I have been doing a lot of reading during the summer and throughout the year. The following are reviews of books, updates on Media Center Happenings, and tools you might find useful. Enjoy your day!
One my my latest finds is the Vintagio app for the iPad. We used it with my 5th grade class to create a few how to videos for the kindergartners in the library. We had a great time and it did not take long to get the ideas rolling.
How to drop off books in the book drop...
Story Corner Seats...
Computer Use...
Guest Reader
Take a look at the reading of Snowmen at Night by our own special guest reader, Dr. Warner, our principal. It was a lot of fun producing the video. We hope you enjoy it!
Nooks
We are circulating Nooks in the library among the teachers. We are going to learn as we go. I set up a Google Doc to help keep track of what the teachers want loaded on each device. Today I will submit my first order. Wish me luck!
The students have also been using PowerPoint, Publisher, and Word during Media Classes. We have been busy in the JP Media Center creating, publishing, and promoting (favorite books of course)!
We have had a busy month in the Jeffers Pond Media Center. Third - Fifth graders have been working on the SOS Internet Safety Scavenger Hunt. Fourth and Fifth graders are in the process of creating digital stories using Movie Maker. Kindergarten and First Grade Students are becoming more proficient in using the computer lab blog. Second grade students have been learning about different genres and having fun with Google Lit Trips to Australia and the ocean. Students have also been enjoying books by David Wiesner, Carole Marsh, Jonathon Rand, Mem Fox, and Gertrude Chandler Warner. AND, I have been getting ready for an eReader roll out in the library!
I am so excited to be able to offer eReaders to classroom teachers for check out. Starting with teacher check out is the first phase of the plan. Once we get the teachers checking the eReaders out for student use, then we will hopefully be able to purchase more and check them out to students.
I decided to go with the Barnes and Noble Nook. Thanks to Buffy Hamilton's blog and many other specialists posting their experiences, I feel this is the best route for now. We will have 10 (certified pre owned) Nook Colors, 10 industrial cases, and 10 protection plans coming our way the first week of December. I love the fact that Barnes and Noble offers support and training for the teachers at no additional cost. The teachers that attend the training will have first dibs on the devices. The training is on Dec. 7 beginning at 8:15 am.
Another program I am excited to venture into is Mackin's Via. Mackin hosted a wonderful informational dinner last week. There I learned how easy it is to incorporate ebooks from one of my favorite resources. Students will have access to these eBooks soon. How they will work with the Nooks, I am not sure at this point. But the books will be available on the computer and iPads.
Ipads? I am crossing my fingers that my foundation grant came through and that we will hopefully be rolling out a few iPads in our library as well. Stay tuned.
Enjoy the rest of the week and Happy Thanksgiving!
I love this time of year with the falling leaves, cooler weather, and talk of scary stories! A recent find of mine (at the Mackin Warehouse book sale) was Carl Reiner's Tell Me a Scary Story.... But Not TOO Scary! The sound effects on the cd make the story come alive for the 2nd and 3rd graders. In class we talk about how the background music, voices, pictures and text all combine to make the story scary. We felt a little relieved at the end to find out that our imaginations got the better of us, just like the main character.
Of course the American Chillers series by Johnathan Rand is a hit with the 5th graders. It is amazing how once I showcase this series, they are always checked out. It looked like a feeding frenzy over at the FIC RAN section of the library today.
Another author that capitalizes on tying in state information in a book series is Carole Marsh. Her books use real kids and real places in the mysteries. I introduced fourth graders to these books and I am interested to see how well they like them. They are a great tie in to their state studies in Social Studies. Naturally, the book I happen to share with them in class was The Mystery in the Twin Cities.
I am so excited to share The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce with our students next week, the first week of classes. I had planned to read it to my 3-5 graders to welcome them to their media center. Then I stumbled upon the app by MoonBot Interactive. Now my students can become a part of the book! Amazing. Love the book and the app. A must have for every library.
Another book with a magical theme is Bliss by Kathryn Littlewood. I just began reading it to my boys at home. We are in the fist few chapters and so far they are enjoying it. I am hoping for a little magic and adventure! A fun extension for the end of class: The Bliss Bakery Game.
Welcome back to another school year! Here are some fun titles I discovered over the summer. ... and we have them in our library at Jeffers Pond. Come check them out!
My new favorite everybody book: Beautiful Yetta: the Yiddish Chicken What can I say about Yetta? I love Yetta and your students will to. She is a chicken that finds herself in the big city, adopted by pigeons! Her adventure is humorous and heartwarming. A great book to jump start discussions about acceptance, tolerance, and being yourself in the classroom.
The Boy Who Loved Words by Roni Schotter should be in every teacher's writer's workshop library.
What does Courage look like? The book Courage by Bernanrd Waber sums it up for younger readers. The illustrations are precious. Come see for yourself.
Looking for a new book to use on EE day or any day that you want to take a nature walk? The Listening Walk by Paul Showers is great for any elementary student. What do you want your students to gain from a nature walk? How can students be active listeners of nature? Check out The Listening Walk and read it before you go on your hike with the kids. You won't regret it.
What in the Wild? Mysteries of Nature Concealed by David Schwartz is an eye popping informational text that will have your readers coming back for more.
More Informational Texts:
Bugs never go out of style in the library. Bugs by the Numbers: Facts and Figures... will keep your bug loving students amazed.
Whole-y Cow!: Fractions are Fun is a great book to set the right tone in your math class about fractions.
Need a poetry book that will help with that Native America Common Core Standard we have in MN? Walking on Earth & Touching the Sky might be the resource you need. The book is comprised of poetry and prose by Lakota youth of all ages. Some poetry for young readers and some for secondary students.
Wish: Wishing Traditions Around the World will have your dreamers from the start. Want to learn about different cultural beliefs about wishes? This is the book to go to.
Chapter Books:
Double Dog Dare by Lisa Graff (same author as Thing About Georgie) would be a fun read a loud for the 5th grade classroom. It is on my 6th grader's night stand now and I am in the process of finishing it up. Great appeal for both boys and girls. Themes: Dealing with Divorce, overcoming to peer pressure, and courage to be yourself.
Do you have some girls in your class that love the MOA, making clubs, or cupcakes? Cupcake Diaries is a series that has 4th and 5th grade girls written all over it. We have several in the library such as Emma all Stirred Up, Emma on Thin Icing, and Katie, Batter Up! Need I write more?
City of Orphans by Avi is his latest historical fiction gem. Take your class back to the 1890s to get a taste of life as a "newsie." I will recommend this to 5th graders and up. Watch the trailer.
Jake and Lily is Jerry Spinelli's latest. Spinelli is one of my personal favorite's. I haven't read the book yet but love goodreads book reviews. Take a look at what they have to say here. By the way, goodreads is a great app to have on your I-Pad as well. Fun to share reviews with others and check out what other people think about the books you are about to read.
My all time new favorite book of 2012 is Wonder by R. J. Palacio. I think it is a great read aloud for fourth or fifth grade. Themes of empathy, acceptance, and humor.
Professional Reading:
I am enjoying being a part of Connected Eductaor Month. A new book to look for in our professinal library is The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age by Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach and Lani Ritter Hall.
