2020 was a year of challenges and change. The events that our country endured have created a new generation of activists, and they are demanding an end to racism. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Black History Month are meaningful holidays for educators to take time to celebrate Black history and honor today’s diversity.
During a time when public libraries are closed and access to the school media center is limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my senior has taken on a contact-free volunteer project to update and restock Little Free Libraries for his Community Involvement class.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, several new family films skipped the silver screen and debuted on subscription-based streaming services. Following are four movie adaptations of children’s literature that have newly published prequels, sequels, and spinoffs.
Change is complicated and it’s important to support students during these current turbulent times. Instilling courage, confidence, and comfort in children is so important, especially during this time of uncertainty and establishing a new normal.
Identifying untruthful information and avoiding sharing fake news is an essential 21-century skill. By tapping into students’ creativity and imagination, maker education can be a helpful tool in teaching how to recognize fake news.
Shared reading experiences create community and stories can provide a foundation of togetherness for students during this unique time. There are some excellent read-aloud books that can help kick-off the new school year with a positive start. Following are three new titles and the publishers’ summaries of stories with themes of kindness, courage, and honor.
It is widely known that books are one of the most effective and practical tools for initiating conversations when discussing a sensitive topic. Stories can illustrate historical events as well as model what it means to be a member of a race. The more we know about the experiences of people in our communities, the more we will have empathy and understanding for each other. The recent national and global protests against police violence have put an even greater importance on having meaningful conversations about race, racism and anti-racism. My blog article highlights books that may be helpful resources to educators, students, and community members.
School libraries are for everyone; they need to be a place that is ever changing in response to their students’ and teachers’ needs. Each school community is unique, however, a makerspace in a school library has the power to become a game-changing tool and resource, especially when it taps into district initiatives. One of the most enduring district initiatives that seems to be important across the country is Social-Emotional Learning (SEL), and when you take those skills and put them in a Makerspace you not only have a great reason to advocate for the significance of libraries but more importantly you provide students with skills to become empathetic and good people prepared for an ever-changing world.
Distance Learning has made everyone’s daily routines change in unexpected ways. Educators and students alike are feeling the anxiety brought on by COVID-19 and the uncertainty of what our future socializing habits will look like. As we are focusing on taking safety precautions, we need to be mindful of taking time to laugh.
As we are all finding a #newnormal, some are facing greater uncertainty as public officials call #COVIDー19 "the Chinese virus." Stories can help break stereotypes.
KATY TESSMAN 