Sunday, February 23, 2014

Know The Gnome, Master the Meeting Monster

My immediate family has heard this fable/just-so story/explanation from me for a very long time, and at the risk of making myself sound slightly weird, I'll share it with you here. 

In one of the original parts to the fairy tale "The Snow Queen" (which was the foundation for the recent Disney movie Frozen), a troll or devil (which I always call The Gnome) created a horrible, evil mirror that he and his minions were trying to take to heaven. It slipped and broke and some of the tiny shards fell back to earth. Some shards entered people's eyes, making them see only the bad things in life. Some shards entered people's hearts, making them hard and cold. You can read versions of this part of the story here and here or here. 

The story of The Gnome is a perfect explanation for times when I am cross or angry or grumpy for no obvious reason at all. When my husband is nothing but kind and considerate, yet everything he does for me irritates me - I know I'm being irrational, and the only way I can explain my foul temperament is to blame The Gnome. It's a way for me to articulate my feelings in a way that attempts to make sense of them. Blaming The Gnome sounds a lot better than "I am irritable for no reason that I can ascertain at this time." (Believe it or not, this odd excuse works quite well. If I tell my family members that "I think The Gnome is near", they know to keep out of my way, because nothing they can do or say at that time will improve my mood until The Gnome leaves.) 

The extra significance to The Gnome is that when I was very young, I used to walk around with a plastic gnome on a wooden stand; while carrying it around, I fell and the wooden stand broke my nose. I'm not sure why my parents let a one-year-old carry this thing around. If asked, they'd probably state that I just loved the old bearded guy. They brought it up with them when the emigrated to Canada and they still have it at their house. Take a look at the photo below. I'm in the white dress and if you look closely, you might see that I have bruises from where the gnome smacked me in the face.

There's The Gnome, on the table, laughing at my black eyes.


I was definitely crabby this week, but it wasn't just because of The Gnome. Maybe The Gnome has a cousin, called the Meeting Monster. I had seven meetings / workshops scheduled for this past week, and remember that, because of Family Day, it was a shortened week. Two were postponed but it still meant a lot of meetings. I know that meetings and workshops have value, I really do. Unlike the Gnome, however, I can identify specific aspects of the Meeting Monster that aggravate me.
  • meetings that last for a LONG time
  • meetings where nothing seems to be accomplished
  • meetings that take my free/spare time and I'd rather be doing something else
  • meetings where people go off on tangents unrelated to the meeting topic
  • meetings that consist of a lot of sitting and listening
  • meetings where I learn nothing new
Not all of my meetings this week had all these characteristics, but combine them with extra duties (I was the Principal Designate, or PoR, twice this past week) and fatigue, and that equals one grumpy teacher-librarian.

So, how do I know The Gnome or master the Meeting Monster? Well, this week, I read a book called Moment to Moment: A positive approach to managing classroom behavior by Joey Mandel, and it provides games for children to play so that they can actively develop physical, language, social, emotional, and cognitive skills to help them manage in classroom settings appropriately. Maybe I needed some work when I was younger on Intentional Verbal Communication (page 71) or Internalizing Emotions (page 109) so that I didn't have to use an external explanation for my feelings. Now that I'm nearly 42, it may be tough to say goodbye to The Gnome, but I can definitely examine causes for The Gnome's appearance. (Don't worry - he doesn't come often.) As for the meetings, it's much easier to make changes when you are leading the meeting than when you are just a participant. Maybe saying no to attending some meetings, stretching or walking during long meetings to keep alert, gently redirecting conversation, and maintaining empathy with the meeting leaders (because no one intentionally tries to make a meeting boring) can help me tame that creature. Let me know if there are other ways to turn a dull meeting around or shake a bad mood when it grabs you.
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Monday, February 17, 2014

Trio Tests Tumblr - Diana's Path

This blog post is the result of a promise I made to Lisa Noble and Sara Wheatley to jointly investigate Tumblr and share our findings.

 In the spirit of inquiry, I'm going to describe the process, my findings, and the questions I still have.

I loved having "Inquiry Buddies", because when I got preoccupied with other topics or my enthusiasm waned, Sarah and Lisa would share a little tidbit on Twitter and it would inspire me again.

My initial attempts at investigation were a bit lackadaisical. I went to Tumblr.com and examined the main screen. In other blogging platforms, posts come up from Google searches, but I didn't see a lot of Tumblr posts that pop up in that manner. Why? For some stubborn reason, I wanted to try to learn about Tumblr without joining Tumblr (which may have been a huge mistake). I kept lurking around the perimeter.

January 23, 2014 - I explored a Tumblr website that I had the exact URL for - the individual used to have a Blogger account but ... well, let me allow her to explain the switch:
this blog isn't really ending - it's moving!

You can now find out about TAS South's small animals at:


Tumblr is more off-the-cuff, which means I can just quickly post a photo and some facts, rather than having to sit down and write a complete entry. I'll still be posting available animals on there, as well as updates! I know there are several adopters who have sent me updates over the last few months that never got posted - they will start showing up on the Tumblr, I promise!

This was the first time I heard someone articulate the benefits of Tumblr. I checked out her new Tumblr blog and it was very visually appealing. (Her previous blog, http://friendlyfeathers.blogspot.ca/ also featured many photos to promote the adoption of small animals from Toronto Animal Services.) Laura is a busy person so I didn't want to pester her with questions about publishing on different platforms.

 January 28, 2014 - I was lucky enough to come across this screen shot on Twitter.

This set of guidelines is definitely different from other blogging platforms. In media studies, we'd make inferences about the target audience for this tool, based on the phrasing, and I'd say it surely is for a younger demographic.

January 30, 2014 - Inspired by my Inquiry Buddy Lisa, who enlisted the help of a "Tumblr Sherpa", I decided to get some help with the Tumblr universe. While I was at the Ontario Library Association Super Conference, I asked a teen presenter permission to check out her Tumblr. She kindly emailed me back with the link and an overview.

My tumblr url is vulpixilate.tumblr.com (Vulpix is my favourite pokemon and I like graphic art and design so pixels came from that), what you find at this link will be my personal blog. I run a pretty clean blog, but there is casual profanity occasionally. There are also links on the right side of the blog to take you to different pages if you'd like to explore them.
Also, if you need clarification or explanations to anything, please send me a message and I will gladly help to the best of my abilities.

February 5, 2014 - Sarah and Lisa continue to share and encourage me by tweeting links.


So, what were my findings and further questions? Many were less about the actual topic (Tumblr) and more about the investigation method (Inquiry Buddies).

  • Having someone with me on the journey kept me accountable. If I didn't bother researching, I wouldn't just let myself down, I'd let down Lisa and Sarah. Checking in with each other using Twitter was helpful (just like when teacher-librarians have conferences with students at different stages of a project to see how things are proceeding.)
  • It's important to get a wide/wider sample of Tumblr blogs to explore. I deeply explored two. One was eclectic with a variety of topics, whereas the other was specifically about a certain subject. Is that typical?
  • Tumblr has similarities to other blogs but the priority is on the visual presentation. There are a lot more animated gifs, illustrations and screen shots on Tumblr blogs. It also appears to be marketed more for younger publishers to express themselves.
  • By being reluctant to dive in thoroughly and join Tumblr, I denied myself some ways of knowing it that just browsing cannot provide. I'd dismiss a gaming expert who had never played a video game before (and there are people out there like that) and the same principle applies to me - I should've tried it directly, even if it meant deleting my account after a week.
What did Sarah and Lisa discover? How was their process different? Were their opinions similar or different to my own? By searching for specific topics (e.g. YA fiction, knitting, mental illness), was their explorations more profitable, because it had purpose? I look forward to seeing their reflections and learning from them. Thanks Sarah and Lisa!

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Monday, February 10, 2014

Heroes Among Us

 All the report card marks have been tabulated and all the report card comments have been crafted and students will receive a written record of their progress to date this coming week. The students that I see in Grades 1-4 for Media Literacy had a major project as part of their first term work. Our inquiry question was about the qualities of a true hero. During library time, we read about make-believe and real-life heroes, while learning about the fiction and non-fiction sections of the library. For media classes, we took a critical look at costumes, their target audiences, and the overt and implied messages they contain. The culminating task was for students to create their own, unique superhero costume. I'm sorry that I'm unable to share more of the photos I took, but in the interest of protecting their secret identities, I've only posted a few examples that included masks and hid faces. I was really delighted by some of the final products, as well as the presentations that accompanied them. We provided a lot of the materials for constructing these outfits at school but allowed the option of purchasing small items as needed if the students desired. Class time was given to become costume designers and students were also able to work on the project at home.


 Project Successes
I was really delighted with the variety of costumes we saw. Students took the basic concept (super hero clothes = optional cape, optional mask, symbol on chest) and ran with it. Many kids were very enthusiastic about the topic and even brought their costumes in early, prior to the due date. Presentations were never boring, as we heard about all sorts of creative super powers and design choices. The rubric worked well, as did the student peer evaluation forms that the "little teachers" used to mark each other. (I'll post the project description, rubric, and student mark sheets on this blog now or in the near future.) Parents were able to be involved with this project in a way that didn't then disadvantage children who didn't have the same level of assistance at home. The heroes you see on the left side of this post (from top to bottom: Haunter, Fire Guy, Re-User, and a hero whose moniker I've totally forgotten!) all look different but are still interesting and clever.


 Project Challenges
Even though I sent home the project description for parents to preview, I still had a couple of households who either a) thought they adults had to do all the work for their child with sewing and major purchases, or b) had no idea that we were doing a project. I heard about Misunderstanding A in time to clarify expectations to all the classes, but then the opposite occurred - some parents thought they were not permitted to help by sewing. I think I will insist on receiving these assignment description sheets initialed by a grown-up if I do something like this again, and maybe even translate some of the instructions. In the future, I'd also like to build in a check-in spreadsheet so that I knew how students were faring during the process. Building times (and I was happy to realize that this project could be classified as a "maker fair") were chaotic as students measured, cut, searched, stapled, and asked for help. Projects are more fun but take more time and effort than a worksheet does and there were several students that did not complete a super hero costume, despite reminder notes in their agendas and class time. Several students lost their plan sheets, and those papers counted as part of the final project. If I understand it correctly, the Ontario Ministry of Education's Growing Success document says that you cannot penalize a student in grades for not submitting work, and thankfully I had enough other assessments to compile a final grade, but I was really disappointed that some students didn't produce anything for us to see.

I took photos of every super hero we met, and many of those pictures will be posted on a school bulletin board. I hope the display generates the same amount of excitement as the rest of the school discovers that Eco-Girl, Thunder Man, Advice Girl, Clumsy Man, Ice Girl, Rope Girl, Black Hole, Mega Hand, Hornet Man, Super Rarity and other super heroes are among us.



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Monday, February 3, 2014

#OLASC14 - 2014 Reflections on the OLA Super Conference

Ontario Library Association Super Conference 2014

A Universe of Possibilities
Conference Reflections by Diana Maliszewski

Thursday, January 30, 2014 – 7:45 a.m.

Session #200: Forest of Reading Awards Breakfast

Summary = This event is an opportunity to appreciate the authors and illustrators, selection / steering committee members and other key stakeholders that make the Forest of Reading possible. Unfortunately, because of the awful traffic congestion, (a journey that usually takes me 30 minutes took me 90 minutes to complete) I missed the breakfast entirely. I spent a great deal of the morning lamenting that “I missed the Forest breakfast”!

Thursday, January 30, 2014 – 9:05 a.m.

Session #302: Designing for Thinkers: A Critical Literacy Approach to Digital Citizenship by Anita Brooks Kirkland, Ruth Hall, and students

Summary = TALCO received a grant to develop authentic, relevant tools to use to promote various aspects of digital citizenship. The group presented their work to date, gave students a chance to address small groups about these topics, and the audience helped continue the work with their input.

3 Key Points
  • ·         “Digital citizenship is character education in a networked world” and we need to examine our own understanding of citizenship in a digital age as well as understand what students need from us, because many of our assumptions about students and digital use are wrong (e.g. students do care about their privacy, people aren’t as mean online as the media portrays, etc.)
  • ·         Research from PEW Internet (“How Teens Research in a Digital World”) and Media Smarts (“Young Canadians in a Wired World”) show that students are over-dependent on search engines, need help judging quality information, etc.
  • ·         Students responded live to questions like “How should technology be used to help your learning?” “How can schools encourage positive communication?” and “How do you find information online and how can schools help you find reliable information?” and demonstrated that they are interested in working together with adults to improve everyone’s use and understanding.

So What? Now What? = I need to check out the resource when it goes live. One of the teens at our table sent me her Tumblr URL, which will help me with my Tumblr inquiry I’m doing with two other TL Twitter associates (Lisa and Sarah). I also need to remember to bring in these topics frequently and in a way that gives students a chance to have their say.

Thursday, January 30, 2014 – 10:40 a.m.

Session #404: TLs & ECEs – Inquiry Partners by Jennifer Balido-Cadavez, Maria Isidro & Diana Maliszewski

Summary = Early Childhood Educators and teacher-librarians have a lot in common. The two ECEs from my school and I talked about understanding our roles and how we can maximize our time together to benefit the students.

3 Key Points
  • ·         Both ECEs and TLs have special training that we can take advantage of, especially because the ECE is a bridge between the library and classroom and knows the students emotionally, academically, and socially because they are with them all day.
  • ·         It’s okay to be at different “rungs” on the “ladder of effectiveness”, because there are so many factors that can hinder movement. Stories are important and we shared many, but we also have our moments where we are just “hanging on” and trying not to fall (to continue the metaphor).
  • ·         The relationship is what you make of it, just like the Play Doh we distributed near the end of the session. Advocate for ECEs because they need champions, just like TLs need.

So what? Now what? = It was the first time that Thess and Jen presented for a crowd of this size, and they did a fabulous job. Our rehearsal looked nothing like our final talk, and that was okay. The audience was so incredibly warm and supportive to my colleagues, approaching them afterwards to thank them and reinforce the message that they are teachers too. My own next step will be to spread and share this message of TL/ECE collaboration and appreciation to other key stakeholders so that, for example, ECEs can maybe get regular prep time so that we can collaborate more than just at lunchtime.

Thursday, January 30, 2014 – 12:00 noon

Canadian Books for Canadian Kids (Association for Canadian Publishers) Luncheon

Summary = This invitation-only affair brought together authors, publishers and selected supporters to network and enjoy a scrumptious meal. (Mine began with an apple and pomegranate salad, followed by BC organic salmon in a maple pommery glaze with baby vegetables and lemon cauliflower puree and ended with fresh berries.) I did not take as many photographs as I usually do because I was enjoying such engaging conversation with my tablemates, including Kate Edwards (Program Manager of ACP), Donna Francis (Marketing Manager of Creative Book Publishing), Sara Foster (Children’s Product Manager of Library Services Centre), Margaret Bryant (Director of Sales & Marketing at Dundurn), Judy Green (author and workshop provider) and Lisa Dalrymple (author). My “swag bag” contained books by Lisa Dalrymple, Philippa Dowding, Deborah Ellis, Elizabeth MacLeod, Sheree Fitch, and Rosemary McCarney.

Thursday, January 30, 2014 – 2:10 p.m.

Session #500: All Conference Plenary by Jennifer Keesmaat

Summary = (as printed in the conference program) “Jennifer Keesmaat is committed to creating places where people flourish. Having poured her coherent, comprehensive and collaborative approach into cities throughout North America – and doing the same in her role as the Chief Planner for the City of Toronto – Jennifer speaks with passion on her belief that now is the time to engage in city building and take ownership of our shared future.” Unfortunately, I never made it to the plenary session because I was so involved with discussions with individuals and groups in the Expo Hall.

Thursday, January 30, 2014 – 3:45 p.m.

Session #615: Captivate your Audience with Infographics by Jane Foo, Adele Magowan, and Shanna Pearson

Summary = Three college/university level librarians explained what is an infographic, shared different types and frequently used designs, outlined the process for creating them, provided tips and demonstrated a continuum of tools (from easiest to hardest) for individuals to use to make their own infographics.

3 Key Points
  • ·         You need three components for a good infographic: visuals (colour, typography, graphics), content (facts, data, statistics) and knowledge (insight and perspective)
  • ·         The presenters believe there are six general types of infographics, and knowing your content will help you select the right course to take. (The six types are 1. Comparison, 2. Chart, 3. Timeline, 4. Process, 5. Article, and 6. Interactive.)
  • ·         Use “honesty, logic and beauty” as your guides while creating an infographic. (The process involves A. Determining what you want to show, B. Pinpointing patterns/data/findings, C. Finding the appropriate metaphor or mental mode, D. Laying out the content and designing the graphical elements, E. Putting it all together, F. Assessing and reviewing the infographic, and G. Revising it at least twice.)

So what? Now what? = This workshop was FANTASTIC and my favourite Thursday session. I really wanted to learn how to make infographics and now this goal seems reachable. Jane, Adele and Shanna made a website with all their examples, directions, and advice (at http://ola14infographics.wordpress.com) and I have plans to work with a colleague in my board (Joel) to try out Piktochart and PowerPoint (yes, PPT can make these too!) and design a few.

Thursday, January 30, 2014 – 5:15 p.m.

Session #701: Ontario School Library Association Awards Presentation and Annual General Meeting

Summary = The Minister of Education appeared to make some opening remarks, deserving people received awards, and OSLA business occurred.

3 Key Points
  • ·         Leslie Holwerda received the OSLA Teacher-Librarian of the Year Award and Julie Fisher received the OLA Technical Services Award. Both ladies are from the Peel District School Board.
  • ·         Jeff Kawzenuk of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board won the OSLA Distinguished Administrator of the Year Award.
  • ·         Phillip Jeffrey from the Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic District School Board got the OSLA Award for Special Achievement.

So what? Now what? = As the semi-official photographer for the event, my next step is to send all the pictures I took to all the individuals and groups that would like copies! The Minister was gracious enough to stay for the entire awards ceremony and pose with the winners afterwards. In her remarks, she talked about mental health, math support and community building, and our 2013 OSLA out-going president, Isabelle Hobbs, was wise enough to point out that the school library can help with all these initiatives.  I had the opportunity to chat with Carmen, Lori, and Heather about their project to align TL objectives with their board School Improvement Plans. Afterwards, I was able to continue some great conversations with Sara, Lauren, and Joel over some vegetarian pizza. I got home at 11:50 p.m.

Friday, January 31, 2014 – 9:05 a.m.

Session #1027: Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Saffron Beckwith, Laureen Cusack, Janet Murie, and Rosalyn Steele

Summary = The “Dewey Divas and Dudes”, a group of Canadian publisher representatives, presented their favourite new and older books that dealt with childhood anxiety and teen angst, with the hope of promoting good titles that can act as “bibliotherapy”.

3 Key Points
  • ·         Good picture books include Stuck with the Blooz by Caron Levis, When I Feel Worried by Cornelia Maude Spelman, Theo’s Mood: A Book of Feelings by Maryann Coccia-Leffer, Bedtime Monsters by Josh Schneider, Dinosaur Thunder by Marion Dane Bauer, The Very Brave Bear by Nick Bland, When Lions Roar by Robie H. Harris, Year of the Jungle by Suzanne Collins, The Dark by Lemony Snickett, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons by Eric Litwin, Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes, Walter and the No-Need-to-Worry Suit by Rachel Bright and many more.
  • ·         Good middle-school novels include The Center of Everything by Linda Urban, Julia Gillian and the Art of Knowing by Alison McGhee, A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd, Smile by Raina Telgemeier, Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick, P.S. Be Eleven by Rita William-Garcia, Home Ice Advantage by Tom Earle, Invisible Girl by Kate Maryon, and more.
  • ·         Good teen fiction titles include Cameron and the Girls by Edward Averett, Dr. Bird’s Advice for Sad Poets by Evan Roskos, The Opposite of Geek by Ria Voros, Why We Took The Car by Wolfgang Herndorf, A Trick of the Light by Lois Metzger, Faking Normal by Courtney Stevens, Tease by Amanda Maciel, and many more.

So what? Now what?  = I think I will buy some of these books after consulting with my staff and students.

Friday, January 31, 2014 – 10:40 a.m.

Session #1100: All Conference Plenary by David Usher

Summary = (as printed in the conference planner) “David Usher is a creative tour de force. As the front man of the internationally acclaimed rock bandMoist, as as a solo artist, David has sold more than 1.4 million albums, won countless awards, and performed at sold-out venues around the world. Believing that creativity and creative success is a learnable skill that anyone can master, his unique and dynamic presentations employ music and video to show audiences the steps they can take the stimulate the creative process at home and at work.” Once again, circumstances led me to miss all but the final three questions and answers at the end of the presentation. Instead, I was conversing with Colleen Rampelt, examining the Pop-Up MakerSpace (toy hacking, Arduino robot rovers, 3D printers, etc.) and visiting the vendors.

Friday, January 31, 2014 – 12:00 noon

Toronto District School Board Teacher-Librarian Luncheon

Summary = It’s an annual tradition for the TDSB TLs attending Super Conference to dine at Joe Badali’s on Friday. I had a chance to talk with Christy, Bob, and Gianna while eating a delicious Italian buffet, including pork, pasta, and pizza.

Friday, January 31, 2014 – 2:10 p.m.

Session #1204: 100 Things I Hate About Advocacy by Deb Kitchener and Diana Maliszewski

Summary = Deb and I talked about the difficulties with advocacy, potential solutions, and the OSLA response and new initiative.

3 Key Points
·         The link to the challenges & solutions Google Presentation is http://goo.gl/WnXOyz
·         The Great to Excellent OSLA advocacy presentation can be found at http://goo.gl/wh5eOF
·         All the resources can be found at http://virtuallylearning.wikispaces.com/

So what? Now what? = Unfortunately, iPads and Google Docs don’t work well together, so we had to improvise and record the group’s suggestions ourselves, which worked well with the size of the group. We’ll promote the link online so that others can add to the crowd sourced ideas to help with advocacy. The song “Do You Want to Co-Teach with Me” was well received.

Friday, January 31, 2014 – 3:45 p.m.

Session #1305: Thinking Critically with Blue Spruce Part Deux by Ruth Gretsinger

Summary = Ruth shared her dynamic, eco-friendly, engaging teaching strategies she created with the 2014 Blue Spruce titles in mind, in ways that cover media literacy, science, critical thinking and inquiry.

3 Key Points
  • ·         By using one SMART Board file per class, it acts as a record for past activities (assessment)
  • ·         Ruth noticed that the last book that she read was often the one that the kids voted on, because they couldn’t remember the other books they read way back in January. By doing some of the activities she shared, it helped the kids connect more deeply with the books and helped them remember them so that there was a more even spread in votes between books.
  • ·         To help the students decide, Ruth has student-created criteria in a chart (which used to have 20+ items but the kids complained so the kids shortened it to 3 categories and 9 points) and she recommends that the kids use the criteria but also take their top three and decide which grabbed their heart most, so that it’s a decision based on facts and opinions, objective head and subjective gut.

So what? Now what? = Ruth was so incredibly generous with her ideas and work. As prizes, she gave away five USB sticks with all of her materials already loaded, and she said she’d be willing to send files to anyone if they emailed her (ruth.gretsinger@dsbn.org). I’m definitely emailing her, as these are brilliant ideas. I also want to go to www.back2nature.ca for an amazing (and free) resource my principal will love. Ruth has an outdoor classroom she is using and this will help us at our school use our own outdoor teaching area more effectively. Ruth achieved all of this while only being a 0.3 librarian – that shows me that scheduling should never be an excuse to do less than you can.

Friday, January 31, 2014 – 6:15 p.m.

Session #1500: All-Conference Networking Event – Party at the End of the Universe

Summary = This year’s celebration featured an Oxygen Bar, a DeLorean, a DJ and treats galore. I spoke with Jeanne and Peggy. I was scheduled to meet with Alanna but it didn’t work out. After taking plenty of photographs, several of us headed to a post-party gathering. Richard, Lauren, Sarah (actually 2 Sarahs if I recall correctly), Joel, Yvonne, Melissa, and I talked about a variety of topics. I got home around 12:15 a.m.

Saturday, February 1, 2014 – 9:15 a.m.

Session #1706: Maker Projects in Action by Jennifer Turliuk and Andy Forest

Summary = Making things with your own two hands is deeply satisfying. The founders of MakerKids show what we can do and how we can help our students enjoy school and be less anxious.

3 Key Points
  • ·         80% of adults report some degree of job dissatisfaction, so finding a job/task that you are good at, you like, and you feel makes a difference is important. One commonality that several successful entrepreneurs had in common was they all went to Montessori pre-school. MakerKids says they want to be like the original idea for Montessori, because making lets you feel like you have some power over the world.
  • ·         The “Maker Kid” recipe has 8 steps:  1) Dedicate a space, 2) Use real tools, 3) Emphasize process over Product, 4) Let Interest Drive it, 5) Get Kids to Teach Kids, 6) Get Kids to Teach Us, 7) Hold Exhibitions to Celebrate, and 8) Involve the Community
  • ·         The move from consumption to creation is possible; start with what you know and love. Check out www.makeitatyourlibrary.org or www.makerkids.ca/educators for resources, free activity modules, and opportunities (e.g. MakerKids owns 3D printers you can use and there are 4 levels of 3D printing: downloading 3D objects from Thingiverse / designing with 123D Creative app / building in Minecraft and then using Printcraft.org for plans / designing with Tinkercad.com )

So what? Now what? = I plan on attending one of the MakerKids Educator Nights (Wednesday 8-10 pm) so that when Francis and I launch our school Hacker Space / Creative Club, we can have some cool ideas to run with. I also look forward to seeing the MakerKids people at the Kids’ DIY Media Workshop at the University of Toronto on February 4.

Saturday, February 1, 2014 – 10:45 a.m.

Session #1803: Interactive Maker Art Builds Community Cohesiveness by Alan Groombridge and Rachel Martin

Summary = Innisfil Public Library has an artist in residence and the speakers outlined their three driving forces behind all of their activity and event plans (“quirky” “fearless” and “[I can’t recall the third word because I forgot to take notes]”) and the wacky but engaging and meaningful collaborative maker projects they conducted.

3 Key Points
  • ·         Mystery makes things interesting. They had to move to a former Shopper’s Drug Mart so they painted it bright yellow and called it “Idea Lab”. No one knew what the building would be for. They also marched in the Santa Claus Parade wearing black nylon over their faces, yellow ponchos and a sign saying “What is Idea Lab? Find out [date of opening]”.
  • ·         People love being a part of something big and special. One community art project had Grade 3s replicate something on a sticky note that, when placed together, made a fantastic portrait. Another had people submit photographs of “People of Innisfil” with their stories and community landmarks.
  • ·         Their New Media Artist, Alan, decided to build a working robot torso in the library and while he built in the library, people talked to him, asked him questions, and gave him ideas.

So what? Now what? = The session attendees actually contributed there and then to an art project. They used leaves made from recycled plastic and wrote a single word of significance on each leaf. Alan made a cardboard tree with branches and they used hot glue guns to attach the leaves to the tree. Maybe the Creativity Club I’m making at school should consider how to mesh innovation, art and technology.

Saturday, February 1, 2014 – 12:15 p.m.

Session #1900: Closing Conference Session by Colonel Chris Hadfield

Summary = Commander Hadfield ran the International Space Station for part of 2012-13 and was a Twitter sensation while in space. In his talk, he shared what it was like to be in orbit and the lessons he learned.

3+1 Key Points
  • ·         Visualize failure. Success is what you hope for, but it’s important to be planned and prepared for when things go wrong. He illustrated this with two great stories: an emergency spacewalk when the ship leaked ammonia, and being asked for his opinion of the film Gravity while at the Toronto International Film Festival.
  • ·         Librarians are in the inspiration/possibilities business and it’s important to keep kids inspired. (Thanks Mike Ridley for Tweeting this idea from the talk.) He decided to be an astronaut at age 9 when he saw Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin go to the moon, even though there was no Canadian space program at the time. Great things happen because one person is inspired to do things (like the Music Monday, which stemmed from one woman and now had 700 000 participants when Chris Hadfield and Ed Robertson from BNL co-wrote their song).
  • ·         Keep making ongoing movement toward your goal(s), no matter how small. (Thanks Colleen Rampelt for Tweeting this idea from the talk.) He said that once you go home, what you do will make you a different person the next day from the day prior. You’ll be a wee bit closer to your dream than you were before.
  • ·         The real key to social media is SOCIAL, not media, a way and invitation to share in human experiences. (Thanks Lisa Dempster for Tweeting this idea from the talk.) People saw the striking, beautiful, unusual, sad, happy photos from space and shared them because they resonated somehow with them.


So what? Now what? = I’ve listed many small goals in this report (about Tumblr, infographics, and more) and I’m taking baby steps to achieve them. I’m also taking baby steps for a bigger goal (to visit every province in the country – there’s a possibility from a conversation I had on Thursday that could lead to a visit to Newfoundland). That universe of possibilities is ours for the taking.
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Monday, January 27, 2014

A TL Appeal to "Frozen" Hearts

My family and I saw the movie Frozen in the theatre during the Christmas holidays. We enjoyed the story despite some plot holes (so if you don't want spoilers to the film, stop reading this blog post after the media clips) but what we really loved was the music. My daughter and son listened to the songs on YouTube and taught themselves the words to their favourite ballads, and we just bought the soundtrack CD. One of the scenes was so poignant that it inspired me to re-write some lyrics and dedicate it to one of the wonderful teachers at my school.

Diana Hong (@wonderoom on Twitter) is a fantastic teacher. She is innovative, enthusiastic, and energetic. She incorporates technology seamlessly into her teaching program. She even likes many of the books that I like! I often forget that technically she's been a teacher for less than five years, because she's so good at what she does. It's a treat to work with her - but we don't get the opportunity as much as I would like. I'm not sure what the reasons or roadblocks may be that restrict our collaboration. Diana is not as distant as Elsa from Frozen but I thought I would write this song for Diana anyway. I will sing (or will have sung) this song to Ms. Hong in person, but for those of you who won't be there when I do it, here is my version of "Build a Snowman".

Co-Teach With Me (lyrics by Diana Maliszewski, music by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez)

Do you want to co-teach with me?
Let's see students, let's have fun!
I know it's hard to make the time
You earn your dime
Your work is never done!
We chat up in the staff room
But let's do more
Let's increase the things they know
Do you want to co-teach with me?
Collaborate and co-teach with me?
Yes or no?

Do you want to co-teach with me?
The library's a super space!
The possibilities are endless here
I never fear
That time would be a waste
(That's for sure, Di!)
When learning from each other
As we plan and mark
The students can think and grow

Teacher, please, we need each other
Alone, we're fine, as a team, we're great
In other places, their TLs are few
The doors are shut like glue
It's not too late.
We've got to prove it's worth it
Having both of us
Teacher and TL too
Do you want to co-teach with me?


This is my first attempt to use Google Sites to embed an audio-only file on my blog. Thanks go to this online how-to guide for the help. If you don't see it, I've inserted the movie version of the song (which has better singing, to be brutally honest) and my YouTube version cover of the song. (I built my primitive song studio and music video using Audio Memos, Drop Box, Windows Movie Maker, and YouTube.)








P.S. Teacher-librarians are good at media literacy, inquiry, and critical thinking. These are some of the "I wonder" questions that nagged at me as I thought about the movie afterwards...

I wonder: who was running the kingdom after the death of the king and queen? If Elsa was not crowned the new ruler immediately after her parents' untimely passing, then who was managing the affairs of the kingdom? Couldn't they have made the girls feel less lonely?

I wonder: why did Hans decide to go "full-out-evil" at the end? He could have simply gone through with his original plan to marry Anna and obtain the kingdom of Arendelle without any difficulty. Neither Elsa nor Anna seemed particularly interested in running the country and he didn't do such a bad job when Anna asked him to take over temporarily.

I wonder: how does economics and the judicial process work in the country? Visitors attempt to murder the reigning monarch (isn't that treason?) and they are sent back to their homeland - is that because of diplomatic immunity? Will the refusal to trade with Weseltown have ramifications?

I wonder: what was Elsa planning to eat while in her icy fortress of solitude?

I wonder: why did Anna never give up on her relationship with her sister, when she was shunned by her for so long?

I wonder: why do I think so much about animated movies when I have report cards to write?
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Monday, January 20, 2014

Learning About Tumblr vs Flickr via Twitter

Twitter sure has been a source of reflection and writing topics for me lately!

Ironically, after Doug Peterson mentioned my blog post from last week and commented on the onerous task of copying and pasting Twitter conversations, I found on Lisa Nielsen's blog a reference to Conweets. Hopefully this will illustrate my point in a more efficient (and visually appealing) way.

It started with a random question and has led to an informal Professional Learning Network group between three educators that have never met in person with a self-made assignment and cross-blogging dissemination plans. I'll let the conversation speak for itself!

Conversations between @mzmollytl & @mdhs_librarian


Sort conversations by oldest first

Started by mzmollytl on Jan 17, 2014
Sort tweets by latest first

Anyone else mix up Flickr & Tumblr? That's not like mixing up Star Wars & Star Trek, is it, b/c that'd be a big oops!mzmollytl tweeted on Jan 17, 2014 06:02Reply
@MzMollyTL All I know is that my sts all talk about Tumblr and I don't get it. Yet. It is high on my list of things to learn.mdhs_librarian replied on Jan 17, 2014 06:11Reply
@MDHS_Librarian @MzMollyTL I find my visual learners are all over it. Others really don't get it.nobleknits2 replied on Jan 17, 2014 06:49Reply
@nobleknits2 @MzMollyTL Mine tend to use it whenever they are asked for an assignment using blogging; many also use it for entertainment.mdhs_librarian replied on Jan 17, 2014 06:55Reply
@MDHS_Librarian @nobleknits2 So can you clarify the dif b/n Flickr & Tumblr for me? Thought I had both accounts, only have 1, do I need 2?mzmollytl replied on Jan 17, 2014 06:57Reply
@nobleknits2 @MzMollyTL Flckr lets you save your own photos; Tumblr is a visual blog.mdhs_librarian replied on Jan 17, 2014 06:58Reply
@MDHS_Librarian @nobleknits2 In the spirit of "no dumb Qs", can U read Tumblr blogs w/o joining? How can it differ from reg blogging w/ pix?mzmollytl replied on Jan 17, 2014 07:06Reply
@MzMollyTL @nobleknits2 You can read without joining. I don't know the difference b/w Tumblr and blogs with pics, but want to learn.mdhs_librarian replied on Jan 17, 2014 07:08Reply
@MDHS_Librarian @nobleknits2 Can we do a mini-PLN on this? We can cross-blog on our findings. DM me if you want to arrange privatelymzmollytl replied on Jan 17, 2014 08:23Reply
@MzMollyTL @nobleknits2 sounds like a great idea to memdhs_librarian replied on Jan 17, 2014 08:25
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Monday, January 13, 2014

Ice Storm Fury and Tweaking Twitter Thoughts

Last Tuesday, the weather in Ontario was especially cold. Some school boards closed for the day. Others, such as mine, stayed open. What I didn't realize until much later was that this decision launched an avalanche of Twitter tirades. Some of the tweets were actually quite inappropriate and/or had harsh things to say about the school boards.

My school board took a rather unique approach to the furious tweets - they responded to each one. I was actually pretty impressed that they used humour and I said as much online.
However, a fellow Twitter user brought a different perspective in reply. @inquiringminds9 has protected his/her tweets, so it doesn't look like I can replicate them through embedding, so permit me to paraphrase. S/he respectfully disagreed, because s/he said that the most important ways to deal with trolls are to ignore, block, and delete posts. He/she also said that boards have outed students and publicly mentioned the schools that angry tweeters have attended, which is a policy he/she is uncomfortable with. S/he also felt that "sassy" responses from a school board were not professional. After reading and considering this point of view, I had to concede that it did have some merit. We do teach our students that ignoring and blocking offensive emails or texts is the proper way to handle cyberbullying. I'm not sure if the rules should differ based on if the target is an individual or an organization. This was my last exchange with @inquiringminds9, although I wish we could have continued our conversation. It challenged my thinking in a good way.

Many people were talking about the Twitter tirade between school boards and irate students. Doug Peterson and Tim King both wrote wonderful blog posts about the issue, and I thought to myself that I wouldn't need to say anything else about the issue on my blog, since they did such a wonderful job articulating the main ideas. However, a Twitter interchange between Andrew Campbell and Cal Armstrong led me back to the topic. Their discussion was civil but spirited, and just as I thought that the situation had been resolved in my head, Brian Woodland interjected with a valuable point. Here's the exchange:


  1. 11 Jan
    Am uncomfortable with school boards suspending students for tweets from home. Shouldn't parents and twitter be dealing with it?
    Details
  2. 11 Jan
    Well, we never asked Hilroy and Crayola to do something about those nasty notes kids wrote. (Tho I never agree w/ suspension)
    Details
  3. 11 Jan
    But we'd never suspend kids for notes they wrote at home, would we??
    Details
  4. 11 Jan
    I think we're agreed there, but if S drags school name into mud, as part of a community S has a responsibility for S's actions
    Details
  5. 11 Jan
    What if school or board is deserving of criticism? What about student's right to free speech? I think only one board suspended kids.
    Details
  6. 11 Jan
    Didn't say anything abt free speech. But bullying and offensive statements need to be discussed w/author, regardless of venue
    Details
  7. 11 Jan
    Agree, but I think that suspending students when they speak out sends a clear message that students shouldn't speak out.
    Details
  8. 11 Jan
    I'd much prefer to see schools engage with students on social media and explain why. If it's justified, then justify it.
    Details
  9. 11 Jan
    I'm nodding w/ both sides. Possible to respectfully complain vs utter threats? Should we teach how to politely object?
    Details
  10. 11 Jan
    The message suspensions convey is "don't criticize us on social media". Not good.
    Details
  11. 11 Jan
    & so we're all agreed: suspensions bad. But, folks need to discuss inappropriate comments that appear in any venue
    Details
so what about death threats. Threats of violence. Homophobic racist sexist comments? Not about critics
12:21 PM - 11 Jan 14

The reason why I eventually decided to write a blog post about this series of events was not to cover the same ground that Doug and Tim (or even Andrew, Cal and Brian) did. My "big idea" is that Twitter can be used for respectful discourse that involves disagreement. I was surprised to see how my opinion could alter based on the few concise words of friends or strangers. I want to focus on the positive aspects of this news story, and for me, it is the possibility of interacting with others in a way to invoke changing minds and hearts. I'm still disturbed by some of the ugly ways some people chose to express themselves, but that's not the way it has to be. Let me end on a truly positive note. Remember last week's blog post about how delightful it is to interact with authors online? I happened to mention to my intermediate students that several of their favourite authors are active on Twitter, and one of the students decided independently to attempt first contact. This was the result:


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