It all starts with a good picture book. The book is used as the way to get students to practice literacy strategies. I have tried to keep, clear, straight forward instructions that can be finished within a 75 minute period.

Here are a couple of pictures of what is inside each literacy bag.

Here is a copy of my presentation with the links to resources and to me. Literacy Bags in Secondary Schools

I would love to get a conversation going about teaching literacy in high schools. What do you think?

So when I started to plan my presentation for the upcoming Ontario Library Association Superconference, I did not want to use powerpoint for my visuals. I checked out Voicethreads (http://voicethread.com) which I love to use with my students. But it wasn’t right for this topic. Next I tried Prezi (http://prezi.com) but I kept getting nauseous by the movements to each topic.

So I fell back on a powerpoint presentation. I have read several books about how to use powerpoint effectively. Presentation Zen by Garr Reynolds is still one of my favorites. Using his principles of simple and clean slides, I put together my presentation. Making a powerpoint this way requires far more organization before you start on the slides than if you fill them with bullets and words.

After producing a detailed topic outline, I carefully hunted down photographs that would fit with each section. Then I had to play with the size of the photos to make them fit each slide. Most importantly I recorded reference information for each photograh used.

I am quite proud that this powerpoint does not include any bullets, minimal words per slide and large pictures that will guide me when giving the presentation. Now I am just down to the practicing what I want to say and picking out the books I want to bring with me.

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=809

We had two hours of free-flowing conversation that ranged from copyright law, to Learn 360 to databases. This chance to talk and sometimes debate topics relevant to us and directed by the group is always a gift.

As much as I am addicted to technology, I hope we never lose our F2F time!

I heard about this conference last fall on Twitter. I always go to the Ontario Library Association Superconference at the beginning of the year and had already spent my PD dollars there. However, after looking at the program (with envy) and reading all the tweets from the participants, I decided that I would just have to go to both.

I am sure glad I did. First of all, there was free wi-fi during the conference! I know that some people were complaining about the slowness of the connection but I never had any problems myself.

Next, Twitter was made a focus by the planners this year. All the volunteers were wearing Twitter shirts with their Twitter names on the back.

Participants were also given ribbons to add to their name tag with their Twitter name on it. It was so much fun to talk to some of the people who I have been following on Twitter!

Finally, making a choice on which workshop to attend was almost painful. Each session had at least 10 different speakers and I always found at least 2 that I wanted to go to.

The opening keynote by Dr. David Thornburg (www.tcse-k12.org) was funny, enlightening and thought provoking. Any Star Trek fan would love to hear him talk about his projects. Then I went to a great session by Anita Brooks Kirkland and Becky Rouse both teacher-librarians from Waterloo Region. They showed off Library Learning Commons Website. This district wide library website has all the information any student needs from their library on-line. Best of all, Waterloo doesn’t mind sharing this site with others. So check it out. Then I went to a great session looking at the impact of E-readers on education by Colin Harris and Melissa Murray.

All of this before lunch (which was part of the cost) on the first day. I won’t go into detail about the other sessions but here is the link to the workshops to check out for yourself. I’m already planning on going next year and maybe I’ll come up with my own topic to present!

This opinion piece was published on September 18, 2010. There are several issues with this article but the one that bothers me the most is about the novel Speak. This wonderful book by Laurie Halse Anderson has been a favorite of students at my school since we opened in 2001. In fact, it is one of the first books I recommend to students looking for a good book to read. It is also the focus of one of our Social Sciences class for our grade 9 students.

Laurie Halse Anderson’s blog has several important links for you to check out.

I just don’t get it why people think they have the right to tell me what to read.  I remember when I was about 10 I was going through a major biography stage. I had read most of the biographies from the adult section that interested me. I know now that this must have really upset the librarians there.

When I wanted to take out a book on Marilyn Monroe, I was told no. I was not given a reason for this refusal.  I had never had someone tell me I wasn’t allowed to check out a book. I hopped on my bike and raced home to tell my Mum. I remember I wanted her to return to the library with me immediately to tell these people what was going on! Since my Mum didn’t drive at that time it was an unrealistic demand of her. Anyway, after dinner, my parents and I drove to the library to find out what was going on.

Apparently the book had Monroe’s nude photographs in it. Imagine the uproar this book would have caused in this early 1970′s Winnipeg neighbourhood library.  A child trying to take it out would have been scandalous! So my parents signed the book out, skimmed through it and decided my young mind wouldn’t be totally corrupted, and gave me the book.

I remember looking at the pictures and mostly feeling embarrassed by the nude photos. I read maybe the first chapter or two but since I didn’t find it very interesting I stopped.

Almost forty years later, that event is still clear in my mind. As a teacher-librarian, I do my best to ensure that these controversial books are available for students to read. Whenever I hestitate about purchasing a book because it makes me uncomfortable, I remember my story and buy the book.

As a teacher-librarian how do you overcome your own biases, prejudices, and general uneasiness with some of the topics of the books out there today?

Most teachers, teach during class time and then send their students home with some practice problems. Karl Fisch records his lesson on Youtube and asks his students to watch it at home. Class time is used for working on questions.

What a radical concept! Of course it helps that we now have computers, and the internet and Youtube to make this all possible.

I’m thinking of the possibililties for this idea in the Learning Commons. What about a clip on how to research or find a book or how to use an ereader?

Either I have to get over my shyness of being in front of the camera or find a student who is more photogenic then me!

First of all, I am looking for discussions on educational topics. I started using Twitter a year and a half ago and this was the best decision I have made in a long time.  I get to talk to people from around the world. These are other teachers who are just as excited about education, libraries, literacy and learning as I am.

This is the best professional development that I have been a part of in a long time. I choose the topics. I choose when I do it. I choose who to respond to. If I don’t find a topic interesting, I move on without hurting anyone’s feelings.

I am attending ECOO conference this fall only because I heard of it from people on Twitter. I want to attend about 4 more that are in the U.S. that will require more planning and funding.

So being an active part of Twitter is no longer enough for me. Today I become a blogger!