Miss Bee's Books

Nothing strikes fear into some people's hearts like the word "coding".  It is enigmatic, complex, and  the new skill for children to learn.  Past ISTE Librarian's Network President, Nikki Robertson, states that teaching coding is "tantamount to teaching reading, writing, and mathematics" (2019).  And she is not alone in that view: Tufts professor Marina Umaschi Bers believes   "coding is a way to achieve literacy in the 21st century". With coding's emphasis on problem solving, it teaches children to manage frustration, to persevere through challenges, to collaborate with others, and to think creatively (2017). In this increasingly technological world, children need to learn coding. School librarians and media specialists, as technological leaders, are in the perfect position to teach it to them. https://ccsuconed.wordpress.com/2017/06/28/5-reasons-kids-should-learn-to-code/ But what if the technological leader doesn't know how to ...

"It is up to the reader or viewer to negotiate truth."   Joyce Valenza, 2016 In this world of fake news, it's easy to forget that even legitimate sources must be looked at skeptically.  Of course, the first step is to verify a news story isn't fake, but that doesn't necessarily mean it is "true" either.  Truth is, unfortunately, not as objective as we would like to believe.  Every "truth" is colored by the opinions of the person delivering it.  Recognizing that fact is an essential part of being media literate. The Liturgists podcast provides wonderful tools for verifying media in their episode "Fake News & Media Literacy".  The process, simplified into the catchy, tongue-in-cheek song, embedded to the right outlines how to identify fake news.  But the hosts don't stop there, they continue to talk about their information diet.  How they make sure to consume a diverse range of legitimate sources, from different sides of ...

"Being a connector is like being a weaver of a learning web for students." (Cromartie & Burns, 2019). By I, Luc Viatour, CC BY-SA 3.0,  https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3626879 Cromartie and Burns' article in the May 2019 issue of  Knowledge Quest  acknowledges that the role of librarian has been different in the past and calls for school librarians to shift their mindset for the present. Though written about the AASL standards, this article could easily pertain to the ISTE standards.  Both sets of standards focus on supporting learners by helping them create knowledge instead of feeding it to them.  In the past, librarians have been keepers of knowledge, collectors of materials, and enforcers of rules.  The AASL standards, and ISTE standards alike, require more fluidity from educators.  It is the educator's job to provide tools that encourage inquiry, creativity, and exploration.  The ISTE standards for educators ...