The Library of Congress was founded on April 24, 1800, to provide books for Congress’s use. Over time, its mission expanded, allowing it to be viewed as a national institution and, therefore, the national library. The current building was completed and opened to the public in 1897. Since then, the library’s offerings and resources … read more »
September is National Library Card Sign Up Month! According to ALA (the American Libary Association) this year, Disney’s the Incredibles are Library Card Sign-up Month honorary chairs, helping to promote the value of a library card and bring attention to the many ways libraries and librarians transform lives and communities through education. Today’s Libraries offer … read more »
While the month of April brings thoughts of spring showers and May flowers, for this school librarian, April reminds me of National Library Week and its companion, School Library Month. I love the fact that there is a special time of the year dedicated to libraries. You don’t have to convince Americans that their libraries are important. Over … read more »
This is my second post examining the argument Dr. Jared Cooney Horvath has been making about educational technology. In my first post—Let’s Talk About What the Research on K12 EdTech Actually Shows—I looked closely at the evidence behind his claims and what the peer-reviewed research actually says. This post asks a different question, and one … read more »
Something shifted in K12 educator conversations this past school year. You may have felt it — a low-level hum of anxiety that wasn’t there before. A colleague forwarded a video with a note that said: “Have you seen this?” A school board meeting that took an unexpected turn. A teacher in a professional learning session … read more »
April marks National Poetry Month, established in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets to celebrate poetry’s significance in our lives. Poetry, one of humanity’s oldest art forms, preserves our stories and evolves alongside us. As a poetry enthusiast, I often hear from people who claim to “hate” poetry—and I always suggest they simply haven’t … read more »
You’re staring at a new unit plan, trying to figure out how to weave in media literacy, find credible primary sources, and keep thirty different students engaged—all while hitting your state standards. It feels like a solo mountain climb. But here’s the thing: you aren’t alone on that mountain. Just down the hall—or perhaps right … read more »
“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”—Albert Einstein February is full of love, pride, historical connection, celebration, and the annual observation of a precognitive weather-forecasting rodent—but it’s also the birth month of a storytelling legend. Whilem Carl … read more »
Students open their laptops, type a topic into Google, click the first three links, and boom—they believe they’re “done with research.” The result? Their digital stories feel flat and predictable, filled with the same surface-level information anyone could gather in seconds. Digital storytelling has real potential to engage students, but only if there’s solid research … read more »
In Part 1 of this blog, we introduced you to Wordwall and discussed how to apply the SAMR Model and the Triple E Framework to use it in instruction. Today’s post provides detailed instructions for using this resource and offers classroom implementation ideas that cater to all students. In case you missed it, Wordwall gives you an easy way to transform your lessons into interactive games in minutes. This resource offers … read more »