Books & Ebooks

I read some excerpts of this article a few weeks back, but this morning I read the original on my iPad. I've struggled with adapting to the Ebooks format. With this article from the NY Times I see what may be a part of my struggle. Read it for yourself here.

Keeping up with blogging

There are times when I think blogging is a great endeavor. A great place to share stories and reflect. Then there is the fact that I haven't updated this page since December and it's now September. It's not that there haven't been things happen in my library world in those 8 months. Rather, it's called time and remembering to pause to reflect.

So the new school year is well underway now. The regulars have reestablished their spots in the library. As is typical, planning gets disrupted by reality and things have to be rescheduled. Still now that year number 5 at my current school is underway I do feel that I know the school and the teachers and they know me and together we've created a functioning program that serves 3100 students pretty well. Is there room for improvement? Always...so what will I do this year to improve...

I want to create simple how to guides that staff can use even if they don't come into the library. Go Animate, Movie Maker, how to do this best is the question.
I want to make the library resources mobile device friendly and get students using them that way.
I would still like to create book trailers but there never seems to be enough time and it's been one of my sacrifices.

Still, I love library world. It's now my 9th year as a school librarian and despite the roller coaster of budget in California, it was a good decision for me.

And life comes along

I was doing great with the fall blog challenge until life came along and interfered. That's the thing about life, when you least expect it a curve ball comes your way. Do we teach our students how to deal with life's curve balls? Yes, it's important to teach them the subjects we teach, but what about the things beyond the content. How do we teach our students resilience in the face of challenge? How do we teach our students resolutions to solving the conflict? How do we teach our students that life is a unpredictable and we have to be adaptable? How do we teach our students to learn?

Another education video

This video will make you think and ponder what we are doing in education today...

My Life as a Writer

I love to write.  I love the flow of words.  I wish that I could put them together as well as the authors that I read do.  So, how do I write?  Blogging here occasionally.  Writing small posts on my school library blog.  But the majority of my writing is hidden in my journals.  There are my deepest thoughts, fears, joys and sorrows.  The writing there ebbs and flows.  Sometimes I write regularly and others days, weeks, or even months may drift by before I write again.  Before computer technology became mainstream, I wrote letters.  I have a box of letters that I received in high school and college from friends and family far and wide.  Rubber bands hold together the letters from each source.  (I know bad archiving technique!)  Once email came along, the letters stopped and the documentation is scattered across email addresses. 

I am annoyed by bad writing.  Call it the downside of technology or laziness or sloppiness.  Words that aren't used correctly because spell checker didn't catch the wrong use of there versus their.  The overuse of acronyms.  It's not just teenagers that do this.  I see it with college educated adults' posts on their social networking sites.  They don't think about what the words look like or how the post may read.  Use the edit or use the delete, but don't lose the art of writing. 

Small Moments

The small moments are what make teaching one of the most rewarding careers on the planet.  There have been so many over my 25 years in education.  The light of understanding on a student's face when the "click" goes off for whatever you're teaching them.  The unexpected thank you, smile, token of appreciation that comes your way when you least expect it.  The visit or email from a former student that lets you know you impacted their life in some small way.  All of these make up the small moments that overcome the bad day, the class that just won't listen, the beating from the media that all these evil teachers and unions are out to destroy our children, the endless meeting that doesn't seem relevant, testing and all of the other things that drag us down.  The small moments are the moments that make everything worth it!

This week my small moment was much more personal.  I received some disturbing news via a phone call that had me emotional and teary.  One of our special education students had come in with another staff member to move some books and he could see I was having a tough time.  His response to grab me and give me a big hug and tell me he "loved me".   That small moment put everything into perspective.  I may have my own challenges to face personally, but the students who impact my life can keep me grounded and grateful!

What Book Made the Biggest Impact on Your Life

Two books come to mind immediately  Forever by Judy Blume and Seasons of Passion by Danielle Steel
Forever because my parents took it away when I came home with it as a 7th grader.  They felt that it was too mature for me. I then went to the public library and checked the book out to read unbeknownst to my parents.  When I was in college, Mom cleaned out her dresser and found the book.  She gave it to me and said I was old enough for it. 

Seasons of Passion began my lifelong connection to Danielle Steel's books.  It's one that I've reread several times because it strikes me as a hopeful and sad story at the same time.  My copy is tattered and worn, but I still turn to it when I'm in need of a certain type of read.