The Scanner

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Inside this issue: Presidents Message 2 PD Opportunities 3 Inside Story 4 Inside Story 5 Inside Story 4 Inside Story 5 Inside Story 6

fessional development for li-

brarians. There are many op-

portunities to get involved

with the Librarians Network

including contributing to the

newsletter, helping to organ-

ize professional development

activities such as webinars,

Twitter chats or book discus-

sions, or simply attending

events and sharing your views

and experiences with others.

The purpose of the Librarians

Network is to promote librar-

ians as leaders and champions

of educational technology and

digital literacy.

The key mission is to provide

a professional learning com-

munity where librarians can

leverage technology

knowledge and expertise to

improve school library pro-

grams, increase access to in-

formation, and foster strong

teaching and learning environ-

ments in a connected world.

The Librarians Network fos-

ters communication among

librarians, promotes the

school library program, repre-

sents school librarians in ISTE

activities and with other

PLNs, and provides opportu-

nities for leadership and pro-

About ISTE Librarians Network

LINKS:

Tools of

the Trade

Volume 6, Issue 1 Winter 2014

President’s Message by Donna Macdonald

“The enthusiasm and creativity I witnessed was simply priceless!”

Page 2 The Scanner

The holiday season is fast approach-ing, which means life is getting a bit more hectic for all of us. Thank goodness this issue of The Scan-ner has resources to help simplify ac-tivities in your library. One article includes quick ideas for library computer center activities. Another newsletter piece just may assist you in transforming a library space … on a budget. The makerspace movement has been gaining momentum in libraries across the country. If you’re like me, you’re been wondering how you might apply the elements of this new creation space in your own library program. A concern may be gathering of re-sources needed to get a makerspace started. Well, take a look at “5 Tips for Starting a Makerspace on a Budg-et” for some helpful ideas. On a per-sonal note, just last week, my second and third graders created “Squishy Circuits” using basic items from my kitchen, some LED lights and a few $2.00 battery packs from Radio Shack. The enthusiasm and creativity I wit-nessed was simply priceless! Speaking of priceless, I hope that you’ve been able to attend some of our fabulous FREE Librarians Net-work professional development activ-

ities, chaired by Elissa Malespina. These monthly events include an in-formative Google Hangout that is followed by a Twitter chat with the participants. Elissa details more about these opportunities in this issue of The Scanner. Remember that the archives may be viewed on our new Weebly website (librariansnetwork.weebly.com) in case you missed the live event. Be watching Librarians Network so-cial media channels for information regarding our ISTE Technology Inno-vation Awards. These annual awards are given to educators participating in collaborative projects in both primary and secondary school libraries. The awards will be presented this year during ISTE 2015 in Philadelphia. Applications will be accepted begin-ning in January 2015 and will contin-ue to be accepted through March. I look forward to hearing about many of your inspiring collaborative efforts through applications for this award! On behalf of the ISTE Librarians Net-work leadership team, I wish you all Happy Holidays and a healthy and delightful New Year! Be sure to fol-low us on Facebook and @ISTELib on Twitter to stay up to date on up-coming ISTE Librarians Network events!

Series vs. Parallel Squishy Circuit

Image from http://courseweb.stthomas.edu/apthomas/SquishyCircuits/buildingCircuits.htm

Professional Development Opportunities for You!

Page 3 Volume 6, Issue 1

Each month, we offer a Google+ Hangout and Twitter chat in order to bring you the latest initiatives and trends in the library profession. Upcoming Google+ Hangout & Twitter Chat Wednesday, January 7, 2015 Traveling Librarians: Learning about Libraries in Serbia and Finland Speakers: Tiffany Whitehead and Jennifer Hanson @librarian_tiff and @libraryjenn Miss our Fall 2014 Hangouts? You can watch them now or at any time. Click the links beneath each title to view.

September 2014 Making Your Library Relevant in a Digital World Speaker: Nikki D. Robertson YouTube link to view October 2014 Transform Your Library with Making: How We Started a Makerspace (And You Can Too!) Speaker: Diana Rendina YouTube link to view November 2014 SLJ School Librarian of the Year Award Winners Speakers: Michelle Colte, Colleen Graves, Andy Plemmons YouTube link to view

Librarians

Network

photos and

videos from

ISTE 2014:

ISTE 2014

Simple and Quick Web Tools by Larnette Snow

“This way you

will let teachers

know that you

want to help

them and their

students become

lifelong learners.”

Page 4 The Scanner

As a librarian in a pre-kindergarten to grade 7 school I am always in need of simple and quick ideas for library computer center activities. Use these five ideas yourself and share your ex-periences with the teachers in your school. This may be a way to open a line of communication and collabora-tion that will continue to grow and promote your library services.

Use todaysmeet.com to set up a question and have students answer. Simply give a name to the online room, type in the question, and have students answer. I have used To-daysMeet to find out students’ favor-ite books or authors to get ideas of books they would like purchased for the library. Another use could be as a review or exit question, such as “What is the difference between the

author and the illustrator?” The ideas for using TodaysMeet are limitless.

Another idea for using exit slips is exitticket.org. This student response system is designed by teachers and can help with differentiation. I have just signed up for this one and am planning on using it soon. From the email that I received after signing up, I believe this will be a good assess-ment tool.

Use the free site PurposeGames to create your own review games or to access games already created by oth-ers. I have used one called ‘13 Colo-nies’ to help fifth graders learn the original colonies and ‘Dr. Seuss Books’ with second graders. There are great resources in the in-teractive section of learner.org. In ‘Elements of a Story’, students learn about story elements by listening to a

story, then sequencing the plot in order, while learning about conflict and resolution and much more.

Simple and Quick Web Tools by Larnette Snow

Page 5 Volume 6, Issue 1

Save the money you would use to purchase a globe and reinforce geog-raphy skills with World Geography Games. I have used this with fifth grade students to learn the location of the fifty states. Your students can also

learn the location of the continents, oceans and much more. The best way to learn new tools is to share the ones you like with your col-leagues, and they will more than like-ly share back. Spend a few minutes

each week looking for more ideas and share your finds with each other every month. This way you will let teachers know that you want to help them and their students become lifelong learners.

“The best way to

learn new tools

is to share the

ones you like

with your

colleagues”

Attendees of the Librarians Network Breakfast at ISTE 2014

were entertained and inspired by Jennifer LaGarde (Library

Girl). Did you miss it? Click here to view.

Image submitted by Jennifer Hanson

Image from http://www.librarygirl.net/

“… the idea that

you need a lot of

money to start a

Makerspace is a

myth”

Page 6 The Scanner

When I talk to other librarians and educators about starting a school Makerspace, one of the most com-mon things I hear is, “I’d love to do (insert cool Maker activity) at my school, but we don’t have a budget for that.” What many people don’t realize is the idea that you need a lot of money to start a Makerspace is a myth. All you need is a vision, inge-nuity, and resourcefulness. A lack of funds is no longer an excuse for keep-ing your students from experiencing the empowerment of the Maker Edu-cation Movement into your program.

Cultivate a Makerspace Vision

What would your dream library Mak-erspace look like? Make a Pinterest board of activities you’d like to bring to your library. Gather a focus group of students and get their input to give your students a voice in the creation of your Makerspace. Maybe you dream of an arts and crafts cart that you can bring out for programs. Or your students want to have a LEGO wall to build on. Perhaps you want your kids to learn how to program a robot that travels around your li-brary. Develop your vision, and then share it with everyone you meet. Teachers, parents and community members love to hear about cool, innovative projects that the local school is planning, and they will often help you out once they know what you are trying to accomplish.

Hold a supply drive

Let your parents and community know what you’re looking for, and donations will often pour in. While you might not get a 3D printer, many families have craft supplies, LEGOs and other items sitting around their houses that they would love to give you. And like classroom supply lists, many parents are happy to purchase items to donate when they know what you need. We held a LEGO drive at my school and offered entries into an iTunes gift card giveaway to everyone who donated. Several teachers brought their college-aged children’s LEGOs, and many stu-dents donated LEGOs they no longer used at home.

Don’t discount the value of recycled materials either. One man’s trash can become another student’s treasure. During our Makerspace Cardboard Challenge, we collected cardboard boxes, paper tubes, bottle caps and other items that would be thrown away or recycled, and we trans-formed them into DIY games.

Talk to local businesses and see if they’re willing to help out

A local stereo repair shop donated several unclaimed items to our school when we created a tech take apart station. Try talking to a local hard-ware store; they might be willing to give you paint to spruce up your

5 Tips for Starting a Makerspace on a Budget by Diana Rendina

Page 7 Volume 6, Issue 1

space, tools for the kids to use or even build something for you. If your school has business partners, share your vision with them, and ask them if they will help you get there. Busi-ness partners will often help with financial or in kind donations if they know what you need.

Utilize DonorsChoose

DonorsChoose.org is definitely one of the best resources out there for kick starting a Makerspace. From our whiteboard wall to our Epic LEGO wall to Snap Circuits to craft supplies, over half of my school’s Makerspace came from Do-norsChoose projects. The key is to focus on one particular project, keep the overall price low, and market like crazy. Promoting your project makes for a great opportunity to build com-munity support and share all the awe-some things you have planned. Search for projects tagged “makerspace” to

get some ideas and inspiration. Also, try to find matching offers that fit with what you’re looking for; a match means you’ll only have to raise half the funds. Matches for the Arts, STEM, and sustainability all fit in nicely with Makerspace projects.

Apply for grants

Break out your grant writing toolbox, and start writing some grants to stock up your Makerspace. There are tons of grants out there for innovative STEM projects and library programs, and Makerspaces fit this bill perfectly. This is a great way to get some big ticket items that you wouldn’t be able to afford otherwise, like a 3D printer, a littleBits workshop set, or a set of MaKeyMaKeys.

Remember, creating a Mak-erspace is about nurturing a culture of making and creativi-ty, not about having a ton of fancy gadgets. Kids can get engaged with cardboard, scis-sors, glue and markers just as easily as with a 3D printer. At the same time, never let a lack of money hold you back from providing your students with the exciting, innovative learn-ing environment that they deserve. It may take a little bit of extra elbow grease at first, but the end results will be worth it.

“DonorsChoose.

org is definitely

one of the best

resources out

there”

5 Tips for Starting a Makerspace on a Budget by Diana Rendina

The Scanner is the newsletter of ISTE's Librarians

Network, a group of school, public, and academic

librarians working to promote the use of instruction-

al technologies to enhance student learning. This

newsletter will feature Librarians Network business

items, professional development news, member arti-

cle submissions, personal success stories, and links to

great resources. We will be publishing 3 newsletters

this year.

Article Proposals

Proposals for feature and short articles should be 100

words or less and submitted through a Google Doc

form.

Newsletter Committee

Shelley Friesen

Katie Kotynski

Larnette Snow

Mary Carole Strother

Jacqueline Liesch

Elaine Lawrence

Email: istelibrarians@gmail.com

Communications Chair Jennifer Hanson Librarian Primary Source Brighton, MA Professional Development Chair Elissa Malespina Supervisor of Technology South Orange, NJ

President Donna Macdonald Teacher Librarian and Technology Integrationist Orchard School South Burlington, VT President Elect Sherry Gick Library & Instructional Technology Specialist Rossville Consolidated Schools Rossville, IN

Past President Tiffany Whitehead Teacher-Librarian Central Middle School Greenwell Springs, LA Newsletter Editor Shelley Friesen Instructional Coach Golden Hills School Division Strathmore, AB, Canada