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Informal Learning

International Peace Crane Swap and a 1000 Cranes From Around the World

2017-04-26T19:00:28-06:00

      I know International Peace Day seems like a long way off, but when you're planning to string 1000 cranes contributed from folders all over the world to display in locations equally as diverse, you can never start too early. The United Nation's International Day of Peace is every September 21.  This year, in recognition of the holiday, the International Peace Crane Project is planning a travelling exhibit of 1000 cranes to promote peace among the peoples and cultures of the world.  Each crane in the display will come from a different part of the world.  People everywhere have [...]

International Peace Crane Swap and a 1000 Cranes From Around the World2017-04-26T19:00:28-06:00

Happy World Water Day!

2017-03-23T09:55:12-06:00

In honor of World Water Day, here is a look at some water resources and program opportunities! I recently had the opportunity, through my involvement as a Project WET Facilitator, to act as a field tester for early childhood water activities. The new guide, Getting Little Feet WET, is available as a digital download beginning today. The printed guide will be available on April 26. The activities we tested were fun, hands-on, and engaging for the children. The page to order and for more information can be found here: http://store.projectwet.org/getting-little-feet-wet-book.html Project WET’s stated mission is "to reach children, parents, teachers and community [...]

Happy World Water Day!2017-03-23T09:55:12-06:00

Paper Quilting – Colored Paper, Creativity, Geometry, and a Little History Mixed In

2017-03-08T19:27:53-07:00

    It's cold outside (OK, in some parts of the country it is)- the time of the year when people think about curling up under a warm quilt with a cup of hot cocoa and a good book, unless you're a kid, of course.  Sitting still under a warm blanket is really hard when you're young and full of the cabin fever wiggles. But what about reading a great picture book about quilts, enjoying the wonderful illustrations, then creating your own quilt squares out of paper?  There are plenty of books to choose from.  Not too long ago, I did [...]

Paper Quilting – Colored Paper, Creativity, Geometry, and a Little History Mixed In2017-03-08T19:27:53-07:00

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse!

2017-02-20T04:45:43-07:00

What exactly is a penumbral  lunar eclipse? We recently had the good fortune to be able to explore this in a library program. In a rare event, several circumstances aligned to allow us the opportunity to talk about eclipses, view one as it happened, and help build excitement for the upcoming solar eclipse. Even though Friday evening programs are not typically well-attended, this was a program that really piqued the public's interest! 75 people of a wide range of ages attended the event to learn about the eclipse, practice some "hands-on eclipse-making," and view the eclipse through the library's telescope. We [...]

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse!2017-02-20T04:45:43-07:00

Free Online Class for Librarians!!

2017-02-04T18:13:12-07:00

Any librarians who do programming may be interested in this great opportunity.  It's a chance to learn and help a library sciences student at the same time. The class is called "Mastering Program Planning" and it is being taught by doctoral student Jennifer Brown.  It's a five week class starting February 13, so if you're interested, click on over and get registered.

Free Online Class for Librarians!!2017-02-04T18:13:12-07:00

Poly- What? Learning the language of 3D Geometry

2017-02-04T17:52:03-07:00

    Shapes, shapes, and more shapes.  Circle, triangle, square, rectangle - it all starts of easy enough.  Then it get a bit more complicated when you move from two dimensional to three dimensional - sphere, cylinder, pyramid, cube, prism.  Then, before you know it, your tongue is in a knot, and you're totally confused.  Just what does a decagonal gyroelongated bipyramid, compound of truncated icosahedron and pentakisdodecahedron, or a prolate hectohexecontadihedron look like?  It's all in the name.  The trick is understanding the language of shapes, and a little bit of Greek and Latin.  For help with the Greek and Latin, [...]

Poly- What? Learning the language of 3D Geometry2017-02-04T17:52:03-07:00

Go (Igo, Baduk, ) for Kids? You Bet!!

2016-12-07T17:58:54-07:00

             What is Go?  Well, besides being one of the words in the dictionary with a ridiculous number of definitions, it is the American name for the oldest board game in the world still being played in its original form and using the same rules devised over 2,000 years ago. By comparison, the rules of chess were finally established a mere 200 or so years ago.  Go is also considered to be the world's oldest game of mental skill.             Unlike chess, which has six different kinds of pieces, which move and [...]

Go (Igo, Baduk, ) for Kids? You Bet!!2016-12-07T17:58:54-07:00

Pumpkins! (with STEMs!)

2016-10-16T16:27:32-06:00

Happy October! Like the rest of the known (well, at least here in the Midwest!) world, you CAN bring pumpkins into your programming! But there are ways to do this which include many STEM concepts as well as fun! There are many great fiction titles about pumpkins, some of which actually follow the life cycle of the pumpkin. A few of my favorites of those titles are: Pumpkin Pumpkin, by Jeanne Titherington;     Pumpkin Town! (or, Nothing is Better or Worse Than Pumpkins!) by Katie McKy; and of course, Pumpkin Cat, by Anne Mortimer. The whole host of usual pumpkin [...]

Pumpkins! (with STEMs!)2016-10-16T16:27:32-06:00

Edible Rocks??? Definitely!

2016-08-27T12:59:01-06:00

         The Lunar and Planetary Institute has done it again!  They have developed another delicious educational experience to share with libraries and educators - Edible Rocks. Who would want to try to eat a rock?  Just about everyone, when the "rocks" are chocolate bars, "Three Musketeers" (the candy, not the book or movie), "Nestle Crunch," and chocolate covered granola bars. In this activity, children learn and use terms that geologists use when studying and describing meteorites, except they will be using the terms to describe candy bars.  They also get the opportunity to draw their observations and write descriptions of [...]

Edible Rocks??? Definitely!2016-08-27T12:59:01-06:00

Carnivorous Plants and the magic of Plant Regeneration and Propagation

2016-08-19T11:43:05-06:00

               A few weeks ago,  I came across a very interesting online store, the Carnivorous Plant Nursery.   Their focus, shockingly, is on propagating and selling carnivorous plants from all over the world.  But they also believe in education and helping educators of all kinds.  To this end, they have a "Free Stuff" page on their website.  There I found a printable, color and cut flip book of a Venus flytrap eating a fly.  There are coloring pages of a Venus flytrap about to eat an insect, and a sundew with a trapped fly and spider. [...]

Carnivorous Plants and the magic of Plant Regeneration and Propagation2016-08-19T11:43:05-06:00
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