SundayMorningReads

I’ve been on the road a lot lately. Two weeks ago, I drove to Shakamak State Park near Jasonville, IN with a friend

Celebration of the Future. PowWow sponsored by The Sullivan County American Indian Council

to visit a PowWow. It was my first and I don’t think it will be my last.

Last Sunday, I was in Kansas City, MO for the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color. Though a bit too spread out for my tastes, the facilities included easy access to a wide variety of places for dining and shopping. I attended sessions on tribal libraries in AZ, GLBT books for children, how to prepare others for change and a few others. I met new publishers and entrepreneurs who use locally produced jewelry to support artists and literacy at the same time. I also network with library friends old and new. Yes, it was a very good conference!

Yesterday I was home in Indianapolis to visit a friend battling an illness. I thought I was ready for a weekend at home, cocooning in my introvertedness but after yesterday I realized I need this time with others. Maybe I need to visit more now because I certainly won’t be taking to the road so much in the winter or maybe there are other reasons. Whatever it is, I

Opening speaker, Sonia Manzano aka “Maria”

won’t be sitting still soon. Maybe my travel bug is stirring.

This month, my third and final article appeared in Voya and it addresses what some publishing companies are doing to attract and promote authors of color. I met with reps from Cinco Puntos at JCLC and they are actively seeking authors of color. I also met a couple of publishers who publish works for people of color and I’ll be posting interviews with them soon.

I’ve been avoiding finishing In Darkness by Nick Lake, but I’m so close I have to be ready to post a review this week. Goodness knows I need to sit still long enough to write more blog posts.

I want to spend the rest of my afternoon reading through my neglected blog feeds and re-connecting with blogger friends. Rather, I have to do some work to my ‘Intro to the Library’ presentation. I’m sure this will be a work in progress for quite some time as I work to fully understand all the underlying messages I hope to deliver. I rarely use Boolean; do I want to emphasize it so much? Can I really step away from mentioning tech tools that assist and support the research process like PowerPoint, Word… ? How do I convey this presentation is a welcome to the library and not an end to what we have to offer?  Education is a process, isn’t it?!

Wherever your week takes you, there you will be.

 

 

Oil Spill Webinar

Thanks to the KY librarian listserv I’ve become aware of an opportunity for those still in school. Discovery Education will be hosting a special FREE Webinar with Phillipe Cousteau on June 2 at 1:00 ET. This is an opportunity for students to move beyond the headlines and learn about this environmental disaster from someone on the front lines.  To register for this event, go to:  https://discoveryedevents.webex.com/

whirlwind

I’m steeped in media center work.

With some new testing and reading programs we’ve implemented, teachers are immediately aware of students low reading levels. Yes, there is that much discussed disconnected between reading at school and reading ‘in real life’, making one question the validity of these tests. Yet, when students have to read text books, books written at a challenging level for them where they need to apply skills and strategies to obtain information, we have to take into account those low reading levels. For me, that indicates a need to find low ability reading materials for 5th through 12 graders to support the curriculum AND for pleasure reading. What a task that has become! Need a job? I suggest you start creating informational texts at a 2nd and 3rd grade reading level for high school students! Be creative, be informative! Imbed new technologies!!

I’ve been following W.A.R. on Bowllan’s Blog. I have to put a ‘happily ever after twist on reading those posts. I just can dwell on the issue of racism. It burns too much. I continue some conversations with Zetta via email, most recently discussing what racism is like in Taiwan and Canada and Russia. I know how bad it gets in Russia, but I hadn’t realized the political leaders there refused to shake hands with the POTUS! And, the very next day after I discover this,  US leaders are saying US children should not listen the POTUS because he might indoctrinate them. We’re worried about the person we’ve elected to the highest office in the land indoctrinating our children??

You know, these are two major examples of what Pres. Obama must face on a daily basis. Imagine if he wrote for Bowllans blog, just discussing things he’s faced since he began his campaign for president, things most of us aren’t even aware of. Does this disrespect for the president of the United States make you have any reconsideration for racism??  If not, read Bowllan’s Blog. Read about the experiences of Latinos, Native Americans, Muslims,  European Americans, males and females. They’re good reads. Although racism is the topic, they don’t dwell in the darkness. Rather, they are stories of how individuals did what they wanted/needed or had to do anyway.

In school where students are meant to learn, students should listen to the speech. They should discuss it with teachers and parents to determine what the message really was. Nothing is learned by not listening, other than to put too much confidence in unsubstantiated rumors. That is the most dangerous thing we can do in a democracy.

In the 21st century, media literacy is a must and it is everyone’s job!

Final thought? Today I remember my own personal Labor Day Weekend: Evan James Campbell was born 4 September 1985.

Movie Study Guides

A new teaching guide helps you learn how to use movies to teach important life lessons to children and youth.

“Teaching with Movies: A Guide for Parents and Educators,” provides insight, instruction and resources to help adults use any movie as a learning tool.

The guide is produced by F.I.L.M. (Finding Inspiration in Literature & Movies), which is a partnership between the National Collaboration for Youth and Truly Moving Pictures.  F.I.L.M. provides study guides and community service ideas for numerous Hollywood movies.

For example, the most recent addition to F.I.L.M.’s collection is a study guide to use with the movie, “My Sister’s Keeper” starring Cameron Diaz.

More info: http://www.youthfilmproject.org/