News and
Opportunity Updates for School and Youth Librarians from the Alaska State
Library
In Brief
Alaska Statewide Summer Reading Program: A Universe of
Stories
Keep your
ears open for more information from your local public library about the summer
reading program so that you can alert students and teachers about the
opportunities.
TumbleBook
Library
is pleased to announce the launch of TumbleBooks of the Day!
This is a
joint project between TumbleBook Library and the Alaska State Library. It
provides free daily content for families, schools, and public libraries in
order to promote literacy and a love of reading. In addition to Book of the
Day, Math Book of the Day, Game of the Day, and Spanish Book of the Day, all in
the TumbleBook format, it also includes a Fun Fact of the Day- specially
customized for each state! Content changes every single day and we encourage
users to login on a regular basis in order to discover the amazing books which
await them.
Learning
Express Offers Assistance to Students of All Ages and Adult Learners
LearningExpress
provides a comprehensive selection of educational resources—including
interactive tutorials, practice exams, flashcards, articles and e-books—for
basic skills mastery, academic success, job preparation, and career
advancement. The Alaska Library Network has bought a statewide online
subscription to LearningExpress. Learning center resources include School
Center, Student Success Skills, High School Equivalency Center, College Admissions
Test Preparation, College Students, Adult Core Skills, Compute Skills Center,
Career Preparation, and Jobs and Career Accelerator.
New Trauma-Engaged
Resource Available for Alaska Schools
DEED and the Association of Alaska School Boards are pleased
to jointly announce the release of a new resource for Alaska schools entitled “Transforming
Schools: A Framework for Trauma-Engaged Practice in Alaska”. This
innovative framework provides schools with a detailed road map illuminating the
steps that can be taken to better address students’ needs.
Scholarships, Grants and Awards
Deadline March 31, 2019
Ezra
Jack Keats Mini Grant Program 2019
EJK
Mini-Grant offers funding of up to $500 and the opportunity to design and implement
a creative program for your school or library…. press release
Scholastic List of upcoming or ongoing library
grant opportunities
http://www.scholastic.com/librarians/programs/grants.htm
Training and Continuing Ed
Tuesday February 19, 2019 @ 9:00-10:00 am AKST
Everything’s
Coming Up YA (Booklist)
Get a sneak peek at forthcoming fiction and nonfiction
titles from Blink YA, North Star, and West 44 Books, in this hour-long, free
webinar, moderated by Booklist Books for Youth Associate Editor Maggie Reagan.
Tuesday, February 19, 2019 @ 11:00 am – 12:00 pm AKST
Including
Students on the Spectrum: 5 Powerful Strategies (edWeb)
Participants will learn:
- Ideas that work for the
inclusive classroom (and often work just as well for students without
disabilities)
- Powerful, student-centered
strategies and relevant research
- Tools (e.g., checklists, forms)
that can be used to implement the strategies
- How to access a handful of free
virtual resources to use and share with others
- Ways to use these strategies
with collaborative partners and teach colleagues about them
This workshop is for all
skill levels and will be of interest to K-12 teachers, librarians, and
occupational and speech therapists.
Tuesday, February 19, 2019 @ 2:00
pm – 3:00 pm
AKST
Level Up!
Integrating Games and Gamification (edWeb)
Games
and gamification can be powerful and controversial tools for teaching and
learning. This webinar will provide:
- Background on learning,
motivation, and research for using games and gamification
- Explanation and examples of
gaming to support learning
- Strategies, examples, and
opportunities for gamification to support teaching and learning
The
topics of games and gamification in learning, of which individuals engaged in
teaching and learning should be aware, have persistently been cited as
important or cutting-edge. Games and gaming are distinguished by their specific
original purposes of entertainment; however, serious games, which are most akin
to simulations, are designed to educate first. Most recently, gamification
applies game design elements, particularly those engendering motivation, to
non-game processes like courses and instructional units. Attendees will be
introduced to games and gamification and receive numerous practical examples to
try in their own settings or inspire changes to existing lessons.
Thursday,
February 21, 2019 @ 10:00 am – 11:00 am AKST
How to Create a School Makerspace (Demco)
This webinar will cover
the basics of starting, outfitting, and maintaining a makerspace at your
school. Based in part on his best-selling book, Your Starter Guide to
Makerspaces, Nicholas Provenzano will share all of his favorite tips, tricks,
and tools to help you as you venture into the world of making.
Thursday,
February 21, 2019 @ 9:00am-10:00 am AKST
Youth Titles Guaranteed to Jump Off Your Shelves
Check out wonderful
offerings new this spring from Cavendish Square Publishing, Enslow Publishing,
Gareth Stevens Publishing, KidHaven Publishing, and Rosen Digital. Topics sure
to be covered include STEM resources, news literacy, current events, social and
emotional learning, and so much more! K-12 series nonfiction is what it’s all
about during this must-see webinar. Booklist Books for Youth
editor Sarah Hunter will moderate.
Tuesday,
February 26, 2019 @ 9am – 10 am AKST
Help Teens Build Financial Wellbeing at Your
Library (WebJunction)
Join us to learn how to
help your teen patrons become empowered to navigate their financial futures. As
children grow, their potential to manage money and understand financial
concepts grows as well. The knowledge, skills, and behaviors kids learn when
they are young lay the groundwork for their financial well-being as adults, and
libraries can play a role in building these important financial literacy
skills.
Wednesday, February 27,
2019 @ 11:00am-12:00 pm AKST
What’s New in Children’s
Literature – 2019
(Infopeople)
Join the annual review of what’s new in children’s literature, both new authors
and old favorites, that you can recommend to a child – especially when you are
busy! This webinar can help you discover new books that you can offer to
children who use your library, including books that reflect the diversity of
the children we serve. Hear about books published in late 2018 and spring 2019,
which will be popular with children ages 0-12. These include board books,
picture books, easy readers, transitional fiction, genre fiction for middle
grades, graphic novels, poetry, nonfiction, and more! Hear about books that
will be popular with a wide audience of children, including recent
award-winners. Also, find out about books that fit the 2019 summer reading
themes of music and travel.
Thursday, February 28, 2019 @3:00 p.m. AKST
Standards at Your Fingertips: AASL Standards Mobile App for
School Library Educators (AASL eCollab) FREE
This session, dedicated to the
AASL Standards Mobile App, defines some of the most appropriate uses for school
library educators. We will clarify and explain the content of the app and its
use as a companion tool to the print publication of the National School Library
Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. (FREE)
Wednesday, March 6, 2019 9:00 a.m. AKST
Using Makerspaces to Build Teacher/Librarian Collaboration (AASL) FREE
This session will demonstrate to
participants how use of 3D printing can help teachers augment their lessons,
develop higher order thinking and research, and give students exposure to
21st century technology. School librarian Harry Ostlund and social studies specialist
Ryan Fontanella will share how their campus/district worked to
create “archival boxes” – boxes of premade lessons incorporating various
elements of the library’s digital and print resources available for checkout
by teachers for use in the classroom. (FREE)
Tuesday, February 26, 2019 @ 9:00 am – 10:00 am AKST
Help Students Use Video to Demonstrate Learning with
Powtoon and Biteable (edWeb)
Most students would rather use
digital tools to demonstrate their learning instead of traditional paper and pencil.
Is this feasible with your current classroom technology situation? Let’s find
out together! Join this edWebinar with school administrator and educational
consultant Shannon Holden as he explores the features of two of the most
popular video creation tools—Powtoon and Biteable.
Wednesday, February 27, 2019 @ 5:00 pm – 6:00 pm EST
Integrating social-emotional learning into the learner experience
is becoming a priority among school districts but competing initiatives vie for
professional development and instructional time. The library program can serve
as a vehicle to incorporate emotional wellness into each student’s day.
In this edWebinar, Michelle Luhtala, Library Department Chair at
New Canaan High School, CT, will explore the many ways in which school
librarians can support their learning communities through co-teaching, making,
reading, and more. This edWebinar will be of interest to K-12 librarians,
teachers, and administrators. Michelle will answer questions throughout her
presentation.
As seen on Alaska School Librarians Facebook
Page
Our
Alaskan Schools
There is a new blog with an open
invitation to contribute what great things are happening in Alaska’s schools. A
project of the Alaska Council of School Administrators and the Alaska Staff
Development Network. An opportunity to submit positive stories about your
school. Send submissions to sjordan@alaskaacsa.org