Chat GPT and Readers Theatre Scripts

Whilst completing an online course for the new NSW English Syllabus, I learned that Chat GPT can create instant scripts for novels great for Readers Theatre. All you meed to do is open up Chat GPT and ask it to create a script based on the novel/book .... and voila! In a few seconds you have a script ready to go.

2026 Premier's Reading Challenge

Celebrate the Love of Reading: NSW Premier's Reading Challenge 2026 The 2026 NSW Premier's Reading Challenge (PRC) is well underway, and we want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible students from Kindergarten to Year 10 across New South Wales who are diving into the world of books! Since its inception 25 years ago, the Challenge has been more than just a list of books—it is a statewide celebration of curiosity, exploration, and the simple joy of losing yourself in a great story. Why We Love the Challenge It is important to remember that the PRC is not a competition. It is a personal invitation to every student to read more, explore new genres, and discover authors they might never have encountered otherwise. Whether you are a budding reader in Kindergarten just starting your journey or a seasoned student in Year 10, there is a whole library of "stories to discover and stories to tell" waiting for you. Key Dates for Your DiaryThe clock is ticking on this year's challenge! Make sure you have your reading records up to date:Final Day for Students: Friday, 18 September 2026.Final Day for Coordinators: Friday, 25 September 2026. How to Stay Involved Keep Logging: Every book you read counts toward your progress. Log your reading through the PRC Student Experience website using your Department of Education login. Explore New Titles: If you are looking for inspiration, check out the latest booklist updates, which include hundreds of fantastic new titles to choose from. Listen & Learn: Don't miss out on the Book bites podcast, where Australian authors read the first chapters of their books—it's a perfect way to find your next great read!

Great School Libraries

Students, Parents, Staff and School communities voted for their favourite school libraries in Australia in 2015. This post is a summary of these results as reported by Freedom of Access to information and Resources as to what makes School Libraries great: 1) A qualified Teacher Librarian managing the library. 2) The library is open whenever the school is open. 3) students can learn information skills in the library. 4) students can borrow resources when they need them with 24/7 digital access. 5) Students can borrow popular Fiction without long waiting periods - balancing the breadth and depth of the collection so that keen readers can have access to their favourite author, the next title in a series or the latest movie tie-in. 6) Have enough space for a whole class to fit into the library. 7) Have high speed access to the Internet. 8) Students are encouraged to use online resources. 9) Hold special activities, eg. Book Week, Book Fairs, visiting speakers/performers eg. Authors/Illustrators/poets, Clubs such as Chess Clubs, Robotics. 10) Students, Parents and Teachers think that a library is Awesome for its physical space, the digital experience, the warm welcome, the print collections and electronic resources, 21st Century learning space, the 'wow' factor, well designed, highly active and support for all ages.

Graduation December 2013

As my graduation approaches, I am so glad to be finishing this course. I feel that I have learned so many new things and can't wait to put them into practise. Most of all, I have enjoyed being encouraged to learn again. I cannot praise CSU enough. I was the first in my family to attend University and am now graduating with a Masters in Education (Teacher Librarianship), my third degree in Education! I don't usually like to brag but this is an achievement for me. When I was in Year 5 my parents were called into the school and told by my teacher that I was not achieving and that perhaps they should send me to a "Special School". Then when I was in Year 10 my teacher told my father that I should not go on to Year 11 and 12 because I was not "bright" enough. I am encouraged to be a lifelong learner and to ensure that my children also have the skills required and the eagerness to do the same!

EBSCOhost: The Add-On Impact of Mobile Applications in Learning Strategies: A Review S...

EBSCOhost: The Add-On Impact of Mobile Applications in Learning Strategies: A Review S...

Great new Library in Katoomba NSW

I recently had the privilege of visiting the new town library in Katoomba, NSW. A well-patronised library indeed! Lounge chairs, moveable furniture, shelving and walls, with warm colours throughout, very impressive! Great access to both online and physical resources. Definitely worth a visit. My parents both have their new cards and are enjoying all of the audio and large-printed resources, so they are catering well to their demographic.

More thoughts on my ideal library,

* Newspapers, Magazines, Career Information, Promotional Literature for Reading and Librarianship would also feature in a comfy reading area. * Listening posts and Headphones so that users may listen to Books on Cds, Ipods/ and e-books/audiobooks on Computers. * The Toys and games would be included to spark imagination and creativity. * Active participation in Book Clubs such as Scholastic and Koorong Kids to promote Literacy.

What would I like to see in our new School Library?

If I had an endless budget and all the time that I needed, what would I like to see in our new school library? Here are my ideas so far..... 1) At least 30 laptops or Ipads or a mixture of both, and a trolley to house them, with of course, enough powerpoints within the Library to recharge all. 2) Our Library divided into sections: Junior Fiction, Senior Fiction, Reference section, Non-Fiction but I would also have a Picture book section and a Graphic Novels section. 3) Brightly coloured mobile, comfy furniture, including: desks, chairs, lounges, cushions and a mixture of mobile and fixed shelving. 4) Clear and brightly coloured signage everywhere, along with motivational posters and Information Literacy and Research Skills Posters. 5) Each user would be provided with his/her own Library Borrower ID card. 6) A photocopier (which also has a scanner and is also used for printing purposes for Library users) for all to use. 7) A wide variety of resources in both digital, print and media forms, particularly with a Christian focus. 8) A Smartboard and a multi-functioning Digital TV with DVD/CD capacity. 9) Books clearly labelled for student participation in the Premiers Reading Challenge. 10) Access to our Catalogue through Oliver, SCIS/OPAC and Web Dewey for all users. 11) A Library Website or school website links,A Library Blog and A Library Wiki. 12) Numerours Pathfinders and Webquests, etc. to support current themes/topics/units in the curriculum. 13) Subscriptions to a wide variety of Teaching, Educational, Technological and Library Journals for Professional Development of Staff. 14) Colourful and engaging displays. 15) Toy Library section with board games, toys and puppets. 16) Huge emphasis on Book Week displays as well as Book Parade and at least one Book Fair per year. 17) Volunteer Library Monitors from all Year groups as well as parent and community volunteers (for book covering, etc.) 18) Motivational Library lessons that incorporated Literacy, Information Literacy and Research skills. Even Web Edventures! 19) Collaboration in action with the whole school community and 24/7 Access to School Library Catalogue. 20) A separate fixed computer for cataloguing and another for borrowing with at least 1 mobile/ wireless scanner (particularly good for stocktaking).

Web Dewey ETL 505

As I work through my final Assignment for ETL505, I am genuinely surprised by how much there is to learn about Web Dewey. There are so many rules and regulations and sometimes I am confused about why an item is placed under a particular number. I do find it very interesting though. I'm starting to get the hang of how each is to be written but I can't wait to have some practical experience in a Library to put the theory into action. I read on our Forum today that Oliver does most of the cataloguing for you, so I'm glad that our school has chosen to go on this path.

New Library Blog

Due to our new Library opening this term, I have started a new Library blog to introduce all of the new resources to our school community. I can't wait for the shelves to go in so that I can finally put books in and get everything up and running. Very exciting! http://bcslibraryblog.blogspot.com.au/

Christian Resources for the school library

One of the most important features that I envision for our School Library is Christian Resources. I tend to purchase all of my Christian Resources from Koorong Bookstore however I have recently been made aware of Christian school suppliers in Queensland. Christian School Suppliers is a specialist provider of school supplies, school resources, teacher resources, educational resources, teachers professional development, school leadership resources and library school books. Their educational supplies and school library books are selected based on the needs of those in Christian education, and their popular book reviews also reflect Christian values. Teaching resources are available for a wide range of subjects, and as the publishers of Review, the Christian School Library magazine, and providers of the Christian School Library Standing Orders, they are rapidly becoming the library suppliers of choice for Christian schools. Why not check them out at: http://www.christianschoolsuppliers.com.au/

My first hub get-together

Yesterday I attended my first ever TL Hub meeting at Tyndale Christian School. It was great to meet such enthusiastic Teacher Librarians all keen to share ideas. They were all overjoyed to discuss the prospects for the CSA TL Conference planned for next year. The difference between e-books and e-textbooks also enlightened me to some of the pitfalls of e-textbooks. Creative ideas from Book Week were shared including: 1) A Reading Expo (similar to a Wedding Expo), for Years 5-8. Groups had to make a stall to try and sell, advertise their book ( a book on the shortlist for book week)eg. Students made a stew and some bookmarks to hand out for the book Wombat Stew, other groups made book trailers (Children's Book Council) 2) A Reading Olympics - Reading Incentive which began with an Olympic Torch moving around each classroom. Students had to complete Reading events, eg. sprints=1 Home Reader=1 point, Hurdles=3 Bible Stories=3 points, Ping pong= Read a book and pass to a friend=points. Reading Logs kept in Library. 3) Reading Quiz - Guess who's Reading? Pictures of Teachers with face covered by a book. 4) Reading Hour -Over 1 week, whole school during Devotions. 5) Teacher's reading their favourite short-listed books to the school. 1 per week to each class - teacher's move to each class, students stay in their own classrooms. Teachers dress up and take props to make their Readings interesting. Wonderful Picture Book - " Bus called heaven". Idea for opening of our new Library - Guest Writer - Penny Reeves (author of 11 Children's picture books). What I need to research? 1) Wheelers. 2) Read Cloud. Viewed an amazing School Library at PLC - Croydon, They have 4 floors and a digital TV and interactive whiteboard on each level joined together by a single column.This library is really embracing 21st Century learning!!

Teacher Librarian as Leader: ETL 504 (Insights from Donham Reading)

Who is an Educational leader? “Educational leaders are people who care deeply about teaching and learning and who work, often very, very hard, to make enterprise function more effectively..... one main goal: to improve our students’ education.” (Lerman 2004, p. vii) The TL as leader: Leadership attributes (Warren Bennis 1999) * Visionary – ways in which the library program intersects with all aspects of the School community and curriculum. A comprehensive view of the school. Fullen (1996), suggests 3 attributes for a sound vision: sharedness, concreteness and clarity. Continual reflection and self assessment. Strategic leadership. * Works collegially – with teachers, parents, staff and administrators. People skills: communicate effectively, listen attentively and negotiation. Do not work in isolation. Establish Collaborative learning. Communicate, Inspire and delegate. * Bring Expertise – Literacy, Information Seeking Process, applications of technology appropriate for setting. Unique Technical competence. Models best practices. * Conceptual skill – procedural knowledge , principles that guide their policy making (organisation, access, confidentiality, ethical use of information) and concepts (understanding information systems) that inform resource management and information dissemination. * Decision maker/Judgement – Make daily decisions promptly, even with imperfect data, regarding purchases, resource allocation, scheduling, work assignments and instructions. High say-do ratio. * Character – Strong set of beliefs related to the principles of Librarianship and the principles of the Education profession. Primary beliefs include – commitment to open access to information, confidentiality for information users, affirmation of intellectual property rights and equity. Internal and External locus of control in Leadership External locus TL – looks at others/facilities and how that may affect effective learning taking place. “There is nothing I can do”. Internal Locus TL – listen to concerns and offer/find alternatives/solutions to make learning work for the students’ sake. Embrace responsibility to make good things happen at their school. “I can find alternatives/compromises”. Proactive – looking for change opportunities, anticipate and prevent problems, take action and persevere. Seizing every opportunity. Jim Collins suggests 2 important things to keep in mind to become great leaders as TLs: 1) Understand what you can and cannot be best at. 2) Pursue what you are deeply passionate about. Having influence and leading from the middle = Establishing expertise, working collegially with others, articulating one’s ideas clearly, maintaining a high say-do ratio and establishing processes for continuous reflection and assessment. Learning and teaching: Identify your special expertise to develop Library media Program. Establish relationship with teachers. Develop skills in other areas to meet needs.

Reading for ETL504: Leadership for Learning

3 key Leadership Models: – 1980’s Instructional Leadership 1. Directive approach by principal 2. Emphasized “the leader’s” vision 3. Often evident in turn-around situations where major change was needed quickly 4. Principal is “hip-deep” in curriculum and teaching 5. Focused on 1st Order Change – direct effects of the leader on teaching and learning in classrooms Limitations: * Not applicable in all schools * Perceived by some as undemocratic * May not incorporate views and values of all stakeholders * Makes unrealistic demands on expertise of the principal * Creates dependency on the leader * Focus on a single leader makes it difficult to sustain – 1990’s Transformational Leadership 1. Targets 2nd order changes 2. Leadership focused on “capacity building” rather than “leading, directing, coordinating and controlling” learning 3. Leader focuses on understanding individual needs and empowering others – 2000+ Shared Instructional Leadership Emerged at turn of century in recognition that: 1. Schools are communities of learners with Principal as Head Learner (Barth, Seashore-Louis) 2. “Principals can’t do it alone” (Hall, Spillane, Donaldson) 3. Evidence that both instructional and transformational leadership contribute to school improvement (Hallinger & Heck, Leithwood, Marks & Printy, Mulford & Silins, Day,Cheng, Jackson) 4. Conceptualizes key leadership functions of principal, other administrators and teacher leaders Assumptions behind this Leadership Model Distributed expertise * Implementation effect * Decision-making * Career development * Adult learners * 1st & 2nd order leadership effects Donaldson (2001)claimed that any successful model of school leadership must meet two functional tests: – Promote school improvement – Be sustainable for the leaders themselves BE THE CHANGE THAT YOU WANT TO SEE!!! 1. Set high expectations and standards 2. Talk openly about personal & shared values 3. Model key values and behaviors 4. Measure important things

My new Bible

A couple of days ago I purchased a new Bible.

Why? You may well ask, when I have numerous around the house already and even have 3 versions of the Bible on my Iphone. My eyesight is not as good as it use to be and I now have a Bible in Giant print that I can read even without glasses! Yeah! (For all of you who wear glasses for reading, you will know what I mean.) Reading this Bible for the first time without glasses was like when I first had my Cataract Operations and I could see the leaves on the trees in the distance for the very first time. It is like I'm looking at the Bible for the very first time! Anyway, I have just read Matthew Chapter 18 "The Temple Tax" v.24-27. It's just amazing! Jesus tells Peter to go fishing in the lake by throwing out a line and within the first catch's mouth he will find the Tax money (a four -drachma coin). Wow, I have never heard or read this story before! My eyes are being opened for the second time.

Internet's web to get wider and wider

Here is an interesting extract from the Sydney Morning herald dated 23rd April, 2009:

While the internet has dramatically changed lives around the world, its full impact will only be realised when far more people and information go online, its founders said on Wednesday.

"The web as I envisaged it, we have not seen it yet. The future is still so much bigger than the past," said Tim Berners-Lee, one of the inventors of the World Wide Web, at a seminar on its future....

Just 23% of the globe's population currently uses the internet, according to the United Nation's International Telecommunications Union. By contrast, just 5% of Africans surf the web, reported in March.....But that level is expected to rise, said internet co-founder Vinton Cerf.....

The number of websites has since ballooned from just 500 as recently as 1994 to over 80 million currently, with growing numbers of sites consisting of user-generated content like blogs.

…..So what does this mean for Teacher Librarians?

Even more information available at our fingertips?

I believe that this will mean an “explosion” of information available and even more need than ever before for students to learn skills that teach them how to locate and decipher the dependability and reliability of a web source. A little different to when I was a child and the Librarian would show us how to use a microfiche, how to use the index in an Encyclopaedia and how to find a good book to read.

It is an exciting time for us all and we as: TL’s in training, are the future.

The world truly is an “Oyster – shell” with a pearl inside, waiting to be discovered.

Movie - The Grace Card

Have you ever wondered what real Grace is? Grace involves forgiveness in its' complete entirety. This movie highlights Grace and how it is applied in real lives. I particularly enjoyed the Grace card (note) that was handed down from a Grandfather to his Grandson and from this Man to the Murderer of his son. It begins like this: "I promise to pray for you everyday, ask your forgiveness and grant you the same, and be friends with you always." We have an opportunity everyday to rebuild relationships and heal wounds by receiving God's Grace.

Courageous

I have just finished watching an amazing movie entitled "Courageous". This movie is full of action and suspense but most of all it has a wonderful lesson to teach us all.
In particular, Fathers can learn so much from this movie. I love the commitment made by each of the fathers in the "Resolution" scene. Adam Mitchell, one of the leading characters shows true humility and growth in Christ.
Research is proving that children not only need a Mum but they need a Daddy. This movie highlights this fact. God's word shows every father how a father should love his children, how to teach his children to live a life of respect, integrity and humility, and to boldly pursue what God has put on their hearts.
As a father you are accountable to God, your child's soul matters to God!
Raise up fathers and take Courage! Say "I will be a responsible father".

The Pursuit

Channel Nine have a wonderful programme on Sunday Afternoons at 4.30pm called "The Pursuit".

Three teams are given a navigational task around a city in Australia.

Last week's episode was based in Sydney. The teams were given clues and DSis which assisted them to navigate around the city. Along the way they had to perform certain tasks on a Wii (for example, catching a fish using a Wii on the wall at the Fish Markets and completing an art jigsaw puzzle using a Wii on the wall at the Sydney Art Gallery and then finding that particular Art work in the Gallery). They were not able to proceed until they had completed each task. The clues were quite criptic. It involved Problem solving, critical thinking skills, navigational skills, hand-eye coordination and much more (catering for all types of learners).

I would love to implement a challenge like this in my Library one day to really excite the kids about learning perhaps using clues from different books and the children have to navigate themselves around the library!

This week's episode is based in Melbourne.

A wonderful Reading Blog

I have just been advised of a wonderful Reading Blog from Whitefriars College:
http://readingnow.wordpress.com/
Students have written fantastic book reviews on Fiction/Novels that they have enjoyed reading lately.
Well worth a look.