Catching up on Blogging for #HSTreads!

Knowledge Quests Posts...

Managing digital content can often be a major undertaking.  I blog once a month for the AASL.org's Knowledge Quest website, and I haven't been keeping up with the #HSTreads blog at all.  Yikes!  So, I decided to provide links to what I have written this semester and share those with you here.  The Knowledge Quest site is full of wonderful resources for school librarians, so hopefully these links from me are just a springboard for you to access some fabulous content to inform your practice!  Happy reading!

~LL

October:  https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/supporting-student-learning-with-community-partners/

September:  https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/is-a-school-wide-research-model-for-you/

August:  https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/new-student-orientation-for-the-school-library/

July:  https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/summertime-relaxation-renewal-and-advocacy/

Knowledge Quest Blog Post for November

Here is the link to this month's Knowledge Quest blog post that I wrote in November.  It is my pleasure to collaborate with our school's Instructional Technology Facilitator, Katherine Leatherman, each month to bring "Drop-In PD" to our teachers.

I hope you enjoy this post!

~LL

https://knowledgequest.aasl.org/drop-in-professional-development-in-the-school-library/#comment-197025

@NCSLMA Regional PD Highlights

After a wonderful day together on March 9th, NCSLMA's spring Piedmont West Regional Professional development is complete and forty media coordinator's from several neighboring counties received some fantastic first-hand training while exploring @AASL's new standards for learners!  The collaboration, idea sharing, brainstorming and creating was contagious, and I must say I was inspired by the school librarians who attended.  Thanks to Jenny Umbarger for leading our training and for the staff at the Linda Rader Staff Development Center in Gaston County who hosted us!  I am looking forward to the next opportunity to learn alongside these school librarians who impact student learning every day!

Have a great week!

Laura

@NCSLMA - Bringing Innovative PD to School Librarians Across NC!

As this first week of March comes to a close, I am looking forward to a great day of discovery, learning and sharing information to better serve students in school libraries!  This spring, NCSLMA regional directors and board members are bringing timely professional development sessions to our regions by offering PD based on the American Association of School Libraries' new National School Library Standards.  

I will definitely post later with highlights, thoughts and pictures from the session!   In the meantime, visit www.ncslma.org for information about this wonderful organization and how YOU can get involved.  Additionally, mark your calendar for this fall's NCSLMA annual conference, October 3 - 5, in Winston-Salem, NC!  

Contact me @laurablong for more information!

~Laura B. Long

Promoting a Culture of Reading - #HSTreads

Happy week after Thanksgiving!  We do indeed have much to be thankful for this year!  Here at Highland School of Technology, we are continuing to develop a culture of reading with our students, and just in time to offer some inspiration for independent reading are Miranda and Cody!  Both students have created book talks for novels they just finished reading.  As always, I am proud to share their work and proud to be a Highland Ram!

~Mrs. Long

Promoting a Culture of Reading @HighlandGaston! #HSTreads

November Blogging!

 

Gaston County Schools’ Libraries:  “Our Future’s So Bright, We Gotta Wear Shades!”

    Pardon the reference to a 1980’s song by Timbuk3, but I just couldn’t resist.  This year’s NCLSMA annual conference has come and gone too quickly and, while reflecting on the sessions and what to write for this newsletter, I kept thinking about how each of us has the opportunity and responsibility to move our libraries forward to impact student learning and to build the foundation for lifelong readers and learners.  

    Here are a couple of hot library topics to help us fully realize what our library programming is and can be for our patrons.  

#1 - Are our libraries FUTURE READY?  Take a moment to review the Future Ready wheel and REFLECT on your school library and library programming.  Use the link below to review the Future Ready website resources that are so helpful.  How are you moving toward realizing the reality of a future ready library?  

http://futureready.org/program-overview/librarians/

#2 -SET GOLAS for your library programming that reflect the future of your library.  Shannon Miller, Future Ready Librarian spokesperson, took time out of her schedule to join a session at NCSLMA that I helped facilitate.  I had the pleasure of sharing with ten “Emerging Leaders” from across the state about the future of our libraries.  Shannon shared a goal setting form that I think is awesome!  Use this link to take a look!  You should be prompted to make a copy so you can create your own goals for your library.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Q43lJtSfAcd_BO5f3pbgZSFMagosYT0myW3o-61lGIw/copy

#3 - GET CONNECTED I cannot stress enough how important it is to get involved, get plugged-in and participate in our district PLC, NCSLMA and online for your own professional learning networks.  Of course going away to NCSLMA is a retreat and often one of the “mountain top” experiences, but it is so important to build those professional relationships and friendships!  Our PLC meetings are wonderful opportunities for sharing, support and professional development.  May I encourage each of us to be active participants and contribute as much as possible.  We certainly can learn from each other!  As your NCSLMA regional director, I also want to encourage you to get involved in our state organization!  Y’all, there are amazing, dynamic school librarians in our district and across the state who are impacting student learning and making a difference every day!  If you are not a member, may I encourage you to see Robin Jordan (North Gaston High School) or catch up with me about how you can join and get involved in NCSLMA!  You won’t regret it! Oh, and mark your calendars for Friday, March 9, 2018.  It is an optional teacher workday and we will host a NCLSMA regional professional development day here in Gaston County!  I will certainly have more information in the weeks to come about this wonderful way YOU can get connected!

   So, as we move into the season of Thanksgiving, I am thoroughly aware of how fortunate we are as a district to have strong PLC groups and each other to learn from and grow with!  Take a moment or two to reflect on your library programming, work toward Future Ready goal-setting, and get connected!  Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions!  I am on Twitter @laurablong or reach me via email at lalong@gaston.k12.nc.us.  I always love to collaborate and share!