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Today Deb Gaby and I finished leading the third day of a three-day Foundations of Writing Workshop training. At the end, we asked for reflections. Teacher after teacher commented on the impact of… Read More →

The keynote speeches I'm preparing to deliver this summer have been on my mind for weeks. In an effort to craft inspiring speeches, I've been looking for some guidance so I move from outlining to writing the speeches.

Whether you are a regular commenter, a Slicer, a blogger, a Twitter-addict (or a friend of someone who is!), if you are near Warsaw, IN on June 19, consider joining us at The… Read More →

Unfortunately I don’t have a photo from one of my favorite Friday Favorites. Christy Rush-Levine and I met for a walk + dinner on Tuesday. Christy is one of those people who help… Read More →

Who coaches the coach? This question was posed at the Choice Literacy Coaching the Common Core workshop. It’s one that is sticking with Deb and me. Instructional coaches (and I think this is… Read More →

I watched a version of this video several years ago. In preparation for a workshop I’m leading on Thursday with a group of Career Tech educators (think culinary arts and auto mechanics), I… Read More →

The third part of the conference was led by Tammy Mulligan and Clare Landrigan. They inspired me to stick to my beliefs. One of the ideas they talked about is a Framework for… Read More →

The second portion of the Choice Literacy workshop, Coaching the Common Core was led by Heather Rader. Heather is the author of Side By Side: Short Takes on Best Practice for Teachers and… Read More →

The Libraries seeks a diverse pool of applicants with ALA-accredited M.L.S. or M.I.S. degrees awarded between September 2012 and August 2013. The NCSU Libraries Fellows program offers a unique opportunity to a select group of M.L.S. and M.I.S. graduates who will receive the degree between September 2012 and August 2013. Fellows will be appointed at the rank of librarian for a two-year term from July 2013 through June 2015. An option for January or September placement may be available, depending upon graduation date. The NCSU Libraries is particularly well known for its digital library programs, its technological advances, and its commitment to defining the future of librarianship. The NCSU Libraries offers Fellows the opportunity for rapid professional growth through assignment to one of the Libraries’ strategic initiatives, combined with experience and mentoring in a department. ALA-accredited MLS or equivalent advanced degree is required. Review of applications is underway; position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. See vacancy announcement with application instructions at http://www.lib.ncsu.edu/jobs/epa/fellows2013

AA/OEO. NC State welcomes all persons without regard to sexual orientation. For ADA accommodations, please call (919) 515-3148.

as posted on LIBJOBS

I’m looking forward to the next few days. It’s a workshop where old meets new. I’ve been leading beginning writing workshops for nearly a decade. I’m looking forward to making some shifts to… Read More →

One of the reasons I appreciate the opportunity to lead professional development is I get to continue pushing myself to new understandings and deeper learning. Every time I speak or work with a… Read More →

As an instructional coach, a key part of my job is to encourage and inspire teachers. This is one of my favorite things about my job. It isn’t easy to be the person… Read More →

Good morning!

There are a couple 2013 conferences that have recently announced their call for proposals. Are you interested? 1.

The 10th IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People ) will hold its regional conference 18020 October in St Louis, MO.

This conference will feature a limited number of simultaneous sessions that address the conference theme and/or feature international children’s literature. All sessions will be one hour and can take one of several forms, including but not limited to:

• Single speaker leading an interactive session
• Multiple presentations on one topic
• Workshop or demonstration
• Roundtable discussion

Proposals should include a title and a description of the proposed session (100-150 words). Also include the following contact information: name, affiliation (if any), address, and email. If the proposal has multiple speakers, please include contact information for everyone listed. Proposals should be sent to program@usbby.org.  Please feel free to contact Susan Stan at stan1sm@cmich.edu if you have questions before submitting proposal. Deadline for submission: February 1, 2013

2.

The Library Services to Multicultural Populations Section and Education and Training Section of the IFLA (International Federal of Library Associations invites proposals for papers to be presented at a two-hour session in the next IFLA General Conference on August 2013 in Singapore.

 Theme: Indigenous knowledge and multiculturalism in LIS education and library training: infinite possibilities

 Submission deadline: 15 February 2013. Please visit the following link for the details:

http://conference.ifla.org/ifla79/calls-for-papers/indigenous-knowledge-and-multiculturalism

Filed under: librarianship, professional development Tagged: CFP, IBBY, IFLA

Get Ready, Get Set, Get REGISTERED!

Registration for IRA’s 58th Annual Convention is officially open!

Join us in San Antonio, Texas from April 19-22, 2013 for four days of high-quality professional learning. Your registration grants you access to more than 500 sessions, including IRA’s widely popular Teaching Edge series. (Additional registration is required for the preconference Institutes on April 19th.)

You’ll also get:

• Admission to General Session speakers Rick Riordan, LeVar Burton, Debbie Silver (just added!), and Mo Willems
• Entrance to the Exhibit Hall—and the chance to get books signed by your favorite authors
• The opportunity to network with more than 10,000 reading professionals from across the globe

Don’t delay—register NOW to get the best rates. And, because housing is available on a first-come basis, early registration means you’re more likely to get your top choice.

REGISTER TODAY!

WIN A NEW TABLET AND IRA E-BOOKS – JUST BY REGISTERING!

Mention promotional code AC13106* when you register on or before February 15, 2013 and you’ll be automatically entered to win a tablet! Then, outfit your new gadget with an assortment of IRA’s bestselling e-books, courtesy of a generous Amazon.com gift card.

Just another reason to REGISTER NOW!

*Prize package subject to change. Anyone who registers on or before February 15, 2013, 11:59 PM PST will be automatically entered to win. One winner will be notified by March 1, 2013.

40th Annual Children’s Literature Association Conference
Play and Risk in Children’s and Young Adult Literature and Culture

**DEADLINE: 15 January 2013

Hosted by The University of Southern Mississippi
June 13-15, 2013
IP Resort
Biloxi, Mississippi

The 40th Annual Children’s Literature Association (ChLA) Conference will address play and risk in children’s and young adult (YA) literature and culture. Much of John Newbery’s A Pretty Little Pocket-Book, one of the first books to mark the emergence of children’s literature as a successful commercial enterprise, is devoted to teaching the alphabet through play and games. Innovators of children’s literature have taken risks in building businesses or careers around the notion of pleasurable works for children, just as the scholars who gathered for the first ChLA convention in 1974 and those who followed have taken risks to establish the professional study of the “Great Excluded.” Thus, from its beginnings as both literary and scholarly enterprise, children’s literature has been linked with play and risk. Many classic and contemporary works for young people represent children or young adults entertaining themselves or taking chances. The March sisters put on plays in Little Women, and Beth risks her own life to care for the Hummel baby; Alice plays croquet in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and risks losing her head; Peter and Wendy play house in Peter Pan and risk being killed or kidnapped by Captain Hook. Play and risk are everywhere in children’s and YA literature and culture.

We invite paper or panel proposals on the following topics:

• Play and games in children’s and YA literature and culture
• Children’s games as texts
• Children’s theatre and drama or school plays
• Linguistic, stylistic, or formal play in children’s and YA literature
• Game theory or risk theory in children’s and YA literature and culture
• Role-play, performance, or performativity in children’s and YA literature and culture
• Childhood/adolescence as play, playing at childhood/adolescence
• Video games and/as children’s and YA literature
• Sports or competition in children’s and YA literature and culture
• Winning and losing in children’s and YA literature and culture
• Risk-taking in children’s and YA literature and culture
• Uncertainty or chance in children’s and YA literature and culture
• The personal or professional risks of studying, writing, or reading children’s and YA literature
• The disclosure of “at risk” youth
• How children’s and YA literature or culture put children at risk
• The risks of how children and childhood are constructed or experienced
• Playing with race, class, gender, or sexuality in children’s and YA literature and culture

The submission window for 300-500 word paper proposals will be open between October 15, 2012 and January 15, 2013. Please submit your proposal online at www.usm.edu/chla2013.

source

The 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle kicks off on Friday and ALSC has a full schedule of activities. Whether you’re there to meet new people, to serve on a committee or to experience the exciting Youth Media Awards, ALSC has plenty to offer. Remember, even if you’re not going to Seattle, you can follow along with ALSC here on the blog (we’ll be live-blogging) or on Twitter (follow #alamw13). Here are a few events that you might want to attend:

Friday
9:00am-5:00pm – 2013 Notable Children’s Recordings Committee, REN-Marion
1:30-4:30pm – 2013 Notable Children’s Books Committee, WSCC-Room 2AB
1:30-10:00pm – 2013 Carnegie Medal/Notable Children’s Videos Committee, LION-Pioneer
7:00-8:30pm – ALSC Speed Networking, LION-Seattle Ballroom I

Saturday
8:30-11:30am – Leadership and ALSC (formerly Division Leadership), GRAND-Leonesa II & III
9:00am-5:30pm – Notable Children’s Recordings Committee, REN-Marion
1:00-5:30pm – Board of Directors, WSCC-Room 212
1:30-4:30pm – Notable Children’s Books Committee, WSCC-Room 2AB

Sunday
8:30-11:30am – ALSC All Committee I, GRAND-Leonesa II & III
8:30-11:30am – ALSC All Committee II, GRAND-Princessa Ballroom
10:30-11:30am – Summer Reading Update (ALSC/PLA/YALSA), WSCC 602-603
1:30-4:30pm – Notable Children’s Books Committee, WSCC-Room 2AB
1:30-9:00pm – Notable Children’s Recordings Committee, REN-Marion
4:30-5:30pm – All Discussion Groups Meeting (ALSC), WSCC 303
4:30-5:30pm – Collection Management Discussion Group, WSCC 305

Monday
8:00-9:00am – Youth Media Awards, WSCC-Ballroom 6B
1:30-4:30pm – Notable Children’s Books Committee, WSCC-Room 2AB
1:30-5:30pm – Board of Directors, WSCC-Room 306
6:00-7:30pm – ALSC & YALSA Joint Member Reception, SHER-Cirrus Room
8:00-10:00pm – Storytelling Discussion Group, SHER-Jefferson

Tuesday
8:00am-12:00pm – Notable Children’s Books Committee, WSCC-Room 2AB

There is also a complete list of ALSC events at Midwinter on the ALSC website. Also, do not forget that everyone can watch the Youth Media Awards webcast live!

Debrief questions and forms for a classroom lab site.

I know I’m a little bias, but this is one of my favorite conferences. It is a little like summer camp for teachers. I think the reason why it’s so great is because… Read More →

Today was a holiday from school. Ever since we’ve added a sixth member to our family, I’ve been conscious about rest. Not just about sleep, but about relaxing and staying away from screens… Read More →

Today was a holiday from school. Ever since we’ve added a sixth member to our family, I’ve been conscious about rest. Not just about sleep, but about relaxing and staying away from screens… Read More →

• Passion
• Flexibility
• Inquisitive life-long learner
• Patience
• Team Playing
• Be positive
• Believe people are good
• Make a difference in the lives of patrons
• Lead
• Communicate
• Innovate
• Market
• Understand and embrace change

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of presenting with author Ashley Hope Perez at the McConnell Conference in Lexington, KY. I always enjoy this conference and this year was certainly no exception. OK, yes I was disappointed in the lack of diversity, both in terms of presenters and participants, but the librarians who attended did not hesitate in asking for titles for their students and patrons of color and in engaging in library and literary conversations. Yes, it was good to be part of the conversation about young adult lit.

No doubt, attending conferences is expensive! Living here in the Midwest, I don’t often have the opportunity to enter the varied discussions about young adult literature that take occur in places like New York and Los Angeles, but there are some more local opportunities that provide relevant opportunities.

If you’re an author, librarian or teacher in the Midwest who is looking for nearby conferences, I have the following.

(No, I don’t live anywhere Mexico City. IBBY is just the one I really want to attend.)

Northern Illinois University Children’s Literature Conference 15 March Tom Angleberger, Lisa Yee and David Lubar

Kent State University’s Virginia Hamilton Conference 4&5 April Angela Johnson, Gary Schmidt and Yuyi Morales

Children’s Literature Association Conference Biloxi MS 13-15 June

ALA Annual Chicago 27 June-2 July

Children and Young People’s Division of the Indiana Library Federation   Indianapolis  25-26 August

Indiana State Reading Association Fall Conference 29-30 September  Linda Hoyt, Cris Tovani, Barry Lane, David Greenberg

IBBY Regional Conference St. Louis, MO 18-20 October

Ohio Kentucky Indiana Children’s Literature Conference 2 Nov Candace Fleming and Steve Jenkins

IBBY Mexico 10-14 September 2014

Recently Deb Gaby and I attended a Choice Literacy Workshop called Coaching the Common Core. It was one of the best conferences I’ve ever attended (and I’ve attended a lot of really great… Read More →

I just spent the last two days learning from Stephanie Harvey. (Am I lucky or what?) There are so many big things I’m thinking about. Here’s there: We must live curious lives. Not… Read More →