MARESA Literacy Monthly: May 2021 Edition

 

For the Love of Reading

Embracing Local eLibrary Connections

    Did you know that you can access 1,000’s of ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines through local library eLibrary resources? Libby provides an incredible opportunity to download free library materials from the Great Lakes Digital Library.  You can install Libby from Google Play or the Apple App Store.  This short video tutorial will open the door to an amazing summer of reading!

    Below you will find simple instructions to access materials through Libby as well as an important tip for making magazine time easy on the eyes!

Find it in Google Play or the Apple App Store
Find Your Library and Enter Your Library Card Information
Set Preferences and/or Begin Searching! You can refine searches easily with Libby!
Borrow or Place a Hold
Page Through (or listen if audiobook!) The “Read the Article” button quickly puts the magazine text into column form which is easy to read on your digital devices (see images below)! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Before Pushing Button                                After Pushing Button

Taking Care of You

Resources for your spirit

    The past year has added a tremendous amount of stress to every educator.  As the year begins to wrap up, we hope that you are beginning to see an opportunity to see summer as a time for relaxing, refreshing, and renewal.  Below are a few ways to take care of you this summer:

• Shared by the MARESA 31n Behavior Health team, this article and video provide us with a deeper understanding of our emotions and how to build a healthy awareness of them!  Found in the site mindful.org which offers an abundance of ideas, articles, and resources to help those who wish to build more skill in mindfulness. 
• Summer offers educators an opportunity to engage in hobbies and more.  Visit Michigan eLibrary’s Hobbies & Crafts Reference Center for an unbelievable collection of activities to explore this summer!  
• We all know that being outdoors is good for the soul.  Visit https://www.uptravel.com/ to find destinations and experiences in our Beautiful Upper Peninsula.  Adventure surely awaits!
• Visit the MESSA Wellness page to access tips, tricks, videos, and more to help take care of your body and mind. 

Spotlight on the Essentials

Expanding ideas and practice for the 2021-22 School Year

    Yes, it is summer!  While we all enjoy the opportunity to sleep in, travel, or read a book for pleasure, summer also gives us time to reflect on classroom practices and dream of the year to come.  The Literacy Essentials combine 10 research-based practices that afford students to become motivated, engaged, and successful.  What teacher wouldn't want to add these practices to their repertoire?!  Check out literacyessentials.org to find links to the Michigan Virtual modules that are free, self-paced, and add to your SCECH totals for professional development!  

    In addition, check out one of our state literacy leaders, Dr. Nell Duke's, website for an abundance of
resources and learning opportunities.  

Reading into Things

Exploring writing to address Trauma

Take a few moments to read,  A “Write” Way to Address Trauma: Letting students write about negative experiences can help them process, an article found in the October edition of Education Leadership.  While the article is written through the lens of classroom practice, perhaps you will find yourself picking up a pen as well. 

Listening in

Podcasts that inspire

In the busy buzz of life, we often find ourselves running from one thing to the next.  Stopping to ponder a new idea or grapple with a big question can be inspiring, but finding the space to do so is a hurdle!  Podcasts offer a potential solution to getting inspired while on the go.  Perhaps you could consider listening in while you are get getting ready for the day, going on a walk, or even driving across town!  

Here are a few podcasts worth checking out: 

• The Cult of Pedagogy Podcast
• We Are Teachers:  Explore 10 unique offerings in this article which include anything from Google tricks and tips to book love.  There is something for everyone!
• Education Podcast Network...First, select the podcast that catches your attention.  Then scroll down to see and listen to dozens of episodes!

Go! Go! Gaby!

summer  

Summer is here! It's been a long challenging year, it is time to relax, enjoy the good weather! On that note here is a little mesmerizing app to open on your favorite device. Just play around and enjoy the magical colors and shapes, this is one of a few Fluid Google Experiments. Google experiments are a collection of incredible apps created just to satisfy curiosity of programers.

If you prefer to get lost on your favorite book, but, you also need to go for a run... no worries! use Speechify to turn ANY text (paper book, magazine, web content) into a narrated companion, this tool will allow you to listen to any text captured using your camera or screenshot. Finally, all of you have done such a great job adopting new technologies in your classroom sometimes learning on the fly, take some time to cement your knowledge by taking some light, easy to follow, small bites PD via EDUPATHS, and earn free SCECHs credit while you are at it.