Learning Commons Exchange

A newsletter designed exclusively for Eastview High School educators. Providing resources to help you stay informed about the wealth of resources available at your fingertips, while empowering you to elevate both your teaching and curriculum.

• Faculty Flashback A glimpse into the dedication and spirit of Eastview’s faculty through moments captured in the 2005 yearbook.
• Empowering Career Exploration with EBSCOLearning Career-focused eBooks to guide students toward informed and confident decisions about their futures.
• Using the Public Domain as a Creative Tool Exploring how public domain works inspire creativity and innovation in the classroom.
• The College Student’s Guide to Mental Health Essential wellness strategies to support student success in college.
• Les Misérables - From Stage to Page Dive into Victor Hugo’s original masterpiece and explore its rich themes after experiencing the musical at Eastview.
• Developing Life-Ready Skills Building critical skills for student success in a changing world.
• Supporting Math Learning Through the Library Transforming math into extraordinary experiences through library resources and Makerspace tools.
• Inspire Your Music Students with Code Introducing music students to coding and unlocking their creativity through programming.
• Supporting Student Well-Being Resources to help teachers support student resilience and mental health.
• Discover Braiding Sweetgrass A fresh approach to science learning through Indigenous wisdom and ecological interdependence.
• Connecting History, Engaging Students RetroReport videos make history relevant with concise, impactful documentaries and teaching guides.
• Audiobooks: A Gateway to Enhanced Learning Accessible and inclusive, audiobooks inspire literacy and a lifelong love of literature.
• AI in the World Language Classroom Exploring how AI can revolutionize language learning.

Eastview High School’s yearbooks are more than a collection of student memories—they’re a time capsule of the school’s vibrant community. One of the most fascinating traditions is looking back at how the staff has shaped Eastview’s legacy. The 2005 yearbook captures some unforgettable moments from that era.

Highlights include Erin Mathews and Len Bierlein, coaching the Girls Soccer team with dedication and teamwork; Mark Wanous, reflecting on the joys of counseling; Carla Norris, hard at work in the staff resource room, diligently providing copies and transparencies to support teachers; Nick Fornicoia, teaching Tech Ed and coaching wrestling with passion; and Amber Picone, who appeared not as a teacher, but as a senior class member full of school spirit and promise.

These snapshots from 2005 remind us of the dedication and spirit that make Eastview’s faculty and community so remarkable. All Eastview yearbooks are available for viewing in the Learning Commons.

As of January 1, 2025, the beloved 1928 version of Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie has officially entered the public domain! This milestone unlocks endless creative opportunities for educators to bring this iconic figure into their classrooms—whether for exploring animation history, character design, or cultural storytelling.

But Mickey isn't alone! Classic works like William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury, Ernest Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms, and Virginia Woolf’s A Room of One’s Own are now free for use, along with musical masterpieces like Gershwin’s An American in Paris and Ravel’s Bolero. Imagine the possibilities for lessons in literature, art, and music!

For a full list of these timeless treasures, visit Duke Law’s site.

EBSCOLearning, provided by Minitex, offers an invaluable collection of career-focused eBooks designed to help teachers guide students toward fulfilling career paths. These resources are perfect for exploring industries, planning educational requirements, and providing actionable advice.

For example, teachers can use Becoming a Nurse to support students interested in healthcare by outlining necessary certifications, job market insights, and ideal personal attributes. Similarly, Becoming a Police Officer offers guidance on academy applications and career roles within law enforcement.

Students considering teaching careers can explore Becoming a Teacher, which highlights the rewards of shaping young minds, while Best Careers for Teachers helps students and educators explore alternative paths leveraging teaching skills outside traditional classrooms.

By integrating these eBooks into career planning sessions, teachers can inspire informed, confident decisions, equipping students with the tools needed for success. Access these career guides today at Career Library. If you have any issues accessing these eBooks, please visit the Learning Commons for assistance.

Check out The College Student’s Guide to Mental Health: Essential Wellness Strategies for Flourishing in College, now available in the Learning Commons! Authored by licensed psychologist Mia Nosanow, this comprehensive guide addresses common challenges faced by college students, offering practical strategies to enhance mental and emotional well-being. Topics include managing negative thoughts, building meaningful relationships, and understanding the link between physical and mental health.

Counselors, this resource could be a great addition to your toolkit or a helpful recommendation for students preparing for the transition to college. Students may find it particularly useful for developing confidence and resilience as they navigate college life.

Stop by the Learning Commons to preview it today!

The Eastview High School production of Les Misérables brought Victor Hugo’s timeless story to life on stage, captivating audiences with its powerful performances and moving themes. Now, take your experience even further by exploring the original masterpiece that inspired it all.

Whether you choose Hugo's classic novel or the vibrant graphic novel adaptation, both versions offer an incredible way to delve deeper into the characters, themes, and rich storytelling of Les Misérables. Reading the book allows you to uncover layers of meaning and details that enhance your appreciation of this iconic tale.

Here are two great options to get started:

• Classic Novel: Experience the full depth of Hugo’s narrative and historical context. Access it digitally here.
• Graphic Novel: A visually engaging retelling that stays true to the heart of the story. Read it on MackinVia here.

Looking for a fresh twist on the classic? Check out Sky Without Stars by Jessica Brody and Joanne Rendell—a science fiction reimagining of Les Misérables. Set in a future ruled by the elite, this thrilling story weaves intrigue, romance, and revolution into a gripping narrative inspired by Hugo's timeless masterpiece. Find it in the Eastview Library today!

With the start of a new year, it’s the perfect time to help students focus on building essential life skills that will set them up for success. Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) classes provide practical knowledge for navigating real-world challenges. From financial literacy to nutrition, parenting, and consumer education, these courses empower students to make informed decisions and foster independence.

One invaluable resource for enhancing these classes is Consumer Reports. Both students and teachers can use this tool to explore real-world applications of consumer education. Consumer Reports provides reliable product ratings and reviews, helping students understand consumer rights, evaluate product quality, and make thoughtful purchasing decisions. Teachers can use this resource to design engaging lessons, bringing real-world scenarios into the classroom and fostering critical thinking and practical skills that students will carry into adulthood.

All students have access to Consumer Reports through the Dakota County Library using their digital student card, and teachers can access it with a personal library card. Don’t have a Dakota County library card? We can help you get one. Stop by the Learning Commons for help accessing these valuable resources. Explore this and other research tools by visiting Dakota County Library Research Tools. Encourage your students—and yourself—to check it out!

Imagine transforming math from abstract to extraordinary! The school library can help you make math come alive with dynamic resources and interactive activities. Spark curiosity with tangrams for spatial reasoning, geometric puzzles that challenge critical thinking, graphing activities to visualize data, and hands-on kits to delve into fractions, probability, and measurement.

Take it a step further and collaborate with us in the Learning Commons to design 3D-printed math supports in the Zapp Lab. Picture fraction circles that fit together perfectly, Pythagorean theorem models that illustrate the beauty of right triangles, tessellation patterns that captivate, and scaled geometric solids you can hold in your hands. Custom manipulatives like rulers, geometric shapes, and volume models provide tactile learning experiences that make abstract concepts tangible. Let’s use the power of library resources and Makerspace technology to supercharge your curriculum and ignite a love for math in your students! Visit us to learn more.

As a music or dance teacher, you know rhythm, patterns, and sequences are key in both music and coding. In this video, Henny tha Bizness, a record producer who has worked with artists like Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar, shows how music production connects with technology.

Music Lab is just one of many engaging activities on Code.org, where students can use code to create beats, remix songs, and explore music patterns. This fun, hands-on activity reinforces math and logic skills while combining creativity with technology.

Consider hosting this coding activity during your music class in the Learning Commons! It’s a great way for students to create their own beats and learn the tech behind their favorite songs. Share this video and inspire them to make music with code!

The Eastview Library offers a variety of books on mental health, providing valuable insights for both students and educators. One notable title is Fix What You Can: Schizophrenia and a Lawmaker’s Fight for Her Son by Mindy Greiling. This memoir shares Greiling's personal journey advocating for mental health reform while managing her son's struggle with schizophrenia. It's a powerful addition to our collection of books that address mental health issues.

Mindy Greiling has been a leading advocate for mental health reform in Minnesota. She has worked to secure more funding for mental health services, reduce the criminalization of mental illness, and expand mental health courts to offer alternatives to jail. Her efforts have shaped state policy, providing better care and support for individuals with mental health conditions​.

This book, along with others on mental health, is available for checkout in the library. Feel free to explore these resources to enhance your students' understanding of mental health topics.

Author's website: https://www.mindygreiling.com/home

Bring your lessons to life with Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer! This inspiring book blends scientific inquiry with Indigenous wisdom, offering a unique lens for exploring ecological interdependence and environmental stewardship. Perfect for science classrooms, it also encourages rich cross-curricular connections to literature, history, and cultural studies, making it an exceptional resource for fostering interdisciplinary learning.

With its strong ties to Minnesota, Braiding Sweetgrass is especially relevant for our classrooms. The book highlights the cultural traditions of Indigenous peoples, including the Anishinaabe, whose history and practices are deeply rooted in Minnesota and the Great Lakes region. Sweetgrass, a sacred plant central to the book, plays a vital role in local Indigenous culture, symbolizing the interconnectedness of all living things.

Kimmerer’s stories encourage students to see the natural world as a teacher and a partner, sparking curiosity and fostering cultural awareness. Explore lessons on reciprocity in ecosystems, traditional ecological knowledge, or environmental problem-solving through local connections to Minnesota’s lakes and forests.

We’re currently collaborating with the 9th-grade team to explore how this book can be integrated into their curriculum, and we encourage you to consider how Braiding Sweetgrass can support your own lessons. Print copies are available in the EVHS Library, and you can access the book digitally with multiuser access on MackinVia. Dive in and transform how your students see science, culture, and the environment!

If you’re looking for a way to make history more relevant and engaging, RetroReport is worth checking out. This free resource offers short, documentary-style videos that fit easily into a lesson plan, making it simple to connect historical events to issues students see in the world today. I came across it at History Fest in St. Paul and immediately saw its potential for high school social studies classes.

The videos dive into big topics like censorship, racism, public health, and immigration—showing how these issues have evolved over time and why they still matter. For example, you might explore the roots of voter suppression or the role of propaganda in shaping public opinion, all in a format that’s concise but thought-provoking.

With teaching guides included, RetroReport helps spark discussions and critical thinking while staying aligned with educational standards. It’s a resource that feels both practical and inspiring. Take a look at RetroReport.org—you might find your next great lesson idea there!

Audiobooks are an outstanding resource for enhancing student learning. They improve literacy skills by building vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking—especially for struggling readers or students with dyslexia (Learning Lab, We Are Teachers). They also provide access to grade-level materials and promote inclusivity for learners with disabilities (Reading Rockets, Audiobooks Geek).

Eastview students can access 800+ new and popular audiobook titles through their MackinVia accounts, including books assigned in English class. Every student also has a digital library card from Dakota County Library, unlocking even more audiobook options.

Audiobooks are a versatile and inclusive way to inspire learning and foster a lifelong love of literature. And don’t forget to explore audiobooks for your own enjoyment, too!

Let us know how we can help connect you and your students to a great audiobook!

What if your classroom became an interactive playground where students could explore languages with personalized lessons, real-time feedback, and immersive simulations? What if tools could mimic real-world conversations, introduce diverse accents, and make vocabulary-building engaging and accessible? Artificial Intelligence (AI) offers these possibilities and more, opening up exciting opportunities to transform language learning.

Of course, AI isn’t for everyone. Concerns about over-reliance on technology and reduced human interaction are valid. Yet, when integrated thoughtfully, AI can complement traditional teaching methods, inspiring creativity and offering new ways to engage students.

This podcast is a way to start the conversation. Tune into Episode 19 (Season 2, Ep. 10): Artificial Intelligence in the World Language Classroom with Joe Dale. The episode includes a landing page packed with a curated list of AI tools for language learning and helpful links to get started. Discover how AI could bring fresh potential to your teaching.

Are you ready to take the leap and explore the possibilities to see how AI might reshape your classroom?

Portions of this newsletter and images were created using ChatGPT.