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Perhaps, you’ve already started using Flipgrid You’ve signed up, set up your grids, and made topics. Now that you have your Flipgrid account set up, it’s time to figure out how to best utilize Flipgrid as a librarian. Flipgrid has so many uses for your own Library classroom. Check out how to use Flipgrid in the library. Book Talks First, one way to use Flipgrid in your library classroom is for book talks. Start by creating a grid or topic for Book Talks. Model your own Book Talk by sharing your own video review. Book Talks are less about opinions, however, and more of a teaser for a book.  For example, give your review of Katherine Applegate’s latest book, The One and Only Bob, the sequel to The One and Only Ivan.  Your students will see your teaser of the New York Times’ Best Seller and create their own
Have you jumped on the Seesaw train yet? If not, there is probably a good reason! If you are a librarian and find yourself thinking “That is great for classroom teachers, but how would I use it?”, get ready for a surprise. Why not make use of a tool that students, teachers, and families already use with their grade level classrooms? Keep reading get started with Seesaw in the Library. Create your own classes First, create your own classes to allow more personalization and customization, and work around the two teacher limit in the free Seesaw. This is an especially useful activity. However, it is time consuming depending on the size of your school. If you have more than 500 students,  ask to be a teacher in an already-created classroom. On the other hand, you can create your own classes to give you the chance to communicate with students
Have you heard of the latest app to take over the schools? Seesaw is an interactive app that allows students to post the things they work on in school. Next, their families can see their work! Because it’s based mostly on pictures and video, Seesaw also allows students to post links, text notes, drawings, and other media to share with their families. In addition, there are so many possibilities with Seesaw. Classroom teachers love Seesaw, but teacher librarians can get in on the act, too! Check out how to use Seesaw in the library! Journal posts First, the original intention of Seesaw was an online journal for students and families. As students post their entries to the journal, families get alerts. Next, parents and guardians see what students have been working on during the school day.  In addition, you can also make use of this school-to-home connection! Have students
Elementary library and classrooms should be a space where students can explore a variety of genres, get lost in a favorite book series, and dive into the world of nonfiction. Giving students the freedom to choose what and how they learn fosters engagement and a lifelong love of reading. That’s where choice boards come in! Want to know why choice boards are a game-changer for your library classroom? Here are a few key reasons to start using them today! K-2 Choice Boards in Your Library Classroom Choice boards are a collection of activities that are formatted in a grid. Students can pick and choose which of Choice boards are a grid of activities that allow students to select and complete tasks in any order they prefer. Giving students the opportunity to choose their activities can significantly enhance their reading enjoyment and comprehension. During COVID, I started creating digital picture
If you haven’t already, it’s time to add some chapter books about anxiety and mental health to your library. Readers will find allies in the young characters whose friends and family members (or themselves) struggle with some aspect of mental health. In addition, these titles will help students that do not struggle with mental health issues  develop understanding and empathy both for themselves and for others. Check out these five chapter books about anxiety and mental health!  Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt There are many ways to distract a teacher.  Ally knows this, and she uses every trick in the book to keep her teacher from realizing she cannot read. In Mr. Daniels, however, she’s met her match. He’s determined to figure out the real Ally.  In the process, Ally finds that she is actually very intelligent, and her dyslexia doesn’t have to define her. The
Flipgrid’s catchphrase is “empower every voice”. Teachers and students around the globe use Flipgrid to allow all voices to be heard in the classroom. There are so many uses for Flipgrid in the library, and it’s really easy to get started with Flipgrid! Sign Up for Flipgrid Signing up for Flipgrid is simple. You can login with your G Suite or Microsoft account to create an educator account. Start Your Grid Once you sign up, dialogue boxes will walk you through the process, but your first step is creating a Grid. Your Grid is like your homebase for your classroom. I like to create a Grid for each grade level that I teach.  First, you’ll title your Grid. Next, you’ll select a Grid type.  School Email If your students have email addresses, you can easily control which domains have access to your Grid. This helps with security. Note that

Staying Cool in the Library is my blog, where I share my passion for fostering a love of reading with children. As a librarian, I believe reading should be fun and accessible to all students. That’s why I share engaging and interactive lesson plans, creative ways to build exciting library collections, and resources to inspire even the most reluctant readers in any classroom or library. Check out my blog posts and products in my store, and join my email list below.

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