IICC Intro!

I am joining the Instant Impact Collaborative Cohort (IICC). We started with listing our greatest challenges, our greatest hopes, and a GIF that describes our current situation:

1. Greatest challenge: feeling both that I'm not doing enough and also feeling overwhelmed.
2. Greatest Hope: Revisiting my pedagogy to make my technology instruction more meaningful.
3. <---



Here is my introduction:

Hello all! I am located in a suburb of Chicago, IL, and my role is the school librarian, which in Corona time has become Instructional Technology Coordinator. We are currently virtual, but returning to a face to face model on Monday (which virtual learners continuing if families request it). My passions are reading, technology, teaching, kids, and collecting craft supplies (but not necessarily crafting 😂). I am hoping to experience learning and growth with colleagues and finding a mentor or mentors to help become a director of technology in a local district. I am also hoping to commiserate and laugh with all of you as we go through an unprecedented time. I could use with less unprecedented times, what about you?

Look for more IICC posts as I learn with my cohort and grow my technology practices.

Avast Ye Mateys! Talk Like a Pirate Day!

As we get back into the Covid-swing of things, I wanted to add fun elements to learning different systems, and decided to use Pirates and Maps for this week!

In 2nd and 3rd group this week, we are reading The Night Pirates and then logging into CK12 and using an extension called Read-Write. 

The Night Pirates by Peter Harris is a light hearted and silly pirate story where a group of pirates steals the front a house, scares a bunch of grown up pirates, and finds the treasure! 

After we discuss that it was Talk Like a Pirate Day on September 19, we then talk about what pirates say, and what they use. This brings us to the idea of maps and coordinates. Then I introduced and showed them how to use the CK12 text and Read-Write to read it to them. 

This is technically a 6th grade level text, but my gifted 2nd and 3rd graders enjoy the challenge: Coordinate Locations on a Map. It has math and social studies connections, and in 2nd grade they are working on a trip to the rainforest, and in 3rd group they go to camp, so I thought this was a great connection for both groups! 

 

It was also a BEAUTIFUL day, and we got to sit on our cloister and read the book aloud (at a 6 foot distance of course!) and get a little fresh air and a little of our wiggles out. I am going to try and incorporate more of this outdoor time when possible! 

Wednesday Book Review: I'll Be the Water: A Story of Loss, Grief, and a Grandparent's Love

I'll Be the Water: A Story of Loss, Grief, and a Grandparent's Love by Alec Aspinwall


The grandchild laments that he wishes his grandfather "weren't so good at getting old", and the grandfather responds he was always an overachiever. Here the sweet understanding of a grandchild learning about grief and loss, but realizing that the departed live on, around us, as "the water", is the star of the story. Filled with heart, this is a wonderful book for grief or loss, or even just to remind kids "whose they are" and as they go out in the world, the ones they love and that love them, are always with them.

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Google Classroom Filing Cabinet!

Gearing up for a new school year? Want to get ideas about how to set up your Google Classroom and organize it from the get go? Check out my Google Classroom Filing Cabinet! 

Wednesday Book Review: The Teachers March!

The Teachers March! by Sandra Neil Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


"Show up and show out", Reverend Reese preaches, and show up they do, when the teachers march! This would be great paired with Let the Children March, and a deep dive into Selma, the parallels between the time of segregation, the peaceful protests of that time and the peaceful protests of now and how the media skews them. This could also be tied to a discussion of voters rights, voting tests (could you tell me how many drops of water are in the Alabama River?), government, and the importance of not only voting, but voting in your own communities at the local level. As well as understanding the platforms and bias of local candidates that will directly effect community needs and services: like schools, public transportation, police presence (or lack of), fire department services, public libraries, park districts, and more!

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Wednesday Book Review: Probably a Narwhal

Probably a Narwhal by Shelley Moore Thomas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Just plain fun! Girl blames her messes (pies, rainbows, etc.), probably a narwhal. Quickly we figure out that she does not actually know what a narwhal is, but a narwhal shows up to set her straight! This book could also be used as a "take responsibility" mentor text. Loved this one!

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Wednesday Book Review: I Talk Like a River

I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a heartwarming story about a boy who stutters. With watercolor illustrations that go from vivid to muddy mirroring his speech impediments, I think it would be a great SEL and therapy addition supporting speech therapists. It can also be a conversation starter in the classroom about how and why students sometimes stumble on their words and how to be supportive.

Thank you to Edelweiss for the eARC.

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