Book BoLOGna with Mrs. Driggers

 Alana Lewis is currently the library media specialist at Sangaree Middle School. Implementation  Ms. Lewis has been working on activating learner prior and background knowledge. Before starting novels, she works with the teacher to make sure her students have an understanding of the events and timelines in the book. Before reading Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson, the students completed relevant research on the Black Panther Party and other topics from the books. This helped them have a greater understanding of the events and topics within the novel. Mrs. Lewis makes sure there are products that illustrate learning. Often times after elementary school the products become essays and Ms. Lewis tries to let the students do those more artistic products. I think another option to add to the library would be individual choice research projects such as a genius hour. Because Ms. Lewis engages her students so well, I hope to accomplish similar inquiry goals. Resources  ...

Beth Regan is currently the library media specialist at Devon Forest in Goose Creek.  Implementation   Mrs. Regan promotes new knowledge and exploration by encouraging her students to read. She has a monthly BINGO card for reading. She motivates students to read different types of books and step out of their comfort zone. Some examples from her BINGO card include looking in almanacs, or books from rarely visited sections. She says that students are often reading the same books in the same series and this helps them find other books they are interested in that they didn't realize they would enjoy. She engages with her students through book clubs. These groups allow her to meet with smaller groups of students to read and complete activities based on the books being read. I think it is important to not only promote inquiry with books but also inquiry-based lessons. Collaborating with teachers to promote inquiry within the content they are working on also. Completing projects like...

Dr. Denise McDougal has demonstrated an understanding of and commitment to inclusiveness and respect for diversity in the learning community.  Implementation and Collaboration Due to Covid restrictions and restrictive leadership at Dr. McDougal's current school library until recently, Dr. McDougal and I discussed how she was inclusive at her current, Berkeley High School, and her previous, Stratford High School, library media center.   Dr. McDougal invites the special education classes into the library to work and find resources. In the past, she has coordinated a buddy program. This gives each student in the special education class a buddy. This helps promote community and inclusion throughout the school. Students working closely in this program often have a sense of fulfillment and understanding they did not have before. Dr. McDougal collaborates with the ESOL teacher. She ensures the students have the materials they need in their first language. She also gives the teac...

I have really enjoyed SLIS 761 this semester. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I have learned a lot from the assignments and course readings. Some of the things that stood out to me most were accessibility tools for equal access and the anti-cyberbullying videos available from the Cyberbullying Research Center . I have learned about accessible technology from the SLIS program, but I was really impressed and excited about the features and ideas that I heard in this course. Matt Johnston created a video about 3-D art for Business Insider  (Johnston, 2016) . The idea of 3-D art so that all people are able to enjoy art is fascinating. I also loved the video "How Architecture Changes for the Deaf" by Vox.  I have never thought about what it would be like to try to experience art with a visual impairment or how architecture and design could impact a person with a hearing impairment.  I am glad that it was initiated because it has changed my way of thinking about accessibility....

Google Expeditions I found out this week that Google Expeditions is over. I read about it and I refused to believe it, so I opened my Expeditions App and it could not download or open any of the content. It was at this moment that my heart shattered. I loved teaching science with Google Expeditions. I moved to ELA and social studies for the last two years, but I still used Expeditions after winter break to explore battlefields and historical places beyond South Carolina. I have now accepted that I will not be doing that this year. It is with this new knowledge that I began searching through Google Expeditions' replacement Google Arts and Culture.  Google Arts and Culture  When I began searching through the content on Google Arts and Culture I was slightly unimpressed. They did not move some of the science content that I was used to using. Then I began to look for content that I can use with my reading and social studies units. There is so much content. I do a Greek Mythology ...

Makerspaces are new to me. The elementary school that I am working at does not have one, but I have heard much about them since I started my SLIS degree. When I think about Makerspaces I always think about new technology like 3D printers and robots. While looking through some Blogs I found one that really interested me. How to Build An Awesome Makerspace Resource Library by Diana Rendina shares why books are important in the Makerspace also.  I enjoyed Diana Rendina's Blog. She shares a lot of information about Makerspaces and has a lot of useful suggestions. This particular Blog stuck out to me because as I mentioned before when I think about Makerspaces, I think about technology. When I begin to plan for my own future Makerspace, I begin thinking of the tools and supplies that my students would want to use and would be able to handle. Rendina shares that books are useful to support students with the tools and skills they are using. Once students get started with a new Maker-skil...