I had the opportunity to attend the American Library Association national conference in DC on June 24-27. I'm sore from carrying all of the books I brought back for our students!  In addition to networking with other librarians and authors, I was able to serve as a chapter delegate for North Carolina School Library Media Association.  AASL standards framework has many crosswalks; let's cooperate on how we can incorporate the standards of Inquire, Include, Curate, Collaborate, Explore, and Engage in your classroom!

For audiobook fans, Audiosync is in the midst of sharing out their summer audiobooks.  These are free, and you keep them for life.  You don't have to be a teen to sign up either.  ;)

If you are leaving WCPSS, please make sure you have transferred files that you want to access in the future.  Exporting files with Google Takeout are provided by the district.

We want to share a snapshot of the library happenings for this school year in an EOY infographic.  We are proud of how plugged in some of our students were to library programming this year through coding, book events, and more.

Over trackout, I plan to complete the self-paced courses from friED to work towards getting Google certified.  There are many courses friED offers to expand your familiarity with tech education.

Sixth grade students have been reviewing material with Ozobot mazes in ELA and social studies.  These tiny robots use simple low/no tech codes to move. If you want to collaborate, reach out and we'll plan something together for student engagement. 

During Q3, our SLAC returned to discuss important topics impacting our library program-- including book challenges and censorship. These students are working to generate and execute ideas that make the learning commons space one where all students feel welcome and valued.

No matter the subject area, NCCAT online and Friday Institute have you covered with some of the best virtual professional learning opportunities.

Did you know there's a built in QR code generator in Chrome?  It's so simple to create QR codes to share with students and for students to use their Chromebook to scan them.

Along with Ms. Clark and Ms. Bollinger, I have joined the DLC's second cohort of 4C's and Makerspaces.  All classrooms can have opportunities for students to demonstrate mastery of standards through the 4C's.  We left with task cards, little/no prep activities, and lots of ideas for collaboration.

 Our 6th grade Book Bites Book Club finished reading From the Desk of Zoe Washington.  It's a fabulous book that sparked discussions about food, family, justice, music, and more. Enjoy the Froot Loop cupcake recipe from the author, and ELA teachers can be on the lookout for a video Q&A from Janae Marks just for our students.

For podcast fans, check out Steve Barkley's Ponders Out Loud interview with the authors of PLC+.  It's a short half hour episode about how PLCs can be more productive.

If you enjoy Audible, consider switching your subscription to Libro.  Libro offers audiobooks and subscriptions at similar rates, but the cost helps support any independent bookstore of your choosing.  Even if you don't get a Libro subscription, you can sign up for the Advanced Listening Copy (ALC) program as an educator and receive a dozen or so free new audio releases a month.

You may be aware of recent news about book challenges and bans. This site, Freedom to Read, is Canadian, but the information applies to the US as well. It is straightforward in its explanation of why books might be challenged and what happens when a complaint is made.

Depending on the weather, you may get to enjoy an outdoor StoryWalk® at some Wake County parks.  These signs break up pages of a picture book along a trail, so young people can practice literacy and engage in exercise.  Freedom Soup is a fabulous book about Haitian independence and includes a delicious recipe. 

The Learning Commons is open for circulation! In one month we passed the number of checkouts for the entirety of last school year!!! More than 1,600 books have been checked out this school year in the first quarter. Ms. Aldridge is so appreciative of all the students offering to help shelve books, assist with technology issues, and serve on the Student Library Advisory Committee.

Ms. Smith and Ms. Aldridge attended the Young Adult Colloquium with the theme "Celebrate the Magic of Black Characters."  Morning sessions included YA authors Kwame Mbalia and Tracy Deonn; afternoon sessions focused on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Check out the great resources shared.

Canvas Studio has built-in features like video quizzes. Use this as an approved replacement for EdPuzzle.  

Having trouble resetting student Wake IDs in the new portal? Follow the tutorial to learn the new steps.

Listen to the authors of PLC+ share a discussion on the Vrain Waves podcast about increasing productivity in our collaborative PLC meetings and implementing strategies to grow students through instruction.