Welcome to the HUB!

     

    Photo by Pixabay

The library is the hub of any school, and the librarian and staff are at the center of it all. The weekly reading that I can relate to this week is the ALSC Blog-- Programming for Children with Special Needs. Over my past 14 years in five different schools, only one of the librarians has had special programming for these students. I fulfilled the roll of librarian and library assistant in a rural middle school for one year, and I created programming for these students. It broke my heart not only as a parent, but as a future librarian to be told by the teachers of these students that they have never been welcome in the library. Ms. Twarogowski states "Why begin a new story time program for children with special needs and their families?" The answer: to provide support for a vastly underserved area of our population. Efforts to provide special needs programming are an important aspect of library service which results in numerous rewards for families, communities and libraries."

    These students are most certainly underserved. I collaborated with the ED, LD, Profoundly disabled, and students with mild/moderate intellectual disabilities to find out what types of activities students enjoyed, the types of books they liked to read, and which seating types they preferred. I quickly realized that some of the students preferred doing a craft or building with magnetic blocks while listening to me read. They were paying attention to the story, but needed to be doing something with their hands. Cocky's Reading Express was able to come visit my students, and they enjoyed the interaction, stories, and free books. My favorite time with this special group of students, was when one of the non-verbal students in the profoundly disabled class said the next sentence in the story I was reading, out of the blue. This student had been in the same classroom for three years and had never spoken a single word. That is proof that all students, especially special needs students should have programming that fits their needs.

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    Intellectual freedom is something I completely agree with, and will defend and protect in my future school library. The ALA defines intellectual freedom as "the right of every individual to both seek and secure information from all paints of view without restriction. It provides free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause of movement may be explored."  It is not fair to our patrons to only purchase materials that do not explore and offer insight to all sides of a topic. In public schools, there has always been a separation of religion in the school library. However, as my time has gone by, more schools have become culturally inclusive. International Week has become a highlight during the school year. The library helps support this week, as well as providing materials that provide current information on various cultures, as wells as religious beliefs. An example would be also having a Quran in addition to a Holy Bible in the library collection.

                        Photos by Pixabay

    This also ties in with censorship. The ALA states "Censorship occurs when expressive materials, like books, magazines, films and videos, or works of art, are removed or kept from public access." Censorship is direct opposition to intellectual freedom. My plan is to celebrate Banned Books Week by promoting in the library with not only a bulletin board display, but also a book display and having a lesson plan to use with my students. This would included pulling picture books and chapter books. I would have the students work in groups and give them a worksheet with questions to answer. Such questions would include Why do you think this is a banned book, etc.

    My takeaways this week are how important it is to offer library services that are inclusive to our population, even if some people disagree, and want certain materials to be removed from the library, restricted to a certain age group, or even placed in a certain area of the library where patrons do not have access to view the material, without having to ask a librarian to hand them the material. I will celebrate diversity in my library, and will create displays and flyers to place around the school. If I happen to go back into the elementary school, story times will include diverse books. Currently, I do this with my special needs students, as they still enjoy picture books aka everybody books.

Resources

Admin. (2017, October 20). Intellectual Freedom and Censorship Q & A. Advocacy, Legislation & Issues. https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/censorship/faq.

Contributor, G. (2012, March 17). Programming for Children with Special Needs, Part One. ALSC Blog. https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2009/06/programming-for-children-with-special-needs-part-one/.

Teens and Tweens, Oh My!

 

                            Photo by Pixabay

Tweens and teens are an interesting age group. Personally, I have seen in the school library a huge decrease in students wanting to read or check out books, except for the true book lovers! So, how do we fix this? This weeks readings have supplied great tactics for getting these age groups back into the library and back into reading.

How do we determine what this age group is interested in and what they like? American Libraries published an article titled Stuck in the Middle . "One of the challenges with reaching tweens is that the adults who create the programming do not have the same interests as the kids. And because fads and trends change quickly with this population, it is almost impossible for even the most passionate librarian to keep up." I can relate to this with students because we do have differences in our interests. I have never worked in a school with a formal advisory board, however, I constantly ask students what they like or find interesting.  I keep a list of series or single titles books that students would like to see in the library. By doing this, I have added ten new series of graphic novels to our library, while also adding to the current series we have of new editions that have been published since we last ordered. I also use Novelist Plus to find titles that are similar to books we have that are popular with the students. By learning what interests the students, I have higher check out numbers, a better open relationship with the students, and a more appealing and relevant programming in the library to fit the needs of my students.

The chat with Ellen Dunn about Reading Dogs was very interesting. I am very much a pet person, and was glad to be able to watch a talk about reading dogs and students. She and her dog (Katie, Catie, Katey?) have visited Baptist hospital and schools across the state. In particular, she mentions East Pointe Academy in Cayce SC. She mentions positive experiences with anxiety being reduced in the hospital and in the school settings with students. The Canine Good Citizen test is a good starting point to train towards being a therapy dog. I did this training with my former heart dog, Cosmo, (RIP).The dogs are tested on how they react in certain situations. Residents in the Midlands can take the test twice a year through the Columbia Kennel Club. Praise Dog training also offers testing. Pet Partners is also another therapy training option in our area. They welcome a wide assortment of animals to train, including cats, horses, birds, pigs, llamas, alpacas, rabbits, rats, guinea pigs and dogs. I agree with having a reading dog or other animal depending on student allergies to certain pet dander. I would even support a reading fish (as seen swimming in the video), but not a tarantula as stated in Ms. Dunn's video! I think most people become calmer with animals, especially well behaved and trained therapy animals. Being able to not be in the foreground, and blending into the background while a child reads and talks to the therapy pet is beneficial for everyone involved. On a personal level, I have a difficult time with anxiety, and just having my deaf rescue Westie-mix Alice with me while I am reading, studying, working on projects or just hanging out in my free time makes me feel better and less anxious.

My takeaway this week are that we 1) Need to get to know our teen and tween patrons and their likes and interests. 2) Programming needs to be relatable and not regarded as boring or babyish. 3)The need to keep up with celebrities and pop culture is important so we know who the kids are talking about and following online and on social media. Tweens and Teens interests will be different from mine, but we can share interests and learn from each other. I would love to have a reading pet in my library, and hope I will be fortunate enough to find myself in a district or school that will allow me to use this approach in my library to reach out to students who need a little more help.

Resources

Admin. (2017, October 26). Canine Good Citizen (CGC). American Kennel Club. https://www.akc.org/products-services/training-programs/canine-good-citizen/.

Dunn, E. (n.d.) Chat with Ellen Dunn. Zoom meeting [Interview].

Gregory, J. G. (2018, May 4). Stuck in the Middle. American Libraries Magazine. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2015/05/08/stuck-in-the-middle/.

 Pet Partners. (2021). https://petpartners.org/about-us/.

Library Lifelines

                            Photo from Pixabay
 Libraries have become so much more than a free-standing building that houses books of days past. Today's libraries are lifelines to community members. The past year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our normal and the way libraries operated and serve their communities. The ALA News published an  article titled Public Libraries launch, expand services during COVID-19 pandemic. "Libraries continue to play essential roles in our communities even as we close our buildings and work remotely to best ensure health and safety" (April 2020). While the Richland County Public Library (RCPL) has remained mostly closed, they have changed the way they have reached their patrons. They began offering story time via social media, created to-go craft kits that come in pizza boxes for children aged toddler-12 years old. Students and other patrons who do not have internet access at home were able to sit outside the library and use the WiFi at all RCPL locations. As the library slowly begins to return to this new normal, patrons are able to go inside and use the computers and choose library materials, but still have the ability to place items on hold and facilitate the curbside pickup option. 

Libraries have become lifelines for students and families who are experiencing homelessness. Many times these families are suffering from mental health issues. Vicki Temple states "Homeless teens are more likely to suffer from severe depression and anxiety, as well as post-traumatic stress disorder, low self-esteem, and poor physical health" (2009, pg. 23). In my school, we have many students who are suffering from the effects of being homeless, either due to family home/job loss or because the student has runaway from their homes or residence where they lived. Many students are suffering from mental health issues, and it is showing not only in their behavior, but also in their grades as they have stopped completing or turning in assignments. Students who are needing to see their guidance counselors and therapists from the Department of Mental Health have risen in numbers this year. Libraries are able to provide safe spaces, and resources to help these families. Summer reading programs and drives to encourage families to sign up for library cards are a great way to help homeless families. Through these activities, libraries are able to help these families by providing a place for them to not only find information, but a safe place to go where children can be involved with activities that will create a sense of normalcy, while providing reading materials so that the dreaded "summer slide" does not occur, and put these students further behind their peers with their literacy skills.

Reading the ALA News article Public Libraries launch, expand services during the COVID-19 pandemic and Vikki Temple's article  Library Services to Children, Teens, and Families Experiencing Homelessness were both articles I could relate to with my experiences in the school library setting. The ALA News article states "We are shifting popular programs online, sharing hyperlocal information and resources, and continuing to connect with our communities by chat, text, phone, and email (April 2020). In my high school library, we did a total re-haul of our Media Center page on our school website. We added resources to help students find library materials available in our school using the Destiny catalog, as well as links to the RCPL, so students could reserve materials or download E-books. We also included instructions on how to use Microsoft TEAMS (the learning platform utilized this school year), DISCUS and JSTOR information, citation resources, and college and career planning links. Links for teacher support were also added to the site. While the school was closed to students, the library offered help via phone, chat, email and in person. We offered curbside service to replace damaged laptops as well as to pick up books that had been placed on hold.

Storytelling is a popular even in both public libraries and schools. The stories are slightly different, depending on the patron's age. More movement for the younger patrons to help keep them engaged with listening and activities that are paired with the stories. Storytelling does not come naturally to me, but I am thankful USC offers a storytelling class. I agree with Donna Schatt and Patrick Ryan's article Start Storytelling. "In general, traditional folktales and fairy tales are a good place to start. They are composed of narrative elements easily remembered and designed for oral telling, qualities that partially explain why they have survived over time." I agree that folktales and fairy tales are the easiest types of stories to begin telling. We have grown up reading them or hearing them, so they are pretty easy to remember, and one can add their own flare to the story. I remember being a small child and listening to my Grandmother tell me stories, and those stories have been passed down and shared with my children and their cousins. Shatt and Ryan also state "The best way to tell is to actually tell. We can't stress that enough. Learning stories and developing a library or classroom storytelling practice, is initially time consuming. We recommend starting slowly-- learning just one story a month will eventually lead to a wonderful personal repertoire. The more stories you learn and the more often you tell them, the easier it becomes to learn and tell."  This last statement is so true.  It was hard in my storytelling class to become comfortable with telling a story, and not reading it from a book. To make matters more complicated, we also had to use puppets and record ourselves on FlipGrid.  It was a six week summer class, so I had a lot to learn in those short six weeks. The more I practiced, the more confident I became.  That being said, I lost count of how many times I had to erase a recording and try again. For me, I found it easier if I had one of my children record me and then I was able to look at them and do my storytelling.  This was great practice for me, and I have been able to use these skills in the library and classrooms at work.

My takeaway from these past 2 weeks of reading is that the library is a lifeline in so many different ways. We are able to provide safe spaces for our patrons who are suffering from the effects of being homeless. We are able to provide a sense of stability and a safe space for our patrons, while offering them reading materials to keep the "summer slide" to a minimum, while also offering resources to help with finding housing and mental health help. I've also been reminded how important it is to up  my game in the storytelling department. This is something I would like to incorporate into my library after I graduate.  I'm still not comfortable with being silly while reading to elementary students, but with time and practice, I'll become comfortable and make story time more enjoyable for my students.

References:

"Public libraries launch, expand services during COVID-19 pandemic ", American Library Association, April 9, 2020.

http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2020/04/public-libraries-launch-expand-services-during-covid-19-pandemic-0 (Accessed May 24, 2021)

Document ID: 6b51e396-7b41-4306-8d4d-fed2cc1a8a8b

Schatt, D., & Ryan, P. (n.d). Start Storytelling. Book Links |Booklist Online.

     http://www.booklistonline.com/booklinks.

Terrile, V. C. (2009). Library Services to Children, Teens and Families Experiencing Homelessness. Urban Library Journal, 15 (2). Retrieved from http://academicworks.cuny.edu/ulj/vol15/iss2/2

Literacy and Brain Development

                                    Photo by Lina Kiraka

While reading and watching this weeks lessons, the one thing that hit home was Neil Gaiman commenting on an experience he had while in New York. He listened to a talk about how many prisons and prison cells would be needed within a certain time frame. Gaiman states "And they found they could predict it very easily, using a pretty simple algorithm based on asking what percentage of 10 and 11 year olds could read" ( 2003, para. 6). As a media assistant in the elementary, middle, and high school levels for the past 14 years, and as a Mama of two, this absolutely breaks my heart. Personally, I can relate to students not doing well when they do not have a solid literacy foundation. Shawn, a student I read with weekly when he was in third grade, has now dropped out of school at the beginning of his senior year and is not trying to obtain his GED. While Shawn is not in trouble with the law, I could have predicted his struggles in third grade. 

Gaiman stresses the importance of libraries and librarians, as he recalls his childhood experiences. He states "If you do not value libraries, then you do not value information or culture or wisdom. You are silencing the voices of the past and you are damaging the future" (2003, para 41).  Librarians help patrons find materials, teach patrons how to search for information themselves, and help foster a love of reading. By exposing patrons at an early age to various types of literature (fiction, non-fiction), librarians open minds of the readers and allow them to escape to another place. Exposure to literature increases vocabulary and literacy skills. This begins with very young children. Parents should begin reading to their  children when they are infants. Dickinson states "Book reading provides an ideal setting for fostering language while at the same time building strong affective bonds between parents and children" ( 2012, para. 11). Reading with my own children created an immense bond. As they grew older, they would go pick their favorite books and bring them to me throughout the day for me to read to them. Dickinson states "Students of book reading have found evidence that children begin to benefit when regular reading begins as early as 8 mos and that children benefit most from regular reading routines that sensitive and responsive language-rich interactional routines" ( 2012, para. 58).

While viewing the CDC Positive Parenting website, I was pleased to see it mentioned that children should be read to, beginning with them as infants. As the age of the child increases, so does the level of interaction that is suggested. Not only are parents encouraged to engage with their children emotionally and physically (encouraging play and joining a sports team), but also to keep reading to their children and encouraging them to read on their own through middle childhood (ages 9-11). I think the advice given to parents by the CDC is very beneficial. It helps create and maintain an emotional bond with your child. They encourage taking an active role with your child's school, friends, and other organizations your child might join. 

However, I disagree that encouraging children to read is no longer one of the parenting tips once a child reaches the young teen age (ages 12-14) and teenagers (ages 15-17). I think it is important to keep encouraging children to read. The foundation for literacy is laid when children are younger. Young teens and teenagers become easily distracted by electronics, which cuts into this age groups desire for reading. I feel it is important to keep encouraging students by asking them at school what they are reading, what authors they like, and if they have any suggestions for new reading material that should be added to the library. By doing this, I am making connections with my students and keeping literacy alive. 

My takeaways from this week's readings are that we must focus on early literacy skills with children. We must read to them, and encourage them to read. We must not stop a student from reading a book because we do not like the book, topic or author. That choice does not belong to us and we must not judge what a student decides to read. When making lesson plans, I will choose activities and books that will keep my students engaged. I will keep a large selection of books covering many topics and genres, and encourage students to read from all of them. Realizing that some students come from backgrounds where literacy learning skills have not been fostered, I will offer help to those students, in hopes of helping them become more literate, as well as fostering the love of reading. 

References:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, February 22). Positive Parenting Tips. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/childdevelopment/positiveparenting/index.html.

Dickinson, D. K., Griffith, J. A., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2012). How Reading Books Fosters Language Development around the World. Child Development Research, 2012, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/602807

Guardian News and Media. (2013, October 15). Neil Gaiman: Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/oct/15/neil-gaiman-future-libraries-reading-daydreaming.

Shared Foundation- Engage

Photo by Gerd Altmann 

Ayanna Mayes in the librarian at Columbia High School, where I spent the five days of my student internship this year.  She has been in RCSD1 for several years, and this is her third year at Columbia High School, which serves approximately 620 students. 

Questions:

1. What are some examples of ways in which you are implementing these competencies in your library program? A) I primarily promote the ethical use of information through collaboration with teachers. When students are tasked with a  research project, I begin instruction by reviewing the Big 6 process, which is also posted on the school website with embedded links to SC DISCUS and Destiny Discover. B) I emphasize the basic concepts that I want students to retain: (1) the importance of articulating a focused research question, (2) how to find and evaluate appropriate sources, and (3) why/how to cite their sources. C. I demonstrate the ethical use of information in our printed publications, the information posted on our website, and the posters in the library. When I share information, the sources are visible. 

2. What are some of the resources in your library program that you are using to implement these competencies? A) SC DISCUS-- I heavily emphasize this source and highlight different databases depending upon the research students are conducting. For example, I show students the quality difference between Biography in Context (a DISCUS database) and Biography.com when they are researching Black authors for a Black History Month English project. When students are creating argumentative essays about an issue of their choice, that impacts teens, I show them how to navigate Opposing Viewpoints and the Points of View Reference Center. B) The CHS library/media center webpage-- This is the information hub for our students. It is easily accessible from the school homepage and has links to SC DISCUS, Destiny Discover, Richland Library, and other online resources. 

3. Do any of the competencies that you are implementing include collaboration with classroom teachers? Evaluating sources will be the greatest asset to students in this information-rich age. I place the most emphasis on this skill in my instruction, and I reinforce it by playing a game with students during research introductory lessons. Students see citations and hear me attribute credit to sources in my presentations to reinforce the importance of attribution. Most SC DISCUS databases make citations very simple and I show this to students. I encourage teachers to make citations a part of the rubric. Many students understand the importance of attribution best when there are consequences for omitting it.

4. What are some of the challenges that you face when trying to implement these competencies? Many teachers skip collaboration with me and do not dedicate the necessary class time to make sure students understand the research process. Teachers who have worked with me come to me for assistance. Each year, I try to find out what teachers when teachers will introduce a project so that I can offer my assistance, but many teachers do to want to veer away from their pacing guides. 

5. Are there any other comments that you would like to make regarding the Shared Foundation/Competencies and Domains that we have discussed today? The curriculum crosswalks on the AASL website are helpful, especially the alignment with Future Ready Librarian standards. The standards also have alignments to service-learning and project-based learning standards, which I often use as an in-roads to collaborate with teachers.

Reflection:  Mrs. Mayes is diligently working to collaborate with teachers and to help the students at Columbia High School to become college-ready. When interviewing her, she also mentioned a 70% failure rate this first 9 weeks of school, and that has her greatly concerned.  In addition to promoting her services in-person to teachers, on her website, and social media pages, she has also been pre-recording library lessons to be shared with students. These lessons can be shared by the student's teachers in MS Teams, or via the MS library Teams account she has created. As we are just beginning phase 2 of the face to face return to school, I feel it is very significant that Mrs. Mayes has been sharing resources on citations, online library services, and reading materials accessible via Hoopla on the Richland Library page on her webpage and social media accounts. She has been reaching out to students via Teams asking if they would like her assistance, whether it be library research need or to give book suggestions. I believe her persistence will help her show teachers and students that she is readily accessible and willing to help them. 

 

Shared Foundation- Inquire

Photo by Pixabay

Mrs. Jessica Cypress is the librarian at Brennen Elementary School, where she serves 800 students. Brennen is the largest elementary school in the RCSD1 district. She was a teacher for 8 years before she was asked by her principal to take on the role of the librarian. She has been serving as the school librarian for the past 8 years. Mrs. Cypress is sharing her input on the shared foundation- inquire.

Questions:

1. What are some examples of the ways in which you are implementing these competencies in your library program? I collaborate with teachers for research projects. I work with teachers to design units where we have the students choose a research topic of interest to them, ask questions about that topic, and find the answers. 

2. What are some of the resources in your library program that you are using to implement these competencies? I teach students how to find books on their topics through Destiny, and we use DISCUS online. 

3. Do any of the competencies that you are implementing include collaboration with classroom teachers? Yes, I collaborate with teachers on research projects in K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grades. I teach about the research process and finding/evaluating information, and the teachers facilitate the research in individual classrooms. Some teachers have me teach students how to present their information on different platforms, while some prefer to do that on their own. 

4. What are some of the challenges that you face when trying to implement these competencies?

Time. With such a large school, it is challenging to be able to spend a lot of time with each class. We have six kindergarten classes, seven 1st grade classes, six  2nd grade classes, and six 3rd grade classes. It's just very time consuming to work with everyone on grade level. 

5. Are there any other comments that you would like to make regarding the Shared Foundation/Competencies and Domains that we have discussed today? No, not at this time.

Reflection: As I reflect on Mrs. Cypress and how she implements the Inquire competency, I am just blown away. 800 elementary students, with so many same grade classes, boggles my mind.  When I was at the elementary level for 11  years, we had half as many grade-level classes as Mrs. Cypress, and it was challenging to get those classes in weekly. As we have moved into more technology this year due to COVID, I am impressed with the fact she has been able to teach her youngest students how to find their own books in Destiny and DISCUS.  Mrs. Cypress seems to have great knowledge of various platforms in which students can use to present their research projects, and this will be beneficial to the students as they progress through school. This year Mrs. Cypress will be going to classrooms with a book cart with library books for younger grade students to check out and will deliver books that have been placed on hold through Destiny. I imagine juggling running to classes through the hallways, while still giving instruction will be a challenge, as the higher grades will be allowed to return to the library for check out, but I have no doubt that Mrs. Cypress will be able to handle all of the changes this year. 

Shared Foundation- Explore

Photo by Pixabay 

Ms.Phoebe Blalock has served as both teacher and librarian at Brockman Elementary school, where she is now entering her second year as the librarian, and serves 320 students. Ms. Blalock's topic is Shared Foundations- Explore.

Questions:

1. What are some examples of the ways in which you are implementing these competencies in your library program? A lot of the reading skills lessons I teach focus on questioning assumptions and misconceptions. One resource I have found helpful is The Ramped-Up Read Aloud. This book has some really great lessons to do in conjunction with read alouds. All of the books used are fairly current, high quality picture books. I ordered some of the books in this resource for our library collection because they really promote thinking. I also taught some to upper and lower elementary students about digital citizenship. We spend time during these lessons discussing critical thinking about things you see online.

2. What are some of the resources in  your library program that you are using to implement these competencies? I mentioned The Ramped Up Read Aloud above. Of course our actual library collection is an important resource. I am continually working to improve our collection and get to know what is here. As you know, the district also provides us with devices for all students now (once they arrive). Our school also purchased a class set of Spheros. These were not initially part of the library program because the school used additional funds to hire a computer lab instructor who used them with students. We have lost that position, so once students are able to return to school normally, I hope to incorporate those into my library program. I also ordered some additional coding products to use with young children, I feel like coding is a great way to promote inquiry-based learning. Unfortunately, with Covid, I have not been able to use any of these materials with students, but I hope to as soon as it is allowed. I also had started planning for a makerspace when school let out last year. That is another way I would like to promote inquiry-based learning, but for now, that has to be put on hold. 

3. Do any of the competencies that you are implementing include collaboration with classroom teachers? If so, please provide examples. Teachers have not collaborated with me as much as I'd like. I did collaborate with two lower elementary teaches on their reader's notebook projects and I collaborated several times with the upper elementary team on research projects their students were doing. For the lower elementary community, I taught a lesson on historical fiction and realistic fiction because I noticed these two teachers students were having difficulty identifying these genre when looking for books for the Reader's Notebook assignment. I taught them strategies for figuring out the genre of a book. Occasionally, my teachers will ask me to incorporate books on themes they are studying in class. For example, last year one teacher was working on things in the past vs. the present. I planned a lesson using books and some online resources in DISCUS to highlight some differences between things in the past and present. I also provided the teacher with additional resources she could use in in class. This year a virtual teacher asked me to read the book Leaf Man to her students to prepare them for a leaf project she was doing with them.

4. What are some of the challenges that you face when trying to implement these competencies?

Time is always a challenge. It is difficult to get teachers to collaborate. This can be due to a variety of factors, but in my location it is primarily because of time. I have been most successful when I find ways to collaborate and just kind of insert myself into something

5. Are there any other comments that you would like to make regarding the Shared Foundation/Competencies and Domains that we have discussed today? There are no other comments.

Reflection I think Ms. Blalock's teaching background shows in how she is trying to engage with her students and trying to to get teacher to collaborate with her. She is bringing in new pictures books that I've not heard of, but when I looked them up online, they got me excited.  I had never heard of Spheros, so I had to look those up as well. I feel it is easier to have maker space areas and coding sessions in the elementary libraries because we have engineering classes and robotics at the high school level where students work on STEM projects. I feel as librarians this year in particular, that we need to continue trying to reach out to our teachers and students to let them know we are available and ready to help either in person or via Microsoft Teams. Ms Blalock being able to read aloud Leaf Man to a collaborating teacher's class, allows her to collaborate and reach students and the virtual teacher who is remaining virtual this year. I think taking the time to teach her students who were struggling with knowing the difference between historical and realistic fiction was brilliant. Elementary school is the perfect age to introduce students to all genres, while also explaining the differences in genres.