"The Mazza Museum: International Art from Picture Books is the world's largest museum devoted to literacy and the art of children's picture books. Founded in 1982, the Mazza Museum now contains nearly 5,000 original artworks." (http://www.findlay.edu/offices/resources/mazza/default.htm)
I will attend three days (July 13-15) of their Summer Conference with the generous support from the Floyd and Stella Dickman Endowment.
Visiting the museum has been a goal of mine since I was an undergraduate, "Penguin Story Teller" at Youngstown State University. While the club is no longer active, the club and its advisor were key in leading me to where I am today...
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Librarians as Educators
The American Libraries article "Build Your Own Instructional Literacy" by Char Brown (a 2007 ALA Emerging Leader!) addresses the issue of librarians as educators.
I, too, have felt and feel strongly that librarians are indeed educators. Period. Additionally, children's work requires one to be an entertainer. One must be able to capture an audience through a combination of voice, acting, interacting, song, and movement.
I will need to review the ALA college accreditation guidelines, but it seems to me that the four vital teacher training issues that Brown lists -- theories, methods, conviction, and experience -- need to be addressed more in library school.
While I was fortunate to have a background in music, to have experience in reading to children, and to have taken about thirty credits of education classes during my undergraduate education, I realize that (occasionally?) children's librarians appear in the field without such background. For the benefit of all librarians and especially those "learning in the trenches," Brown offers the "instructional literacy" framework and USER method.
Those who learn, teach, ... and those who teach, learn.
I, too, have felt and feel strongly that librarians are indeed educators. Period. Additionally, children's work requires one to be an entertainer. One must be able to capture an audience through a combination of voice, acting, interacting, song, and movement.
I will need to review the ALA college accreditation guidelines, but it seems to me that the four vital teacher training issues that Brown lists -- theories, methods, conviction, and experience -- need to be addressed more in library school.
While I was fortunate to have a background in music, to have experience in reading to children, and to have taken about thirty credits of education classes during my undergraduate education, I realize that (occasionally?) children's librarians appear in the field without such background. For the benefit of all librarians and especially those "learning in the trenches," Brown offers the "instructional literacy" framework and USER method.
Those who learn, teach, ... and those who teach, learn.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Programs for Toddlers
Here is a link to my Google Docs folder containing early literacy programs for two and three year olds.
Friday, June 18, 2010
Virtual Business Card
Thanks to American Libraries columnist Meredith Farkas, I am now aware of the virtual business card.
Mine is currently displayed at the top of the left column.
Mine is currently displayed at the top of the left column.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Using Picturebooks to Expand Perception
Yesterday, my article was accepted to be published in the EMIE Bulletin which is powered by the American Library Association's Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT). The Bulletin is published at the end of the Multicultural Review journal.
Take a look, and tell me what you think.
I am also exploring options to bring my pdf's into this blog, rather than maintaining a separate wiki for programming activity sheets and workshop handouts ... hence the Google Docs link to my article versus a link to my wiki.
Take a look, and tell me what you think.
I am also exploring options to bring my pdf's into this blog, rather than maintaining a separate wiki for programming activity sheets and workshop handouts ... hence the Google Docs link to my article versus a link to my wiki.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Eye Contact
In January of this year, a few hours before my plane was to leave from Cleveland for Chicago and the ALA Mid-Winter Conference, I stopped in at the Solon Public Library to print my boarding pass.
(I feel pleasantly secretive when I visit public libraries ... critiquing and learning from what I see and experience ... reveling in community and accessible information and stories ... proud to be a contributing member of this institution...)
So as I was thinking these glorified thoughts, the clean-cut male librarian at the information desk greeted me. Clearly and succinctly, he conveyed the information about printing policies. Approachable and professional, he consistently made eye contact throughout the exchange.
That experience flashed through my mind this last week as I signed up hundreds of children for the Summer Reading Club.
How am I coming across? It wouldn't hurt to practice some more eye contact.
Another example of how story and experience bring meaning to read information.
(I feel pleasantly secretive when I visit public libraries ... critiquing and learning from what I see and experience ... reveling in community and accessible information and stories ... proud to be a contributing member of this institution...)
So as I was thinking these glorified thoughts, the clean-cut male librarian at the information desk greeted me. Clearly and succinctly, he conveyed the information about printing policies. Approachable and professional, he consistently made eye contact throughout the exchange.
That experience flashed through my mind this last week as I signed up hundreds of children for the Summer Reading Club.
How am I coming across? It wouldn't hurt to practice some more eye contact.
Another example of how story and experience bring meaning to read information.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Self-Evaluation (Personality and Qualities)
At the beginning of this year when I "discovered" the idea of emotional intelligence and how it relates to both leadership and story sharing, I came across this title:
A few months ago, I took a few of the quizzes and scored:
high in leadership factors
average emotionality (1 point away from "fairly emotional")
very closed personality (which now that I'm more aware of, I have been working on ...)
no evidence of a left or right sided brain bias (great! since I believe balance is key in life)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Before You Say Yes ...
to a new assignment, find out:
1) Whom you will report to.
2) What the goal is.
3) What challenges you face.
4) What resources and level of authority or access are available to you.
(From "200 Questions Job Candidates May Ask Your Company" from http://www.workforce.com/)
I am glad to come across this "common sense" bit of information in a written down, easy to digest form.
In the last couple of weeks, I have been presented wtih new opportunities, both professional and personal, that I need to assess and decide which to pursue.
What other "common sense" bits of information do others use before saying "YES" to new opportunities?
1) Whom you will report to.
2) What the goal is.
3) What challenges you face.
4) What resources and level of authority or access are available to you.
(From "200 Questions Job Candidates May Ask Your Company" from http://www.workforce.com/)
I am glad to come across this "common sense" bit of information in a written down, easy to digest form.
In the last couple of weeks, I have been presented wtih new opportunities, both professional and personal, that I need to assess and decide which to pursue.
What other "common sense" bits of information do others use before saying "YES" to new opportunities?
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