Curating Covid!

As soon school closed & we struggled with distance learning, I began to compile & curate resources for Covid time.

During this new year, please take advantage of the amazing online resources that can be shared with students & educators.

Several years ago, I began using the PBWorks site.  It is easy to add pages, visuals, videos & other links. (I also keep a record of my conference presentations! It’s helpful to access everything on one place.)

When curating various links, consider: who is the audience? Students K-12, Educators, Librarians, Parents? Maybe links for each group?

Making a face mask from a tee shirt could be an online class or family activity! http://emeraldenergyeducation.pbworks.com/w/page/139441116/Make%20a%20Face%20Mask

Playing Card Games together https://gathertogethergames.com/tutorials

What are major interests, current events, academic & emotional issues?

Exploratorium has short videos about Germs & Soap! http://emeraldenergyeducation.pbworks.com/w/page/28266715/FrontPage

Pop Up book making videos can become journals or staying at home stories. Many organizations will be collecting various pandemic journals. Check with local libraries & historical museums. http://emeraldenergyeducation.pbworks.com/w/page/139190559/Student%20Journal%20HSS%20Project

What local institutions & cultural resources offer online access?

            Ology science website for kids from American Museum of Natural History

https://www.amnh.org/explore/ologyutm_source=tmatm&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=200318MKTNewsletterMarch&utm_term=subscriber&utm_content=version_A&sourcenumber=28243

Primary Source WORLD Educating global citizens http://emeraldenergyeducation.pbworks.com/w/page/139157778/Primary%20Source%20WORLD

National Museum of the American Indian https://americanindian.si.edu/online-resources/thanksgiving

My students have had challenges in school & life way before Covid. Now many of them are essential workers. Several take care of younger siblings. Some are teen parents. Some are in group homes and some are homeless. I try to find resources for ALL students.  Some links will be used by most students (playing cards, pop up books) while other sites are based on individual requests (National Museum of the American Indian).

Over the last several months, I have attended a wide variety of online programs, including a monthly series on “Uprising” movements in many countries, lessons on California Environmental Literacy and several virtual book programs.

Back in the Spring, I began to attend the programs that would provide specific enrichment resources for my students. Art & music (especially hip hop) are student favorites so these topics led to finding some very exciting resources.

Each week as I calendar online sessions I will attend, I am amazed at the breadth & scope virtual programs.  I have visited countries, institutions, museums and of course libraries all over the world.  I attended a workshop on African Islamic contributions in US from the International Museum of Muslim Cultures, in Jackson, Mississippi! It is amazing to share this virtually with students & teachers who are researching African American history & current events.

IASL has been an international adventure for me: attending conferences, sharing resources, especially the wonderful bookmark exchange that my students love every year. I have been thinking about all the school libraries around the world and wondering what YOU are curating during this crazy time.

What is available to YOU?