The SORA Episode

Assistive Tech with John O'Sullivan

Librarian, assistive technology specialist, and author John O’Sullivan has written several books, has worked as a special education teacher, and joins us for this episode. As an avid reader of technology press, an integration specialist, and computer teacher, he brings skills honed at his job at Chelmsford High School to volunteer efforts for the MSLA and MassCUE. In the 1970s John was among the first special needs students to enter school under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This experience influrnece his career path to becoming a provider of these services. Technology has evolved to such a point, John says, where assistive technology is a part of our everyday lives, but understanding how and why it can be integrated into a curriculum is a step librarians can take to become better community assets. His latest book Technology for English Language Learners opens with some of his own story followed by a run through of tech basics for teachers with ELL students in their classrooms. Relevant links are below: Technology for English Language Learners  Apple Books – https://books.apple.com/us/book/technology-for-english-language-learners/id6503222438 [https://books.apple.com/us/book/technology-for-english-language-learners/id6503222438]  Google Books – https://books.google.com/books/about/Technology_for_English_Language_Learners.html?id=gUYKEQAAQBAJ [https://books.google.com/books/about/Technology_for_English_Language_Learners.html?id=gUYKEQAAQBAJ]  John’s UDL Technology website: https://udltechnology.com/ [https://udltechnology.com/]  Teachers Awesome App Guide: Apple Books - https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-teachers-awesome-app-guide/id854086263 [https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-teachers-awesome-app-guide/id854086263]  Google Books - https://books.google.com/books?id=UoVFAwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false [https://books.google.com/books?id=UoVFAwAAQBAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false]  How-to-Fix Chromebooks class: https://chs.chelmsfordschools.org/about-chelmsford-high-school/library/chromebook-repairs/ [https://chs.chelmsfordschools.org/about-chelmsford-high-school/library/chromebook-repairs/]  Learning Ally: https://learningally.org/solutions-for-home/college-adults [https://learningally.org/solutions-for-home/college-adults]  The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE): https://iste.org/ [https://iste.org/]  MassCUE: https://www.masscue.org/ [https://www.masscue.org/]  James Tynion IV: https://imagecomics.com/creators/james-tynion-iv [https://imagecomics.com/creators/james-tynion-iv]  Frank Miller: https://frankmillerink.com/ [https://frankmillerink.com/]

International Children's Books w/ Bindy Fleischman

Bindy Fleischman, Massachusetts State Ambassador for the International Board on Books for Young People (iBBy) spoke with us this spring about her involvement with international children’s books. We discuss areas of translation, statelessness, illustration reading differently in different places, the publishing industry, and universal design for reading. Thanks for listening! Links, resources and topics below: * International Children’s Library, Hamburg https://www.ijb.de/en/about-us/the-international-youth-library [https://www.ijb.de/en/about-us/the-international-youth-library]  * Jella Lepman https://www.ibby.org/about/jella-lepman-medal [https://www.ibby.org/about/jella-lepman-medal]  * Bridges ed. by Bindy https://www.usbby.org/bridges-newsletter/representation-visibility-and-opportunities [https://www.usbby.org/bridges-newsletter/representation-visibility-and-opportunities]  * The Silent Books Project  https://www.ibby.org/awards-activities/activities/silent-books [https://www.ibby.org/awards-activities/activities/silent-books]  * Dutch Foundation for Literature https://www.letterenfonds.nl/en [https://www.letterenfonds.nl/en]  * USBBY / REFORMA https://www.usbby.org/uploads/1/0/7/0/107064867/aldana_report_on_usbby_ibby_support_in_central_america_.pdf [https://www.usbby.org/uploads/1/0/7/0/107064867/aldana_report_on_usbby_ibby_support_in_central_america_.pdf]  * Leigh Turina, https://www.ibby-canada.org/newsletters/qa-with-leigh-turina/ [https://www.ibby-canada.org/newsletters/qa-with-leigh-turina/]  * IBBY Collection for Young People with Disabilities, Toronto PL, https://www.ibby.org/awards-activities/activities/ibby-collection-for-young-people-with-disabilities [https://www.ibby.org/awards-activities/activities/ibby-collection-for-young-people-with-disabilities]  * Leandra Elion, Eliot-Pearson Department of Child Study & Human Development, https://as.tufts.edu/epcshd/ [https://as.tufts.edu/epcshd/]  * IBBY Honor List, https://www.ibby.org/awards-activities/activities/ibby-collection-for-young-people-with-disabilities/2023-ibby-selection-of-outstanding-books-for-young-people-with-disabilities [https://www.ibby.org/awards-activities/activities/ibby-collection-for-young-people-with-disabilities/2023-ibby-selection-of-outstanding-books-for-young-people-with-disabilities] * Bologna Book Fair, https://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/en/home/878.html [https://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/en/home/878.html] * Mem Fox, https://memfox.com/ [https://memfox.com/]  * Ibby Calendar of events, https://www.ibby.org/news-calendar/ibby-calendar-2024 [https://www.ibby.org/news-calendar/ibby-calendar-2024]

The SORA Episode

The inimitable Tressa Santillo joins us to talk about the #1 enrolled collective school digital book collection in New England (also #2 in the country, and #3 in the world)– the MA Commonwealth eBook Collection and its interface app, SORA. Join us for a talk about usability, applications for school libraries, the interface, how usage skyrocketed during COVID, curations, lending models and a lot more. Below are links and deadlines for adding this collection to your district: MA Commonwealth eBook Collection Renewal is happening right now, enrolled school librarians should have received an email to renew. Let Tressa know what the summer reading titles for your school will be so she can see if they are available to turn on for simultaneous use. Enroll in the MA Commonwealth Collection, via SORA connection to your school, starts in July, goes until December. Curriculum Requests: https://masslibsystem.libwizard.com/f/ceccurr [https://masslibsystem.libwizard.com/f/ceccurr]  Title Suggestion for collection: https://masslibsystem.libwizard.com/f/cecpurchase [https://masslibsystem.libwizard.com/f/cecpurchase]  Collections: https://soraapp.com/library/masslibma/collections [https://soraapp.com/library/masslibma/collections] Skip the Line collection: ⁠https://soraapp.com/library/masslibma/curated-1539386/titles⁠ [https://soraapp.com/library/masslibma/curated-1539386/titles] Real-time Dashboard: https://insights.overdrive.com/dashboards/b20f0f7943574bd88377dd9eb1bd0651 [https://insights.overdrive.com/dashboards/b20f0f7943574bd88377dd9eb1bd0651] Diary of a Wimpy Kid https://wimpykid.com/ [https://wimpykid.com/] Taylor Swift https://www.taylorswift.com/ [https://www.taylorswift.com/] Karen McManus https://www.karenmcmanus.com/ [https://www.karenmcmanus.com/]

A Simmons Library Student Visits the Pod!

Magenta Jasinski talks about work-life balance, being a Simmons student in two MA programs, and feeling awkward at the conference (not this one, the one we had in Amherst). They are self-described as “Your favorite Simmons student (who's drowning in research projects),” so Ella and Luke asked about those, plus their work at the Benjamin G. Brown Elementary School in Somerville and involvement in LOTS of different things. Topics discussed listed below, and congratulations to the recent graduates of library programs! Happy Spring! Q/T library: https://www.qtlibrary.org/store [https://www.qtlibrary.org/store]  WBUR Q/T Library interview: https://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2023/08/28/boston-library-lgbtq-community-sober [https://www.wbur.org/radioboston/2023/08/28/boston-library-lgbtq-community-sober]  Cape Cod Toy Library https://www.capecodtoylibrary.org/ [https://www.capecodtoylibrary.org/]  Gholdy Muhammad’s Historically Responsive Literacy Framework https://hillpedagogies.com/about/ [https://hillpedagogies.com/about/]  Wrinkle in Time, https://www.madeleinelengle.com/books/middle-grade-young-adult/a-wrinkle-in-time/ [https://www.madeleinelengle.com/books/middle-grade-young-adult/a-wrinkle-in-time/]  Harry Potter, https://www.wizardingworld.com/ [https://www.wizardingworld.com/]  Divergent, https://veronicarothbooks.com/books/divergent/ [https://veronicarothbooks.com/books/divergent/]  Moonflower, Kacen Callender https://www.kacencallender.com/ [https://www.kacencallender.com/]  Magical Adventures of Pretty Pearl, Virginia Hamilton, https://www.virginiahamilton.com/virginia-hamilton-books/the-magical-adventures-of-pretty-pearl/ [https://www.virginiahamilton.com/virginia-hamilton-books/the-magical-adventures-of-pretty-pearl/]  Ghost in the Shell, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RF09G8Ymqg [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RF09G8Ymqg]  Cross-stitch  [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross-stitch] Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! by Mo Willems, https://www.pigeonpresents.com/books/dont-let-the-pigeon-drive-the-bus/ [https://www.pigeonpresents.com/books/dont-let-the-pigeon-drive-the-bus/]   Shackled, by Candy J. Cooper, https://astrapublishinghouse.com/product/shackled-9781662620133/ [https://astrapublishinghouse.com/product/shackled-9781662620133/]  The Warm Hands of Ghosts, Katherine Arden, https://katherineardenbooks.com/ [https://katherineardenbooks.com/]  Simmons University Student’s Snippets Blog [https://slis-students.simmons.edu/]

Advocacy: “Naturally– without realizing it– creating an inequity..."

I’ts advocacy update time with Dr. Georgina Trebbe and Dr. Deborah Froggatt, school librarians, one current and one retired, who are working on statewide advocacy efforts through the MSLA and other organizations to provide each school with a “Licensed School Library teacher that earns certification”. Georgina and Deb talk to Luke and Ella about the different advocacy fronts– local, statewide, and federal– that impact our profession. And with so many different fronts, there are so many different ways to get involved: visit the Everyday Advocacy page [https://www.maschoolibraries.org/everyday-advocacy.html] on the MSLA website or check out the links below, all of which are mentioned in the ep: H.3239: An Act empowering library access to electronic books and digital audiobook. [https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H3239] Censorship bills: HD.4389 [https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/HD4399], HD.4443 [https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/HD4443] and SD.2679 [https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/SD2679] MBLC '25 Legislative Agenda: Top Five Reasons for a licensed School Library Teacher in Every School [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SVG5EqqroUSjLI4ycPpbiMnoudnVWyyAsU1ir_q4O2E/edit?usp=sharing] Massachusetts School Library Study: Equity and Access for Students in the Commonwealth, 2018 [https://www.maschoolibraries.org/ma-school-library-study-for-equity--access.html] Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting and agendas [https://www.doe.mass.edu/bese/boedate.html]  MA DESE livestream [https://livestream.com/accounts/22459134]  Programing the Acceleration of Computing & Equity (PACE), [https://pace.edc.org/]  Anne DeMallie, dir. Of STEM at DESE. NEASC Standards [https://www.neasc.org/standards-public]  Pressley unveils bill to confront rise in book bans…  [https://pressley.house.gov/2023/12/14/pressley-unveils-bill-to-confront-rise-in-book-bans-ensure-inclusive-learning-environments/] Ayanna Pressley Convenes Authors, Educators, & Advocates at Library of Congress to Discuss Book Bans [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boGK-p-dKVw] (YouTube)  EveryLibrary Institute [https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/] John Chrastka, Executive Director Legislative Breakfast info: from MA Library Association [https://mla.wildapricot.org/advocacy-central/legbreak-toolkit]or just email Debbie at dslangf@gmail.com [dslangf@gmail.com]