In honor of National Library Week, please stop and thank your school librarians for all the ways they support teaching and learning. While you are at it, thank your local public librarians too. They are an integral part of student success.
School libraries are not just spaces, they are transformative. They play a crucial role in bridging the achievement gaps. Did you know, students in high-poverty schools are almost twice as likely to graduate when the school library is staffed with a certified school librarian?
School librarians help create lifelong learners. They give students a unique opportunity for self-directed inquiry. Four out of five Americans agree that libraries help spark creativity among young people.
School librarians are more critical than ever. According to a 2016 study by Stanford University, more than 80% of middle schoolers cannot tell the difference between sponsored content and an actual news article.
Cheers to each of you!
Photo courtesy of American Library Association
Our last Media Academy session of the year focused on artificial intelligence (AI). We discussed its opportunities and challenges. Thank you to Sean McGinn and Aaron Maurer for leading the AI learning and Deb Meyne for providing an overview of best practices for personalizing learning for all students.
Please add the 24-25 Media Academy dates to your calendars.
Monday: October 21, 2024
Tuesday: December 3, 2024
Thursday: January 30, 2025
Thursday: March 27, 2025
Monthly Sync Sessions Continued
This monthly sync is intended to create a space to answer any and all Pear Deck related questions. In these syncs, Brittany, from the Pear Deck team, will use the time to cover Pear Deck updates, dive into features, and highlight teachers in the state of Iowa. This is for all Iowa educators to learn more about Pear Deck, but also to get your questions answered. To add your question or topic to the agenda complete this form prior to the sync session.
🗓️ Virtual Sync Dates and Times
April 23rd at 3:30 PM
May 28th at 3:30 PM
Register for one or both monthly sync sessions. If you can't attend and have a question, still post it, and if you're registered, you will get the recording!
At the request of a district, MBAEA arranged an extensive trial access opportunity to Newsbank’s America’s Historical Newspapers, 1690-2000, and Access World News. To extend the trial access or purchase content, contact Melissa Manning at mmanning@newsbank.com. If you work with Newsbank for an extended trial, please let us know if you would like your new district-specific trial link to your MBAEA OneClick dashboards.
Common Sense Media offers practical, ready-to-use lessons that empower your students to think critically about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its real-world implications. Whether it's using generative AI for school assignments, navigating AI chatbots, or discerning misinformation, these lessons are designed to equip students with the necessary skills to understand and interact with this rapidly advancing technology.
This collection of quick lessons (20 minutes or less!) introduces AI and helps address its social and ethical impacts.
Through these lessons, students will:
Understand what AI is and how it works
Consider some of its potential benefits and risks
Think critically about how we can be responsible and ethical users of AI
Photo courtesy of Britannica ImageQuest
Write to a Hero
Looking for an idea to connect people and develop an authentic project to better understand our history. Encourage students to write letters to heroes on the Understanding Works Write to a Hero site and in their community.
Photo courtesy of Britannica ImageQuest
Audience: Gr. 7-12
Summary: This database provides information for students to better understand how family members cope with deployment or the challenges associated with moving regularly. It also provides information for those considering joining the military.
Audience: Gr. 4-12
Summary: This database helps students build a deeper understanding of the Battle of the Midway, the Attack on Pearl Harbor, the Afghanistan War, and several more wars. Each topic begins with an engaging video, book, resources to explore further, related websites, project ideas, and self-assessments.
Audience: Gr. Prek - 8
Title: Memorial Day (Holiday Kids)
Video Summary: Learn all about the history of and why we observe Memorial Day. Who do we honor on this federal holiday? How is this day different from Veterans Day? How should we appropriately pay tribute to all the fallen soldiers on this day? The answers to all of these questions and more are covered in depth.
Audience: Gr. 3-5
Summary: This eBook describes the history and characteristics of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. It was established after World War I to honor an unidentified soldier from each war. The book describes how the sentinel guards train, practice, and dress to protect the Unknowns in all weather, around the clock, every day.
Audience: Gr. 3-5
Summary: This book documents the contributions of specially trained military dogs, profiling noteworthy canine heroes while covering topics such as how they are trained and what happens to them when they retire.
Audience: Gr. 5-9
Summary: In 2010, Sergeant Craig Grossi was doing intelligence work for Marine Recon in a remote part of Afghanistan. While on patrol, he spotted a young stray dog 'with a big goofy head and little legs.' Fred not only stole Craig's heart; he won over the Recon fighters, who helped smuggle the dog into Camp Leatherneck. Fred eventually made it to Craig's family in Virginia, where months later, it was Fred's turn to save Craig's life.
Audience: Gr. 5-8
Summary: When eleven-year-old Yumi Chung stumbles into a kids' comedy camp, she is mistaken for another student and decides to play the part.
Audience: Gr. 3-5
Summary: The database provides information about the Asian American Movement from 1950 to present day.
Audience: Gr. 5-8
Summary: Fourteen-year-old Hanna, half-Chinese, settled with her father in the frontier town of LaForge in Dakota Territory in 1880. She hopes to attend school before becoming a dressmaker in her father's dry goods shop. Still, first, she must deal with racism from the local townspeople, grief from the loss of her mother, and a yearning to belong as she and her father struggle to find a place where they will be accepted.
Collaboration between schools and public libraries encourages independent reading over the summer. Themed lists for summer reading programs like Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) and Read Renew Repeat (iRead) are available to save, edit, and share.
TeachingBooks allows you to build and share your own recommended lists.
Create a list of students' favorite reads to recommend to their peers
Promote lists of titles related to upcoming library programs
Collaborate on lists of school-recommended titles available at the public library
Facilitate school and library staff communication and ensure everyone in your literacy community has easy access to your booklists.
Add recommended lists as highlighted TeachingBooks account lists
Embed summer reading lists directly into your library or school website
Share lists with ready-to-use printables that can be sent home with students or shared with families at the library
For some of you, the image of the boombox from the 1980s may bring back some fond memories. No matter the decade or device, the value of audio in the learning process remains essential.
Several AEA Digital Resources provide audio features that benefit learners in many ways. Often, families are seeking additional resources to support and extend learning. Please share the Personalization Feature audio flyer with families and educators. If you want flyers printed or have further questions about the resources, please contact Heather Whitman at hwhitman@mbaea.org.
Photo courtesy of Britannica ImageQuest
AEA Office Hours & Delivery Schedule
We deliver weekly to district-designated locations and AEA buildings.
Our offices are open from 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Before/after-hours pickup options are available at the Bettendorf office from 6:00 a.m.- 8:00 p.m. Please get in touch with us at media-center-staff@aea9.k12.ia.us with any questions.
