reading for fun), but I also have seen significantly more students coming into the library on their own to check out books for the first time. Advocating for libraries and reading can be challenging, time consuming, and fraught with emotional challenges, but taking on a project like this makes me feel good to be where I am. Even in a district with fewer resources and advocates, I can make a difference, even if it is a small one.

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November Spotlight: Counting the Ways at Tri County Regional Vocational High School

11/3/2016

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A man with short dark hair and glasses in a close-up photo.

Librarian Ariel Dagan

Librarian: Ariel Dagan
Tri County Regional Vocational High School Library Media Center

Students at Tri County spend their time split among seventeen vocational programs and regular academic classes. This learning environment creates multiple opportunities to engage with students and staff around assignments and projects.

The Library Media Center at Tri County is a hub for all patrons to pursue their passions with the help of diverse resources, and the large space allows them to reflect and seek what their curious minds crave. Our learning communities take advantage of the wealth of online resources offered. These resources provide access to information and enable patrons to participate in interactive learning communities in multiple ways.

Here are a few examples of the ongoing ways our patrons engage with the Library Media Center:

Adding titles to their virtual shelves in Destiny Quest
Making face to face and online requests for new titles and being collaborative partners in collection development
Using Analyze Topic Finder tool in the Gale databases to fine tune research queries
Having group literary debates
Taking Information Literacy Challenges in Classcraft to gain XP for themselves and their team
Writing book reviews to share with other students, connecting with friends, and commenting on the school's virtual social network
Using the open space for quiet study groups
Accessing credible online resources at one of 48 workstations
Receiving reader's advisory services both virtually and face to face for groups and individuals
Reading news articles on NewsELA at the right Lexile level.
Using the space in the round (the nonfiction section) for mock trials and other dramatic class sessions
Finding a title to read, watch, or listen to from the physical or digital collection
Accessing support material for shop and academic classes through ITSLearning, the school learning management system

Students working in the library. One student sits in front of her laptop and is on her cellphone while another stands in front of her. Other students can be seen seated at tables doing work.

Students use the Tri County Library Media Center in a variety of ways.

A male student checks his ClassCraft character on a desktop computer.

Students use ClassCraft, a gamification system, to undertake information literacy challenges.

A screenshot of the game ClassCraft - the student characters are displayed along with their XP totals.

Earning XP in ClassCraft.

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October 2016 : Blackout Poetry at Sharon High School

10/3/2016

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Photo of a blonde woman wearing a red scarf

Sharon High School librarian and MSLA Advocacy Chair Cathy Collins

Librarian: Cathy Collins
Sharon High School Library LibGuides

This year, Sharon High School librarian Cathy Collins decided to incorporate the theme of poetry into a unique activity for Banned Books Week .

In honor of Banned Books Week, students were offered the chance to attend Blackout Poetry sessions before and after school, as well as during Study and Lunch periods. We are focusing on poetry as a theme throughout this school year, and future planned activities include a spoken word performance, workshops, and a school-wide "Poetry Out Loud" competition.

Three high school students work on blackout poetry in the library. There are also two adult women in the photograph.

Students working on Blackout Poetry in honor of Banned Books Week 2016. Pictured: Allison Jones, SHS Library Assistant, students Melodie Arya, Gautam Goel and Anisa Misra and SHS Library Media Specialist, Cathy Collins

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September 2016: Makerspace at Lt. Lane Elementary, Bedford

9/6/2016

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The words library maker space spelled out in individual letters. Each letter is a different material - crayons, feathers, beads, and more.

Librarian: Linda Coviello
Lane Book Blog
Lane Biblio-Tech Website
Lane Makerspace
Library Website

Lane Elementary is a vibrant 3rd-5th grade school in Bedford, a wonderful community in the Metrowest area. Supportive parents, staff, administrators and community partners all contribute to a strong educational message to students, and this translates into strong school libraries.

One year ago, our Technology Administrator broached the subject of transitioning the Library into a blended Makerspace. My principal was enthusiastic. I, a little less so, agreed. My concerns:

How would I manage the space?
Where would the supplies come from?
Would there be enough time to run an effective program?
Would the shift to the MakerSpace impact the library's focus on reading and literacy?

Open area for story telling surrounded by storage for makerspace supplies

Story Area and Makerspace Storage

Instructional Area

We embarked on numerous site visits for guidance.

I was extremely fortunate that some items were already in place at various spots around the school, so we simply collaborated and consolidated them into the library program. Other items came from grants, donations, yard sales, thrift store finds, book fair funds, and creative budgeting. I scrounged for carts to use as movable storage. My goal was that the widely varied activities would connect to literacy in some way and reach a variety of learning styles.

I turned to project-based learning as a model. I wanted to maintain the literary aspect of the library by combining the topic of a book, article or website reading with an activity, alternating between low and high tech. My mantra became “Try...fail. Try again...fail better!” I collected recyclables, enlisted donations (fabric, yarn, Legos) and spent my supply budget on Spheros and accessories, and I spent my book budget on author/illustrator visits and Skype sessions.

Photograph of illustrator Ralph Masiello wearing a tan sweater with a piece of blue tape in his mouth. David is pointing at him. They are both smiling.

Illustrator Ralph Masiello and author David Biedrzycki

We started out small. One project involved reading a Wright Brothers biography and then making bamboo dragonflies and paper airplanes. Students utilized Google apps to create book bin tags, children's book quote posters, and shelfies. We played with Sumo paint (a free, web-based art program introduced to the students by David Biedrzycki) and created mandalas after reading “Rickshaw Girl” by Mitali Perkins. Students programmed Spheros to bowl, then taught them to navigate around obstacles, and we also adapted the LEGOS robotics unit. A bonus budget got spent on Meccano Meccanoid G15 robots that I had seen (and fallen in love with) at a Barnes & Noble Maker Faire, and I wrote a grant for 2 Afinia 3D printers. I even got our PTO to fund author Deborah Lee Rose to relate the 3D printers to her story of how a bald eagle received a prosthetic, 3D-printed beak!

One of the Afinia 3D printers purchased with the help of a grant.

Table featuring a variety of art-themed books and materials.

Art-themed display in the makerspace.

Additional sessions included a tinker table (taking apart old technology), creating I Spys, arts and crafts (decoupage, origami, drawing, coloring, bookmarks, weaving), building "significant literary objects" out of LEGOs, writing Poet-ographies, building a water jug igloo, doing part of the Hour of Code curriculum, playing with Makey Makeys, and many other small projects. We also created a student-run magazine for creative writing. We even participated in the school garden, raised 2 guinea pigs, and housed 15 baby chicks until they were sufficiently big enough to stay outdoors in our own chicken coop!

At the end of it all, I came back to literacy and coordinated the Summer Reading program.

The students were engaged and enthusiastic, the administrative response overwhelmingly positive. I was exhausted, so far out of my comfort zone, but encouraged. There were certainly trade-offs: less time for traditional library skills or research, and even book exchange suffered occasionally when maker activities took more time than expected. But the positives? Student engagement, increased collaboration with my technology partners, a boost in relevancy in the eyes of my administrators, and compliments from parents raving about their child's follow-up interest in library activities.

With one year under our belts, I feel that the shift in programming was successful. The plan for 2016-17 is to follow the model, refine it, and to continue to evolve as technology changes. The future role of traditional Libraries may be uncertain, but the importance of teaching our young minds to read, think, design, innovate and create will never be irrelevant.

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Summer 2016: Millis Middle/High School Library

7/2/2016

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Librarian: Patsy Divver
Millis Middle/High School Library Website
Millis Middle School /High School Website

Millis is a small combined middle and high school library, serving about 800 students. There are a dozen desktops, a cart of Chromebooks, and fifteen Nooks. Students can search the internet, library collection, and databases from numerous devices and spaces.

The “Nook Nook” and the College Corner are favorite spaces for students to “hang out”, and the decor is artwork from Middle and High School Classes. Middle and High School students come to the library from classes, study halls, before, during and after school, and it’s a challenge to keep everyone ‘happy’.

The college corner has tables, chairs, and college themed decorations.

The College Corner at Millis Middle/High School Library.

The Nook Nook features comfortable chairs and books.

The "Nook Nook," a favorite student hangout spot.

However, here are some “success stories” for connecting and collaborating all the grades:

High School students from our Creative Writing and Speech classes read to Middle School students for Dr. Seuss’s birthday, holidays, and the annual Scary Story Day, where they read stories they wrote!

A high school student reads a story to middle school students who are dressed up in costumes.

High school students read original works to middle schoolers during the annual Scary Story Day event.

Guest authors, such as Jeremy Ames, hold workshops for high school school students in the library. Also, our Middle School Writers Group presents their work in a Showcase event for the public.

Author giving a presentation to a group of students

Guest author workshops at Millis Middle/High Library.

Students in the library sharing their work with community members

Students sharing their work at the Showcase.

This year, we also received a grant to fund Literary Arts Night, featuring student and professional musicians, writers, and singers, in a coffee-house setting.

Students playing the guitar and singing in the library during Literary Arts Night

Literary Arts Night musicians!

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June 2016 : Mill Pond School Media Center, Westborough

5/27/2016

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Librarian : Dee Kohler
Mill Pond School Media Center Website
Mill Pond School Website

This past March, our 4-6 school participated in a March Madness Battle of the Books. We started the month off with a flash mob featuring many teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, office staff, and tutors. Here’s the video our local TV produced for us:

Read Across America - Flashmob at Mill Pond from WestboroughTV on Vimeo.

Throughout the month of March, students voted for their favorite books via a Google form. Of course, Harry Potter won in the end. The day before spring vacation we celebrated Harry's win with a Harry Potter day. Students were encouraged to come to school dressed as their favorite HP character. Students made up their own school "spells," we made golden snitches and hid them around the school, held a trivia contest at lunch while the kids dined on Hagrid's Stoat sandwiches.

The kids really enjoyed the day, the staff loved performing our flash mob and our circulation got a nice bump from all the books going out.

Happy participants!

Celebrating Harry Potter Day.

Special Harry Potter themed lunch menu!

Book circulation got a boost from all the activity and special displays.

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May 2016: Josiah Quincy Elementary School Library, Boston

5/2/2016

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School Librarian: Heidi Boulogne
Josiah Quincy Elementary School Library Website
Josiah Quincy Elementary School Website

Happy readers!

Here are our favorite books!

The Josiah Quincy Elementary School is a vibrant public school located in the Chinatown neighborhood in downtown Boston. Chinatown does not have a public library branch, so for many of our 800 plus students, the school library is it! With the increase of free digital content available to our students, we have begun transforming our library into a learning commons environment. To achieve this, the library has been very successful in securing funding for our technology projects through DonorsChoose.

Our school's community has begun to channel energy into making our school and its curriculum more universally accessible to our diverse student population. We enhanced our school library with a media lab, a white board with a projector, and a mobile microphone system.

Independent reading time.

Media Lab:
We have a twenty-two station media lab with a mounted large screen TV. The lab includes five touch screen monitors with jumbo size keyboards and voice-to-text features. Digital lesson materials are visually interesting and allow for multiple ways of learning language and comprehension. We are able to accommodate our students with visual impairments, attention deficits, and other disabilities with voice-text features, touch screen monitors, and large keyboards. In this way, we engage all our students with exciting lessons and improve learning by keeping students stimulated and interested. Our entire school community has benefited greatly from this interactive library lab!

Working on interactive lessons.

Students in the Media Lab.

Classes involved in digital learning.

Engaged students demonstrate comprehension.

Using the mobile microphone!

Mobile Microphone System:
Understanding the urgent need for interactive technologies in our school, we purchased a mobile microphone system. For our shy children with small voices, the mobile microphone has encouraged students to share their school projects. We can observe their growing confidence, lessened anxiety, and happy faces as a result. Classmates engage their peers with their exciting presentations. Students will use the system to present their projects at our annual STEAM science fair, where our school community gets very excited to show off their hard work!

using technology to become 21st century learners

Exciting presentations!

Peer-to-peer learning.

These new technologies in our library are bringing us closer to achieving our mission that all our children are 21st century learners!

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April 2016: Westborough High School Library

4/3/2016

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Library Teacher: Anita Cellucci, M.Ed. LMS

MBLC LSTA Grant Recipient 2015-2016
Mental Health: Collaborating, Raising Awareness and Breaking Stigma

Westborough High School Library Website

MSLA Web Seal of Excellence 2016
MSLA President 2015-2016

Westborough High School Library was awarded a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant for $5000 from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) for the 2015-2016 school year.

Get your “flow on” in the library - mandalas available for coloring during lunch, break and after school.

The project includes collaboration with town departments such as the Public Library and Youth and Family Services. The grant will help bring mental health and wellness resources to the forefront for freshman Health classes, as well as senior Psychology in Literature seminars. Students are participating in programs such as yoga, mindfulness, a writing marathon and author visit with Laura Harrington, and Slam poetry - through a day Poet-In-Residence. The culmination of the poetry event will be the creation of a wall to “Raise our Voice” and “Break the Silence” around mental illness. Students and teachers have also had presentations/training from the National Alliance of Mental Illness. Two programs were brought in. NAMI In Our Own Voice (IOOV) and ETE (Educating the Educators).

This project was born from watching students struggle with balance with their personal lives and academic lives. It is so powerful if we can offer an avenue for self reflection and positive ways to deal with challenges. For me, it’s all about empowering students to utilize resources ... not only academically, but for personal growth and awareness. It’s also about creating community – empathy for each other – helping students realize that they have a voice and they have it within themselves to help each other. .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.

IOOV (In Our Own Voice).

NAMI In Our Own Voice (IOOV) :
In a program of the National Alliance of Mental Illness, two young adult presenters will tell their personal recovery stories from mental illness, through the framework of 5 stages of recovery:

Dark days
Acceptance
Treatment
Coping Skills
Successes, hopes and dreams

The purpose of the program is to fight stigma and discrimination of people with mental illness and educate the public that people can recover from mental illness and lead productive hopeful lives. NAMI In Our Own Voice (IOOV) unmasks mental illness, using speaker stories to illustrate the individual realities of living with mental illness. Attendees gain a better understanding of what it is like to live with mental illness and stay in recovery. NAMI In Our Own Voice can change attitudes, preconceived notions and stereotypes regarding mental illness.

Trauma-Sensitive Yoga:
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga is an opportunity to feel your body, allow you to make choices for yourself based on what you feel.Key theoretical underpinnings include: Neuroscience, Complex Trauma Theory, Attachment Theory & Developmental Trauma. Resources and recent publications by David Emerson and Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk highlight the scientific significance of yoga-related trauma treatment. Goals: Engage the interoceptive pathways in the brain; Empowerment; Rebuilding and/or strengthening our relationships with ourselves and others.

Mental Health Awareness Week Banner Signing Event.

Library Legislation Day at State House.

Educating the Educator:
Part I - Physician Perspective “ The Biological Nature of Mental Illness:
Part II - Family Perspective: “Walk in My Shoes”
Part III - Teacher Perspective: “Where Do We Go From Here”
Resources, Empathy Building, Understanding: “Strong School mental health programs can attend to the health and behavioral concerns of students, reduce unnecessary pain and suffering and help ensure academic achievement.”

Writing Marathon:
Local veterans are invited to participate in a Writing Marathon sponsored by Westborough Reads Together and Westborough High School Library on Thursday April 7. Laura Harrington, author of award winning book, Alice Bliss, will co-facilitate the marathon with WHS educators. Small group discussion, a few 10 minute writing sessions and whole group sharing.

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Spotlight Editor:Maya Bery

Spotlight Editor:
Maya Bery