Hi, everyone!
I'm going to forgo answering a question today to wrap up this crazy week. At this point, I imagine that many of you are sheltering at home by mandate or recommendation. Others, like me, are wrapping up spring break and discovering they will have a second week or more of spring break.
Like many of you, I tried my best to support people online this week. Our librarian skillset is very important and useful right now. As well, our digital resources will really come in handy since most libraries are closed.
Many of our teachers are faced with figuring out how they will begin to teach remotely in the coming days. I have used Zoom for video conferencing for several years and was happy to see that they are opening their arms widely to schools who are closed due to COVID-19. Free accounts with a limited number of minutes were already available. But, now they are going above and beyond. https://zoom.us/docs/en-us/covid19.html
I made a 3 part playlist on Youtube to model:
How to Create a Zoom Meeting - Steps to set up a meeting. Things to think about.
How to Host a Zoom Meeting - What do all the buttons mean? How can I share my presentation so the audience can see it live? How to get a recording to use for those who didn't attend in person.
What Do I Do with a Zoom Link? - Where can I put the link to make it available to others to watch later?
This brief playlist will be helpful to anyone who wants to teach online or even host a meeting online.
Storytime is another thing librarians are trying to do online. Be sure to read this article from SLJ. Publishers Adapt Policies To Help Educators (regarding reading stories online) https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=publishers-adapt-policies-to-help-educators-coronavirus-covid19
I also made some extra podcasts this week. I wanted to explore 4 different education voices of people affected by COVID-19. Each one offers tips to help you gain a different perspective of things we can do to support others around us. When you have some downtime, take a few minutes to listen to these stories.
Day 1- Dr. ET shows us how to help support parents transitioning to teaching their own children at home.
Day 2 - Amanda Jones is a librarian preparing to support her students and campus during their COVID19 closure.
Day 3 - Student Liv Van Ledtje and her mother, Cynthia Merrill discuss the students’ take on remote learning.
Day 4 - Rosa Linda Cruz, a school counselor and Licensed Professional Counselor, discusses self-care ideas and relaxation techniques for students and adults to use during this time.
Take care of yourself! Schedule some quiet time. Take a walk. Do something to offer your mind and body a little break from all of the stress in our world right now.
Keep making a difference every day. You are the librarian and you have GREAT influence on your campus. whether that is face to face or remote. You are the Librarian Influencer. And my prayer will be that someone will return the favor and make a difference in your life.
Feel free to reach out to me if you want to brainstorm any ideas you're working on. Dr. Laura
