Join Me Next Week For The NEW Capstone Webinar, 5 Ways To Foster Healthy Tech Habits at Home and School!

I couldn't be more excited for the upcoming Capstone five-part webinar series, Critical Thinkers Loading.

This series will focus on how media literacy shapes the future of younger learners. It will cover the topics of Exploring Your Digital Footprint in Elementary School with Victoria Thompson, Creating Digital Citizens in Elementary Schools with Dr. Marialice Curran, Media Literacy for Administrators with Monica Alvarado; and an insightful Media Literacy Panel Discussion moderated by Victoria Thompson. 

On Tuesday, October 3, at 6:00-6:30pm EST, I am kicking off the series with...

...5 Ways To Foster Healthy Tech Habits at Home and School, with Victoria hosting. 

You will find the special Critical Thinkers Loading... website from Capstone here. 

This is where you will find the place to register for all 5 of the webinars in this series. 

We hope to see you all month long, friends. I can't wait to share and learn with all of you. It's going to be amazing month together. 

It's Here, Friends...Our October Choice Board Filled With Hispanic Heritage Month, Fire Safety, Halloween and More!

                  

It's here, friends!  Our October Choice Board where reading, learning, making, coding, technology and music can take you on adventures all month long. 

This month, the choice board is filled with so many new and exciting things!  I can't wait to share it with our students, teachers and families, and all of you. 

You will find the Our October Choice Board here to share with students.  And if you would like to make changes or additions, you can make a copy to edit here.

Within the monthly choice board, I do include other choice boards.  As we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, I included a choice board for our students to learn and celebrate throughout the month. You will find it here in this post. 

In the October Choice Board, you will also find the Halloween Choice Board found here to share with students and here to make edits, 

the Elementary Coding Choice Boards found here, 

Our Virtual Makerspace found here, 

...and the Let's Take A Trip Around The World Buncee found here. 

I create most of my choice boards in Google Slides and PebbleGo Create. With each choice board in Google Slides, I share this with our students and teachers by publishing it to the web. 

In the image above, you can see how to do this by clicking on Share and Publish to the Web. 

The Publish to the Web window pops up that will direct you to publish to the web. It will give you a link that you will copy to share with students and teachers through Google Classroom, Seesaw and any other place you want to share this like social media and through QR codes. 

This is the link to the 2023 October Choice Board that you can share with your students. 

I also explain how I create and share choice board posters each month in this post. 

With each choice board, I also share the link to make edits and changes.  This is the copyable link to the 2023 October Choice Board.  Please feel free to use the choice board with your community and make changes to fit the needs of your learners and teachers. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or need help sharing and creating choice boards.  

A few years ago, I had a Follett webinar on choice boards that you will find helpful when learning more about and how to use choice boards and Collections by Destiny. You will find the link to the recording and resources from the webinar here in this post. 

I hope the monthly and special choice boards will give you and your students special opportunities for reading, learning, creating, collaborating and having fun all year long. 

Track Your Halloween Read-Alouds With Novel Effect!

 

Our friends at Novel Effect put together such special reading challenges throughout the year. 

I love the new Trick-or-Read-Aloud Challenge!

Explore the Haunted House tracking map for 31 days of magical Novel Effect read-alouds!

Tag #trickorread for a chance to win #NovelEffect swag! You can get started here, friends.https

Join Us For The Upcoming Webinar...8 Ways To Reach The Most Creative Minds At Your School!

 

We are so excited for our upcoming StickTogether webinar on October 26 at 4:00pm CST.

Check this out, friends....

Introducing SuperDville - peer-to-peer, video-based social-emotional learning for students who learn differently. SuperDville is the only peer-to-peer, video-based social-emotional learning (SEL) program designed for kids who learn differently. However, research shows that it helps ALL students: Identify their strengths and challenges as learners; Develop SEL skills (self-esteem, resilience, empathy, etc.); Acquire useful self-advocacy tools for school and beyond. The narrative video series features a cast of talented young kids with learning differences and explores challenging (and sometimes funny!) situations. With humor and heart, the Super D! Kids model empathy, problem-solving, and self-confidence. Join us for our October StickTogether Webinar as the team from SuperDville shares easy-to-implement SEL activities that will engage, encourage, and inspire students in any classroom or library setting, Three attendees will WIN a Standard Size Sticker Poster Kit, Puzzle Face™, or a Virtual Stickerboard™ - Basic Plan. You can register here today. Hosts: Shannon McClintock Miller, Future Ready Librarian Leader, District Teacher Librarian Innovation Director, Van Meter Community School (IA) (@shannonmmiller) Brianna Cua, Owner of Engaged Media Solutions and Director of Digital Marketing and Community at StickTogether, (@briannamcua) Guests: Peggy Stern is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker. Her dyslexia led her to filmmaking at a young age, and in March 2006 Stern won the Oscar for Best Animated Short. SuperDville is a family affair, as her dyslexic daughter Emma has been a key advisor! (@superdville.com) Adrienne Vrettos is the founder of Story Joy Creative (SJC), a marketing and copywriting agency specializing in kids’ media and EdTech. As the mom of a teen with a learning difference, she is passionate about developing content that integrates SEL concepts in engaging and innovative ways.

We hope you can join us. You can register here for the free StickTogether webinar.

The recording and resources will be sent to all who sign up.

Turn The October 2023 PebbleGo & PebbleGo Next Monthly Holiday Calendar Into An Interactive Research Choice Board For Your Students & Teachers!

 

Our friends at Capstone create these super fun PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next Holiday Calendars each month. 

In this post, I share more about the PebbleGo Monthly Calendars. 

I love making paper copies of these to share with our teachers and kids. 

They hang them up in their classrooms and hang them in our library too. I also share them online through social media and as an image in Google Classroom or Seesaw. 

The teachers even use the PebbleGo Calendars for mini research opportunities throughout each week. The students use PebbleGo Create to share what they learn throughout the month with the calendars. 

Here is the PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next October 2023 Holidays Calendar. 

Earlier this year, when I was sharing the calendars with teachers and students, I thought....Hey, this would be really fun in a choice board! 

So, I opened up a Google Slide, uploaded the PebbleGo October 2023 Holidays Calendar, and added a little chalk board with text over the top.  

Then I went through the calendar and found every special day in PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next.  

For example, Halloween is on October 31. The PebbleGo article about Halloween is perfect for this special event. 

I went to PebbleGo and found the article. I grabbed the link, as shown in the image above. 

I took that link and added a linked text box around each special date. 

Now, when the kids click on a holiday, it will take them directly to that PebbleGo article.  

If you want to use the template to create your own, you will find the Google Slide here to make a copy and add links to the PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next articles. 

And to make it a choice board, just Publish to the web, as shown in this image above. 

You will share that Published Link with your students.  

I love sharing these interactive PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next Holiday Calendars with our students and teachers. They love learning all about these special days that are highlighted each month too.

We start back in a few weeks, so I will have the October 2023 PebbleGo and PebbleGo Next ready to go!

You Will Find Our Latest StickTogether Webinar, Bringing Literacy, Learning and Creativity To Life With STEAM, Recording and Resources Here, Friends.

 

Our StickTogether webinar on September 21 was so much fun!  Brianna and I welcome our friends, Zee Ann and Connie, to talk about Bringing Literacy, Learning and Creativity to Life With STEAM. 

You will find the recording of the webinar here in the StickTogether YouTube Channel. 

And the webinar Google Slides can be found here. 

You will love what they shared and gain so many ideas to take back to your classrooms, libraries and school communities. 

Find The Recording & Resources From Our Special Webinar, Bringing Sonia's Digital World To Life With Novel Effect and Merge!

Last week,  I was part of a very special webinar featuring my new book, Sonia's Digital World, which came out this past summer in partnership with Capstone and ISTE.

It was called Bringing Sonia's Digital World To Life With Novel Effect and Merge. 

You will find the recording of our webinar here.  And the slide deck with resources can be found here.

I can't wait for you to hear about all of the resources we have created for Sonia's Digital World including listening to the Novel Effect soundscape while Sonia is being read aloud, and seeing an eagle like in the book on the Merge Cube using augmented reality.  

I hope you enjoy listening to our webinar and using Sonia's Digital World with your students and school community too. 

Join Us For The 5-Part Capstone Series In October That Focuses On How Media Literacy Shapes the Future of Young Learners!

 

I couldn't be more excited for the upcoming Capstone five-part webinar series, Critical Thinkers Loading.

This series will focus on how media literacy shapes the future of younger learners. It will cover the topics of Exploring Your Digital Footprint in Elementary School with Victoria Thompson, Creating Digital Citizens in Elementary Schools with Dr. Marialice Curran, Media Literacy for Administrators with Monica Alvarado; and an insightful Media Literacy Panel Discussion moderated by Victoria Thompson. 

And I am kicking off the series on October 3 at 6:00-6:30EST with...

...5 Ways To Foster Healthy Tech Habits at Home and School, with Victoria hosting. 

You will find the special Critical Thinkers Loading... website from Capstone here. 

This is where you will find the place to register for all 5 of the webinars in this series. 

We hope to see you there, friends. I can't wait to share and learn with all of you. It's going to be amazing month together. 

Creating Interactive Choice Boards To Share and Highlight Award Books!

 

One of my favorite book programs to bring to our readers every year is the Iowa Children's Choice Awards. There are four lists that range from picture books to young adult books. 

We always set up a few displays in our libraries to celebrate and share the books. I also love thinking about how our students can access these lists from their classrooms and homes too. 

The last few years, I have created interactive choice boards.  I display it as a poster with the books in the library and share it with the students in their Google Classrooms and on the Library Google Classroom. 

Let me know show you how I do this! 

First, I found the poster for all four of the book awards. 

I uploaded the poster into a Canva Poster template I have been using for the last few years. This template matches the other branding and marketing theme in our library. 

I added a computer screen because that is where I am going to add the book trailer video. 

After I had the Canva Poster all set, I downloaded the image and uploaded into a new Google Slide presentation. I made a copy of the slide for each book. 

I then uploaded the book trailer for that book onto the slide. 

Once I had all of the slides finished, I went back to the front page of the slide deck and linked the book covers to the corresponding slide.  This makes the choice board interactive and super easy for students and teachers to navigate. 

They can also click on the red house in the right hand corner to take them back to the first page again. That is their home button.

To create the poster that I share by the award books, 

I add a QR Code and bit.ly (short URL) to the front slide.  

Our students love checking out the book trailers and reading the award books.  We will have bookmarks for them to use throughout the year as learn about and read the books. I will share these in an upcoming post so you can make a copy for your library and award book programs too. 

You can find the 2023-24 Iowa Children's Choice Award Book Trailer Room (choice board) here to use with your readers. If you want to make a copy to make some changes, click here.

And the 2023-24 Iowa Goldfinch Award Book Trailer Room (choice board) here to use with your readers.  If you want to make a copy to make some changes click here.

I will share the other three super soon!  

Register For The 4th Annual Future Ready Librarians App Smash LIVE Webinar On November 9, 2023, Friends!

 

Join us for the 4th Annual Future Ready Librarians App Smash Webinar hosted by the dynamic Shannon McClintock Miller and 25 amazing educators.

Get ready for an exciting hour of inspiration and innovation as twenty Future Ready Innovators come together to unleash the power of twenty cutting-edge digital tools. In this fast-paced event, our presenters will showcase how they use digital tools  to craft interactive and engaging learning experiences for students across face-to-face, virtual, and blended learning environments and even at home!

Discover firsthand how each digital tool is a vital ingredient in the arsenal of Future Ready Innovators. The presenters will delve into the intricacies of each tool,  and share not only its functionalities but how it can be used tomorrow to personalized learning for students.

This webinar promises more than just insights; it’s a celebration of sharing, networking, and collaboration within the vibrant Future Ready community. 

You can register here today. 

Do you have an amazing digital tool to share during our App Smash event?  Please apply here today. We would LOVE to have you share. 

Celebrate Be Who You Are Day With Todd Parr This Week!

 

Coming up on September 30th is Todd Parr's Be Who You Are Day! 

Little Brown and Todd have put together an amazing website to help us celebrate all week long. 

You will find all of the information and resources here on the Be Who You Are Day site. 

And don't forget to tune in for the LIVE Flip Event on September 30 with Todd Parr. You will find the registration here.

Join Us For The Future Ready Librarians Fall Virtual Summits. You Can Register For These FREE Event Today, Friends.

 

We are excited to announce the Future Ready Librarians® Fall Virtual Summits. 

These will be on October 14 and October 28, 2023 at 10:00am CST. 

The Future Ready Librarians® Summit is a FREE, live, virtual, interactive, high-quality professional learning experience for librarians interested in learning, growing and expanding their professional practice through collaboration and networking with like-minded colleagues from across the country. 

This interactive online event will help librarians ground their practice in the research-based Future Ready Librarians® Framework and define new ways in which they can lead, teach, and support learning in their schools. Leveraging the active Future Ready Librarians® community, the live summit is designed around authentic problems of practice identified by librarians. 

Whether the FRL Framework is familiar or new to you, this interactive workshop will explore this resource to help you understand what it means to be a Future Ready Librarian in your school and district. 

You will find more information about each using the two links below. This is where you can register too. 

Future Ready Librarians® Virtual Summit

Connecting Your Practice to the Future Ready Librarian Framework

Saturday, October 14, 2023

11 am ET to 1 pm ET (10:00 am to 12 pm CT) (8 am to 10:00 am PT)

Register today: Futureready.link/summit1

 

Future Ready Librarians® Virtual Summit

Mastering the FRL Framework: Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Saturday, October 28th, 2023

11 am ET to 1 pm ET (10:00 am to 12 pm CT) (8 am to 10:00 am PT)

Register today: Futureready.link/summit2

We hope you will join us for these two special events, friends.

Limitless Learning Starts Here...A Special New Message From Our Friends At Follett

 

Our friends at Follett shared a special message in a new video this week.  

As Britten Follett, CEO of Follett Content Solutions, shared, 

"We know the critical role you play in unlocking a child’s potential and empowering each one with curiosity and knowledge – through your passion and commitment to inspire those who will change the world. And so, the most important role we play at Follett is advocating for you. 

We support and partner with countless agencies – Educational Book & Media Association (EBMA), EveryLibrary, American Association of School Librarians, All4Ed, and many more – to advocate for you, and to bring your needs and student outcomes to the forefront.

Everything we do, from our content to our services and support, is to help you reach every student and support learning wherever and whenever it takes place. It starts with you. It starts here. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for education."

It's such a wonderful message and one that will speak to all of us as librarians and educators. 

You will find the video here, friends. 

Join Our LIVE Webinar Today For Giveaways! You Can Register Here, Friends.

 

Join our webinar today on September 21, 2023 at 4:00pm CT for a chance to WIN a Standard Size Sticker Poster Kit, Puzzle Face™, or a Virtual Stickerboard™ - Basic Plan!

In this webinar, two of our favorite STEAM teachers, Connie Ann Roussel and Zee Ann Poerio will share about their programs, plus they will share lots of ideas and resources.

Register here, friends bit.ly/STWeb

It's going to be so much fun!

10 Children's eBooks for eBook Day Featured In Novel Effect...Including Sonia's Digital World!

 

On September 18, we celebrated eBook Day.  This is a special day with school libraries, public libraries and readers around the world celebrate reading eBooks. It's a great way for readers to discover a new way to access and read their favorite books.  

Our friends at Novel Effect brought together 10 children's eBooks for eBook Day that we can find in the Novel Effect app. 

You can check out 10 of our favorite in-app eBooks to pair with Novel Effect's magical music and sound effects.  It's an immersive and easy reading experience that kids will adore.  Find them here.

And guess what?  My new book I created with Capstone and ISTE, Sonia's Digital World, is one of the 10 eBooks that are featured in the Novel Effect app! 

You will find the print book here on the Capstone site. 

It's easy to find and access the eBooks in the Novel Effect app. Novel Effect shared in this article, 

Reading with Novel Effect is made even easier with our selection of in-app ebooks—removing the hassle of needing a physical book on hand.

See the ebook icon on the book cover below?

When you see this icon on any of your favorite Novel Effect titles, we have the ebook!

Select your title and tap the ebook icon INSTEAD of the music note when you’re ready to read. From there, the app will generate the ebook’s pages for you. Everything else is the same! Listen for the signature Novel Effect chime and start reading aloud for the soundscape to follow your voice. A simple swipe right on your screen will turn to the next page. Swiping left will take you back to the last page!

Have fun exploring, reading and sharing eBooks with your students using Novel Effect too.