📬 NC NEW(s) Librarian Vol 7

 

Need an excuse to be a reflective practitioner? Well, here's your sign that it's time!

 

Just a reminder that you have a few ways to explore this volume 7 of the NC NEW(s) Librarian:

1️⃣ Scroll down for a text-friendly version! Graphics & links still included but you don't have to navigate fonts, colors, or too many graphics

2️⃣ Click on over to view on the same Canva format as previous volumes

3️⃣ Open the PDF for offline viewing

 

Someone quotable once said reflection is a necessary piece of learning... and it's also a part of our professional practice! This volume is centered around Standard 5 of the NC SLMC evaluation instrument, but the purpose is to help you make space and time for reflecting on your year thus far, and projecting out what's next. 💭

 

The Makerspace contributions in Vol. 6 were a big hit, and Duplin Co. doubled-down by bringing some amazing curation and collection management expertise to February's Lunch & Learn. Be sure to check out that recording & their resources below. ⬇️

 

🌟 Have some SLMC content that would help others around NC? Please reach out to Mollee if you're willing to share an initiative or project here on the newsletter. The goal of this newsletter is to inform, connect and amplify good ideas so please don't hesitate if you have something you'd like to contribute!

 

Got this as a forward? Be sure to sign up to get it delivered right to you in the future!

 

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BE REFLECTIVE

BE YOU

As you step into this reflective work, celebrate the YOU you bring to your library! Author/illustrator Peter Reynolds reads his book, Be You, on B&N YouTube. I don't typically share YouTube read alouds, but given this one is by the author, I think he'd approve! Another place to find online copies of his books and 1,000s more is the NC Kids Digital Library

 

On a recent visit to Craven Co., I had the opportunity to work with the SLMCs there on celebrating the submission of a big collection development project, and reflecting on goals and joys for the rest of the year. Because the timing was right for them to be reflective practitioners, it seems like a good topic to share on the newsletter as well! Using Standard 5 as a guidepost, take some time to use any or all of these activities to develop some artifacts of reflection on your year thus far, and set intentions for the weeks and months ahead.

 

Element A: Analyze student learning 

I think about this often: How do I know what I'm doing has impact? And as a school librarian, I get intimated by being asked data questions since the data usually being referred to is testing or reading scores, and how do I make the connections between library programs and collection to those? Now, I'm thinking about data differently. The ISTE Standards for Coaches reminds us that a Data-Driven Decision Maker uses more than test scores to analyze student learning. Qualitative, or anecdotal, data can be collected through surveys and observations. We can work with other educators to objectively come up with quantitative data that reflects the library program on student achievement.

 

Some examples:

📊 Mangum Elementary School Library Monthly Data

📊 Wauconda Middle School Library Year-End Data

📰 Article: Action Research. Knowledge Quest, 2015.

 

 

 

ACTION STEP: thinking of data, complete this activity on zone of control vs. influence, & decide on new ways you'll collect & analyze data and stories from your library program

Need more understanding about Zone of Influence versus Zone of Control?
Check out this video by Dr. Raj Ramesh.
"Metrics quantify the past. Stories paint the future."

 

 

Element B: Professional Growth & Development

In thinking about action research, it could be viewed as another way of being a continuous learner and approaching our work with an inquiry mindset. Attending meetings and conferences is one way to professionally grow, but don't miss opportunities that might look unconventional like reading professionally-aligned texts, listening to podcasts or videos, and other creative endeavors. CEUs are helpful & sometimes required, but not the only proof of learning!

 

• Do you have recommendations of PD? Share any upcoming in-person opportunities, recordings, webinars, books, podcasts and more on this padlet
• NCSLMA Winter Tune-up | Recordings available to members until 3/31
• Check out the expert webinars using your NC ISTE membership as well!
  • Not sure how to log in? Start with your NCEDcloud log in page, and find the ISTE Membership tab. When you've launched that ISTE portal, you'll find an icon or under 'Membership' is a webinar page. Enjoy clicking around to see what else is offered via your membership to this international organization
• Are you in the Northeast region? Another media coordinator bootcamp is scheduled for April 26th at the Martin Co. Innovation Campus, with a focus on Makerspaces.
  • If you are in the region and need details, email amy.bennett@dpi.nc.gov

 

 

Element C: Adapt & Thrive in a dynamic environment

 

When we met in Craven Co., this section is where I felt we'd spend a lot of our reflection time because if you read it closely, you'll probably say to yourself, "I'm doing a lot of this already!" Often the issue isn't that we're not doing it, but rather, that we don't have the time to pause and reflect on what we're doing and how to capture evidence of it. With ChatGPT getting so much buzz, it's likely you've scrolled through an article, engaged in conversation about it, and maybe even logged into see for yourself what it can do. All of these are evidences of how you are adapting to a dynamic information & tech environment!

 

ACTION STEP: Use this four-corners reflection in Google Drawing (or sketch your own on paper) to think about how you adapt and thrive as an SLMC

 

Other artifacts for Standard 5 might include

💭 List of articles, books, episodes you explore

💭 Surveys and observations of student impact

💭 Engaging in professional memberships, like NCSLMA & ISTE content

 

 

Lunch & Learn Recap

 

 

If you missed the February 2023 live session touring Follett TITLEWAVE/WISE be sure to catch the recording! We learned how to use the resources, curation tools, reviews & more with Karei Swift of Follett Learning, then the amazing duo Laura Bryan and Laura Thornton from the Duplin Co. Media team shared how they use these tools in impactful ways in their school libraries. 

We'll be back with more lunch & learns in the Spring - updates & info will be emailed in March!

 

February 2023: Titlewave/Titlewise feat. Duplin Co. Schools | Slides

January 2023: Destiny Collections in Discover & examples from Dare Co. Librarians, and we reviewed the examples Stephanie Haumont from Johnston Co. shared in Vol. 5.

November 2022:  Destiny Discover overview

 

 

Meet the Creator:

Mollee Holloman is a librarian from Dare County NC, currently on-loan to NCDPI Digital Teaching & Learning as an Innovative Learning Catalyst. I’m a steward of stories & curator of worldly experiences using text & tech.

Email me at Mollee.holloman@dpi.nc.gov

 

Have something to contribute?

 

The goal of this newsletter is to curate examples and expertise from across NC so we truly need YOUR voice! Email mollee.holloman@dpi.nc.gov if you'd like to contribute to a future volume. 

Previous Volumes:

📬 VOL 6: January 2023   Canva | PDF | GovDelivery

📬 VOL 5: December 2022   Canva | PDF | GovDelivery

📬 VOL 4: November 2022   Canva | PDF 

📬 VOL 3: October 2022   Canva | PDF 

📬 VOL 2: September 2022   Canva | PDF 

📬 VOL 1: August 2022   Canva | PDF 

 

NC New(s) Librarian by Mollee Holloman is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.