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April is School Library Month and April 7-13 is National Library Week! Celebrate with Canva Templates for the library.
CanvaLibraries

Canva Templates for Librarians

by Sara Qualls
written by Sara Qualls

It’s time to break out the confetti and strike up the band because it’s National Library Week, April 7-13! Let’s give a round of applause to those magical havens where every shelf holds adventures and where imagination knows no bounds: school libraries. But libraries wouldn’t be the community hubs they are if it weren’t for librarians! Let’s celebrate with a curated list of Canva templates specifically for librarians. But first, let’s take a look at some important dates.

Important Library Dates

School Library Month kicks off every April, thanks to the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). They’re the ones who decided to shine a spotlight on our fantastic school librarians and libraries all across the country in 1985. The idea? Well, it’s all about getting everyone in the school and community pumped to understand how libraries are essential to learning and education.

  • School Library Month: April
  • School Librarian Day: April 4
  • National Library Week: April 7-13 (second full week in April)
  • Right to Read Day: April 8
  • National Library Workers Day: April 9
  • National Library Outreach Day: April 10
  • Take Action for Libraries Day: April 11

Canva Templates for Librarians

I’ve curated a collection of Canva templates tailored specifically for librarians. From eye-catching event posters to activities that can be done in your own library, these templates have customizable elements and vibrant visuals. The purpose of these templates is to empower librarians to showcase the magic of their libraries and inspire a new generation of readers. Don’t forget qualifying educators get a Canva Pro account for free! Just another reason to love Canva. 

Reminders and Events

Create reminders that teachers can pick up to hang in their classrooms or around the school.

Library Day Reminder

Book Fair Poster

Family Library Night

Learning Posters

Create posters that teach students about genres or library processes. 

Types of Literary Genres

Genres Mindmap

Dewey Decimal System

Processes and Expectations

Create posters that teach students about your expectations for the library. 

Library Rules

Meeting Room Rules

Library Expectations

Motivational 

Decorate and motivate your students in the library with motivational posters.

Dream Big and Create Your Own Story

Introverts Quotes

Reading Quote

Library Signage 

Create signage that directs students. 

Genre Signage

Return Books Here

School Library Welcomes You

Newsletters

Advocate for your library by spreading the word about everything you do! 

Elementary Library Newsletter

Library Menu Board

Classroom Newsletter

Activities

Canva’s templates make crafting exciting library activities like scavenger hunts, word searches, and more straightforward. 

Genre Scavenger Hunt

Design a Book Cover

Library Genre Word Search

Digital Citizenship

Many librarians are tasked with teaching digital citizenship to students. Canva has you covered.

Digital Citizenship Responsible Use Presentation

Five Tips to Identify Fake News

Digital Footprint Digital Citizenship Lesson 

Bookmarks

Create printables like bookmarks to give to your students. Add their name, your school motto, or mascot to personalize it.

Libraries Are a Treasure Bookmark

Keep Reading Bookmark

Every Chapter Is a New Adventure Bookmark

Random Canva Librarian Finds

Search for Library Templates in Canva

Try clicking on the search terms below and begin to explore on your own:

Let’s continue celebrating the magic of libraries and fostering a love for learning and reading in every student, one template at a time.

More Librarian Reads

Canva Templates for Librarians
Finding the Perfect Book to Read Next
Two Tools that Make My Job as a Librarian Easier
A Librarian’s Approach to Tech Tuesday
How to Get Started with Python in the Library
Want to Boost Your Teacher-Librarian Relationships?
Five Ways to Engage Your School Community with eBooks?

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Coding/Computer ScienceLibraries

How to Get Started with Python in Your Library

by Monica Babaian
written by Monica Babaian

For the past few years, many librarians have included coding activities in their curriculum. Yet most librarians themselves do not know how to code. They might feel as though they do not have time to learn something new. They might be intimidated by computer science. Or maybe they feel like they are all thumbs when it comes to technology. The good news is that one does not have to be a genius to learn a few coding shortcuts with Python that will make their job easier. 

How Can Python Be Used in a Library?

Python is a powerful programming language that is easy to learn and can be used to simplify repetitive tasks. There are several ways that librarians can use Python: automate social media accounts, remove missing or duplicated data from your ChalkDust statistics spreadsheet, or create virtual booktalks. Let’s explore a few functions for Python and some resources for curious librarians who want to know more about Python.

Using Python to Convert Text to Speech

Recently, while working on a virtual booktalk project, I wanted to use a text-to-speech (TTS) converter, because I do not like the way my voice sounds when recorded. For a variety of reasons, none of the websites I found fit my requirements (free and ongoing in comparison to paid or freemium). Then, I realized that I had the skills to make my own converter using Python. Even better – someone had already created one! I just needed to copy the code and tweak a couple of variables before I had exactly what I needed. A few minutes later, I had a program that allowed me to input a bit of text and then convert that text into speech, saving it to an mp3 file. The only cost involved was about ten minutes of my time, and I can reuse the converter any time I need. 

Text-to-Speech Converter Using Python

Using Python to Automate Tweets

Another timesaving use for Python is to automate your library’s Twitter account. With a few lines of code, you can set your Twitter account to send out tweets at whatever time interval you want – one hour, two hours, or thirty-six hours. The hardest part about this process is actually not the code.  As a matter of fact, much like the text-to-speech converter I mentioned earlier, the code for setting up and automating your Twitter account can be found with a simple search. Most of your time and effort will actually go into completing the necessary form and getting the key codes from Twitter. 

Using Python with Spreadsheets

When working with spreadsheets, I can compare two or more Excel files for differences, and then record the differences into a .txt file that I can share with others. In addition, I can use Python to clean up missing or duplicated records from hundreds of entries in a spreadsheet. I only have to write the code once. Then, anytime I want to compare files or clean up some data, all I have to do is type in one command to run the program. 

Python as a Password Generator

Source

For those who are concerned about privacy and Internet security, once you are comfortable with Python, try making a password generator that lets the user change parameters, like how many characters to use for the password, whether to include special symbols, or whether to include a specific number of random words like the password appearing in the XKCD comic above. Of course, there are already some tools that create random passwords, but there is always the possibility that those tools also record the passwords that they generate. To be honest, nothing connected to the Internet is 100% safe. With my own program, I worry less about my passwords being recorded.

Check your password.

Resources for Beginners

If you would like to get started with Python to automate basic tasks, the following is a list of resources for beginners. I recommend starting with “Automate the Boring Stuff” by Al Sweigert and “Python Crash Course” by Eric Matthes. There are many other tutorials and videos on Python projects all over the Internet. YouTube is a treasure chest for finding tutorials that will walk you through projects step by step, and videos are a great way to get started because they can be paused and replayed when needed.  Keep in mind, however, that there is no right or wrong way to learn how to code. Find whatever method works best for you. 

Books

“Automate the Boring Stuff with Python” by Al Sweigart. (free)

Al Sweigert provides free access to digital copies of all his books through his website. “Automate the Boring Stuff with Python” has both step-by-step instructions and practice projects. Sweigert also offers free print copies to anyone who wants to write a review for one of his books. This book is great for those who would rather take what they need than read the book from cover to cover. 

“Python Crash Course: 2nd Edition” by Eric Matthes ($39.95 print; $31.95 Ebook)

“Python Crash Course” complements the information covered in Sweigart’s “Automate the Boring Stuff with Python.” This book is divided into two parts, with the first section covering basic Python. The second part contains three sections: a video game, data visualization, and web applications. These sections highlight the versatility of Python. Readers can skip around or read from front to back. 

Websites

YouTube Channels

Replit

A repository for librarians of Python programs I have created to make my job easier. Hopefully, it will do the same for you! 

Are you interested in learning even more about how to use Python to automate tasks in our library? Join Monica as she walks you through step-by-step Twitter automation with Python at TCEA 2023. No coding experience is required. Register before January 10 to get the $50 advanced pricing discount!

Register Now!
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Announcements/Important DatesEd Tech Appreciation Day

Thanking Those Who Make Digital Teaching and Learning Work

by Lori Gracey
written by Lori Gracey

As you’re reading this blog on a laptop or other device, you may not be thinking about all of the technical support needed to make it possible. Technology has become such a major part of our lives today that we tend to take it for granted. But there’s a lot of work that goes on in the background to make the hardware, software, and connections work. And if you’re in a school district, there is a dedicated group of individuals whose primary responsibility is to keep the tech working and to ensure that we all know how best to use it for teaching and learning.

Ed Tech Appreciation Day

Wednesday, December 7, 2022 is Ed Tech Appreciation Day. This day is designed to celebrate all the professionals who support the use of technology in schools. That covers a wide range of individuals: hardware and software technicians, network administrators, webmasters, database and lab managers, librarians, instructional technologists, administrators, and others. These are the folks who work day in and day out to ensure that the boxes and wires keep working, that you have the tech skills and training you need to best do your job, and that you are empowered with the latest tools and resources. Their learning never stops, and their patience has to be endless, both with the “stuff” and with us, the users.

Unfortunately, many of these dedicated individuals only hear from us when our computer stops working or when the network goes down. So surprise them this year by taking the time to craft a quick note and thank them for their support. Giving them a gift card or a few homemade cookies will go a long way in letting them know how much we really appreciate them. You could even involve your students and have them make a class thank you card or compose a short song to sing to them. These people are so critical to what happens in schools each day. Let’s make sure they know how much we appreciate them!

Additional Reading for Ed Tech Appreciation

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Digital LiteracyLibraries

TexQuest: Curated, Safe, and Customizable Online Resources for Students

by Amanda Hunt
written by Amanda Hunt

Submitted by the Texas Library Association

As a library media specialist, I am fortunate to have access to the TexQuest materials and resources in the district where I work. I am confident in the quality and appropriateness of TexQuest. Because of my trust in the validity of their sites and information, I was able to customize the resources to best fit my students’ needs. Before we dive into how I did this, let’s take a look at what TexQuest is and why it is a trusted program for student research.

What Is TexQuest?

TexQuest, a program offered by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission, provides shared access to authoritative, curated online information resources for millions of public school students. Students conduct approximately 45 million information searches each year and download over 20 million educational resources through TexQuest. Currently, 73% of school districts participate in the program, approximately 92% of all K-12 students in Texas.

Districts pay just 29 cents per student to participate, a tiny fraction of what it would cost to subscribe to TexQuest resources separately. No matter the district’s size, TexQuest is affordable and plays a significant role in leveling the playing field and making education equitable.

TexQuest Safety and Validity

TexQuest is a safe online environment where students can explore many age-appropriate materials in their research, homework, and academic studies. The state library recently released a report, TexQuest Resources: Overview of Access and Safety Procedures, which outlines the levels of protection that are in place.

TexQuest offers five levels of curation and control:

1. Curation: Materials are selected by subject matter experts to be appropriate for K-12 audiences. Some are narrowly curated for elementary, middle, or high school students, and materials in core databases are grouped in collections tailored to early grades, middle school, and high school. 

2. Vendor’s Internal Filters: Among the over two dozen products offered in TexQuest, all but two have automated filters of their materials.  The two exceptions are the Britannica School suite and TeachingBooks.net, which are created and curated by the companies and do not require filtering (they filter for external content such as YouTube links).

3. School District Filters: School districts are required by federal law (CIPA) to use content filters to participate in the E-rate program; therefore, nearly every Texas school district has these filters already in place. TexQuest products do not bypass these district filters.

4. Configurable Access: Districts can opt in or opt out of specific resources at the campus level. They can create campus-level subaccounts that allow resources to be enabled or disabled so that students can access only age-appropriate materials and resources.

5. Collection Development and Reconsideration Process: TSLAC has a TexQuest Collection Development Policy and a process for reconsideration of materials in place. The agency’s K-12 Advisory Committee is also involved in product selection and review.

Library Search Apps: Rebranding Research for Students

At the Texas middle school campus where I work, TexQuest has been a staple when it comes to research. In all honesty, research isn’t my favorite thing to teach in the field of library science. I struggled for years to make it entertaining, fun, and educational for the students, but I always felt like I was falling short of that goal. However, a few years ago, I attended a Texas Library Association conference program where librarians from San Antonio described rebranding research to fit our students’ vernacular. 

This gave me the idea to create library “search apps” using TexQuest and other resources our district subscribes to.  I created a “libserv” for our district using Google Sites, which allows the website to be locked down for our district users only. Therefore, I was able to share usernames and passwords safely and create apps using Canva for each of the TexQuest options. By just changing the name to include the word “apps,” students automatically knew what I was referring to when we began our research units in their library lessons. Such a simple change can facilitate understanding immediately. 

Making Research Interactive

Middle school is usually the first time students are exposed to research, citations, plagiarism, and copyright. Taking the amazing, age-appropriate, and secure resources TexQuest provides and putting them into terms students can understand is half the battle when it comes to teaching research. To teach the TexQuest apps, I created a digital scavenger hunt that had students searching for items in each of the search apps through TexQuest to find the right answers. This familiarized students with the apps and taught them how to search effectively when doing research. By putting the lessons into terms students can relate to and understand, I can get them on board with research, which can be a very dry topic to learn at times. That said, TexQuest is a fantastic resource that we are so lucky to have in our district. 

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Librarian
LibrariesProfessional Learning

Micro-Credentialed Librarians: Building New Skills and Making an Impact

by Karina Quilantan-Garza
written by Karina Quilantan-Garza

The modern-day librarian has seen a significant shift toward a more digitally inclusive library. The COVID-19 pandemic forced librarians across the globe to leverage technology to bridge the digital divide for their patrons, regardless of whether or not they were ready to integrate new media tools in their library spaces. Consequently, the learning curve was steep. While many educators sought educational or technological tools aimed at providing sustainable solutions, there was little guidance on how to properly integrate new practices during an era of uncertainty and unpredictability. 

The Solution to This Problem? A Librarian. 

micro-credential
Source: National Education Association

Library media specialists are equipped with the research and technology skills for supporting learning communities in developing innovative and effective learning experiences that facilitate student success. Not only do librarians prepare patrons to become independent thinkers, creators, and changemakers, but they act as a source of innovative release when high-stakes testing in schools takes the wheel at every turn. Undoubtedly, learning how to become an effective or “future-ready” librarian is not without its challenges. Without a doubt, ongoing professional development is necessary to the sustainability of any effective library program. Many librarians may seek learning opportunities through their local education centers, districts, or TCEA. However, seeking self-paced learning experiences, such as obtaining micro-credentials or ambassadorships, can add value to a librarian’s role. These can both reflect a librarian’s interests or strengths and add to their skillset. 

Assessing Needs

Without a doubt, there are many wonderful micro-credential courses and opportunities for digital badges offered by educational technology companies. However, consider and assess the needs of your learning community first. There’s often a mentality that we have to “collect all the badges.” But this can often be counterproductive if the platform in which you seek certification is not used by your learning community. Try obtaining micro-credentials, or digital badges, that reflect the practices of your organization. Are there applications that are used due to district or campus mandates? Is the platform in which you are seeking certification a blocked or restricted application in your network? Is there an assistive technology that you feel students would benefit from?

These are all questions you should ask yourself before seeking a new shiny badge. Additionally, sending staff surveys to gauge technology skills or interest can help you develop an understanding of your learners’ needs. Keep in mind that the more certifications you obtain, the more upkeep it requires. Subscribe to newsletters or group forums that will keep you updated about changes to the platform’s usability or functions. 

micro-credential

Finding the Right Tools

The tools you decide to implement will depend on a variety of factors. Seeking credentialing or ambassadorships may require research. Luckily, Google Innovator Rachel Coathup created BadgEdTech, a website aimed to encourage educators to learn about educational technology applications that provide micro-credential certifications, digital badges, or ambassadorships. Additionally, following ed tech companies and TCEA on social media is a great way to stay informed about the latest uses and trends.

Badge Visibility 

You have earned a badge. Now what? Display it for the world to see! Adding your new badges to digital portfolios, business cards, email signatures, or professional websites are ways to display your skills. If you prefer a physical presentation, printing and framing your certificates to display in your work areas can add a layer of expertise to your professional environment. It is also a great way to begin discussions with your staff on the variety of learning opportunities that can empower your adult learners to seek their own certifications. 

Ongoing Reflection for Librarians

Becoming an advocate for learning does not end with our students. We must also believe in our capabilities to continue our own education. Strive for learning, not perfection. Pursue opportunities that add quality to your skills, not quantity. Most importantly, seek micro-credentialing achievements that you believe will positively impact your education environments and will nurture existing and learned abilities. 

Karina Quilantan-Garza, aka Mrs. Q., is the librarian at Jaime Escalante Middle School in Pharr-San Juan-Alamo ISD. She is a Google for Education Certified Trainer, Microsoft Innovative Educator (MIE) Trainer, and MIE Expert. She has over 10 years of secondary teaching experience and currently serves as the TCEA Library Special Interest Group (LIB-SIG) Vice-President. Her love for library media, ed-tech integration, and instructional design has motivated her to attain an array of digital credentials, which have given her the expertise needed to provide training for her campus on how to navigate and thrive in physical, hybrid, and fully virtual learning environments. When she is not saving the world one book or megabyte at a time, she can be found playing video games or reading on her comfy couch. Follow Karina on Twitter @cuethelibrarian. 

Did you know that ALL our fantastic TCEA courses provide micro-credentials upon completion? It’s true. Sign up to learn new skills and earn a micro-credential today.

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library space
Libraries

Reimagine Your Library Space

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

When working on ways to reimagine your library space, it can be easy to feel overwhelmed. It’s hard to know where to start, or if change is even possible — especially if you have little to no budget. Here are some tips that can help you take on your space, one step at a time.

Tip #1: Identify the Problems in Your Space

We all know that our libraries have problem areas. Maybe the printer is located on the opposite side of the library from the computers and students have to dash across to get their printouts. Or there’s a furniture layout issue that’s always causing traffic jams. Take some time to jot down these areas. Survey your students and teachers (I’m partial to digital surveys). Find out what they love about the library and what they would change. Learn what their ideal study/work environment is. Their answers might surprise you — and they can guide you as you formulate your plans.

Once you’ve figured out what some of your problem areas are, start taking photos and gathering data on their impact. This will help you when it comes time to write a grant or ask your administration for funding; having visuals of what the problems are can be very effective. For more on problem spaces in your library, check out my AASL post: How to Identify and Reframe Design Problems in Your Space.

Tip #2: Make Plans

As you start to work through your survey data and document your problem areas, it’s a good time to start making plans and brainstorming ideas about what you’d like to do in your space. Look for various places to find inspiration for your facility (here are some good places to visit). Find digital inspiration on Pinterest; it can be an excellent way to discover beautifully-designed schools and libraries. Check out my Library and Learning Space Design board to get started.

If you feel like taking your plans to the next level, create a layout diagram or floor plan of your space (tutorial here). Even if you just throw some shapes into Google Slides or sketch out your space on paper, take the time to get a bird’s eye view of the layout and how everything fits together. It may help you see possibilities you hadn’t noticed before.

Tip #3: Work with What You’ve Got

Many people assume that you can’t change up your library space until you get funding. But you don’t need a grant for thousands of dollars to change up your space. There’s plenty of changes you can make that cost little to nothing. Even if you know that funding is coming down the line, start prototyping ideas with free or low-budget solutions. This will help you to know if more costly options are worth it (for more on this idea, check out the book Make Space: How to Set the Stage for Creative Collaboration).

Remove furniture and shelving that you don’t need and see what it does to open up the space. Get some friends to help you rearrange your tables, floor shelves, and other items that aren’t bolted to the floor. Sometimes a new furniture layout can work wonders.

Tip #4: The Collection Is Part of the Space

Usually when we think about the library space, we tend to focus on things like furniture, paint colors, rugs, etc. But the physical books in our library are a part of the space as well. Make sure your collection is well-weeded and that you’re adding books that students are excited to read. If possible, consider genre-fying your collection, or at least using labels or stickers to help students find the genres they love.

Tip #5: Spruce Things Up

Sometimes the little things can make a big difference like painting a wall or a pole a bright color, adding an interactive element like a whiteboard or chalkboard wall or, building a LEGO wall. Design new signage to help your students find things. Yes, some of these cost money, but the investments are relatively small, and the payoff can be huge.

Additional Resources

  • Reimagining Library Spaces: Transform Your Space on Any Budget: In my book, Reimagining Library Spaces, I breakdown a practical process for rethinking and redesigning a library space, no matter where your budget. Each chapter includes action steps and connections to the ISTE standards. The book also includes examples of four different reimagined library spaces.
  • Learning Space Design Resources page: On this page, I’ve curated various resources that I’ve found useful for thinking about library and learning space design.
  • The Space: A Guide for Educators: Robert Dillon and Rebecca Hare’s book offers up a ton of fantastic ideas for prototyping change in your space and getting your students involved in the process.
  • Library Spaces for 21st Century Learners – This book from AASL is a fantastic resource for planning changes to your space. I especially love the advice on surveys and focus groups and how to transform that data into actionable steps.

Diana Rendina is the media specialist at Tampa Preparatory School, an independent 6-12 school. Previously, she was the media specialist at Stewart Middle Magnet School where she transformed their library and piloted their makerspace program. Diana has received several awards including the 2016 International Society for Technology in Education Outstanding Young Educator Award and the 2015 American Association of School Librarians Frances Henne award. She co-authored Challenge-Based Learning in the School Library Makerspace and is the author of Reimagining Library Spaces: Transform Your Space on Any Budget. You can find her blog, Renovated Learning, here.

Photo: Eliabe Costa

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news literacy
Digital LiteracyLibraries

News Literacy for Educators (with 15 Tools)

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Following the 2016 presidential election, America saw a steep rise in fake news and news designed for misinformation. As school librarians, we are also seeing a shift in how students consume news and information and their news source preferences. Now, more than ever, we need to integrate news literacy and media literacy into the teaching and learning students are engaged in through our libraries and curriculum.

What Is News Literacy?

According to the SchoolofJournalism.org

News literacy is the acquisition of 21st-century, critical-thinking skills for analyzing and judging the reliability of news and information, differentiating among facts, opinions and assertions in the media we consume, create and distribute.

We can’t talk news literacy without also addressing bias. We all have some level of bias acquired through our different experiences. Each of our individual biases is formed from a multitude of components including where we live, where we are from, culture (our own and our perceptions of others), pop culture, religion, and, of course, politics. What’s important for us to incorporate into our campuses about bias is helping our students and staff identify their own biases, understand that news sources contain bias, and then help them develop the skills to choose news sources in a more balanced way.

Why Teach News Literacy?

Many students want to have a better understanding of current events and news sources, but just don’t know where to begin. While doing a mini-lesson on news literacy with a group of 12th-grade students, they were asked, “What do you wish teachers/adults understood about how you get your news?” Here are a few telling responses:

“Sadly enough, sometimes I avoid watching the news, afraid of being subject to fake or heavily-biased news.”

“I do not watch the news that much except for on Snapchat. I wish we were actually taught about the current events.”

“I wish they understood that we don’t really know how or where to get the news. We also don’t really keep up with it as much as we should.”

In order to prepare students for the tumultuous news landscape of their present and future, we must hold frequent, candid conversations about evaluating sources for credibility, identifying bias, and striving for a balanced news diet. To develop these skills that are so essential to their growth as ethical global citizens, it is important for students to regularly interact with news, critically evaluate information, and engage in civil discourse.

Resources

  • FactCheck: FactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. They are a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. They monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases.
  • Politifact: PolitiFact is a fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics. PolitiFact is run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times, an independent newspaper in Florida. They use a number of scales they’ve created: Truth-O-Meter to gauge accuracy of statements, Flip-O-Meter to rate whether an elected official has been consistent on an issue, and Promise Meters to gauge progress made on campaign promises.
  • AllSides: AllSides is a news service aimed at cutting through one-sided bias and hyper-partisanship. They offer news stories on current topics “from the center.e ” “from thleft.” and “from the right” on a scale that rates the bias.
  • Snopes: Founded in 1994, Snopes is the oldest and largest fact-checking site on the internet. It is a common source for checking hoaxes, urban legends, email scams, and sensational, clickbait social media posts.
  • Britannica Insights: This is a Chrome extension tool to highlight Britannica School resources alongside your student’s search results. Free for Britannica School subscribers (18 states that have subscriptions). Doesn’t influence search results, but showcases those trustworthy sources that we always WANT students to use alongside their Google results. Once you click in, you will have all of the great features of Britannica, including adjustable leveling, videos, and other resources. Especially effective on historical events and people to help students gain context for their search.
  • TEDEd How to Choose Your News: Video discusses the history of news, how trust was broken with traditional news sources, and how the Internet has changed the way news is shared. Can lead to some great discussion with students on how the media landscape has changed. Explains the phenomenon of circular reporting and how fake news spreads so quickly and easily.
  • Source Deck Activity: This is a great research activity that I think would lend itself well to a news literacy conversation. Screenshot a variety of information sources and include the citation for each. Based on the snapshot and source information, students must evaluate the source and its relevance. Blog post on Britannica Learn with starter slides went up today.
  • Common Sense Media: I have loved their digital citizenship curriculum for years. They have compiled some great resources and lessons to help turn students into fact-finding web detectives. They are currently updating and adding new lessons to this collection.
  • NewseumED: NewseumED offers a wealth of resources for educators on media literacy, including lesson plans, artifacts, and case studies. They also offer virtual classes and professional development for educators.
  • Choices Program by Brown University: Non-profit at Brown University developing curricula on current and historical international and public policy issues. Students dig deep into multiple viewpoints on contested issues. Free lesson resources and complete curriculum available to purchase.
  • Checkology: A resource from the News Literacy Project that provides a virtual classroom with interactive lessons to help students learn to evaluate and interpret news. Activities to help them determine what news/information to trust, share, and act on. Topics include detecting/dissecting viral news rumors, investigating the impact of personalization algorithms, evaluating bias, and interpreting the First Amendment. Several sample lessons are available for free, with a paid subscription for the full curriculum.
  • Media Bias/ Fact Check: Media Bias/Fact Check (MBFC) is an independent online media outlet. On their About page, MBFC says they are dedicated to educating the public on media bias and deceptive news practices. This site can be used to look up news sources found online and through social media postings to help students understand where that particular news source rates on their bias and fact checking.
  • Above The Noise: This is a YouTube channel with great short videos about news literacy. Teachers can use the videos and have their students join the discussion on KQED Learn to investigate controversial topics and share their voices. 
  • Factitious: This is a great “game” to introduce students to bias and the importance of looking at news sources. This could easily be incorporated into a news literacy lesson and used in conjunction with many of the other resources listed here.  
  • Break Your Own News Image Maker: This is just a fun resource for students to make their own images like the ones you see in this blog post. It can also lead to discussions about the validity of images, image sources, reverse image searches, and how headlines are used as to gaslight and as misinformation.

Nancy Jo Lambert is a Google Certified Trainer and high school teacher librarian in Frisco ISD at Reedy High School. She is a presenter advocating for libraries by telling the story of the learning happening in her library. She holds positions in the Texas Library Association, American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, Texas Association of School Librarians, and is the president of the TCEA LIB-SIG. She has been published in professional journals and won numerous awards and grants and was named TCEA Library Media Specialist of the Year the American Association of School Librarians Social Media Superstar Curriculum Champion in 2019. 

Tiffany Whitehead, the Mighty Little Librarian, is an obsessive reader, social media user, and technology geek. She is the Director of Library at Episcopal High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Tiffany earned her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and School Library Certification from Southeastern Louisiana University and her graduate degree in Educational Technology Leadership from Northwestern State University. She has served as the President of ISTE’s Librarians Network and was recognized as one of ISTE’s 2014 Emerging Leaders. Tiffany is National Board Certified in Library Media and was named one of the 2014 Library Journal Movers & Shakers. She was the 2016 recipient of the Louisiana Library Media Specialist Award and the 2019 ISTE Librarians Network Secondary Award Winner. 

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Libraries

Thanking and Giving from the Library

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Let’s face it. The days are getting shorter but feeling longer. Everyone is in need of a break. The excitement of the new year is a distant memory. And sometimes it just seems like we’re going through the motions. But this time of year is also the perfect time to focus on thanking and giving. What can you do to give yourself and others a lift?  Here are a few suggestions.

Offer encouragement

 Librarians see students of all ages and for multiple topics on a daily basis. And librarians know all faculty and staff members on their campuses. Libraries are a hub. Frequently, they’re the heart of a school. What better place to make someone’s day? Share a smile or a kind word. Or make a kind word to go and spread kindness all day long with sticky notes.  Check out this encouragement board in the Lubbock High School library. Don’t want to write all those notes by hand?  Tony Vincent shares how to create your own custom sticky notes in his April 2017 post.

Give one, get one with your PLCs

 Unlike many of our peers’ PLCs (professional learning communities), librarians often rely on digital forums for idea swaps.  Just because you found a great tool or idea, don’t assume that everyone is in the know or saw the same message. Tweet, retweet, blog about, or include great new (or new-to-you) finds.

Share your favorites

 Is it a book you’re super excited about? An amazing app? A cool website? A can’t-live-without-it extension? A brilliant tech tip? Someone out there is going to be just as thrilled as you. Be the one to share via tweet, email, or newsletter. Regardless of your sharing method of choice, just do it.

Be efficient

Everyone is busy this time of year, so now isn’t the time for “one more thing.” Rather, it’s a good time to share hacks and tips to save time or simplify everyday tasks. Offer suggestions that can be quickly and easily implemented and that can make a big difference. For example, instead of a wordy email or a screencast, try the iorad Chrome extension.  It’s an easy-to-use tool that creates tutorials. Sharing it is likely to earn you some friends.

Give your time

One of the best opportunities at the TCEA Convention is the chance to serve as a super volunteer.  Volunteer for two 4.5-hour shifts, and you earn free registration! It takes a lot of help to make things run smoothly, and we can’t do it without volunteers. Even better, you get to choose which presentations or workshops you facilitate! Learn, earn CPE credit, and enjoy the convention at no charge!  

Watch your language

Pay attention to those conjunctions and, but, or. What can you add to conversations? When someone comes to you with a question or need, don’t shut them down with a one-word response.Go the extra mile with a “Yes, and…” or a “No, but…”  Librarians are magnets when it comes to “other duties as assigned.”  Take charge by redirecting or expanding conversations. You’ll find new allies.

Don’t be stingy  

A heartfelt “thank you” can go a long way.  When that student comes back to tell you all about the book they just read, thank him for sharing that with you. When your principal invites you to a meeting, thank her for including you. When a colleague shows you the lesson he just created, asks you to proofread the yearbook page, or comes to you for help with Google Classroom or an iPad, let him know you appreciate being considered the expert. Demonstrating gratitude reminds us that we really do have the best job in the building.

Take care of yourself

There will always be more supplies to order, lessons to plan, meetings to attend, classes to teach, and blogs/feeds/sites to update. Give yourself downtime. Read, rest, exercise, create, or do whatever you need to recharge. Slow down, grab a warm drink, and refresh.  When you take care of yourself, you can take better care of others. And face it – that’s why we do what we do.

This is a guest blog by Kristi Starr. Kristi is the library media specialist and co-campus technology leader at Coronado High School in Lubbock ISD and the President of LIB-SIG. This blog is part of a monthly series of blogs from LIB-SIG. 

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digital citizenship
Digital LiteracyLibraries

Student Online Life: Targeted Digital Citizenship Education

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

It’s almost Digital Citizenship Week. While it’s great to bring awareness to the importance of digital citizenship this week, five days is not enough. That’s why I’m outlining the areas of digital citizenship that need dedicated attention and purposeful planning by librarians, teachers, and administrators.

Librarians Lead the Way in Information Literacy

Current librarian digital citizenship practice is about helping our students use online content in responsible ways. We should be teaching our students that you cannot just use anything you want from the internet in any way that you want. We should be communicating to our teachers that we can help them when their assignments involve students using information or images from the web. For every assignment, librarians should be demonstrating how to find, evaluate, and use information from credible sources. We should be talking about copyright and how to use citations to give attribution. This important digital citizenship skill set is often overlooked by administrators and teachers because it is easy to put on the back burner and also because librarians are not making these lessons and resources readily available in the curriculum. The bottom line is we should be inserting ourselves into every lesson, every project, every essay, and every assignment where students are asked to do anything with the information.

Modeling Good Behavior

We all know that the online world is changing and shifting at a rapid pace. Often, as educators, we aren’t fully aware of what our students are really doing online. I know I am not a gamer, so the world of online gaming is something I am aware of, but don’t participate in. I am also not an avid YouTuber. I don’t watch a lot of YouTube for pleasure, nor do I subscribe to popular YouTuber channels. I give these two examples to explain that even though we have to teach digital citizenship, we may not completely understand the online communities and environments our students are spending a significant amount of time in.

The responsibility of helping kids be good digital citizens often falls to parents. Parents, after all, are the ones who are supposed to control what devices, games, and social media accounts their children have access to. Kids now know they can create multiple accounts for almost any online service, and some go as far as acquiring a trap phone (usually a second phone kids use without their parents’ knowledge that has WiFi capability only). Parents are often not in the know about the extent of what their kids are doing online.

Modeling appropriate online behaviors and educating students about what it means to be a good digital citizen is becoming increasingly important. I talk to students all the time about their online reputation. A quick and easy Google search can reveal a great deal about a person. I try to help my students understand that something their 15-year-old self finds funny or appropriate to post or share online might not be something their 30-year-old self appreciates. This is especially true if it costs them a job or opportunity. I ask my students to think about showing their online life to a respected family member or someone they might want to marry. Would they be proud of everything that shows up?

Resources for Teaching Digital Citizenship

At the start of the school year, I always do a digital citizenship lesson with my Career and Technology classes. This year, I revamped some outdated content my school had been using. With the help of my Digital Learning Coach, we created a Google Site to house the content and paired the eight “stations” of content with GooseChase missions. After the students successfully completed the missions, they were given an access code for a Google Quiz that I made to accompany the stations which I dropped into each teacher’s Google Classroom. Here is a Google Folder I made with copies of content and other resources for this activity. I want to encourage other librarians to create and share the content we use to teach and model digital citizenship!

Our students are growing up in a completely digital world. Their entire lives, often from birth, are documented online through social media, images, videos, and online profiles. We have to help them understand this fact and recognize that what goes online, stays online – forever! We should be talking about digital citizenship issues in every school, every day, and with students of all ages. 

This is a guest blog by Nancy Jo Lambert as part of a monthly series of blogs from LIB-SIG. Nancy Jo is a high school teacher librarian at Reedy High School in Frisco ISD. She is a presenter and speaker who advocates for libraries by telling the story of the learning happening in her library. She holds positions in the Texas Library Association and in TCEA. She also has committee appointments in the American Library Association, American Association of School Librarians, and the Texas Association of School Librarians. She has been published in professional journals and has won numerous awards and grants. Nancy Jo is also a Google Level 1 and Level 2 certified Educator. She is known for her sharing her professional work on her library website: http://www.reedylibrary.com.

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librarians
Libraries

Six Tips for Librarians to Prepare for a New School Year

by Guest Blogger
written by Guest Blogger

Librarians wear many hats and serve many roles. As we all prepare to start a new year, some of us may find ourselves in new positions or on new campuses, maybe even both.  And librarians are among the few on their campuses who have the opportunity, the privilege, and the challenge of greeting and teaching every student in the building. That can be overwhelming at times. So as you start preparing for another year of serving as a mentor, resource manager, makerspace master, media specialist, and more…what can you do to get the year started off just right?

1. Spread the Joy of Reading

Don’t keep your summer reading list to yourself! You know there are students who will be coming back to school, eyes lit up with excitement as they tell you what they read. Maybe it’s not an avid reader, but someone a little quieter or someone new. What can you suggest? Hopefully, you had the opportunity to read something that you can’t help but talk … and talk … and talk about. Your love of literacy and willingness to share what you’ve been reading and what you’re excited about goes a long way in your students’ eyes.

2. Share Your Learning

Educators aren’t just always teaching, they’re also always learning. It might have been a conference, an edcamp, a day at your ESC, a webinar, or a cool new tool your PLN tweeted, but it’s imperative that educators are always keeping up to date with new ideas, resources, and strategies for engaging students and improving student outcomes. And when you’ve found that great new idea or tool, don’t hesitate to share it. Use it with your own students and also spread it through your network, so all librarians and educators can benefit.

3. Embrace the New Standards

You know there are new standards, right?  Whether we look at national standards, the Future Ready Librarians framework, or right here in Texas, we have new standards. Look them over and then identify two takeaways. One should be one that you already implement well, but want to take to the exceptional level. The other should be one that is definitely a work in progress (or lack thereof). So in other words, set one new goal and one goal to knock out of the proverbial ballpark.

4. Build That Network

Now is the perfect time to strengthen your PLN. And there’s no better way to do that than to join #txlchat on Tuesdays starting in September. This chat provides “a forum to create, collaborate, and share educational resources, and foster continuous professional growth.” Whether you spend time just lurking, check out the archive, or dive right in, you will build a PLN that includes not just Texas librarians, but folks from all around the country!

5. Join LIB-SIG

Are you a TCEA member? If so, then you’ve already gotten access to great resources for technology integration in schools. But if you’re a librarian who sees the value of increasing your knowledge and resources and building a community, then it’s time to take your membership a step farther. For only $10 on top of your TCEA membership, you’ll be part of a special interest group dedicated to providing resources to support your teaching and learning. LIB-SIG offers monthly members-only webinars. A members-only newsletter will be shared in the LIB-SIG Community each month as well. We’ll also offer tips and suggestions for Twitter, Google, ed tech sites and apps, and programming ideas.

6. Follow Us

And for our final tip for getting back to school with the right attitude and resources to have your best year ever is…Don’t forget to follow @TCEA and @TCEALIBSIG. We’ll keep you current all year long with great ideas to implement in your library.

But most importantly, enjoy the year.  Be intentional, be present, and be amazing!

This is a guest blog by Kristi Starr, the President of LIB-SIG. She’s also the library media specialist and co-campus technology leader at Coronado High School in Lubbock ISD. To our librarian followers, stay tuned. This is the first in a monthly series of blogs from LIB-SIG.

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