The SLLN (School Librarian Learning Network) Podcast

Tim Smyth is a school-librarian-by-association. We've known each other since I met him at a school librarian conference where Tim was presenting on the importance of having comics and graphic novels in classrooms and school libraries. He and I are definintely on the same page!

Here, Tim shares a lesson that is near and dear to his heart, and his work as an educator.

Guest: Tim Smyth, educator and Eisner award nominated author

Grade(s) Taught: 9, 10, 11, 12

Resources:

• Comics as Artifacts Lesson: https://historycomics.edublogs.org/2014/09/25/comics-as-artifacts/

• Add'l Links:

• HistoryComics.Net

• https://www.historycomics.net/free-comics-1

Book Break:

• March Trilogy by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell

• Run by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell, L. Fury
• The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln
• H.P. Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness by Gou Tanabe
• The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
• An Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne

Where to find Tim Smyth, educator and Eisner award nominated author:

• Website: https://www.historycomics.net/

• Handle: @historycomics

• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@teachingwithcomics

• Twitter: twitter.com/historycomics

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

Ashley is one of my first stops when I am trying to expand my knowledge of manga, and I was very excited when she shared out this lesson on social media. She is also one of the authors of a book for educators on incorporating manga into schools!

This lesson has my brain buzzing with all the possibilities - I hope you enjoy learning about it!

Guest: Ashley Hawkins

Grade(s) Taught: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 3K/PreK

 Resources: 

• Lesson Plan: Manga & Comic Con Project Based Learning Lesson: https://mangalibrarian.com/2024/07/29/lesson-plan-manga-comic-con-project-based-learning/

• Add’l Links: 

  • Manga Goes to School: Cultivating Engagement and Inclusion in K–12 Settings (AASL Standards–Based Learning Series) by Ashley Hawkins, Emily Ratica, Sara Smith, Julie Stivers, and Sybil “Mouna” Touré
  • Jarrett Lerner's website has some great "Make your own comic" and introduction to drawing activities and resources! 

Book Break: 

• What You Are Looking For Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

• Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, translated by Geoffrey Trousselot

Where to find Ashley Hawkins: 

• Website: https://mangalibrarian.com

• Handle: Generally @mangalibrarian, but it has variations

• Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/mangalibrarian.bsky.social

• Instagram: instagram.com/themangalibrarian 

• TikTok: tiktok.com/manga_librarian

• Twitter: twitter.com/manga_librarian

• Other Social Media: https://linktr.ee/manga_librarian

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

Tennessee school librarian Katie Capshaw is one of those people who feels like a friend after you've just met. She's here to share how she introduces her 8th graders to AI. This lesson has lots of adaptability, and could easily spin off some additional lessons. Settle in and enjoy the final episode of Season 1!

Guest: Katie Capshaw

Grade(s) Taught: 6, 7, 8

Resources:

• Introduction to Ai Lesson: https://www.commonsense.org/education/digital-citizenship/lesson/what-is-ai

• Add'l Links: https://schoolai.com/

Book Break:

• Hummingbird by Natalie Lloyd

• The Women by Kristen Hannah

Where to find Katie Capshaw:

• Website: katiecapshaw.weebly.com, mrscapshawslibraryworld.wordpress.com

• Handle: @mrscapshawbooks

• Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/mrscapshawbooks.bsky.social

• Instagram: instagram.com/mrscapshawbooks

• TikTok: tiktok.com/mrscapshawbooks

• Twitter: twitter.com/mrscapshawbooks

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

It's me again! In the penultimate episode of Season 1, I'm sharing a lesson on information literacy that helped my students start to wrap their minds around two key concepts when it comes to considering any information: Context and Perspective.

Guest: Steve Tetreault

Grade(s) Taught: 7-8

Resources:

• Information Literacy & Reliable Sources Lesson: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TDCqafzR9uZ-y3n3y9n98vUwMQcSbbvKrCrANtp1evs/edit#slide=id.p

• All the Argument & Debate lessons & materials: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LF4D4Gpf_jSzDuyIzi1fX5MwTb_glMNo?usp=drive_link
• "Information Literacy v. Media Literacy: What's In A Name?"

Book Break:

• Foundryside (#1, The Founders Trilogy) by Robert Jackson Bennet

• Super Powereds, Year 1 (#1, The Super Powereds series) by Drew Hayes

• Forging Hephaestus (#1, The Villain's Code series) by Drew Hayes

Where to find Steve:

• Websites:

  • SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

  • DrTLovesBooks.com

• Handle: @DrTLovesBooks

• Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/DrTLovesBooks.bsky.social

• Twitter: twitter.com/DrTLovesBooks

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

Your intrepid host shares a lesson he's found helpful in preparing students (and teachers) to do better research in less time.

Guest: Steve Tetreault

Grade(s) Taught: 7-8, 9-12

Resources:

• Planning & Visualizing Lesson: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NBBdpOoktZ66HbodRXfpWF5WaHzuWaWEz7zQb4OJi40/edit#slide=id.p

• Add'l Links: See all the lessons for my "secret info lit" class here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LF4D4Gpf_jSzDuyIzi1fX5MwTb_glMNo?usp=drive_link

Book Break:

• Fifty-Four Things Wrong with Gwendolyn Rogers by Caela Carter

Where to find Steve:

• Website: DrTLovesBooks.com, SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

• Handle: @DrTLovesBooks

• Bluesky: bsky.app/profile/DrTLovesBooks.bsky.social

• Twitter: twitter.com/DrTLovesBooks

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

Virginia school librarian Maura Madigan has taken the idea of reading to pets to a whole new level as a way to support her school's literacy efforts.

Guest: Maura Magigan

Grade(s) Taught: K, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Resources:

• Reading Rescue Pet Adoption Program Lesson: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1MidinPgjzMl25QmKJwlwA-jDjxWYv47G?usp=sharing

Book Break:

• The Bird Hotel by Joyce Maynard

• Casa Paloma Retreat

Where to find Maura:

• Handle: @mauramadigan7 (X and Bluesky)
• https://alastore.ala.org/content/maura-madigan

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

Melissa Corey shares so much of her work and so many ideas - and here she's sharing an amazing exhibit, along with ideas for her process of creating museum-like exhibits in her library!

Guest: Melissa Corey

Grade(s) Taught: 6, 7, 8

Resources:

• Holocaust Memorial Exhibit Lesson: https://fb.watch/rXxGavabSy/

Book Break:

• Free Lunch by Rex Ogle - My goal is to meet Rex Ogle so I can tell him in person how much our students appreciate his books!

Where to find Melissa Corey:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/melissacoreylibrary

• Handle: @melissacorey

• TikTok: tiktok.com/@melissacoreylibrary

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

I was fortunate enough to befriend Todd online, and his energy and enthusiasm were always a ray of sunshine on my day! Here, the 2016 SLJ School Librarian of the Year shares a great lesson that ticks so many boxes! While Todd does this with his upper elementary students, this could easily become a great lesson for upper grades as well!

Guest: Todd Burleson, School Librarian

Grade(s) Taught: 5, 6

Resources:

• Bookprints: An Exploration of Our Reading Journey Lesson: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vEf27cCsul1C7osvf3KyF85zsU--DNBX?usp=drive_link

• Add'l Links: Rhonda Jenkins twitter.com/@luv2teachtech

Book Break:

• Heroes and others by Alan Gratz

• Hatchet and others by Gary Paulsen

• The Lincoln Conspiracy: The Secret Plot to Kill America's 16th President--and Why It Failed by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch

• The Exvangelicals: Loving, Living, and Leaving the White Evangelical Church by Sarah McCammon

Where to find Todd Burleson, School Librarian:

• Instagram: instagram.com/burlesot

• Twitter: twitter.com/todd_burleson and twitter.com/SkokieSchoolRC

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

Texas high school librarian Kaitlyn Carpenter shares this great lesson that connects her students' academic work to their yearbooks!

Guest: Kaitlyn Carpenter (aka Carpe_Librarian)

Grade(s) Taught: 9, 10, 11, 12

Resources:

• Sociology - School Culture Case Study Lesson: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15czk9bmM4vPI3MWsKbD5ughYFeZAt-mN?usp=sharing

Book Break:

• Thrillers:

  • Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

  • That's Not My Name by Megan Lally

• Realistic/Romance:

  • Exactly Where you Need to Be by Amelia Diane Coombs

  • This Might get Awkward by Kara McDowell

Where to find Kaitlyn Carpenter (aka Carpe_Librarian):

• Website: https://sites.google.com/view/kaitlynrcarpenter/

• Handle: @carpe_librarian

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org

I'm back - this time, with an actual lesson! Check out how you can build your own custom search engines that will only search within the sources you select - handy for you, handy for students, handy for staff!

Guest: Steve Tetreault

Grade(s) Taught: 7, 8

Resources:

• Build Your Own Search Engine! Lesson: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQgq3iy0Hiiq8JU6Vr3m8jrH7dzxQYaIAB0SxwEHtdlyBGfWoVw-eey3vpFNmFJ5GX45wEoP88tbPMb/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000

Book Break:

• The Meister of Decimen City by Brenna Raley

Where to find Steve Tetreault:

• Website: SchoolLibLearning.Net

• Handle: @DrTLovesBooks

• Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/drtlovesbooks.bsky.social

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrTLovesBooks

Check in with us, and check us out!

• Have an idea, a question, or a lesson you want to share? Email [email protected]

• Check out the curated list of free online resources & events at www.SchoolLibrarianLearningNetwork.org