Upper School Curriculum

In October I attended the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) conference in Tampa Bay. The sessions were fascinating and I came away with a slew of new ideas and resources. Three of the most inspiring sessions are discussed here.

Inquiring Minds: Nonfiction Authors Panel: Four respected and prolific children’s authors participated in this panel: Lesa Cline-Ransome, Katherine Roy, Traci Sorrell, and Melissa Stewart. While the authors covered some of the exciting new trends in children’s nonfiction literature (especially the increase in children’s literature focused on Native populations), I was captivated by the authors’ discussions of why they write nonfiction in the first place. This offered great insight into how I can incorporate more nonfiction into my teaching. Reasons included: 

• frustration over subjects they were not (and, in some cases, still not) taught in school, and a desire to be part of the solution

• to normalize different ways of existing in the world

• to share the broader contributions of individuals we don’t usually learn about 

• the need to share incredible stories and encourage wonder and exploration

Beyond Fake News: Updated Strategies in Digital Literacy, Misinformation, and Bias Instruction: While not entirely new information, this session included updates to resources and concepts  that will nicely enhance the instruction I already do in this area. New resources include Facts vs. Opinions vs. Robots, Developing Digital Detectives, differences in news delivery on phone vs. laptop, and the MediaWise website. I particularly appreciated the guidance on how to guide students through working with emotionally triggering information.

Using AI Resources in Instructional Spaces: Opportunities and Challenges

The was one of the most interesting sessions I attended, offering guidelines for responsible use of AI to enhance student work. The following items were the major takeaways:

• AASL Best Digital Tools for Teaching & Learning

• MLA now offers AI citation tools (and guidelines)

• TeachAI.org  Policy guidance 

• Note: schools should not consider use of AI to be cheating unless specified as such in school position statement or individual assignments

Additionally, I was finally able to try out the Colibri book covering machine, which promises to expedite the painstaking and time-consuming process of covering books. As a bonus, the covers themselves and the remnants produced in the covering process are easily recyclable. We have since purchased the machine and found it to be a major time-saver. We are glad to be able to contribute to Burkes’ goal of increased sustainability.