Play to Learn: Settlers of Catan
One of my favorite hobbies is to play board games. There are many special moments in my life tied to playing games- meeting my husband, our proposal story, fun times with friends and so many more! Now when I mention board games, I am not talking about the classic ‘family game night’ games. I am talking about board games that have more strategy and themes involved in them. In many classrooms, we find Monopoly, Life, Connect 4, Candyland- the more classic ‘family game night’ games. What if we looked at some of these more strategic and thematic games that fit…
EduProtocol: Word Up Wednesday
Discover Word Up Wednesday, an EduProtocol that enhances vocabulary learning through collaboration and creativity. In just 5 minutes, students work together to complete tasks like definitions, synonyms, and memes. This engaging, low-pressure activity is adaptable to any subject, making learning both fun and effective.
📚 But Where is the Red Book? Introducing Talpa.ai Innovating Book Discovery!
Discover Talpa.ai, the revolutionary AI-powered tool transforming library interactions. Utilizing advanced LLMs from Anthropic and OpenAI, it ensures accurate bibliographic searches validated by Bowker, Syndetics Unbound, and LibraryThing. Seamlessly navigate genres, character data, and even identify books by cover design. Explore the future of library innovation at Talpa.ai today.
Canva Can Help with Bulk Award Creation
It's that time of year again, and I'm busy creating awards. With over 1,800 Battle of the Books awards to produce, handcrafting each one was not feasible. Canva came to the rescue with its user-friendly design and extensive templates, making the process easy and ensuring professional results every time.
Embracing the Fidget: A Transformative Approach to PD for Teachers
As a Mathematics Teacher Trainer, I’ve discovered that working with adults during professional development sessions is remarkably similar to teaching in a classroom. Teachers often joke that they are the worst students, and there’s some truth to that. Teaching is an exhausting profession. You’re always “on,” wearing multiple hats, and masking your true feelings to be the best educator for your students. The stress is compounded when you have to plan for a substitute teacher, knowing that your students might only receive review material instead of advancing in new lessons. You might even have to reteach the content upon your…
Another EduProtocol: Bookakucha
Imagine transforming the traditional book talk into an engaging, student-driven experience. Welcome to BookaKucha, a dynamic book presentation format inspired by the popular Pecha-Kucha style, crafted by Jon Corippo and Marlena Hebern in their book EduProtocols. What is BookaKucha? BookaKucha is a streamlined, classroom-friendly adaptation of PechaKucha, the world-renowned storytelling format known for its brevity and impact. In a typical PechaKucha session, presenters share their stories through 20 slides, each accompanied by 20 seconds of commentary. It’s the perfect blend of efficiency and creativity, often described as what “Show and Tell” always aspired to be. BookaKucha simplifies this even further…
Engaging Students with EduProtocols
What are EduProtocols? EduProtocols are instructional lesson frames designed to engage students in learning through critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity. EduProtocols can be used with any subject and any grade level, from kindergarten through adult education. The key to the success of EduProtocols is repetition. The original creators are Marlena Hebern and Jon Corippo, and several other authors have since added their voices to the EduProtocol movement. A recent addition is “EduProtocols for Primary,” which fills an important gap that was previously missing. I was lucky to receive an advanced reader’s copy, and it was fabulous! Any content can…
CROB: Choose Your Own Booktalk
Transform your classroom with Choose Your Own Booktalk (CROB)! Imagine your students exploring books through interactive slides, engaging audio, and fun emojis. Give them the power to choose their literary adventure and discover new favorites. Dive into CROB and watch your students’ love for reading soar!
Flippity for the Win: Super Spreadsheets
Discover Flippity's newest feature: multimedia flashcards. Simplify learning with bite-sized information on each card, perfect for students of all levels. Transform your Google Sheets into interactive quizzes and games effortlessly. Ideal for educators using Google for Education, Flippity offers seamless integration and user-friendly templates for every teaching style.
The Art and Necessity of the Signature
When emailing someone it is very easy to forget to include a clear email signature. I cannot tell you how many emails I have received and I am not sure which district a person is from. This is important as a librarian because we resource share. Rather than having to Google or use our library directory please save your receiver a step and include a detailed signature. This could include: You know who you are but when you are emailing outside of your district or company make it easier for your reader. Include a signature. You can create one very…
