Professional Resources
Please note: Some links may be limited to RRISD staff members who are logged into their district accounts.
General teacher resources
Small requests (1-5 books): Email me
Larger selection requests: Please email us at least a week in advance
Teacher Login
Username: e-number (WITH the e)
Password: e-number (WITH the e)
Teacher Login
UserID: e-number (WITHOUT the e)
Password: e-number (WITH the e)
Book lists compiled by RRISD librarians. Not all titles may be in our campus collection, but they may be borrowed through an ILL.
This includes literature of all levels and genres, with titles appealing to all readers, from children to adults.
Staff can add & claim unwanted personal items and supplies. For district furniture and property, please use the form/sheet provided by campus admin.
DIVERSE BOOK RESOURCES
Mirrors, Windows & Sliding Glass Doors
Rudine Sims Bishop coined these terms in relation to children's literature in 1990; read her original writing here.
Watch a video featuring Bishop, who coined these terms in relation to children's literature, and watch the TED Talk by author Grace Lin, talking about it from her perspective.
Sharing children's books featuring New Arrivals and New Americans to build a stronger culture of Belonging and Welcoming.
The Brown Bookshelf is designed to push awareness of the myriad Black voices writing for young readers. One of the co-founders is Don Tate.
This tool can help you search for book using keywords, so you can filter for various populations or other categories.
WNDB is a nonprofit organization advocating for diversity in children's books. Check out their app Our Story app to help you find books on specific topics.
Lee & Low Books: a blog on race, diversity, education, and children's books
The We Are Kid Lit Collective works to create materials and opportunities to recognize the humanity of Indigenous and People of Color (IPOC) in youth literature.
Let's read and grow together with 12 months of recommended books, authors, and teaching resources that promote diversity and inclusion.
copyright
Fair Use
As referenced in our district compliance training for Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) [by Autumn Herbert] :
Educators are allowed to use some copyrighted materials under the Fair Use Guidelines. Determining copyright infringement is based on the following five Fair Use Guidelines:
Purpose and character of the use: Is it for non-profit and for educational purposes?
Nature of the work: Use of factual works is more likely to be allowed than use of fictional works under Fair Use Guidelines.
Amount: The less used - the better. For example, using 10% of a popular song may be considered acceptable. Using the entire song without permission is not acceptable.
Substantiality: You may not duplicate even a short excerpt if it is the “heart” of the work. For example, using “I wanna hold your hand” from the Beatles may be unacceptable because this line and musical phrase is the essence of the song.
Effect upon the potential market for the copyrighted work: Will your use deprive the copyright owner of income?
This article provides support showing how teacher read alouds during this emergency shift to online learning actually fall under fair use legal guidelines. Ask if you have further questions.
Most expressed permissions to educators granted for read alouds expired at the end of the spring semester, in June 2021. This list will be updated as various publishers, authors, and illustrators announce their permissions for educators through the fall. Similar expectations for attribution and limitations will apply as they did in the spring, but read each release carefully.
Books online
Any read alouds posted below have been granted permission for the public, in accordance with all copyright laws.
Books read aloud by members of the Screen Actors Guild.
Listen to a book being read by an astronaut!
Literature-centered blogs
#ClassroomBookADay was started by Jillian Heise ( @heisereads ) during the 2014-2015 school year, inspired by Donalyn Miller‘s ( @donalynbooks ) #BookADay challenge.
Click to make a copy:
Written by Chris Margocs, Sommer's former librarian, currently the librarian at Anderson Mill Elementary
Written by Dina Mensing, Sommer Librarian, about her reading life and connections she makes with books
A community of readers, focused mostly on children's and YA literature
Mr. Schu's blog with book trailers and links to his Book Joy events.
This blog post from The Colorful Apple explains what these are and how to implement them in an elementary classroom. Check out the rest of her blog as well!
REsearch resources & TIPS
TEXQuest resources are provided by the state and district, and we have access to others sponsored by our district or campus. Videos will be added for more ideas and tips for using them, so keep checking back for more!
Research Resources: TeachingBooks.net .webmTEXQuest Resource Tip: TeachingBooks.net
Classroom materials including primary sources teachers can use in their lessons.