Spotted at 2014 Texas Library Association Conference

TLA Swag - Where do I to start?!

That's all the swag I picked up at the 2014 Texas Library Association annual conference in San Antonio over the past week. The two stacks of books are mostly ARCs that I can't wait to get my hands and eyes on. What you don't see in the bags are more books for teacher giveaways; posters, pencils and bookmarks for students; and teaching guides for about a dozen young adult and children's books.

TLA 2014 Conference Poster Session

I'm thrilled to be participating in my first ever poster session. It wasn't easy trying to decide what format to use for the presentation, which information to include or not include, and how to display this humongous poster that I've created. But I've finally got everything all wrapped up. Poster is printed and ready to go. As are my handouts and my little tabletop easel. All that's left to do is make sure the poster doesn't get damaged during the trip to San Antonio!

My PLN: It's Not Just About Me

Like many school librarians, I publish a monthly library newsletter for teachers. In the newsletter, I share planned library activities for the month, promote digital and print resources, provide a list of books and websites related to subjects and topics teachers will cover in their classrooms during the course of the month, and so on. The purpose of the newsletter, of course, is to reach out to teachers, keep the lines of communication open, and remind them that I am ready to assist them in meeting the needs of our students.

In the past two monthly newsletters, I've added a section about Professional Learning Networks. I've shared the benefits of PLNs through social media as well as tips on how teachers can get started with building their own. I mentioned in the newsletter how PLNs help us develop as educators and provide opportunities to create new experiences and approaches to educating our students.

Promoting Literacy through World Book Talk with Brad Gustafson and Heather Cooper

World Book Talk (#worldbooktalk) is undoubtedly my favorite collaborative project that aims to connect the world while promoting literacy. Created by principal Brad Gustafson  and teacher Heather Cooper, World Book Talk, as the name implies, is a collection of book talks from people connected through the Internet and shared via Aurasma's augmented reality technology. 

Seeking Book Recommendations from my PLN

I admire Edie Crook's (@WESMediaCenter) quest to collect book recommendations from her PLN. As soon as I read Edie's tweet about the project, I suggested two books for her students, one which was also suggested by another fellow librarian, Julee Murphy (@JuleeMurphy).

The idea that librarians and teachers from all over the world are suggesting books for young readers excites me beyond description. Therefore I would also like to invite my PLN to add their book recommendations for students in Kindergarten through 5th Grade at my school.

If you are interested in suggesting books for my students, please fill out the Google Form below.

And just like Edie did, I'll post pictures of your recommended books in the hands of eager readers!

For more information about Edie's idea please visit her blog Search. Discover. Share. Don't forget to make a suggestion (or two) for her students!

My 2013 in Review

I don't normally reflect on the end of the year, but this year has been different for me. So I guess, in a way, taking a different approach to the end of the year by reflecting on it seems fitting.

During the course of 2013, I became more and more involved in social media for professional purposes. I threw myself into actively participating in Twitter chats with other librarians, teachers and ed tech specialists. These chats showed me how far behind I was regarding trends in education and technology. These conversations also allowed me to I develop more professional connections, with a few of them turning into friendships. In return, the new connections opened many doors for me, and I tried as much as possible to "pay it forward" by sharing with others when possible.

An Early Christmas Present for Me...

Christmas came early for me today as I opened my email and saw a message from Discovery Education titled "Your DEN Star Application Status information."

Thankful for my PLN

I experienced something wonderful earlier this week, and it happened because of my Professional Learning Network (PLN).