Celebrate Dot Day with this Teacher's Guide and Activity Kit From Peter H. Reynolds and Candlewick!

 

With Dot Day coming up on September 15ish, we are all making our amazing Dot Day plans!  

You will LOVE the special Teacher's Guide and Activity Kit from Peter H. Reynolds and Candlewick. 

There two resources are filled with ideas, activities, and templates to use with your students in the library, classroom and community. 

In the Candlewick Classroom e-newsletter found here, you will find these two resources, plus so much more.  

If you haven't registered for Dot Day, sign up today.  You will find the link here.  

Let's make this the BIGGEST Dot Day yet, friends. I can't wait to celebrate with all of you. 

Extending The Life Of Our Library Books With FollettBound Books and Their Lifetime Guarantee!

 

We just opened up a huge delivery of new books from Follett Content.  As we unpacked the boxes, I love pulling out all of the FollettBound Books! These are my favorite books to purchase for our library as they have a lifetime bookbinding guarantee. 

FollettBound Books are available in both glued and sewn formats. Glued books include durable, double fan binding to enhance strength and durability. Sewn books are created with a high-strength polyester thread, which improves durability and leaves the book easy to open.

With FollettBound Books, we don't have to worry about our books or the investment that we make throughout the year.  It eases my mind to know we will extend the life of our library books with this special bookbinding service. 

You can learn more about FollettBound Books here. 

And if you have FollettBound Books and need to replace a book, you will find the form here.

Join The Virtual EdTech Expo On September 14, 2024!

Our friends at EDGEucating, in collaboration with SY International/Chinese Education Group of NYC, Niagara University, and  are hosting a very online special event on September 14, 2024.  

It's the Virtual EdTech Expo!  The Virtual EdTech Expo offers a series of professional development workshops designed to elevate your teaching practices through the integration of cutting-edge technology. 

As shared in the invite, 

Are you an educator, parent, business owner, or daycare professional looking to enhance your teaching capabilities? Our Virtual EdTech Expo offers a series of professional development workshops designed to elevate your teaching practices through the integration of cutting-edge technology. Join us for an engaging, insightful, and practical series of sessions tailored for educators working with students from Birth to 6th grade, including ESL and Special Education settings.

It's going to be an amazing day together. CE credits will be available through Niagara University.

You can find out more and register here. 

NEW Dot Day Bookmarks For Your Kids To Color and Create!

                

We love celebrating International Dot Day at the beginning of the school year. Dot Day is always on September 15 and it's the best day to celebrate making your mark on the world. 

I love creating new activities every year too.  Today. I created a new bookmark that our kids can pick up and create in the library, their classrooms, and at home. 

I would love to share them with you too, friends. You can find the Google Slide here with four bookmarks to copy and use with your students and community too. 

Sign up here and celebrate Dot Day too! 

Join The Special International Dot Day Virtual Event With Peter H. Reynolds On September 16, 2024!

 

We are so excited to celebrate International Dot Day on September 15ish. 

On Monday, September 16, 2024 at 10:00am EST, there is a very special International Dot Day Virtual Event with our dear friend, author and illustrator, Peter H. Reynolds, that we can all join as we celebrate too. 

You can register for this free LIVE event here, friends.  

You can learn more about Dot Day and sign up to celebrate here on the official International Dot Day site.

I can't wait to make our mark on the world! 

A New Story of Friendship, Reading and Sports With "The Pass" & These Book Recommendation Trading Cards!

 

There is a special new story of friendship, reading, and sports that I am excited to share with you.

It's called The Pass and is from our friends at Capstone.  The Pass is by Sara Laux Akin and illustrated by Tanisha Cherislin.

The Pass celebrated it's book birthday on August 1, 2024, along with an all-star lineup that you can find here.

As shared online,

Sam and Milo are best friends, on and off the basketball court. But then Milo moves away. He leaves Sam with a special gift—a book of his very own. Sam treasures the book and loses himself in the story, which helps take his mind off missing his friend and a big change coming in his family. But when the beloved book goes missing, Sam begins to understand that the real gift Milo gave him is one that can be given and received again and again. The Pass by Sara Laux Akin is a tender story of sports, reading, and friendship that eases the difficulties of loss and celebrates the empowerment and connection a good book can give.

You will find the Preview here, along with these super cool....

....Book Recommendation Cards. 

Our readers will love sharing special books they have read with the little book recommendation trading cards they can then give to others.🗂️

And our readers will love how these tie into the story and characters of the book. 

I just printed them on paper, cut them out, and put them in our library for students to grab and fill out to share.  

You can find The Pass on capstonepub.com here. It is also available in Capstone Interactive eBook format. 

I can't wait until we introduce our readers to The Pass.  I know you will love it too. 

We Want To Invite You To The Future Ready Leadership Forum On October 15 in Minnetonka, Minnesota! And A Special Capstone Author Open House Too!

 

We want to invite you to the Future Ready Leadership Forum on October 15, 2024 in Minnetonka, Minnesota for a day of growth, empowerment, and inspration as we collectively shape the future of education.

The Future Ready Schools® (FRS) Leadership Forum from Capstone and Future Ready Schools is a one-day professional learning event designed to empower educators with the knowledge, skills, and strategies needed to lead their schools and districts into a future shaped by leadership, equity, technology and innovation.

The Leadership Forum goals are to: 

• Gain insights into the impact of AI on leadership and learning.
• Explore strategies for implementing human-centered AI in education.
• Foster collaborative leadership to drive innovation.
• Develop effective change management techniques.
• Promote sustainability in an age dominated by AI.
• Create conditions that encourage innovation and enhance learning through technology.

Adam, Bill and I are very excited to facilitate this amazing day together. 

And after the event, Capstone will be hosting an amazing Capstone Authors Open House where the above authors and illustrators will be signing complimentary copies of their books. 

I can't wait to share Sonia's Digital World at the author open house too. 

Register today for the Future Ready Leadership Forum on October 15 here. 

We can't wait to spend the day with all of you.  Together, let's ensure that educators remain at the heart of innovation in an age of AI and technology. 

"We Love Our Library" Poster For All Of Us From Peter H. Reynolds! Find The Free Download Here.

I love our new poster in the library.  In fact, it's from one of our favorite authors, Peter H. Reynolds. 

Earlier this summer, I saw Peter share this wonderful free gift for all of us.  It was a free poster giveaway for his new print We Love Our Library. 

You will find this special gift to all of us here. 

I printed it at Vista Print and bought a frame for it to hang in our library. 

A Digital Version Of Our New Book Check Out Flip Chart For Our Readers!

                 

On Monday, our students start checking out books from the library. We are excited to use the new...

....place value chart we set up after seeing...

....Blake Hopper's cool idea on Instagram. You can read all about it here in this post. 

I also wanted to create a virtual place value chart to show the books our readers are checking out each day and throughout the year.   

I created one in a Google Slides. You can make a copy of this template here. 

I also embedded the Google Slide on the front page of our library Google Site and added it to...

....our new Library Google Classroom too. I left a little message for our readers to get them excited about this too. 

I am super excited about a special year of reading at our school. 

Transform Your Learning With The NEW Amazing Features On "The Achievery"! It's FREE For Everyone Too, Friends.

As we get ready to kick off a new school year, I have put together a "tool box" of digital tools, apps and resources for our teachers and students. 

At the top of this list is The Achievery, a free digital learning platform, designed by education experts for teachers, families, and students. 

As shared on The Achievery, 

The Achievery pairs over 500 entertaining videos and clips from popular moves and television shows with engaging learning activities aligned across seven academic subject areas.  The Achievery is ad-free and available at no cost to everyone.

And today, they announced several NEW amazing features that I can't wait to try out and share with our teachers and students.  

I would love to share these new features with you. 

When you sign up or log into The Achievery here, you will see a new banner at the top that leads us to the Achievery Campus. Click on that blue button,  and it will open a page with the following new features...

Campus, 

Your favs, 

Interactive units, 

...and a place to Organize ideas. 

I went into my Achievery Campus so I could see what our students will see as we get back in as school starts. 

The first thing I clicked on was My Activity which shows the Learning Units Completed, Videos Watched, and Favorite Learning Units. 

You can also click on Favorites to view your favorites too.  Look for the little heart by each lesson to bookmark them to your Favorites. 

I really like the My Notes feature. This is a teacher feature.  You can add private notes to the units you plan to use with your class.  Look for the pencil icon to add your ideas, notes and plans.  You can revisit your notes anything through your Achievery Campus. 

The last new feature I would love to highlight are the interactive videos now available on The Achievery. 

There are currently four available that dive into cybersecurity with interactive videos that challenge you to answer questions and explore fresh concepts. I am excited to use these with our students this year.

You can sign up for your FREE Achievery account here.  Please invite your fellow colleagues and families to join.  It is FREE for everyone. 

As you can see there is something for every grade level, subject, interest, and more in The Achievery.  

It is one that everyone needs in their tool box this year. I know you will love using these amazing digital platform with your school community this year too. 

Storyline Online....One of Our Favorite Places To Find Special Virtual Read Alouds Of Amazing Books!

 

I remember when Storyline Online started sharing their special virtual read alouds with all of us. 

I was so excited to find these amazing read alouds and couldn't wait to start sharing them with our students, teachers, and families. 

As shared on the Storyline Online site, 

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s two-time Emmy®-nominated and award-winning children’s literacy website, Storyline Online®, streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Oprah Winfrey, Chris Pine, Rosario Dawson, Viola Davis, Terry Crews, Connie Britton, John Lithgow, Jennifer Garner, Betty White and dozens more.

Reading aloud to children has been shown to improve reading, writing and communication skills, logical thinking and concentration, and general academic aptitude, as well as inspire a lifelong love of reading. Teachers use Storyline Online in their classrooms, and doctors and nurses play Storyline Online in children’s hospitals.

Storyline Online is available 24 hours a day for children, parents, caregivers and educators worldwide. Each book includes supplemental curriculum developed by a credentialed elementary educator, aiming to strengthen comprehension and verbal and written skills for English-language learners.

Today when I popped onto Storyline Online to see the new books they have added, I was so excited to find The Three Little Pigs and the Somewhat Bad Wolf read by actress, Kaia Gerber. She does an awesome job. I know the kids will love this one. 

With each book, there is also a Teachers' Guide that you can download and use. 

Everyone on Storyline Online is free for all teachers, librarians, families, and students. 

Storyline Online is a program of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. The Foundation is a nonprofit organization that relies entirely on gifts, grants and donations to fund Storyline Online and produce all of its videos.

You can help the SAG-AFTRA Foundation create more Storyline Online videos and new content, so that we can read to millions more children every month. By giving a gift to Storyline Online, you can help advance children’s literacy, and improve children’s lives. Your support makes a world of difference.

You can give here today. 

Over 800+ NEW Page Templates In Book Creator! A Special New Feature To Kick Off The School Year.

 

Our friends at Book Creator have created something amazing for all of us as we kick off a new year! 

There is now a new feature in Book Creator that will make it easier for teachers and students to create and design their digital books. They are PAGE TEMPLATES! 

They have designed over 800 ready-made page templates for us, as teachers, librarians, and of course, students.  I love how they encourage learning, creativity and so much more. There is a template for every subject, age level, and so much more.

These templates will help us meet our learning goals with our students this year. 

You can read more about the new Book Creator Page Templates here. And watch this video to learn all about this special new addition. 

AI Basics For School Librarians! Join This New Webinar From Our Friends At Literacy For Texas!

 

Join our friends from Literacy at Texas for a brand new webinar on September 10, 2024 at 4:00pm CST, AI Basics for School Librarians. 

As shared in the invite, 

Are you curious about the future of Artificial Intelligence in school libraries?

Join Literacy for Texas and AI thought leader librarians, Allie Cornejo and Lindsey Brewer Munoz to review basics of AI in the library, various educational applications, and potential challenges when implementing AI in school settings. One lucky participant will win a Library Bundle! Don't miss this opportunity to be at the forefront of library innovation in education. Hosts: J’aime Garcia, Owner of Literacy for Texas, (@LiteracyForTX) Brianna Cua, Owner of Engaged Media Solutions and Director of Marketing at Literacy for Texas, (@briannamcua) Special Guests: Allie Cornejo, MLS - Lead Librarian/HS Library Media Specialist, TLA YART Chair-Elect, Apple Learning Coach, Keynote Speaker and LJ Movers & Shakers, (@allielibrarian) Lindsey Brewer Munoz, Library Coordinator, AI Information Literacy Advocate, Technology Integration Specialist, Learning & Development Leader, (@TeachesNTennies)

Register here today for this amazing webinar!

Our Back-to-School Virtual BOOKHUB Is Here! Check Out How We Use The NEW PebbleGo Suite To Create eBook Choice Boards For All Readers!

 

It's back-to-school time and that means creating experiences and special places for our readers. 

One of my favorite things we do for our readers and teachers every month are our BOOKHUB'S!  We have a BOOKHUB Takeout Station outside of our library door, and I create a Virtual BOOKHUB that I share with the students and teachers too. 

We did have BOOKHUB Takeout Stations, and this year have them on the tall shelf outside of the library door. This is a place where our teachers can pick up books to read aloud and share with their students each month. 

We select these books and put together the BOOKHUB Menu in Canva, which shows the books that are available at the BOOKHUB Takeout Stations each month.  

I print off the BOOKHUB Menu posters for each classroom. The students and teachers like looking at the menu to pick the books they want to read. They also cross them off as they go as a way to keep track of what they are reading too. 

It is so much fun.  You can read all about our BOOKHUB Takeout Stations here in this post.

Here is our new BOOKHUB Menu for April. There are lots of new books and books that tie into monthly themes and events like School Library Month, Ramadan, Earth Day, and more. 

You can find this in Canva here to make a copy if you'd like to use BOOKHUB too. 

Along with the BOOKHUB Takeout Stations with the physical books, I also want to support all readers with our Capstone Interactive eBooks each month. This will give our students eBooks to read as they learn about different events and celebrations throughout the year.  It also gives them choice in what they want to read since I put them together in the Virtual BOOKHUB choice boards. 

To create the Virtual BOOKHUB choice boards, I use the amazing discoverability tools in our PebbleGo suite. In the new PebbleGo suite, you can search for eBooks using the search feature, and also the amazing Discoverability Tools. 

I love how this brings all of our Capstone Interactive eBooks together in one place with links to use that connect to each eBook. I highlight eBooks that area seasonal, like back-to-school for example, and also love to include new eBooks from Capstone too. 

Let me show you how I create the Virtual BOOKHUB choice boards each month. 

I log into PebbleGo.com.  

For this one, I search for one of my favorite new Capstone books, OVERDUE, The Misadventures of Bob the Book. It came up below on the little book shelf. 

For the choice board, I need the book cover and link to the eBook.  

To get the link to the eBook, you can click on the gear in the right hand corner and find Copy Link, 

or click Open to open the book, and click on the Copy Link there too. 

I click on Copy Link and took it to the choice board. 

I then go back to the Our Virtual BOOKHUB Back to School choice board I created in Google Slides.  I add the screen shot of the book cover, click on the image, and add the link I copied to the image. 

When our students and teachers click on the book covers, it will take them straight to the ebooks within Capstone Interactive.  

We don't even have to login because by using the link it takes us directly to the eBooks and PebbleGo resources every time.  

We love our BOOKHUB program and can't wait to celebrate reading in one more way with our students as we share these wonderful groups of books and eBooks every month! 

I made this template for you to create your own Back-to-School Virtual BOOKHUB.  If you have Capstone Interactive eBooks in your PebbleGo suite, you can find the link and add them to the book covers I have included above or take this template and fill in your own eBooks and choices for back-to-school. 

You will find the Back-to-School Virtual BOOKHUB template without eBook covers here.

Happy Reading, friends. I hope you have a wonderful year in your library, classroom and school too.