Presentations & Publications
Podcasts
Worlds Awaiting: BYU Radio
Rachel Wadham, Education and Juvenile Literature Librarian at the BYU Library, hosts a wonderful podcast focused on children’s literature. I’ve been delighted to join her for several segments!
August 3, 2019: Creative Writing, Music Literacy, and Reading with DNS
Rachel and I talk about the joys and challenges of creative writing, and how it can be a safe space for students to work through things they are struggling with.
January 12, 2019: Genre Writing, Math Language, and Lloyd Alexander
One of the highlights of my graduate school experience was getting to do a phone interview with Lloyd Alexander. Rachel and I geek out about our mutual love of this iconic fantasy writer.
November 4, 2017: STEM Education, World of a School Librarian
Rachel and I talk about what life is like for a school librarian, and how we can help students fall in love with reading.
Presentations
Think About It: Building Today’s Readers and Writers, Utah Pathways and The Central Utah Writing Project
2023: Beyond Wham! Boom! Kapow! Teaching Cognitive Strategies Using Graphic Novels
Graphic novels are a rich, complex resource that can enhance your classroom and engage your students! Learn about the different types of graphic texts, and develop an artist’s eye for interpreting their visual elements. Practice applying different cognitive strategies to this unique combination of text and art. Explore this unique format while being introduced to a variety of titles, artists, and writers that will have an impact on your students.
Utah Educational Library Media Association Annual Conference
2021: Doing a Lot with a Little: “Make” a Welcoming Library
Opening a new library, or revitalizing an older one, can be a challenge…how do you build an inviting space while also trying to build a collection? If you don’t mind applying some creativity and elbow grease, you can build a beautiful library that also models a maker mindset for your students. In our presentation, the four of us share strategies for making a big impact…without making a big dent in your budget. We take you on a video tour of each of our libraries so you can see these ideas in action.
2016: Makerspaces 101
Creating a makerspace doesn’t have to be intimidating! Join us for tips and tricks on starting up a makerspace, securing funding, and choosing the best tools. Students shouldn’t just be consumers; let’s get them creating!
2013: The Art of Using Technology to Keep Your Sanity in the Library
Do you have a dusty binder that is supposed to be your authority file but you never crack it open? Are teachers sending students with hall passes that are either illegibly scribbled (or some weird object) so you have no idea where they came from? Join us to learn some quick tricks for making your day-to-day operations run more smoothly using technology! Use Evernote for keeping an authority file that is not only easy to add to, but helps you actually find things. Barcodes aren’t just for books—use them for making your library passes and computer passes quick, easy, and best of all, trackable! Do you have files scattered among your circulation computer, laptop, and home computer? Combine them all in the cloud using Dropbox. And make your website work for you and your patrons by setting up a Wikispace page to collect all of the information you present to the classes you work with and the teachers you team with.
For the Love of Reading Conference, Utah Valley University
2016: Making Your Library The Living Room of Your School
What’s the difference between a library and a room full of books? Patrons! Programming, materials, even furnishings can make a difference in defining your library as a central hub for curiosity and school culture. Come gather ideas on making your library a home away from home for your students.
2014: Utilizing the TLC (Teacher Librarian Conspiracy)
Useful and creative ways teachers and school librarians work together to improve student achievement, support curriculum, and promote reading. Whether you are an educator at the elementary or secondary level, learn quick and easy ways you can collaborate as a teacher/librarian team.
Videos
Utah’s Online Library Product Spotlight: NoodleTools
I join UEN’s Dr. Dani Sloan to talk about NoodleTools, one of my favorite resources on Utah’s Online Library. NoodleTools makes citing sources easy for students, and is one of the tools I introduce my sophomore English students to during our intensive research unit.
