My first Program on Saturday was taught by Susannah Tamarkin a High School NBCS School Library Media Specialist in the New York schoool system. We spent the morning learning how to integrate the the AASL standards into a Read/Write Web Classroom. The tools we used are free and available without need of district appproval for download etc. They include Wikispaces, Google docs and Clipmarks. Sussanah uses Wikispaces a repository for each class, and embeds google documents within the wiki. Each student sets up his/her own wiki and both Sussanah and the content area teacher have access to the students work.
For more information please feel free to look at her wiki at: http://ithsnyclibrary.wkispaces.com/
the entire presentation that I attendend should be there. There was some great information to take back to our inform our teaching.
Next I attended The AASL President's Program featuring speakers Laurie Halse Anderson, Alan Sitomer, And Jacqueline Woodson. Each spoke about the value of school/public libraians on their lives, The power of books and the impact that they have found that books have had on their readers' lives. It was a very powerful presentation and what we should all take away is that though we in the trenches may not realize it, our students are feeling the impact of our influence every day.
Finally, My afternoon was spent on the vendor floor, checking out new books, new products, and meeting authors. The evening was spent at the Scholarshiip bash, enjoying beautiful art, and then back to the hotel for not enough sleep!!!!!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Saturday Sizzle
Yes, it was a real sizzler of a day! Bright and early at 8 am I reported to the Convention Center for YALSA's Leadership Development session for Committee Chairs. From 8-10, I mingled with other chairs and board members as we negotiated ways to lead and manage our committees. From 10-12, I chaired my Diversity Campaign Task Force as we brainstormed and forged ahead with our agenda and ideas for what needs to be accomplished between now and midwinter.
At 12, I raced to the nearby Hyatt Regency for the Margaret Edwards Luncheon honoring Laurie Halse Anderson. She gave a very moving acceptance speech filled with tears and laughter. Afterwards, we chatted and posed for a photo then I raced to the Convention Center where I began my "author hunts."
I had prepared a list of authors that would be signing and began methodically hunting for each, beginning with Neil Gaiman. I wound up photographing more than I expected, including Chris Myers, Kadir Nelson, Nic Bishop, Diana Lopez, Kate DiCamillo, Lauren Myracle, M.T. Anderson, Jimmy Gownley and Rachel Renee Russell. For those with ridiculously long lines, I skipped the free book and just took a photo for my library. For shorter lines, I hung out and talked to the authors. They were very personable, and happy to talk/take photos.
All this chasing down took from 1-3:30, when I joined up with Laurie Halse Anderson at the Simon & Shuster booth as a huge group of us toasted her with champagne as she was awarded the Scott O'Dell award for "Chains."
At 4:30, I raced for the shuttle to my hotel to freshen up for the opening session which began at 5:30, where pres. Jim Rettig announced a new presidential initiative to raise $1 million for the Spectrum Scholarship Program. As a 2006 Spectrum Scholar, this was very exciting news.
At 7, I speed walked to the shuttles which took me to the ProQuest Spectrum Scholarship Bash at the Art Institute. I joined ProQuest CEO and other Scholars onstage at the outdoor eating area for the introduction to the night and a photo op, then we adjourned to enjoy delicious sandwiches, fruit and dessert which were displayed in 3 large eating areas. We were given free reign of the museum, and I covered practically miles of walking as I traversed every floor. By 9:30 I was dragging and ready to call it a day.
Tomorrow will be another early day, so it's off to the races until then...
Alma
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Newbie at a Conference
Wow! It seems that's all I keep saying to myself - Wow!
Everyone told me that it's hard to describe being at National - and they are right. The amount of information that is given is almost overwhelming - even for a librarian!!!! Chicago is a great city, but for a first conference it's a little difficult to keep track of everything. Why? You need to develop a three dimensional schedule. Most conventions are held in a relatively small area unto itself. ALA Chicago is help over several square MILES. You need to be cognizant of not only time but place as well. Several attractive workshops had to be abandoned because of the realization that as of yet, we haven't perfected instantaneous transport! Other than that - It is amazing to realize that you aren't alone.
Librarians, especially school librarians, are sometimes isolated in our schools. We may be the only school librarian in our school or even in our district. Here, I have had conversations with academic librarians, specialists (the FBI Academy Librarian is sitting next to me at the computers - I didn't even KNOW they had a library!!!) vendors, etc. It's uplifting to know that there are so many professionals that share our values, and how friendly everyone is!
Talk about serendipity... Coming in from O'Hare on a 10 passenger bus - guess who was sitting right next to me? Sandy Kelly. Yep - we both travel a 1000 miles just to end up sitting next to each other making plans to meet up in all of this convention hoopla. The connections we make at convention may take us all over the world - or just to the next back yard!
And sorry Chicago - apparently we brought the rain in from MA. Rain Friday afternoon - Huge thunderstorm @ 3 - and they are predicting more rain today. Oh well. Just as long as it doesn't follow us back!
- Kelly Depin
I
Everyone told me that it's hard to describe being at National - and they are right. The amount of information that is given is almost overwhelming - even for a librarian!!!! Chicago is a great city, but for a first conference it's a little difficult to keep track of everything. Why? You need to develop a three dimensional schedule. Most conventions are held in a relatively small area unto itself. ALA Chicago is help over several square MILES. You need to be cognizant of not only time but place as well. Several attractive workshops had to be abandoned because of the realization that as of yet, we haven't perfected instantaneous transport! Other than that - It is amazing to realize that you aren't alone.
Librarians, especially school librarians, are sometimes isolated in our schools. We may be the only school librarian in our school or even in our district. Here, I have had conversations with academic librarians, specialists (the FBI Academy Librarian is sitting next to me at the computers - I didn't even KNOW they had a library!!!) vendors, etc. It's uplifting to know that there are so many professionals that share our values, and how friendly everyone is!
Talk about serendipity... Coming in from O'Hare on a 10 passenger bus - guess who was sitting right next to me? Sandy Kelly. Yep - we both travel a 1000 miles just to end up sitting next to each other making plans to meet up in all of this convention hoopla. The connections we make at convention may take us all over the world - or just to the next back yard!
And sorry Chicago - apparently we brought the rain in from MA. Rain Friday afternoon - Huge thunderstorm @ 3 - and they are predicting more rain today. Oh well. Just as long as it doesn't follow us back!
- Kelly Depin
I
Chicago News
Well, here I am in the Windy City, which didn't feel very windy. In fact, after what we've been enduring weatherwise in MA, it felt downright balmy - even with the early morning rains!
My flight didn't get into town with enough time to do any real sightseeing, so I walked around the general vicinity of the historic Hilton where I'm staying, and looked at the archival photographs on display which documented its storied history since 1927, including the 1968 Vietnam protests during the Democratic National Convention. Every president since Roosevelt has visited, including many foreign heads of state and it's quite lovely. It's also the site of many movies, including the banquet scene from Harrison Ford's "The Fugitive," among others, as well as having its heli-port used during the filming of "ER."
Afterwards, I went to the Convention Center to get the "lay of the land" for tomorrow's early meetings, then taxied to Second City. LLAMA had sponsored a night of improv there, and the comedy acts were quite entertaining.
It's now very late, and I have to get up very early. Not a great combo, but that's what happens at these conferences!
More tomorrow.......
Alma
My flight didn't get into town with enough time to do any real sightseeing, so I walked around the general vicinity of the historic Hilton where I'm staying, and looked at the archival photographs on display which documented its storied history since 1927, including the 1968 Vietnam protests during the Democratic National Convention. Every president since Roosevelt has visited, including many foreign heads of state and it's quite lovely. It's also the site of many movies, including the banquet scene from Harrison Ford's "The Fugitive," among others, as well as having its heli-port used during the filming of "ER."
Afterwards, I went to the Convention Center to get the "lay of the land" for tomorrow's early meetings, then taxied to Second City. LLAMA had sponsored a night of improv there, and the comedy acts were quite entertaining.
It's now very late, and I have to get up very early. Not a great combo, but that's what happens at these conferences!
More tomorrow.......
Alma
Friday, July 10, 2009
My one free day in Chicago!
First, I have to say, I have been following Kathy Lowes Twitter Posts, and it is getting me pumped to rework our districts' standards this fall. Thank you Valerie and Kathy for all you have been doing.
My flight to Chicago was smooth, and I was at my hotel easy peasy! I went right down to the convention center and got all of my convention materials and the first person I bumped into was Linda Braun, my Technology teacher from Simmons! Had a bite to eat with a librarian from Oklahoma, who has written and implemented a grant(through IMLS) to hold a library camp for middle schoolers interested in becoming librariaians. She has set it up so that the kids travel for a week to various types of libraries i.e. academic, public, special, research, and see the inner workings of the libraries they visit. In the end they each get a bag full of books donated by the libraries they visited. They stay in hotels as they travel, and take a bus from place to place. She has had 30 campers each year. This is her third year. The kids love it She figures even if they do not become librarians, she is building advocacy for libraries. This is what I love about coming to ALA -learning from other librarians.
Since this will be my only free time in Chicago, I city I have never been to, I took a double decker tour, a very down and dirty way to get an over view and bearings in a new city.
Having left the cold damp weather of Boston, it was nice to have a bit of sun in the late afternoon, and enjoy a very interesting tour. I'm going to enjoy a little downtime now and then off to listen to a talk with Russell Freedman, Candice Fleming, and others on Celebrating Lincoln and the challenges of creating aptivating biographies for children and young adults.
tomorrow will be afull day.
My flight to Chicago was smooth, and I was at my hotel easy peasy! I went right down to the convention center and got all of my convention materials and the first person I bumped into was Linda Braun, my Technology teacher from Simmons! Had a bite to eat with a librarian from Oklahoma, who has written and implemented a grant(through IMLS) to hold a library camp for middle schoolers interested in becoming librariaians. She has set it up so that the kids travel for a week to various types of libraries i.e. academic, public, special, research, and see the inner workings of the libraries they visit. In the end they each get a bag full of books donated by the libraries they visited. They stay in hotels as they travel, and take a bus from place to place. She has had 30 campers each year. This is her third year. The kids love it She figures even if they do not become librarians, she is building advocacy for libraries. This is what I love about coming to ALA -learning from other librarians.
Since this will be my only free time in Chicago, I city I have never been to, I took a double decker tour, a very down and dirty way to get an over view and bearings in a new city.
Having left the cold damp weather of Boston, it was nice to have a bit of sun in the late afternoon, and enjoy a very interesting tour. I'm going to enjoy a little downtime now and then off to listen to a talk with Russell Freedman, Candice Fleming, and others on Celebrating Lincoln and the challenges of creating aptivating biographies for children and young adults.
tomorrow will be afull day.
Chicago Vibes
Greetings from the windy city. The sharing and excitement has begun here with an all-day training session for Learning4Life implementation chair people from each state. Kathy Lowe and I are the co-chairs for Massachusetts, and spent the day engaged in thinking and planning on how to make the AASL Standards for the 21st Century Learner the guiding force for school libraries in Massachusetts. The new brand name for the standards is Learning4Life. The L4L name will be heard more and more often.
Look for implementation plans coming soon from Kathy and I for our state. On to AASL Affiliate Assembly today - and more reporting later.
Look for implementation plans coming soon from Kathy and I for our state. On to AASL Affiliate Assembly today - and more reporting later.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
L4L Training4Trainers
Valerie Diggs is MSLA's AASL Standards implementation chair, with Kathy Lowe as her partner. We are at the Learning for Life Training for Trainers Summit where we will begin to develop MSLA's plan for implementing the new standards within our districts with library staff, teachers, administrators, parents, and our school communities, as well as across the state.You can follow our summit experience on Twitter @mslalowe (#aaslL4L)
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