February, 2012

Blog Bits


Here are some interesting resources about books and reading!

• Things to do while reading

• In defense of e-reading

Have you wondered how to "read" QR codes - those funny 3D barcode "boxes" popping up everywhere? Watch this video tutorial . . .

• How to read a QR code

Tumblebooks Now Work with iPad and iPhone

About 50 Tumblebooks in various languages have now been configured to work with Apple devices such as iPads, iTouches and iPhones [link will work from school].  This should be good news for parents as it enables convenient mobile access to this wonderful multilingual resource.  Also, we have iTouches in the library to use in connection with our Mac media lab.  Is anyone interested in piloting a small iTouch learning experience with Tumblebooks?  I would envision possibly dividing a class into two groups and alternating 15 minutes of listening to  several Tumblebooks with time for book checkout.  Perhaps we could ask each group to do a quick "book talk" about the book that they read.  Please let me know if you have ideas about how to use this new potential!

New Look to OASIS Library Catalog

The library catalog has a new look!  The OASIS program has been upgraded -- it mostly works the same.  One exception is the Enhanced Search.  To search for PYP units by subject, you must Browse, select the PYP subject heading for the unit, then click on Copy.  That will put the heading in the Subject search window.  From there on, all works as before.

Clickers Add Interest to Classes

Third, fourth and fifth graders have had lots of fun with Mimeo Vote, the new interactive board voting system that we are using in the story room.  Third graders have voted on their favorite books, fourth graders have practiced deciphering citations in a bibliography and fifth graders have expressed their opinions on how to properly paraphrase text.  The overwhelming conclusion?  Clickers make everything more fun!

Special thanks to our IT colleagues for giving us the
 opportunity to pilot the Mimeo program in the Story Room. 

Did You Know?

• Number of books checked out by Grades 2 through 5 so far this school year - Over 6,000!
• Number of ebooks for PS students -  Over 750 ebooks in various languages through our Ebook Library with EBSCO [accessible through our Oasis library catalog], Tumblebooks, Sylvan Dell and Bookflix.
• Total number of books read based on AR quizzes passed this school year - 2,478 (as of Feb. 27)
• New books in the PS Library  - Over 500 added to the catalog so far this school year. 
• Mac Media Lab - The library has four Mac computers with large monitors and ten iPod Touches available to PS classes especially for work with video, audio, photos and other forms of visual media.  

Flat Classroom Book Club

We are still looking for some teachers who imagine a global classroom collaboration in their future to join us in reading (and sharing ideas about) the newest book by Julie Lindsay and Vickie Davis, entitled Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time.   We can read the book, which was released in February,  at a pace which fits the group -- when several teachers put their minds together, interesting things can happen.  We want the library to be prepared when the classrooms flatten and the walls come down . . . come think and learn with us about what the journey might look like.  Send any one of us here in the library an email expressing your interest and we will get back to you with more information.

Curriculum Review

We are presently reviewing the K-12 information literacy curriculum in light of the Standards for the 21st Century Learner of the American Association of School Librarians.  Those standards include benchmarks for the end of grade two and grade five, as well as grades eight, ten and twelve.  We hope to send a very brief questionnaire out soon, asking you to identify where in your grade certain information literacy skills are taught.  As these skills are transdisciplinary in nature, we know that much great work is accomplished in the classroom and by other specialists.  We want to make sure that our new written curriculum and the taught curriculum are consistent as we all help students make progress toward these benchmarks.  We look forward to your responses and appreciate your taking your time to respond to the questionnaire!

Language Book Talks and the Anytime Book Clubs

We are continuing with language book talks in French, German and Spanish approximately once during each unit.   Pascale, Elke and Lucie respectively will be posting about the books that they shared with Grades 4 and 5 on the Anytime Book Clubs blog.  If you teach those grades, please encourage your students to add comments.  We want to know what they think of the books and we want to encourage discussion about books in all languages throughout the spring.  All comments are moderated.

November 2011

Blog Bits and Interesting Links

• K12OnlineConference - Going on right now, this event for K12 educators worldwide has a fantastic lineup of speakers - and you can learn at home with a cup of hot chocolate. Lots of great videos here too!  Full program schedule posted at this comprehensive website.
• We Give Books - A great website for reading free digital books AND donating a book to a reading initative of your choice at the same time!  What better thing to do during the season of giving?
• International Education Blogs - Bookmark this LibGuide page with blogs on international education.  What others should I add? 
• Libraries as Learning Labs -  Think a library is just books?  Think again!                    

Language Book Talks Schedule

A language book talks schedule for the rest of the year will be posted in the library and sent by email.  Pascale, Elke, Lucie and I will give book talks in French, German, Spanish and English respectively as shown on the schedule.  We are always available to suggest books and help students, but on these days we will have a special book talk ready to share.

PYP Unit Lists

We are working to update PYP Unit Lists to reflect the changes in central ideas, organizing themes and allocation of subject matter between English and the other languages.

You can help us tremendously by working with us when you check out unit books AND BY: 

• returning unit books directly to library associate Pascale Viala, and
• completing a very short questionnaire about the books at the end of the unit.

When you return the books to Pascale directly, she can ask you for any information she needs to update the unit list. 

If you need help returning books, library staff will be happy to come to your classroom to retrieve books.  Just send one of us an email to that effect.  Thanks!


Request Library Books to Support Curriculum


We count on you to help us identify the best books for library purchase.  Please recommend books that you would like to see in the library.  This link will take you directly to a box where you can enter the title (and whatever other information you have) of the book that you want the library to purchase for its collection.
 

Shadra Strickland Visit Posted on YouTube

During the Fall Book Fair, two of our third grade classes visited with illustrator Shadra Strickland via Skype from the library computer lab.  A portion of that visit is posted on YouTube.  The library is hosting an exhibit of Strickland's original work for five outstanding picture books.  Please watch the video and then visit the exhibit in the library!


Upcoming Library Programming  

Two primary school library events are now on the calendar:

• February - Black Authors Exhibition
• February  - French Book Fair  

Twitter "Hashtag of the Month"

#k12online11

Follow the talk from the K12Online Conference.  Looking for some help with Twitter?  Try this video tutorial from CommonCraft.

Accelerated Reader Update

• Spanish AR books are being labeled as such to make them easier for students to locate.
• Please remind your students that they can check to see if a book has an AR quiz by going to http://www.arbookfind.com/.
• Students who have participated thus far will be acknowledged before winter break.
• Team participation is relatively low, so please encourage your students to take at least one quiz.

Flat Classrom Book Coming Out


Vicky Davis and Julie Lindsay have coauthored Flattening Classrooms, Engaging Minds: Move to Global Collaboration One Step at a Time, a new book to be released in February.  Davis and Lindsay are the creators and leaders of the Flat Classroom projects.  Would you be interested in participating in an informal book club on the book?  A group is forming now. 

October, 2011

Blog Bits and Interesting Links

• 25 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning  - this is a great list of free web-based tools that are organized by application to the Standards for the 21st Century Learner
• 100 Things to Do With Books   - a very handy list of simple activities as an alternative to the traditional written book report.  Look here for some fun ideas for the upcoming Book Week!
• International Education Blogs - here is a page for you to bookmark that feeds blogs in the area of international education.  If you can suggest others, please let me know as I am seeking the best of the best for this page which is part of a LibGuide I am developing for teachers on global education.                        

Accelerated Reader Teams 

Take a look at the display in the lobby of the PS building!  The four AR teams for this year are posted there.  All students from grades two through five should be on one of the team lists.  This year we have the Fire, Earth, Water and Air teams to go along with our theme "Reading is Elemental!"  Please encourage your students to take AR quizzes on books they have read.  The quizzes need to be taken at school.

Upcoming Library Programming  

Two primary school library workshops for parents are now on the calendar:

• October 13 - The Virtual Library - Online Resources for Primary School Students (slides from the presentation are posted on the Primary School Library Moodle)

• November 1 - Multicultural Children's Literature

Each will be offered in the Library Computer Lab from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.

  

Ebook Resources Great for Smartboards

Now that Smartboards are in almost all the classrooms, our Ebook resources are hopefully even more useful for teachers.  If you have not already explored Tumblebooks, Bookflix and Sylvan Dell, please take the time to do so.  You will be glad you did!  If you have questions or would like a preview from a member of the library staff, just let us know.  We will be glad to help!

Updated Library Schedule and Curriculum

The library schedule has been tweaked in a few places and an updated schedule will be posted by the Book Return in the PS building entrance.  The full curriculum will be available on the J: drive under Faculty - Primary - Subject Areas - Library.  Library planners for each unit will be posted by the Story Room door.

Changes for This Year

• No paper overdue notices this year!!  We hope this will make life easier for you (and for us and the parents).  We now have the capability to send overdue notices by email.  You may still receive questions about overdue books via the agenda.  Please forward all inquiries on to us.

• The juvenile reference books (with the exception of some atlases and encyclopedias) are now shelved with the other nonfiction books.  This is to encourage students to use the reference books.  It does not change the fact that they remain in the library (i.e. they do not "check out").  Juvenile reference books are marked J REF on the spine label.

Meet Archie!

I am working on a new library friend, digital that is, named Archie (to go with the design of arches on the Primary School side of the library).  To see Archie, look for a link on Moodle under Library - Primary Library.  Once he is fully actualized, Archie will be multilingual and he will know A LOT about the library.

Video Tutorials on Moodle

We know that you need library info at all times of the day and during the year, not just when we are able to offer a workshop.  So we plan to provide more video tutorials on subjects related to use of the library and library resources.  Topics such as the library catalog, using the netbooks, how to schedule library time, databases and ebooks are on the list for video tutorials.  Can you suggest others that you would like to see posted on the Primary School Library Moodle?

September 2009

Library Schedule and Collaboration

Collaboration and coordination are going to be very important words this year as adjustments are made to the library schedule to see more students more frequently in the library. The goal? Enhancing student information and media literacies through instruction and practice. The method? Each student in grades 1 - 5 will come to the library once a week and participate in library programming and all classes will be on the same programming schedule. Together, let's build a stronger library program that results in higher student achievement.

Book Review Magazines in All Languages

For the second year, the library has subscribed to children's literature review magazines in French, Spanish and German and also in English from England and Australia. Find out what children are reading back home! Please stop by the library to read the current issue and recommend for purchase books that appeal to you.

Online Distance Learning for PD Credit

Professional development budgets are smaller in the current economic environment. What better time to try distance learning? You may be interested in professional and personal development through The Georgia Center for Continuing Education. Courses begin throughout the year and are offered on a wide variety of educational topics.

Blog Bit

Change is inevitable, but our approach to change may determine how successful we are in managing the process. Here are several “pivot points for change” from Seth Godin's list in his blog post "Pivot Points for Change":

Keep your customers, but change what you sell to them.
Keep your staff, but change what you do.
Keep your mission, but change your scale.
Keep your products, but change the way you market them.
Keep your technology, but use it to do something else.

To me this suggests that change doesn't necessarily mean giving up what is important, but rather adjusting your perspective. We are dealing with lots of change this year and maybe you will find the ideas in this post helpful too.

In the library, I'll be focusing on mission, products, technology. Advances in technology are moving libraries to change what they offer and how they offer it, but our mission is the same -- to support learning and we will continue to do so in many ways, large and small. Our marketing opportunities are quite different with the new website -- expect a new look and new "marketing" tools this year, all geared to help all our patrons better use the wonderful products that the school has purchased to support instruction through the library.

Recommending Books for Purchase by the Library
Recommending books for purchase by the library is now easier. All you need to do is go to the Primary School E-Bulletin Board on the Primary School Library webpage in the All-School Portal. At the E-Bulletin Board, you look for the link (on the right side of the screen) that says “Recommend Books for Library Purchase”. Open that screen, type in the information you have about the recommended book (title, author, publisher and so forth) and submit. To return to the E-Bulletin Board, simply hit the back arrow twice. Your request is automatically recorded on a purchasing list.

Tutorials on Library Electronic Resources
Here are links to online tutorials for a number of the different library electronic resources. You may want to bookmark these for future reference.

GALILEO

Britannica Elementary

Grolier Kids

BrainPOP

Bookflix

World Book Online


Teacher Book Cart
Please stop by the teacher cart in the library to see if any of the materials on the cart are useful for your classroom. Everything is free and everything must go! Many books are paperback or duplicates of titles that are already in the collection, but are otherwise great books. Check it out!