Goals check-in: February

Here's my end-of-the-month wrap-up regarding my 2013 goals:

Formed by the Public Library

John Scalzi blogged A Personal History of Libraries today, in response to a Guardian article proclaiming the public library model extinct. (Where, by the way, does the author think that teachers get the books to teach literature to "the impoverished" through "compulsory schooling"? Education budgets are stretched pretty thin.) As usual, the comments are worth reading.

Read Aloud Roundup: February 2013

This month's theme was an obvious choice for an elementary with "civil rights" in its name: Black History Month.

I offer books representing people of color as a year-round practice, but in February I focus on particular events and eras of African-American history, like slavery, Jim Crow, school desegregation, and voting rights. The familiar names -- Martin Luther King, Jr.; Rosa Parks; Harriet Tubman; Ruby Bridges -- certainly come up, but this year I made an effort to branch out and look at some less well-known individuals and also at the communities involved. Civil rights didn't happen because of one person giving a speech or going to jail -- of course, they didn't just happen, but were fought for and are still being won today -- but were the result of many years of many people standing up for what they believed was right, and overcoming a majority who wanted to keep the status quo. That valuable lesson is one that repeats in many of these titles and the related discussions.

Black History Month often means talking about big ideas with little people, so most of these discussion question sets begin with an overview or some talking points before the reading. That gives the reader a chance to find out what the class has already studied, and where the general maturity level is regarding the topic of race. (By February, these recurring readers should have a grasp on what works for that grade level, and the kids have had half a year to become accustomed to discussion of sensitive or uncomfortable topics. Also, they'll be well into units on civil rights and Black History Month, so these topics aren't coming out of nowhere.)

Organic Produce Delivery (CSA box, sort of)

This week we had the second delivery of a Golden Gate Organics box. I approve!

Unlike the CSAs that I'm familiar with, where all the items come from one farm, Golden Gate is more of a grocery delivery service. The owner, Corey, prices out produce from various local establishments, then sets up a weekly menu based on what's available. That means there's a wider variety than buying just from one farm (where beets might be in full season, say), but the goods are still fresh, local, and organic.

Internship, Week 5

On Saturday I turned in my second report, which was a series of booklists based on the activities in this Family Science and Math handout.

• Exploring Science with Kids
• Explore Shadows with Your Child
• Explore Water with Your Child
• Explore Plants with Your Child
• Explore Color with Your Child
• Explore Sound with Your Child
• Explore Ramps with Your Child
• Explore Patterns with Your Child
• Explore Measuring with Your Child

I finished up early (11 hours) and did a little background research into the next topic; however, because of the long weekend I didn't get the details of that assignment until this morning. So I'm still behind on total hours.

ALL the Internship Questions

Something about this virtual internship that I've found challenging so far is the isolation from a traditional work environment. While I find it easier to get work done on my own, without the distraction of office noises and other people, there are certainly some benefits of being familiar with the actual work environment librarians encounter. That hands-on experience would be a large part of the attraction of a traditional onsite internship placement. Lacking this day-to-day engagement with Chicago Public Library, this is the email I sent my site supervisor.

Internship Update: Week 3-4

On Monday I turned in my first research assignment, which was to create a fact sheet and toolkit for CPL children's librarians to use with new LEGO DUPLO kits. I also discussed with my site supervisor how best to use my time and complete the required number of hours.

Overwhelmed by grad school? You've got company!

"The beauty of the impostor syndrome is you vacillate between extreme egomania and a complete feeling of: 'I'm a fraud! Oh God, they're on to me! I'm a fraud!' 

So you just try to ride the egomania when it comes and enjoy it, and then slide through the idea of fraud." 
-Tina Fey, in The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer From the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive In Spite of It by Dr. Valerie Young

I'll try to not make this a FEELINGSBOMB. Comments are especially invited on this topic.

Internship Learning Outcomes

When students participate in an internship for LIBR 294, SJSU requires them to state some specific learning objectives at the beginning of the term. I made the following three with input from the SLIS supervisor, focusing on my goals this term at Chicago Public Library.