Jean Darnell: Awaken Librarian

It's been a while since I posted, I've been super busy getting ready for the Texas Library Association Conference coming up next month! And, we have an announcement... I AM THE WINNER OF THE TEXAS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION BLACK CAUCUS SCHOLARSHIP!!!! Can we say "uber" excited??? Thank you to the TLA Black Caucus Committee , especially Ms. Kimberly Gay ! Now to the new tech tip I discovered! FlipQuiz is a SUPER easy way to create a game board! Oh Lord, where was this app a few years ago when I had a Jeopardy Game over Cantebury Tales for my high school seniors? Nevertheless, I created a new game board in a matter of minutes. It's great for book reviews, STAAR test preparation (Texas' Standardized Test) and just about anything you can think of. You're allowed to create hyperlinks inside the game-board, which makes for an excellent manner for students to cite their sources. Anyone for an interactive research project? Here's a quick game that I cr...

What I want to discuss today is a fellow blogger and librarian, Ingrid Abrams--The Magpie Librarian . Recently, she was featured in a Slate.com article titled, "This is What a Librarian Looks Like." http://magpielibrarian.wordpress.com/2014/02/13/slates-this-is-what-a-librarian-looks-like-this-is-why-we-cant-have-nice-things/ Why this article is important to me (and all librarians) is because often times, librarians are stereotyped. I can't count the number of times folks look at me bewildered when I say, "I'm a librarian." It's like they're in disbelief that I am. Why? "Where's the disillusionment coming from?" is what I want to ask. So this insightful article about the diversity of librarians truly validated my belief: not all librarians are Caucasian ladies with glasses and prudent behavior. Kyle Cassidy, photographer and Slate.com contributing writer, decided at ALA's Mid-winter Conference to feature the wonderful...

Ok readers, last week it was embedding a tweet on your blog, THIS week, it's showing how Twitter can enhance your classroom. Take a look at this wonderful article from Mashable: "How Twitter in the Classroom is Boosting Student Engagement" and then conclude with watching this insightful break-down and authentic application of "Twit-in-the-C!" That's not yet copy-righted, but don't try to steal my slang! ;-) Remember, the internet is FOREVER!!!

Thanks to my "Daring Librarian" tweet comrade, Gwyneth Jones , I've lifted an easy manner to embed tweets. It keeps your blog hip and visually interactive. Thank for the tip Gwyneth! Here's her librarian blog and her "Daring to be the Library Diva" blog! And let's not forget the EMBEDDING A TWEET tip: And for the follow-up between "The Diva" vs. "The Awaken," I made a boo-boo and needed to swallow some "humble" pie! This was my quick lesson on how to embed a tweet via "rigor and revlevance." @GwynethJones Alright Darling, Daring & Sassy One-I fixed the glaring typo! My apologies! RE: the suggestion, I need to own my brand, huh? — awakenlibrarian (@awakenlibrarian) January 29, 2014

Americans across the country are celebrating the life and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King. Though I'm proud to take part in the celebration of his, and all Americans' plight, black and white, I'm a little down-trodden. I think Langston Hughes' poem, "Let America Be America, Again" sums my feelings up best! Happy MLK day! Please pick up the torch and carry on his, OUR dream, America! Let America Be America Again by Langston Hughes Let America be America again. Let it be the dream it used to be. Let it be the pioneer on the plain Seeking a home where he himself is free. (America never was America to me.) Let America be the dream the dreamers dreamed— Let it be that great strong land of love Where never kings connive nor tyrants scheme That any man be crushed by one above. (It never was America to me.) O, let my land be a land where Liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the ...

Okay followers, I'm interviewing for an elementary librarian position. So I needed to brush up on some great resources. Therefore, I turned to one of the great minds of librarianship and technology: Shannon Miller and boy did I hit jack-pot. Check out her Symbaloo Resources Page : I know I can soak up some "elementary frame of mind" resources here. And that's meant as a Sherlock-ian compliment...not anything simpleton-ish! I wish you all well! :)

This info graphic dictates the UBER importance of THE LIBRARY!