Kistner's Kollection

TWO BIG IDEAS this week: My two ideas that are growing in my head for my library and how I can connect the library to the classroom; are Reading Rounds, and Trade4Grades cards.   I am so excited about my plan for enticing readers to pick great books with Reading Rounds that I have already started cutting circles - I may need 100’s of circles. #snoopyfeetslapping here! My other idea is the Trade4Grades bringing my non-fiction section of the middle school library alive.  I am hoping to collaborate with teachers on activities that students could choose to do with non-fiction books about the topics they are teaching in class - then students could use these activities as a grade in class - hence Trade 4 Grades.  Giving student choice in the library & classroom - #sweetskillsgrowing Plus continuing building my Wonder posters for my windows and encouraging reading.

This summer there are so many ways that I have learned new things.  From classes with Mr. LeBeau to National Conferences, to Twitter, and blogs daily.  There is just so much that my ADHD is just wallowing in it all.    I have learned that EVERYONE you meet knows something you don’t. I have learned: I must limit my time on Twitter because I will be there forever and reading so many blogs my eyes will cross. google forms can be used for exit tickets reading choice matters tons of reasons to help kids read and why I need a way to keep up with all the blogs that I read so I can share with others: This morning I read - great ways to reword you questions. Ways to reflect and keep a great summer going - http://connectedprincipals.com/archives/11720 How to motivate your life to get what you want out of everything - TED Talk Stop saying you are FINE - say Amazing!  I am Amazing! Say it. Epic Reads 8 Quotes that will make your knees weak Rea

Great teachers are always learning, or so they say.  I have always been an extreme nerd because I have always felt behind and not smart enough.  So I read, but lately if you aren't reading, tweeting, posting, researching, updating, iPadding, podcasting, youtube-ing,  asking, adapting you aren't learning.   It is a major media overload for me lately. I have created (become) a  media monster.  My desk, has 5 books, 2 magazines, one computer, one iPad, one iPhone, and two controllers for TV's and one actual old school iPod.  Just the screens are overload, but this is the second evening I have had four going at once. I was in a twitter chat (or rather reading an twitter chat #txeduchat) I had my iPad book open, but got an email that I had a new book from NetGalley to review, so I really wanted that to download.  I was talking to my sister on my iPhone about a horse she has, while the TV was playing Big Bang Theory in the background.  Granted I was not doing any of those wit

I recently listened to Richard Wells at iPadpalooza 2015 in Austin. He was incredible and I can see why New Zealand is 20 years ahead of America in the education field.  He made me want to move there. His article this week  about changing the lessons http://wp.me/p2KVKA-C6 Made me think, YES. We need to think as if we are the student! Teachers tend to think, it's all about me and my subject, my scores, and my knowledge, right?  I know I did, it was my students, my classes, my "smart" lessons of course, making me feel like I was so smart. After reading this article, I thought about the student's next hour is filled with another whole topic, teacher another lesson, switching gears totally to fit some schedule.  Is it because we have always done it this way? Could we work together to combine lessons, and schedules so students reading skills are targeted while they are reading in history class, or vocabulary is mixed into math and extend the days into two parts.

I learn so much from Twitter! It is truly a constant PLN.  I have been overwhelmed by it in the past.  At iPadpalooza 2015 - it was stated WTF?  What's the FEAR? About Twitter, but I know the fear of being unable to read it all, that's the fear.  The fear of doing it wrong.  The fear of never finding the hashtag? But I've fixed that in my head, I don't have to read it all. A colleague of mine said he is limiting his to 50 people to follow so he only selects great Tweeters who have something to do with his content of History. So his is more specific, while mine is jumping all over the place, with great librarians, principals, school leadership, teachers, authors, magazines, writers. I am trying to read all the blogs, reviews, ideas, books, plus Twitter chats scheduled all the time is just crazy.  It goes so fast and changes so quickly. That's the FEAR! So this month my challenge goal is to calm down my own head about Twitter.  Just read what I want, and LET IT GO