Welcome to February’s Professional Development Corner. We hope you find this useful and don’t forget to send in any new events that you would like us to add.

Screen Shot 2016-02-01 at 10.08.55 AMWebinars – American Association of School Libraries

Attendance during the live webinar is open to all and is complimentary. Only AASL members and AASL eCOLLAB subscribers will have access to the webinar archive. Non-AASL members can gain access to this webinar archive and over 200 other archived AASL professional development resources by joining AASL or subscribing to eCOLLAB.

 

Webinar – Documenting Learning with Seesaw Digital Portfolios  Wed, February 17, 6pm – 7pm
Register at:http://www.ala.org/aasl/ecollab/seesaw Presenters: Kristie Obrecht & Emily Voigtlander In this webinar, we’ll talk with librarian Kristie Obrecht and Seesaw’s Emily Voigtlander about building digital portfolios using Seesaw. Seesaw empowers students of any age to independently document what they are learning at school. Students capture learning with photos and videos of physical work, or by adding digital creations. Everything is uploaded and kept organized for teachers. Teachers can invite families to Seesaw so parents get an immediate, personalized window into their child’s learning.

 

Webinar – How to Build a Community of Engaged Readers with Bookopolis  Wednesday, March 2, 6pm-7pm  Register at: http://www.ala.org/aasl/ecollab/bookopolis Presenters: Dr. Laura Sheneman & Kari Riedel In this webinar, Dr. Laura Sheneman, Coordinator of Library Services and Information Resources for Region One Education Service Center in South Texas, and Kari Riedel, founder of Bookopolis, an AASL Best Website, will show how elementary and middle schools are using Bookopolis to build a community of engaged readers. Bookopolis is a social network and book discovery tool that lets students safely connect with peers to share book reviews, recommend books, and discover the next book they can’t wait to read. Think of it as a Goodreads made just for young people with built in tools for educators. Participants will learn more about the value of building a strong reading community and practical ways that this site is used to get students buzzing about books.

 

EdWeb Webinars

STEM, STEAM, and STREAM… What Do They Have in Common? Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematic Tuesday, February 2, 2016 @ 4:00 pm5:00 pm EST  Register at http://www.instantpresenter.com/AccountManager/RegEv.aspx?PIID=ED59D6858347In this webinar, Terry Young, a veteran librarian and science educator, will take us on a STEMulating discovery of STEM and NGSS. Learn the basics of STEM and NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards) and see what tomorrow’s science classroom looks like. Memorizing is out, thinking like a scientist is in! Terry Young will field questions from attendees during this live, interactive event. Librarians and teachers as well as school and curriculum administrators are invited to join in the conversation!

 

Project Based Learning for Every Classroom Thursday, February 4, 2016 @ 5:00 pm6:00 pm EST    Watch cognitive engagement fill your room as you guide your students’ progression through this dynamic classroom approach to learning that is hinged on exploration and creation of publicly presentable projects. Projects have always been a staple of the classroom. With collaborative tools, class projects can be even more engaging and filled with deep learning, especially when students are working to solve a complex issue through investigation and inquiry.

The Engaged Librarian: Connections and Collaborations, Thursday, February 11, 2016 @ 4:00 pm5:00 pm EST   This webinar will explore how two secondary librarians serve as technology innovators, teacher-leaders, co-teachers, literacy specialists, and “other duties as assigned.” Middle school librarian-teacher Heather Lister and high school librarian-teacher Allison Mackley will share strategies that they have used to spark connections and collaborations among their school’s students, faculty and administrators. 

7 Ways You Can Be a Digital Citizenship Leader, Wednesday, February 17, 2016 @ 4:00 pm5:00 pm EST  From starting the conversation, to role modeling, to supporting authentic learning experiences around digital citizenship, you’ll learn seven essential ways you can build a positive culture around media and technology in your school or district.

Conferences

QSLiN Library Symposium, Wednesday, April 16, Holiday Inn Pointe-Claire, 6700 Trans Canada, Pointe-Claire, QC H9R 1C2, more information to follow

ABQLA Annual Conference, Wednesday, May 4th, 2016, Gelber Conference Centre, 5151 Côte-Sainte-Catherine Road, Montreal, QC H3W 1M6

Treasure Mountain Online Publication: Growing Impact of Leading Learning: Standards of Practice in School Library Learning Commons in Canada

Edited by David V. Loertscher, Carol Koechlin, Judith Sykes, Cindy Van Wonderin, Book2Cloud Edition, Learning Commons Press 2016

AASL and GameRT invite you to GAME, September 23-24 Gaming As Meaningful Education, co-sponsored by the ALA Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT) Attendees will focus on how games encourage critical thinking, problem solving and creative activities. GAME will be held September 23-24 in Rochester, N.Y. Early bird registration is open through May 1, 2016, at www.ala.org/aasl/GAME.  Attendees will explore how to implement interactive learning opportunities in their library programs through all types of games. They will also discover how these strategies connect communities – students, parents, and educators – through the educational, recreational, and social value of games.