We’re nearly 2 months into our Beijing experience and I was just pausing to think about how living elsewhere makes you question your sense of what is “normal” as you view a new context. Perhaps the first experience one has with this is when, as a child, you go for a sleepover at another child’s house. That is if sleepovers are normal. I remember my … Continue reading The other normal
I’m kind of partaking in an online (twitter) book group reading “Reader, Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World” by Maryanne Wolf. I say kind of, because I’m a couple of weeks behind the rest and not in the position to scramble to catch up. The latest letter considers the power of reading to engender empathy. And yes, I think any avid reader … Continue reading Empathy vs. emulate
I’m part of this club that I never want to be in the position to welcome others to, and yet yesterday afternoon I had to admit yet another member. I don’t even know what to call it – I don’t want to name it – #metoo has connotations that I’d rather not introduce an 11 year old to, but maybe we need to. The scenario. … Continue reading I wish I didn’t have to welcome you
There are problems with reflection. Seeped in the IB tradition, first through my children and now as an educator, I know that no matter how well it’s disguised or re-engineered most students do not like reflection. In my own children, the response to me asking them about the reflection process resulted in one saying, “it’s over, let’s move on and what difference will the reflection … Continue reading Reflecting on reflection
This is a post I started writing earlier in the year that didn’t get finished and am now revisiting as it’s recruiting season again … I’d also say to anyone – if you’re thinking of moving – it’s a really hard thing to do, particularly if you’re happy where you are. However moving and change results in a considerable amount of personal and professional growth … Continue reading The problems with imperfect information
The phrase “life long learning” gets bandied around a lot, and today I’m going to write a little about just how much learning is involved in moving job, school section, country, and home. I left a country that was easy to live in (Singapore) and I job that I loved and was comfortable with for a place (Beijing) that generally led people to shake their … Continue reading Learning and change
I threw down the gauntlet to my mentor, Katie Day last night. She who taught me all I know about being a teacher librarian in the weeks and months that I sat by her side while doing my MIS and part of my M.Ed before I was thrust into the world of a library of my own. I was mentioning how I was a little … Continue reading A little writing about writing
A slight departure from my usual library and education pondering as we’ve yet again moved country and therefor house. My teenage son asked me the other day how many times we’ve moved in our lives, and we tried to start counting and then were going off on tangents like, “just countries, or while in countries?” and “just since we left home or also while being … Continue reading A nerd’s guide to moving house
Classroom libraries vs. school libraries, teacher superstars marginalising teacher librarians – or is it our fault? Continue reading Collateral damage or passive Anura?
Many schools, and particularly those following the IB (International Baccalaureate) framework are attempting to incorporate Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into their teaching and learning. The library can play an important role in supporting this through curation and discoverability. Our G6 students used the SDGs to focus their research during their PYP Exhibition Project. I’d been meaning for the longest time to curate a list of … Continue reading SDGs in the library
