This post is just an overview of:
Open Book Exchange:
Small groups of students are welcome to exchange books any time! Please remember to only send down a maximum of 5 students at one time for book exchange. If you are teaching a Kindergarten or Grade 1 class you may set a regular book exchange period within the unscheduled times.
Booking the Library...Goes Online..with the Laptops!
Since booking the laptops, with the printing of the schedules on Monday morning worked so well, I’m planning on adapting the library tables & computer booking to that method as well. I will keep it in the same file as the laptop sign-out to make it easier.
Desktop computers are available for groups when Ms. Laszlo or I are teaching, but please ask your students to be respectful to maintain this privilege.
Laptop-wise we still have the downstairs cart and the upstairs cart where you can sign out any number of laptops you need and we have the mobile cart. This cart is for whole cart sign out only and is located in the back of the Science room. I believe there are 15 laptops on the cart currently, but I’ll get back to you on that!
Partnering:
If you haven't already, please check out and fill in the Library Survey to see the different types of partnerships that are available and so I can see how you would like our library to work. Think of when you might want to work with me & let me know, but know that organic partnerships that come our of nowhere are fun too.
If we have planned a lesson & I don’t come see you, please don’t hesitate to remind me.
I’ve got lots of new plans to share with the kids this year. Here are a couple of the items I’ve planned for the library plate. Please, let me know which app you like to to use and why. It could be personal...sports site, music app or educational. I would love it for my beginning of year bulletin board.
Also book your orientation so I can update your students on what's happening.
Appy Hour! (Name stolen from Sherri Stokes, of course!)
1) Grades 3-5 for a six week cycle – Wednesdays at lunch from Wed, Sept 24th to Wed, Oct 19th.
2) Grades 6-8 for a six week cycle – Wednesdays at lunch from Wed, Nov 5th to Wed, Dec 10th.
The focus of the club is to share Apps that students like to use images, music, sound, and more & then create & show collection of pieces created through the apps.
I would also like to use the Lego Movie Maker App in conjunction with the Lego Club to create stop motion videos with their creations.
Creators’ Club - Would like to meet once a month/every other week with a group of students grade six to eight who like to create stories through words, images or sound or a mix of the above. We can work on writing in different genres or the use of media for contests, assemblies or just for themselves.
Re-organize library monitors to be Literary Illuminati with jobs to put away books, create displays, reviews, create videos & share their knowledge and love of reading…basically I’m putting to work all those kids who hang out in the library anyway. Have a bulletin board idea for this too!
Code It – Using the great website https://webmaker.org/en-US/tools have students explore code by hacking and remixing. Maybe we could build an app with https://apps.webmaker.org/designer & Quaker parent/app designer, Peter Hansen.
I am quite aware that I probably can’t fit all this in and stay sane this year so, If anyone wanted to use the coding app as a beginning of the year activity where kids remix and code their own posters, that would be cool. Check out the remix I made & remix one yourself. I do have to see if this site will work at school ...
https://mscoleqvps.makes.org/thimble/LTY1NzMyMzUy/meme-maker
This new format may be difficult for some of our students to remember, so it will be a good idea to have a hard copy of the Usernames on hand & perhaps even copied for students to keep in an easily retrievable spot. Please click on the image to access a pdf for directions to print off the list of Usernames through PowerTeacher.
November 10th: Linda Bailey, the author of one of my favourite picture book series, Stanley, fame will be coming from B.C. to give a talk to our Grade One and Two students
October 5th— Michael Wade will be joining us to promote his series And Then It Happened to our Grade 3 to 5 students. His series and talk is great for boys and reluctant readers. I’ve heard good things! He was here one year when Sarah Parry was in the library.
Sometime This Fall
Supposedly, Eric Walter, Ted Staunton, Richard Scrimger and the whole crew are coming to Uxbridge to launch Seven the Sequel. I’m hoping this is a great event for our grade six to eight students!
Digital Bootcamp: It seems we are currently looking at a 4 period recertification with myself and the homeroom teacher for the grade sevens & eights with a full intro to the program for our grade 6 students.
1) Connect Your Class Globally! A number of cool programs to connect your students with the world building engagement & knowledge through technology. International Dot Day with Peter Reynolds on September 15th! Could be cool! Who's in?
2) Five Great Teacher Resources To Build Program - I read some fabulous professional reads this summer and they were loaded with ideas to promote Technology, Accountable Talk, Close Reading, Readers & Writers Workshops & Inquiry Circles. See if one of these books catch your eye and has information on an an area you might like to explore.
Any questions? Please don't hesitate to ask!
Stef
Check out this feature for links to interesting educational articles and blog posts.