And Just Like That, It's Over!!!

It really doesn't seem possible that my sabbatical year is gone.  As with anything in life, we often think we have "so much time" and then we blink and are out of time.  That is certainly the way this year felt....like it flew by in an instant.  I am excited to return to the library and look forward to seeing all our MES students.  I definitely have more new lesson ideas and procedures to try than I have classroom time for the entire year, but this is good...It means the students will benefit from my experiences for many years to come!

CARNEGIE MELLON COLLABORATION

 

One of my most important sabbatical goals was to re-connect with Carnegie Mellon University.  When I first started at Marshall, we had graduate students in our library on a regular basis, working with our students and sharing their new inventions.  It was a wonderful experience for both our students and those at CMU...we were even involved in the creation of a storytelling computer simulation that still exists on the Carnegie Library website!  

At the end of the year, they held an open house for visitors to explore all the wonderful technology creations from their graduate students.  It was such a thrill to be in this entertainment center, as the memorabilia surrounding these students is incredible!  When I asked about all the artifacts, they told me that they are all there to provide inspiration for the students, and that each area has a particular theme; movies, music, etc.  No wonder these students are so creative and successful!

CHILDREN'S CHOICE AWARDS

The Children's Choice Awards happens every year through the Allegheny County Library Association and the Allegheny County Intermediate Unit.  Students read up to 8 books and then get to spend the day with a national author, participate in a STEM activity and compete in a battle of the books.  Each year, we travel with our 4th & 5th grade book clubs to the Soldier's & Sailor's Museum to participate in this fun event.  

School Visits...Public Library Visits...Author Visits

I have been incredibly lucky to have gone to graduate school with some awesome teacher-librarians and met even more role models through professional associations like the Western PA School Libraries Association, a division of the PA School Library Association & ALA.  They work tirelessly to create programs that incorporate information literacy through the use of technology and STEAM.  I have visited Mr. Lebanon, Hampton, Quaker Valley and even Frank Elementary in Houston, TX.

In addition to school visits, I also witnessed Sensory Storytime at the Mentor and Akron Public Libraries in Ohio, along with the Squirrel Hill Library right here in town.  I went to lectures by Mo Willems along with Zacariah Ohora, to name a few.  Each visit was special in its own right, and I felt such excitement to learn from professionals whose only goal is providing a quality education for children.

Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures....Words & Pictures Series

We are so lucky to live in Pittsburgh for many, many reasons.  One reason, which many people may not be aware of, involves the Pittsburgh Arts & Lecture Series.  The above image is actually a screen shot of their website announcing the 2017 - 2018 author series.  Each year we have the chance to hear from authors who have a major impact on children's and young adult literature.  

I have attended many of these lectures in the past, but this year I was looking forward to hearing Mo Willems.  I had actually first heard him speak as he moderated a panel of authors when I was at the Eric Carle museum back in October.  Although I was able to see and hear him in person, his role as moderator did not give much insight into he himself as an author.

Elementary aged children really seem to love Mo's books.  Some of his more popular books are "Knuffle Bunny", the "Pigeon" series along with "Elephant & Piggie" books.  While I believe his books are more for Pre-K and Kindergarten, I have to admit that all grades will check out his books when given the chance.  They have simple words and illustrations that tend to always make the children laugh.  Mo talked about some of his previous jobs and also about his new exhibit which is now on display at the Pittsburgh Children's Museum through September 2, 2018.

Perspective....from Apple

I follow a lot of educators mostly through either blogs or Twitter.  One teacher I always learn so much from and enjoy her posts is Terri Eichholz.  She can also be found on Twitter @terrieichholz.  Some educators post a lot of education "stuff" or ed tech that I am already familiar with.  Terri is different, at least for me.  Her posts are interesting and she is always experimenting with many different lessons, technology and STEAM.  She posted this video from Apple on her blog and said she couldn't wait to show her students.  Thank You so much Terri....now neither can I.

FETC...Future of Education Technology

 

I have a lot to say about FETC...stay with me.

I know everyone goes crazy for ISTE.  It's thought to be "THE" conference for all things educational technology, and it is an awesome conference.  However, for my money, I would go back to FETC every...single...year.

My first career was in the business world, mostly in the areas of Marketing. I had a minor in Marketing in undergrad and I have always found it so interesting.  I am at heart a primary researcher...I like to get others opinions and file it away.  In the end, I make my own decisions, but I have found over the years when you keep hearing something over and over again, there is generally legitimacy to the comments.  FETC was one of the conferences people kept saying they preferred to ISTE and I see now why. 

First, I arrived earlier than I thought the day before the conference started, so I decided to go to the convention center, figure out the bus system and get registered.  In about 20 minutes flat, I had accomplished those 3 goals.  The bus transportation provided was free, fast, simple and NICE!  But I digress.  

Most of the sessions this day were paid pre-conference ones, but I did know that there were some Apple classes going on.  I walked into the area and told them I hadn't registered, but wondered if there was space.  They told me to stand in the "waiting" section with about 5 other people and that if there was space I was welcome to attend.  That is something that would never happen at ISTE.  You might get to wait, but you would never get into any session without a ticket.  In about 5 minutes, I was ushered into the room sitting at a table with an iPad waiting for me.  That afternoon, Apple was offering 3 sessions.  All I had to do to attend was just get in line for the next class which was SO EASY!  Again...at ISTE, you had to go to the convention center like 6:30am to get in line to hope for one....ONE ticket.  That's all Apple would give because they had so much demand for their sessions and so many people at ISTE.  By the end of that afternoon at FETC, I had attended three 45 minute classes on all things Apple and my conference hand't even started.  SCORE FETC!

Their keynote speaker, Sir Ken Robinson was so much better (IMHO) than the one at ISTE.   Sir Ken actually kept a coherent thought, was funny and spoke about education.  I don't know what the ISTE organizers were thinking with their keynote this past year.  Again, IMHO, he was all over the board and did not make any connections to education....he just didn't speak to me like Sir Ken did.

The keynotes each day were in the Exhibit Hall; poster sessions were there, and my favorite, the "STEM Theater Presentations"...all were in the exhibit hall.  I actually had time to walk through and see most of the exhibits.  Again, this is something I never got to more than about 15 minutes at ISTE.  I got to meet the creators of ABCYa and even got a fuzz bug!  Their story was fascinating.  It was created by a teacher who wanted lessons to engage his students in a way they didn't realize they were learning.  Their website keeps getting better and better.  Their goal is to hopefully keep it free for teachers.  

A note about the "STEM Theater Presentations".  This was my favorite area.  Every hour or so, a different school would present on how they were approaching STEM in their school.  FETC gives STEM Excellence awards for every school level and the speakers were the finalists for these awards.  On the last day of the conference, the winners are announced.  I sat through so many of these talks.  It was always the principals, teachers and usually librarians who were working to incorporate STEAM (STEM) in a seemless way throughout their schools.

My last picture is from a poster session.  If you look closely, it is Eric Curts.  Eric has a blog called, "Control Alt Achieve" that I really like.  I find it easy to read and has a lot of useful information about technology in general.  You can also follow him @ericcurts on Twitter.  The poster sessions were not crammed together like at ISTE, you could actually walk around and talk to the presenters easily, without feeling like there were 20 people behind you ready to pounce.

The last day, I took a class called "Engineering is Elementary".  I did pay for this one, which was not necessary.  My registration fee included more than enough PD for one year, but this was an area that I am focusing on my sabbatical and I was really interested in attending.  It was worth every penny.  There was not on second wasted in this presentation.  While we were finding our seats, they had a video playing showcasing their STEAM projects with students and displays of materials throughout the room.  

I know I've said a lot about FETC, but I have one more thing to say.  They had people scan my badge at every....single....event.  If I am asked to provide evidence of the sessions I attended, it will be so easy....it was all documented.  At ISTE, I ran around literally, like a headless chicken to attend as many sessions as possible.  How do I prove that?  I have no idea...the only thing ISTE does is keep a record of the schedule you create.  Again, SCORE FETC!

In the end, I would say to anyone asking, go to FETC if you ever get a chance.  ISTE is a great conference, but IMHO, it's FETC for the win.

All Google All Day with Alice Keeler

Who is Alice Keeler?  I first heard Alice speak at ISTE this past summer.  She is the author of many educational professional development books, especially on all things Google.  In her bio, she states that she believes, "professional development is not always formally delivered"; which certainly resonates with me. When deciding how best to accomplish the goals of my sabbatical, it became clear that I would not find the professional development I felt I needed through a university setting.  Furthermore, for me, I have always learned so much more through other excellent educators who are passionate about providing students with the most engaging learning experiences.

I have always appreciated professional development that is given in a somewhat faster pace.  For me, when information is given too slowly, I find my mind drifts and it is hard for me to stay focused.  Alice, on the other hand, was presenting information so fast, I could barely keep up.  What do the 3 dots in Google products mean???? It means there is MORE!  What is the answer to most questions....it is usually a spreadsheet!  There were so many more takeaways than I could possibly list here.  For our students, we need to:

Engage.....Explore....Explain how it relates to the real world.

TRETC and the Pittsburgh Technology Council

The Three Rivers Educational Technology Conference is held in Pittsburgh every year in the fall.  This is a one day (and also an evening pre-session) event that I have attended many times over the years.  This years theme was on "Digitizing Personalized Learning".   The location for this event has moved over the years, but this year, it was held in Montour School District's new elementary schools building.  That plural on the schools is not a mistake; this one building is home to two separate schools, divided by the common areas of the cafeteria, the library, the Minecraft Room and soon to come, Lego experience room.  The school is also home to a fairly elaborate Sensory Room that I was able to tour.

This schools concept was interesting.  Most of the classrooms have offer flexible seating and many teachers do not have assigned seating.  Montour School District has a "Director of Academic Achievement and District Innovation" who has been responsible for bringing the Minecraft and Lego rooms to creation.  

The most helpful session from this conference revolved around STEAM Storytime utilizing picture books.  The presenters talked a great deal about having common vocabulary throughout the STEAM lessons, which reinforces the Engineering/Design process for students. 

ALA Sensory Storytime Expert

    

As I stated earlier, I found it difficult to source the best experts in Sensory Storytime.  I found myself going to Ohio several times.  The pictures above are from my visit to the Wallhaven (NW) Branch of the Akron Public Library in Akron, Ohio. Tricia, the Librarian, allowed me to view her Sensory Storytime and then spent a ton of time afterwards talking about her experiences from public libraries across several states.  

My biggest takeaway from this experience was the collaboration with an organization called, "Pilot International".  This organization has supported the public library and will often create takehome manipulatives for the parents of AS children.  Tricia included an almost endless music playlist throughout her storytime.

School Library....Public Library

One of the important goals of my sabbatical revolves around Storytime, and in particular, Sensory Storytime.  In trying to find the best professional development, I learned there are slim pickings!  What I did know, was that our Public Library held Sensory Storytimes often and the PA Library Conference 2017 had training specific to this topic.

Our own Carnegie Librarians were the speakers and quoted the CDC who identified 1 in 68 children were diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in 2011.  As anyone who has ever worked with Autistic children knows, that only means a "Developmental Disability, with a neurological basis that affects their communication and interaction with other".  That does NOT mean that the student will necessarily have an intellectual disability.

The Librarians walked us through their plans for Sensory Storytime.  I was really glad to hear it didn't differ from the ones I have been doing at MES.  However, after listening to their talk, I learned so much to improve my program.

They began by talking about picture schedules, which we do for each lesson.  They talked about multiple means of presentation, which we also plan for and include.  The one item that stopped me cold, though, was time for "calming and relaxation".  Nope, never did that one!  Never even thought about it.  Let's start with I am a Type "A" person with my goals in mind; every lesson should be engaging and memorable for my students.  Yes, it should follow our curriculum as well, of course!  There should not be a minute of instructional time "wasted".  That is another goal I am constantly aware of and work towards.  So "relaxation was not a concept I considered "educational.  But considering that these children's minds must be racing at all times, working on a few minutes of relaxation is like a much needed brain break we all need.

The Librarians shared their favorite books, apps and sensory manipulatives, which I can use during my storytime right away.  I hope we never forget what a wonderful resource our public libraries are for us all.

  

Maker Faire Pittsburgh - With Quaker Valley Students from Edgeworth Elementary

     

     

Some 10 years ago I did my student teaching at Quaker Valley High School.  I made friends at the district that I still have to this day.  I was fortunate enough to be asked to chaperone a group of students from Edgeworth Elementary for a day at the Maker Faire Pittsburgh, held at the Children's Museum.  

From robotics, to giant Bloxels, 3D printing, to fire breathing dragons, the day showcased so much to expose children to the world of "making".  Schools from across the greater Pittsburgh area brought students on field trips to showcase some 200 plus activities/displays both inside and outside of the museum.

Who Knew Dr. Seuss Had A Museum?

            

I had a day in between my classes at the Carle and the "Day of Inspiration".  I was looking for something to do and boy did I hit the jackpot!  Dr. Seuss was actually a Springfield, MA, native.   To that end, Springfield opened the very first Dr. Seuss Museum in the world, only a few months prior to my visit in October.  The museum featured original artwork from Dr. Seuss, along with displays in the "Seuss" style.  You could tell from his letters on display, that the man had an incredible sense of humor, along with imagination.  If you are thinking of visiting, my only caution is that this museum, while packed with tons of artwork and information, is incredibly small.  For that reason, only timed tickets are available because of the lack of space in the museum.

INSPIRATION DAY AT THE CARLE

             
My final day at the Eric Carle Museum was beyond inspiring.  The museum welcomed 9 authors/illustrators, talking about what inspired them to become artists.  There were two different panel sessions throughout the day, with time for Q&A, along with book signings.  I was able to see each artists and talk about my love of their work, along with my librarian request!!!!  I feel there is such a lack of beginning picture books in children's literature, and I was sending my plea for their consideration of future work.  

These are my rock stars.....my football players....my singers/actors.  These people contribute to the education and entertainment of our children that has a profound and lasting effect on their childhood.  They make a different in our world.  Most of the authors/illustrators asked me many questions about my work at school, children today and my thoughts on children's literature and their work.  It was a magical day that I will truly never forget!

More on the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art!

      

The first day at the museum, I took 2 classes; "The Whole Book Approach" and  "Visual Thinking Strategies".  These classes were very hands on and we were able to walk through the museum viewing original artwork from some of my favorite authors & illustrators....it was beyond captivating!  One of the exhibits featured Caldecott winning authors/illustrators work, along with captions discussing the inspiration for their artwork.  It was shocking to see the comparisons/contrasts between these artists.  I took so many pictures and was in awe of the gift these men and women have with their artistic abilities.  

Another separate exhibit was from David Wiesner.  He is one of my favorite illustrators who "writes" many wordless picture books.  My students love when I "read" these stories to them and discuss the Caldecott Award.  

THE ERIC CARLE MUSEUM OF PICTURE BOOK ART....YESSSSS!!!!

        

When I tell you I was like a child at Disney World for the first time, I couldn't be more serious!  This is the only museum dedicated to children's picture book illustrations in our country.  The story of this museum is so interesting.

In the 1980s, Eric Carle and his wife visited picture book museums in Japan and became inspired with the idea of opening such a museum here in the U.S.  For most of us, our first introduction to art comes in the form of picture books when we are very young.  Eric Carle and his wife wanted to create that same experience for others....a first introduction to the world of art!

The 40,000 square foot building is very unassuming from the outside, but inside you will find three galleries, an auditorium, an art studio, a main hall and also museum shop where you will find many author & illustrator signed children's books as well as signed original art.  The museum opened in 2002 and has welcomed numerous authors, illustrators and visitors from around the world. As a Librarian, we are taught to organize fiction books by author's last name.  At the Eric Carle Museum, they have a small library where they hold storytime for local children, highlighting new picture books and artwork.  The best part of its organization?  All picture books are organized by the illustrator's last name, instead of the author, to recognize their contribution to children's literature!