VAASLThe VAASL conference held in Williamsburg was a AMAZING!  Despite the fact that I was on crutches, and finding a men’s restroom was harder than locating the “holy grail,” I had a fantastic time and learned so much.  I can’t wait to implement some of the practices I learned.  For example, I have a ton of new ideas for collaborating with the math teachers in my building.  One of these ideas is using fractions to create a coded message.  The message students would decode is the first line to a novel.  Once they decipher the message using fractions, they then have to try and guess what book it belongs to.  The books would be displayed for the students to see while they are trying to “crack the code.”  Once students have deciphered their messages and matched their answers to the books, the librarian would then present the answers through a series of booktalks.  This however, is just one of the many exciting ideas I brought back with me.  I could write an entire book about all of the sessions I attended, and the creative ideas that were presented.  I’m already looking forward to next years conference in Norfolk!

 

Justin Bye

Godwin Middle School