Primary Sources in the Classroom

Working to create a unit to study primary sources in the classroom. Here is one of my favorite photos from the collection of photographs from early days. 

 

2021 March

 Wordstock!

Next month is the culmination of months of planning. Through collaborating with principals and teachers, we are bringing 8 authors, 8 guest readers to our classrooms. The most exciting part of the celebration is the collection of student writings and illustrations being published into a book called Letter, Word, Sentence, Book. Through a partnership with a wonderful art teacher, we are designing an inspired cover for the book. 

2021 February

I attended a presentation hosted by the Landmark Society in Rochester titled History of Segregation and Racist Policy in Greater Rochester by Shane Wiegand. The presentation was powerful in two regards. First and foremost, the personal stories told about the devastating impact of the redlining policies in Rochester were truly moving. Secondly, seeing the powerful usage of primary sources was inspiring. I walked away from the presentation with a determination to replicate the powerful storytelling using primary sources in my own work. 

I contacted the presenter, Shane Wiegand to ask if he would share the sources of his primary sources. I was thrilled to see that he is already working with a strong group of individuals to bring these lessons to the classroom. There is so much work to be done. I am excited to continue the exploration of social justice and primary sources. 

This month also marked my second vaccine shot! A step closer to a more relaxed social fabric. 

This month I also worked hard to finalize the paperwork for the eight authors coming to campus to speak to students for our Wordstock event. 

2021 January

This month I participated in several LOC workshops. I am hoping to be accepted to the Library of Congress PD camp this summer. This is my third year applying (four if you count the cancelled application from 2020...boo COVID). This year they are hosting the camp online. I will miss being back in DC, but connecting with other librarians who are passionate about utilizing primary sources in the library will be amazing, in person or online. 

I also got my first vaccine shot this month. 

2020 December

A few science teachers recognized that teaching labs virtually, were not as effective. They asked for my help in locating resources to enhance these remote lab sessions. We were able to evaluate and utilize Concord Consortium Virtual Science to solve the issue. 

Teachers also recognized a problem with synchronous classes not being well attended. They wanted to record some of their lessons to provide access to students on their own schedule. I worked with the director of technology to reactivate a webex account for education. I was trained on how to use it. I then trained teachers on how to utilize the tool. I also created documentation to provide teachers with instruction on their own schedule. 

One of our campuses hosted a virtual winter celebration. I created a fun video to promote reading with SORA over break for our students. 

In addition to regular library classes, I started working on planning our district wide literacy event, Wordstock.