tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53409913500840919802024-03-08T06:24:55.603-08:00Time to RenewDocumenting my journey as an elementary teacher librarian.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-87434725984686968512014-03-14T14:54:00.000-07:002014-03-14T14:55:56.504-07:00Writing Around the TextAfter reading <a href="http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/first-efforts-at-written-conversations-strategies-write-around-text-on-text/" target="_blank">Buffy Hamilton's post</a> detailing children having written conversations around a selected text, I knew I had to try it. However, Buffy's students are in high school and I only have a thirty minute time frame so I knew I needed to tweak the idea. <br />
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Currently, our 4th grade is working on a Body Systems unit and our 5th grade is researching the American Colonies. I was looking for something to spark interest in these units before the formal research began. This seemed like the time to try this strategy. For the Body Systems unit, I found an article about exercise benefits from Time for Kids, a diagram with an explanation about the new My Plate, and two short chapters from our library books about the digestive system and how the brain sends nerve signals throughout the body. With the American Colony unit, I found a political cartoon that shows the Native American view point, an article about the lost colony of Roanoke, an article of how a colonial kitchen was set up and run, an article describing African Americans being sold as slaves and a time line from Jamestown to the Revolutionary War. I pasted each text on large bulletin board paper that span our library tables. <br />
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The children in 4th and 5th grade needed more guidance with their discussion than Buffy's high school students. I am in love with the <a href="http://www.heinemann.com/products/E04364.aspx" target="_blank">Fountas and Pinell prompting guides</a> and use them to help create open ended discussion questions for my book clubs and my lessons. I selected four discussion questions and displayed them on the Promethean board. The questions focused on author's message, text features, prior knowledge and any new questions the text may have raised. <br />
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The directions were simply...<br />
1. Read the text at your table as a group.<br />
2. Write about one of the discussion question prompts.<br />
3. Read and respond to any table's article or any comment that a classmate wrote.<br />
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Each class was different. Some needed more guidance with which question to respond to while other classes jumped right in. Some groups chose to have one person read while other groups wanted to break up the articles so everyone would get a chance to read. The discussion questions did seem to focus the student's responses. <br />
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I will definitely use this strategy again. My goal of sparking interest in a topic was obtained. The children also seem to dig deeper in the text and enjoyed commenting on classmates answers.<br />
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-79660981595337657372014-02-01T18:37:00.000-08:002014-02-01T18:38:30.919-08:00Olympics and the Library Triathalon<br />
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Over the summer I was reading, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Tibrarian-Handbook-Teacher-Librarians-Transforming/dp/1602130639/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1391298889&sr=8-1&keywords=tibrarian" target="_blank"><u>The Tibrarian Handbook: A Teacher-Librarian's Guide to Transforming the Library Into a Center of Learning</u></a> by
<span class="a-size-medium">Christine Varachi. She had a wonderful idea for a school-wide library Olympic contest where the children earn points for reading minutes, activity minutes and researching facts. I fell in love with the idea and realized that the Winter Olympics were this year! Ideas began on my iPad immediately. </span></div>
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<span class="a-size-medium">The library, in both schools, hosted a Library Triathlon! </span><span class="a-size-medium">Each homeroom was given a country that was competing in the </span><span class="a-size-medium">Sochi</span><span class="a-size-medium"> Winter Olympics. The children would turn in forms for nightly reading and activity minutes along with facts they researched about their homeroom country. Each of the events were weighed equally in a spreadsheet, </span><span class="a-size-medium">created by my principal, that gave a daily point count for each country. The country's flags were moved on a large horizontal wall chart in the hall for all the kids to see. </span><span class="a-size-medium">Each country had a larger vertical chart paper hang in the hallway as well. The information the children research about their country was pasted on those posters. This way the children could read all the new facts! </span><span class="a-size-medium">Here are <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7I6ysHd0dBrZ2xNUlhkTUkxSU0/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">templates</a> that I used. </span><br />
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<span class="a-size-medium">Three weeks of <a href="http://www.medford.k12.nj.us/Page/3150" target="_blank">library lessons</a><a href="http://www.medford.k12.nj.us/Page/3150" target="_blank"></a> focused on the background of the Olympics, the contest rules, the town
of Sochi and all they did to make their winter games unique and
biographies from some of the Olympic athletes representing Team USA. The
students truly enjoyed learning about the symbols, traditions and
especially the athletes stories. </span><br />
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<span class="a-size-medium">At Allen, the Library Triathlon ended with a school wide celebration. Each county ceremoniously walked in to the event with a country flag and a "torch". We "lit" the large Olympic flame with the Olympic theme playing in the background. Our principal, Mr. Clarke, reminded us of how our school behavior is similar to the Olympic spirit and explained the rules to our first activity "</span><span class="a-size-medium">Ballius Uppius in the Areaius (from the Greek/Latin: Ball Up in the Air). So much fun! The second activity activity was Olympic Trivia based on the library lessons. Mr. Clarke added more suspense by adding in a relay race with the Olympic rings before the questions were answered. A huge hit! </span></div>
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<span class="a-size-medium">In both schools, the top three classes earned Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals from Oriental Trading Company. The Gold class will also receive a Pizza Party, the Silver a Popsicle Party and the Bronze will enjoy a Popcorn Party. </span></div>
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<span class="a-size-medium">This is a <a href="http://www.medford.k12.nj.us/Page/3180" target="_blank">movie</a> from our closing ceremony at Allen. </span></div>
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Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-82250929030917639222013-10-26T18:50:00.002-07:002013-10-26T19:19:37.736-07:00Pumpking Night @MHA Library<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I wanted to create a small intimate family night at our library this fall. The answer was Pumpkin Night. I asked families in grade Kindergarten, first and second to design a pumpkin based on a character from a book. The families were so creative! The pumpkins were on display in the library for two days. In that way, each class would be able to see their classmates work. The library offered several pumpkin activities for families to participate in that night including a story time with the librarian and the principal!<br />
Here is the link to the film that showcases the pumpkins and the joy the kids had coming back to the library at night.<br />
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<a href="http://www.medford.k12.nj.us/Page/3040" target="_blank">Click here to see the film</a>. </div>
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Here are the documents that I created to organize this pumpkin night. Feel free to download and edit them to make them fit your pumpkin night. </div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7I6ysHd0dBrNHVHeEpOTGVQOUU/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Parent Invite</a></div>
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<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7I6ysHd0dBrVkxRMzJ1WFZoaTQ/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Pumpkin Centers</a> </div>
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<br />Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-24633268915756394832013-01-19T09:55:00.001-08:002013-01-19T09:55:58.814-08:00Back In The Library! It is official... I am back in the library! Through a series of district movement a library position opened up. I have left my home school, Allen and now dance between our newest schools, Kirby's Mill and Chairville. I know that this is a challenge sharing schools, but oh how I love the library environment! The staff and children in both buildings have been so welcoming. I am also following a super star librarian who has left things in perfect working order! How fortunate for me! There are so many projects going on right now that I want to share here. I hope there will be enough time to blog! Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-64924559427455150582011-04-26T16:03:00.001-07:002011-04-26T16:21:08.748-07:00NJEA Classroom Close Up<object id="flashObj" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,47,0" height="225" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=910132201001&playerID=616303324001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAj36EGjE~,w53r2XdUtII0XxxdqYeLp1bOxUXrsIg0&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true"><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com"><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1" bgcolor="#FFFFFF" flashvars="videoId=910132201001&playerID=616303324001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAj36EGjE~,w53r2XdUtII0XxxdqYeLp1bOxUXrsIg0&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true" base="http://admin.brightcove.com" name="flashObj" seamlesstabbing="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" swliveconnect="true" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" height="225" width="300"></embed></object><p>This film was made by <a href="http://www.njea.org/about/classroom-close-up">NJEA Classroom Close Up</a> about the Literature Links program that we created to help parents read with their children strategically. The producer, Adam Bauser, wrote his thoughts about the Literature Links program and how it changed his own reading time with his kids in a post entitled, <a href="http://bauser.blogspot.com/2011/02/unlocking-keys-to-reading-with-your.html">Unlocking the Keys to Reading with Your Child</a>. His post was the "ripple effect" I was hoping for when I sought out the <a href="http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031767&ref=sr_shorturl_grants">Target grant</a> over a year ago!<br /></p>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-30825735414493809492011-02-11T03:24:00.000-08:002011-02-11T03:34:12.248-08:00Race To NowhereI wanted to share a link to a film, <a href="http://www.racetonowhere.com/home">Race to Nowhere</a>, I watched with some friends last night at Haddonfield High School. It was a powerful film about the effects of the demanding educational standards parents, teachers, colleges have on some kids. It looked closely at what kids are doing to their bodies to keep up with not only their academics, but also their religious classes, sports and community work. Stating that kids don't get into good school just because of academics. They need to be almost perfect at everything in order to be considered at some colleges.<br />A large part of the movie was devoted to the research that did not support hours and hours of homework. Yet, homework seemed to be the single thread that was stressing the kids out and causing them to take stimulants, not sleep and cheat. The film also looked at what these kids were learning. Many kids pointed out they can't remember what information they learned on tests or homework because they just needed to "cram it in and then let it out". Doctors and lawyers spoke about how the young adults coming into their profession can't think. They are so used to being "coached". This was a scary thought for them because who will be the leaders in their professions if no one is thinking.<br />I took a lot away from this film as a Mommy. "What homework do you have tonight?", will not be the first thing out of my mouth when I greet my 2nd grader anymore! As a teacher, I am looking into my homework practices. Two books about the homework topic in the film.<br />Librarians have a role in adding inquiry into their collaborative projects. Leading the way to show the importance of critical thinking for our students not simple recall.<br />It was quite a powerful film. Please leave a comment if you have seen the film and it moved you as well.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-42597021930365300852011-01-19T03:58:00.000-08:002011-01-19T04:01:08.860-08:00Literature Links<style>@font-face { font-family: "Times"; }@font-face { font-family: "Cambria"; }p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal { margin: 0in 0in 10pt; font-size: 12pt; font-family: "Times New Roman"; }a:link, span.MsoHyperlink { color: blue; text-decoration: underline; }a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed { color: purple; text-decoration: underline; }div.Section1 { page: Section1; }</style> <p class="MsoNormal">The MHA library was the recipient of an <a href="http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031821">Early Childhood Reading Grant</a> from Target stores this summer. Whoo hoo! With budgets shrinking and programs being cut, the grant was welcomed news. The grant allowed me to create a program called <a href="http://web.me.com/amylking/LL/Welcome.html">Literature Links</a>. The goal of the program was simple: To Help Parents and Kids Connect with Books through Strategic Reading. <span style="">Research shows that when parents become involved in their children reading their children reading achievement grows and stronger families of readers are built. (Darling, Westberg 2004) </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">The Literature Links parent book club studied the book 7 Keys to Comprehension by Susan Zimmermann. In the book, 7 comprehension strategies were examined to help readers make meaning from the texts. At the Literature Links Book Club, parents learned about these strategies each week. Through interactive activities parents were encouraged to “Try It!” with their own children. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">In order to help parents continue to utilize the strategies they learned in the book club and to reach out to other families unable to attend, a library backpack program was developed. The MHA library now offers 30 backpacks to circulate among K-2 students. Each of the 30 backpacks contain two library books based on a theme. The backpacks also include a prompt sheet that should be used when families are reading and discussing the theme’s literature. Parents are able to use these prompts before, during or after the reading of the literature. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="">The program has been so successful at our school. Parents have been quite vocal of how much they have learned from this program. Literature Links will even be featured on an upcoming segment of the NJEA show Classroom Close Up! I am presenting this idea to other NJ librarians this Thursday at our local Barnes and Noble. I have included the website that I will be sharing with them. It contains resources that librarians could use to begin a similar program in their library. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://web.me.com/amylking/BN/Welcome.html">http://web.me.com/amylking/BN/Welcome.html</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Happy Reading! </p>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-25044485529301254542010-12-01T17:01:00.000-08:002010-12-01T17:33:42.737-08:00Colaboration in the Real WorldI am thrilled to be co-presenting at the <a href="http://www.njasl.org/news_conferences_fall.shtml">NJASL fall conference</a> on Friday with two amazing ladies. <a href="http://www.medford.k12.nj.us/221120427113026583/site/default.asp?">Jackie Albright Pugh</a> and <a href="http://www.medford.k12.nj.us/220820622111831150/site/default.asp">Katie Eagen-Casale</a> are two librarians that work in my district. This year they have the daunting task of maintaining not one, but two school libraries. I am in awe of how they daily meet many challenges and yet still aggressively seek collaboration opportunities in both schools! Our presentation provides many strategies for librarians that are struggling to keep the collaboration part of their library program and those who are looking to start collaborative efforts within their district. We share many examples of what has worked for us. The Power Point and other resources are available <a href="http://web.me.com/amylking/NJASL10/Welcome.html">here</a>.<br />I will be honest and say it was wonderful to collaborate with other librarians and to participate in conversations surrounding the happenings of school libraries again. I am looking forward to a great conference. At the top of my NJASL list is getting the opportunity to hear and meet <a href="http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/about/">Buffy Hamilton</a> finally! My former professor and friend <a href="http://www.inforetriever.net/shayneoct04.html">Shayne Russell</a> will be presenting “New Technologies for Program, Promotion & Productivity @ Your Library.” Look for my tweets!Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-37457068343423644652010-06-19T15:52:00.000-07:002010-06-19T16:23:58.274-07:00The End of the YearThis year's annual report will be almost entirely digital. Once again I have been inspired by <a href="http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2010/06/01/the-unquiet-library-multimedia-annual-report-2009-10/">Buffy Hamilton</a>. Mine is not as fancy, but I think the opening movie is a perfect way to sum up our year.<br /><br />I love the idea of the annual report. It allows me to look back and see all the learning that has taken place not only by the students and teachers, but myself! The library in my school has made such a transformation in the last two years and I feel honored to have been a part of it. The administration, teachers, parents and students have been so willing to allow change to happen!<br /><br />This year will be my last year in the library. Due to the dramatic funding cuts in New Jersey my district will not have a full time librarian in each building. I am fortunate that I will be returning to the classroom. (2nd grade!) Although I am embracing this new opportunity, I will miss this position terribly! I have only been a librarian for two years, but it has been the most rewarding two years of my 16 year career.<br /><br />This is the link to the report. As always, I welcome any feedback.<br /><a href="http://web.me.com/amylking/EOY2010/Welcome.html">http://web.me.com/amylking/EOY2010/Welcome.html</a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-90691330879057907702010-06-13T11:11:00.000-07:002010-06-13T11:34:16.789-07:00Sandwich Board ResearchMany classes have been collaborating with me in the area of Reading Workshop. Some classes come to the library once a week to have their reading workshop time in the library. The kids love the change of space and the teachers love the team teaching opportunity. Some classes focused on non fiction texts at the end of the year. After reading <a href="http://www.heinemann.com/products/E01230.aspx">Collaboration and Comprehension by Stephanie Harvey and Harvey Daniels</a>, I was so excited to try out some of their suggestions. Mrs. Demski was one of the teachers who shared her class with me for a non fiction unit. In the book, there are specific lessons about instructing children to code the text, take notes and write summaries from what they learned. We used these lessons over several weeks with much success. The kids were truly engaging with the text. They were writing notes in their own words unlike the straight copying we had observed in the past. We were so excited about their learning we wanted them to share it with other classes. In the book, it had mentioned the idea of a sandwich board to convey your message to others.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/TBUjb8VmIyI/AAAAAAAAAeE/QVoQmQq2qK0/s1600/photo+5%282%29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 266px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/TBUjb8VmIyI/AAAAAAAAAeE/QVoQmQq2qK0/s320/photo+5%282%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482327084353594146" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/TBUjRFal4ZI/AAAAAAAAAd0/xaLQL1XN9GA/s1600/photo+2%283%29.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 268px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/TBUjRFal4ZI/AAAAAAAAAd0/xaLQL1XN9GA/s320/photo+2%283%29.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482326897811906962" border="0" /></a> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/TBUjXUx4v5I/AAAAAAAAAd8/gZyEuuh_G04/s1600/photo+4.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 202px; height: 269px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/TBUjXUx4v5I/AAAAAAAAAd8/gZyEuuh_G04/s320/photo+4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482327005015359378" border="0" /></a><br />We thought it would be a great visual to go along with the oral information the children would provided the visiting classes. We had her class be creative with their art supplies and decorate the front with the factual information they learned. The back was to be an advertisement to encourage children in other classes to approach them. We decided to just invite the other 5th grade students due to limited time. Mrs. Demski's class was positioned around the library ready for the approaching students. It was amazing listening to the students explain their research and answer questions from the other classes. The visiting classes were impressed with the knowledge of their friends. Some even checked out books about topics that were discussed because they wanted to learn more! How exciting! This text is our teacher book club choice for next year, so stay tuned for more posts about this great book.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-12017213753444080022010-06-06T12:08:00.000-07:002010-06-06T14:58:35.205-07:00End of the Year Survey QuestionsI am knee deep in data right now compiling the library's end of the year report. As I am sharing some funny statements from the kids on Twitter, some of you have asked for the questions I asked them. I felt that the easiest way to share the tools was a quick blog post. I created a quick Google site to share the word document that I used for grades one and two. (I use some of the drawings to jazz up the report.) I included a link to my website that has the Zoomerang survey questions I use with grades third through fifth. I also have attached the results of the Zoomerang survey I gave to the teachers. These questions are specific to my school, but please feel free to use them as a springboard for your own survey questions. I will post the final report soon.<br /><a href="http://sites.google.com/site/endoftheyearforms/" dir="ltr">http://sites.google.com/site/endoftheyearforms/</a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-50460939947745155812010-03-27T06:54:00.000-07:002010-03-28T08:55:40.891-07:00Family Literacy Night<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/S6977eETLjI/AAAAAAAAAdc/xaohPEztK9E/s1600/IMG_3511.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/S6977eETLjI/AAAAAAAAAdc/xaohPEztK9E/s320/IMG_3511.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5453713935382556210" border="0" /></a><br />Long before I became the librarian at Allen, I wanted to have a Family Literacy Night. This year, as the librarian, I was able to make it happen. Literacy nights are a wonderful way to spread the love of reading with your school families along with promoting the your libraries services. This year we connected the Family Literacy Night to our year long <a href="http://timetorenew.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-geek-mha-library.html">Geek Campaign</a>. Here is the website I created to be used as a "How To" guide. I hope others will be ready to create their own Literacy Nights in their libraries. I welcome your comments and suggestions!<br />This is the url:<a href="http://web.me.com/amylking/Family_Literacy_Night/Home.html"><br />http://web.me.com/amylking/Family_Literacy_Night/Home.html</a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-17184298224669875102010-03-20T19:39:00.000-07:002010-03-20T19:47:51.091-07:00My Trip to Second Life<p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span>On Tuesday night, I participated for the first time in a Second Life meeting. I had received an email from the Teacher Librarian Ning I belong to that read “<span style="color: black;">Make plans to join your colleagues on Tuesday, March 16<sup>th</sup>at 8pm ET/7pm CT/6pm MT/5pm PT for a very special event, “A Chat with Sara Kelly Johns”. Sara is a candidate in the election for ALA President and she will speak to librarians about her platform and her vision for ALA.” I thought this would be a great opportunity to try out this environment and hear Sara's platform. I had to create an avatar for myself first and got my husband to help. Shopping in second life was just as frustrating as in my real life even with a thin avatar! I didn’t want to spend any real money, but there only seemed to be inappropriate outfits for free. I couldn’t possibly meet the future ALA president looking like a “lady of the night”! We eventually got an appropriate outfit and Tuesday night I transported to the location of the meeting. I was able to sit right next to Sara Kelly Johns. My cyber friend Buffy Hamilton was there for a bit too. Sara’s power point was available for us and a chat box appeared so we could ask her questions. I went back in forth between Twitter and the meeting so I could share some of Sara’s message. I loved her push for more collaboration between the public libraries and school libraries. She stated, “strong school libraries make stronger public libraries.” It would be a huge boost for school librarians if Sara is voted in as ALA president. </span></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span>I have to be honest and say I am not really sure about the whole Second Life thing for use in education. I know that some schools have purchased islands and students create things in Second Life as projects. I am not a fan of video games, so the whole set up was uncomfortable in that way. I will say it was great “seeing” people while we chat. I feel isolated in the postings of my online Rutgers class because it is just words. I am visual and enjoyed watching the others participate in Second Life. Sara had a mic and spoke about her power point, which made the meeting more personal. I could also hear the passion in her voice something that would not have been achieved through just typing. So maybe teachers could have kids go to a class in Second Life even though they would be in the same real room in real life? </span><span>Is anyone using Second Life in their library? Does anyone have any experiences in how this could be used for projects? Any examples they would like to share with me?<br /></span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span>I am not sure if I will attend another Second Life event, but I am glad I had the experience. I feel if a parent or administrator questions me about the Second Life environment I will have a small background to answer. I enjoy trying out these new tools and seeing how the can benefit our students.<br /></span></p>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-44497796346050112632010-02-20T05:35:00.000-08:002010-02-20T05:56:48.727-08:00Prezi - Dr. SeussI have been looking into a new site called Prezi. This site allows you to create more visually appealing presentations rather than just a standard PowerPoint. I saw one that <span>Dianne McKenzie created on <a href="http://librarygrits.blogspot.com/2009/09/reflections-on-busy-week.html">her blog</a>. It was so cool! The upcoming Dr. Seuss biography lesson seemed like a great time to try this out. I found the site a bit confusing at first. Their online tutorials were not as helpful as they could be, but I was able to figure it out. There are some parts of my presentation I would like to improve such as layering more artwork under the text and adding my talking points in a note section. I feel this is a good start. The presentation will be used with all of my classes this week when they come in for a book exchange. One of the ways we celebrate Read Across America is with a daily triva question read over the loud speaker of our school. The first homeroom to buzz in with the answer wins a book from the library for their classroom library. This year, we will use the information in this Prezi to create the questions for the kids. The embedded version here does cut off some of the words in the show. If you click the Dr. Seuss link directly below the show it will take you to the Prezi site where it can be viewed full screen.<br /></span><br /><div class="prezi-player"><style type="text/css" media="screen">.prezi-player { width: 550px; } .prezi-player-links { text-align: center; }</style><object id="prezi_3i3hze1rj7nv" name="prezi_3i3hze1rj7nv" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="400" width="550"><param name="movie" value="http://prezi.com/bin/preziloader.swf"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="bgcolor" value="#ffffff"><param name="flashvars" value="prezi_id=3i3hze1rj7nv&lock_to_path=1&color=ffffff&autoplay=no"><embed id="preziEmbed_3i3hze1rj7nv" name="preziEmbed_3i3hze1rj7nv" src="http://prezi.com/bin/preziloader.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" bgcolor="#ffffff" flashvars="prezi_id=3i3hze1rj7nv&lock_to_path=1&color=ffffff&autoplay=no" height="400" width="550"></embed></object><div class="prezi-player-links"><p><a title="A few facts about this beloved author. " href="http://prezi.com/3i3hze1rj7nv/">Dr. Seuss Biography</a> on <a href="http://prezi.com/">Prezi</a></p></div></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-88238707139917186742010-01-22T03:25:00.000-08:002010-01-22T03:33:34.079-08:00Promeathean Board WorkshopOur district has always been wonderful in professional development for the teachers. I feel they listen to our needs and find excellent presenters. This week was no exception when we had a two hour delay for an in-service. Our presenter, Ms. Susan Eley, provided a valuable workshop for us on practical tips for using our Promethean boards.<br /><br />I came up with 12 new things I learned and have listed below.<br />1. "Drop a copy" feature<br />2. Placing obj into "My collection" instead of recreating them from scratch<br />3. Locking and unlocking obj<br />4. Making objects translucent<br />5. Using a camera tool to make a worksheet a picture and paste it into the flipchart<br />6. Attaching sound to an obj<br />7. Use the paint bucket to change the font color<br />8. Creating a hyperlink<br />9.Selecting multiple obj and clicking the trash can throws them away!<br />10. Create a "ticker tape" message<br />11. Changing the colors in my toolbar up to 24<br />12. Using the ink drop tool to create new colors<br /><br />I am planning on turn keying this new knowledge with the staff in a morning workshop. Susan provided valuable handouts and was flexible with her agenda when we stopped to ask questions. She created a wiki space that shows videos that she created for us to refer to in the future! Amazing! She was a wonderful resource! You can tell that she put a lot of thought into our needs and set things up for continual learning. As a bonus she works close to my district so it will be nice to actually see her face to face! <br /><br />Resources: <br /><a href="http://www.prometheanworld.com/">Promethean Board Information</a><br /><a href="http://www.prometheanplanet.com/">Promethean Planet</a><br /><a href="http://testeley.pbworks.com/Jan-19-2010-ActivBoard-Inservice">Susan's Wiki</a><br /><a href="http://mtlaurelschools.org/hillside/library/hslibrary.html">Susan's Website</a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-63763284955942400002009-11-14T07:20:00.001-08:002009-11-14T07:26:52.484-08:00Dr. Joyce Valenza<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sv7LS3CUTYI/AAAAAAAAAdI/QGFQLQ6fiCE/s1600-h/IMG_0093.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sv7LS3CUTYI/AAAAAAAAAdI/QGFQLQ6fiCE/s320/IMG_0093.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5403980127762926978" border="0" /></a>
<br /><meta name="Title" content=""> <meta name="Keywords" content=""> <meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"> <meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 2008"> <link rel="File-List" href="file://localhost/Users/Andy/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0clip_filelist.xml"> <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:documentproperties> <o:template>Normal.dotm</o:Template> <o:revision>0</o:Revision> <o:totaltime>0</o:TotalTime> <o:pages>1</o:Pages> <o:words>191</o:Words> <o:characters>1093</o:Characters> <o:company>Stompingbread Productions</o:Company> <o:lines>9</o:Lines> <o:paragraphs>2</o:Paragraphs> <o:characterswithspaces>1342</o:CharactersWithSpaces> <o:version>12.0</o:Version> </o:DocumentProperties> <o:officedocumentsettings> <o:allowpng/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:trackmoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:trackformatting/> <w:punctuationkerning/> <w:drawinggridhorizontalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:drawinggridverticalspacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:displayhorizontaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:displayverticaldrawinggridevery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:validateagainstschemas/> <w:saveifxmlinvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:ignoremixedcontent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:alwaysshowplaceholdertext>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:compatibility> <w:breakwrappedtables/> <w:dontgrowautofit/> <w:dontautofitconstrainedtables/> <w:dontvertalignintxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:latentstyles deflockedstate="false" latentstylecount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 16777216 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} --> </style> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal">Keynote speaker this morning at NJASL was <a href="http://www.sdst.org/shs/library/jvweb.html">Dr. Joyce Valenza</a>. What an amazing woman! She provided us with her first singing keynote presentation down the yellow brick road to search for the Wizard of Apps. She led us on the road to many online resources to provide our students with tools to build their digital citizenship, information literacy and foster their creativity. As she provided examples through video of her students living out their research, I was in awe of her work and wanting to move to her district for my son. Her presentation will be on Slideshare and her <a href="http://newtoolsworkshop.wikispaces.com/">Wiki</a> is a path of resources that she discussed. I was brave at the end to ask for a picture. She obliged with a kind smile. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dr. Valenza is such an empowering woman in our field and I feel fortunate to have been one of the lucky ones in the audience. Last year, it was her annual report that inspired me to write my own at the end of my first year. I am trying to slow my brain down to one thing to take away from her keynote, besides the Wizard of Oz theme song that is still playing in my head. <span style=""> </span>I think what I am walking away with today is the message to be a leader in my school for the benefit of the children. Be knowledgeable of the tools that they will be using and get them to dig deeper in their research process. So much to think about! </p> <!--EndFragment--> Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-9435312630735077932009-11-03T18:09:00.001-08:002009-11-05T12:51:15.490-08:00Collaboration - A JourneyThe <a href="http://web.me.com/amylking/Media_Center/Welcome.html">library</a> has been quite a buzz this year! We have hosted our book fair, begun our "Geek" campaign, started our morning book club "Book Chomp" and continue to be knee deep in many collaborative projects. At Allen, I have the benefit of having a both a fixed and flexible schedule. This assures, I meet with each class for an isolated library lesson and have open spots for collaborative lessons during classroom teacher's content times. Isolated library lessons would include book talks, Destiny instruction or lessons on the Dewey Decimal system. Collaborative lessons include the classroom teacher's content area being infused with the research process. When this happens, students benefit from a team teacher model and are able to make real world connections to the content. I am thankful that our school's technology teacher, <a href="http://www.allenschool.org/computerlab.htm">Maureen Schoenberger</a> and I work very closely. In most of these collaborative projects, Maureen is the facilitator of the end products that make us all go WOW! There are many librarians out there that also fill the tech teacher role. Not having to wear this hat all the time, allows me to dive deeper into the research process and continue to make sure meaning is in the front of our research goals.<br />Collaboration has not always been a part of our curriculum at our school. We have experimented with different models, created a planning form and had some bumps along the way. Our school is not at the point of true collaboration, but we are definitely headed in the right direction. We have a supportive principal, who makes collaboration a priority and a knowledgeable staff, that seeks ways to improve student achievement. Maureen and I were asked to clarify our collaborative journey with the staff at a past faculty meeting. We wanted to share our presentation to others on this collaboration journey.<br /><br /><div style="width:425px;text-align:left" id="__ss_2407787"><a style="font:14px Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;display:block;margin:12px 0 3px 0;text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/mschoenberger/collaboration-a-journey" title="Collaboration: A Journey">Collaboration: A Journey</a><object style="margin:0px" width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=cfakepathcollaborationpp-091102202219-phpapp02&rel=0&stripped_title=collaboration-a-journey" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"/><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"/><embed src="http://static.slidesharecdn.com/swf/ssplayer2.swf?doc=cfakepathcollaborationpp-091102202219-phpapp02&rel=0&stripped_title=collaboration-a-journey" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="355"></embed></object><div style="font-size:11px;font-family:tahoma,arial;height:26px;padding-top:2px;">View more <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/">presentations</a> from <a style="text-decoration:underline;" href="http://www.slideshare.net/mschoenberger">mschoenberger</a>.</div></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-61389463802643019292009-10-10T15:36:00.000-07:002009-11-06T06:07:44.031-08:00I geek mha library<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/StETKcTYG4I/AAAAAAAAAco/qKnSSj_jlzk/s1600-h/IMG_0143.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/StETKcTYG4I/AAAAAAAAAco/qKnSSj_jlzk/s320/IMG_0143.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5391111299056278402" border="0" /></a><br />When I moved into this position, I was unaware of the amount of marketing came with the job. I was so amazed with the amount of literature and conversations in the library community about how important it is to promote your resources. I really thought people just knew about the library and of course they would come. So naive!<br />In August, <a href="http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/about/">Buffy Hamilton</a> brought the geek campaign to my attention. I have been thinking "geeky" thoughts ever since! It is a brilliant campaign that I have tried to embrace at my school. I slowly started to use the term, hang signs, place "geek" stickers around and definitely created a buzz. We officially unveiled the geek campaign this week and it was the talk of the school.<br />Here is an outline of the geek lessons<br />1. Shared why I geek mha library.<br />2. Led them to define geek using <a href="http://geekthelibrary.org/">geekthelibrary.org</a> site.<br />3. Viewed a slide show of what their teachers geek from <a href="http://web.me.com/amylking/Geek/Welcome.html">my geek website</a>.<br />4. Students then created black signs to display in the library to share what they geek.<br />5. Challenged them to find their geek at our library!<br />The kids were excited about the geek idea and were proud when they found what they geeked on our shelves. It was such a valuable way to gain insight into their interests! Teachers told me that the students were coming up to them and saying, "I didn't know you kayaked." or "You geek bats?" "Why?" It created a lot of dialogue and excitement. Some students reported talking about it at dinner with their parents!<br />I am thankful the the library community at large is creating these tool kits to help librarians like myself. I feel that even my little school is doing its part to promote the importance of libraries on a larger scale. My hope is to carry the theme throughout the year and keep the excitement going! So look for more "geeky" posts.<br /><br />Kathleen and I finding our Geek @MHA Library this Halloween!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/SvQtZK1XpmI/AAAAAAAAAc8/pBy5UVcorb4/s1600-h/IMG_0158.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/SvQtZK1XpmI/AAAAAAAAAc8/pBy5UVcorb4/s320/IMG_0158.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5400991763552249442" border="0" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-60026099183748155812009-10-04T07:11:00.000-07:002009-10-04T07:32:59.808-07:00Making a difference<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/SsixoiOHkBI/AAAAAAAAAcg/WjKMjsycTvA/s1600-h/IMG_0119.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/SsixoiOHkBI/AAAAAAAAAcg/WjKMjsycTvA/s320/IMG_0119.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5388752264087703570" border="0" /></a><br /> Throughout my teaching years, I have had the experience of feeling I made a difference in a child's life. I have to say it is one of those things that keeps me going when I am frustrated with the "details" of being a teacher. When I was a classroom teacher, I had parents tell me their kids constantly talk about my class, loved a lesson or were so happy their kids could read now. I am finding you don't always get that immediate feedback from parents as a specials teacher. Recently I did and I wanted to share!<br /> Kate Fitzgerald is my contact at the public library near our school. We collaborated in June in hopes of increasing the number of students participating in the "Be Creative @ your library" summer reading program. Two students from my school logged over 124 hours of reading and were honored this week for their accomplishment! Kate and I were thrilled for many reasons. We are both looking at the success of our collaboration and making plans to continue the relationship between the school and public library. We also have formed a relationship with these girls around the love of reading. Getting to discuss books with kids is a perk of the job! Kate and I love to hear their thoughts, opinions and suggestions about books. One of the girls is even interested in "working" in the library for a girl scout badge!<br /> This little interaction has helped me to see the stepping stones of making a difference in kids lives one book at a time.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-79373074223465074782009-08-28T18:20:00.000-07:002009-08-28T19:09:26.047-07:00Library Goody BagsI am always impressed by the creative ways librarians get the word out about what their libraries have to offer. A request on Twitter is met with so many replies from generous librarian willing to share their ideas in hopes it will help others reach their patrons. Two such people from my PLN have been instrumental in helping me prepare for my upcoming year. <a href="http://informania.wordpress.com/about-2/">Fran Bullington</a> is a librarian in South Carolina. She sent me a pamphlet example of what she distributes to her teachers. The layout was simple and clear, just what I wanted. Fran outlined resources the library could offer, along with how to schedule a class, and where to find materials. With her permission, I tweaked it to meet my needs and could not be more pleased with the results. <a href="http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/about/">Buffy Hamilton</a> is an amazing librarian in Georgia. Recently she wrote about <a href="http://theunquietlibrarian.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/its-in-the-bag-welcome-back-to-the-library-goodness/">goody bags</a> for her teachers. As soon as I read her post I knew I wanted to do this for my staff too. However, Buffy had started collecting in May from her vendors, I had two weeks. Before I even finished gathering items for my bags, Buffy introduced me to the <a href="http://geekthelibrary.org/">Geek The Library</a> campaign happening in the Georgia libraries. So I did my best to combine the two.<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dy2gB0vrpbsubpwTSeCA-CRNcCQHqjoZGT-fu7N2odoS_boObJEJsKXXILKcXQhcjnw-_-qJc0VtA1IBp0ZAA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />The Goody Bags contain:<br />My pamphlet about the library<br />Lanyards from Britannica Online - New for us this year!<br />EBSCO stickers and magnets<br />Apple candle in a reusable wicker basket<br />Hersey kisses<br /><br />I followed Buffy's packaging with brown bags with self adhesive book pockets on the front. I created stickers from avery labels that said I geek mha library. In the pocket, I created another label with our contact information to affix on our old library cards. My six year old son was such a trouper! He helped with the stickers and loved filling the bags.<br /><br />Thanks to Buffy, Fran and all of the many librarians who share ideas through their blogs, twitter and nings. Look for more GEEK stuff soon.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-22142744656694858432009-07-01T11:32:00.000-07:002009-07-02T06:37:35.814-07:00End of the Year ReportI was encouraged to complete an annual report from my Rutgers classes. Joyce <span><span class="label fullname"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Valenza</span></span></span> shared her report through Twitter and I was just amazed. Dianne McKenzie wrote about the importance of creating these reports on her <a href="http://librarygrits.blogspot.com/">blog</a>. I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">wholeheartedly</span> agree with her reasons. She asked for other librarians out there to share there reports, so I am bravely answering her request. At the end of her blog post is a site she set up for all librarians to post their reports.<br /> For my annual report, I collected student and teacher data from surveys I developed through <a href="http://www.zoomerang.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Zoomerang</span></a>. Questions for the surveys were based on research articles from my Rutgers class and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">conversations</span> with classmates. I used my Destiny software and <a href="http://titlewave.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Titlewave</span></a> resources to help gather collection statistics.<br /> The process was time consuming, yet so beneficial. I feel I have a strong foundation on which I can build from year after year. Thank you Dianne for creating this valuable network tool. I already see things that I will include in my report for next year. Learning from each other will make our profession stronger and will benefit our students.<br /> My report can be found at <a href="http://web.me.com/amylking/Report/Welcome.html">http://web.me.com/amylking/Report/Welcome.html</a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-21816863692640803952009-05-09T18:33:00.000-07:002009-05-10T07:21:09.117-07:00Evidence-Based Practice in the library.I am ending my class at Rutgers this week. No surprise the last topic is assessment. How do we document the learning that takes place in our libraries. One of the many interesting articles I read this week comes from the Library Media Connection "Can You Find Evidence-Based Practice in Your School Library? (Geitgey & Tepe, March 2007). The authors discuss the turn from statistical collection data to data that documents student learning and achievement, Evidence-Based Practice or EBP. They outline three steps for beginners, like me, to realize about EBP. I want to share what those steps are and how I plan to address them in my library setting.<br /><br /><div> <span style="font-weight: bold;">#1. Know the research that demonstrates how school libraries affect learning.</span> Being in the middle of finalizing my library certificate I am surrounded by library research. Will this always be the case? I have set up a google reader account to ensure that I continue to follow blogs that discuss library issues and assessment. I have key journal alerts set up through EBSCO host that bring library information to my inbox. I also follow librarians like Christopher Harris, Joyce Valenza and Michael Stephens on Twitter that provide links, ideas and transcripts from library conferences. Surrounding myself with current research is a must for this profession.<br /><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">#2. Mesh this knowledge with your own wisdom to build student learning.</span> The authors point out that the data that is collected must "relate to instruction much more than the program." They encourage the librarian to view the item analysis from the state tests to look for correlations from the content standards tested to the library standards. By meeting with my principal later this year to review this data, I will be able to make collaborative unit recommendations that will allow me to focus library instruction on those standards that are tested.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-weight: bold;">#3 Work with your own school library to collect edvidence that shows you do make a difference. </span>I was already planning on having library skills be included in collaborative project rubrics next year. However, after reading the authors' suggestions, I am now designing student reflection sheets, surveys, exit slips and checklists as well.I will start with a student reflection sheet before this year ends about how students felt the library helped them this year.<br /><br />The authors do not stop with encouraging librarians to gather data, but to create a plan to share that data. They encourage us to share the evidence with teachers, administration, parents and the community. I will start small this year and present this the data I have from reflection sheets and teacher surveys to my principal. At the meeting where we discuss the test standards, I will share next year's plan to show Evidence-Based Practice in the library.<br /><br />I welcome any suggestions you may have to guide me along this path. I promise to post my plan as soon as it is outlined.<br /></div>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-73632327889659980552009-03-15T16:53:00.000-07:002009-03-15T16:56:32.027-07:00New Furniture!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sb2Vc-fOGjI/AAAAAAAAAWI/JTNCaBhG6DA/s1600-h/IMG_0017.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 192px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sb2Vc-fOGjI/AAAAAAAAAWI/JTNCaBhG6DA/s320/IMG_0017.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313567460409874994" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The couches from Ikea arrived not too long ago. It really helps make the room more cozy! The kids love them.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sb2VXzNOXBI/AAAAAAAAAWA/Ytfc2SxgV9s/s1600-h/IMG_0016.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 186px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sb2VXzNOXBI/AAAAAAAAAWA/Ytfc2SxgV9s/s320/IMG_0016.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5313567371482258450" border="0" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-46239970807100371422009-03-04T14:58:00.000-08:002009-03-04T17:40:52.163-08:00Brandon Mull<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sa8r20om37I/AAAAAAAAAVQ/0DSdIkazAl0/s1600-h/IMG_3739.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sa8r20om37I/AAAAAAAAAVQ/0DSdIkazAl0/s320/IMG_3739.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309510706534997938" border="0" /></a>When I found out that <a href="http://www.brandonmull.com/">Brandon Mull</a> was coming to my school, I quickly went to read his books to prepare my students. I am not a fantasy reader at all. My feet need to be on the ground. Therefore, I bypassed the book with the witch on the front and began <a href="http://www.candyshopwar.com/">The Candy Shop War</a>. I finished it in two days and my appreciation of Brandon Mull and his craft began. I told everyone I knew about this book! To me, Brandon's writing was J.K. Rowling with a dose of Stephen King. The characters he created were so lovable and realistic you felt as if they were your friends. The idea of magical candy was just comical to me. What kid wouldn't do anything to have some candy with magical powers? I then moved to <a href="http://www.fablehaven.com/">Fablehaven</a>. The concept behind the book is that the magical creatures, like fairies and dragons, do exist but they are endangered and now live on wildlife preserves. There are strict rules that must be obeyed and in this way all is kept in order. Enter two children Kenrda and Seth, whose curiosity over their grandfathers property soon threatens to overturn that law of order. Wow! I am in awe of imaginations that can create entire worlds but even more in awe of the visual images that are created through Brandon's words.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sa8sBnzoqKI/AAAAAAAAAVY/Nj9p_Td-Bh8/s1600-h/IMG_3742.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sa8sBnzoqKI/AAAAAAAAAVY/Nj9p_Td-Bh8/s320/IMG_3742.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309510892070152354" border="0" /></a><br />Brandon is continuing an extensive New Jersey school tour promoting the fourth book of the Fablehaven series. He made an appearance at our school today and the kids went nuts! Brandon's message for kids was just as inspiring as his writing. He encouraged all of them to use their imagination. Brandon pointed out that when children watch TV or video games they are using <span style="font-style: italic;">someone else's</span> imagination, but when they read they are using their <span style="font-style: italic;">own</span>! He outlined two ways to make your imagination stronger. 1. Read 2. Create Simple yet powerful! Brandon also encouraged the kids to write about their lives, pointing out that they can be more descriptive when they write from what they know. Brandon explained that even in a fantasy book, such as Candy Shop Wars, the town where the story takes place was based on a real town that he lived in as a kid. It is this personal connection, he said, that allows his writing to be more descriptive and believable to his readers. I agree! Brandon also encouraged the children to value the feedback they receive from their teachers and peers. He displayed a copy of a page from Fablehaven with all of the revision marks from his editor. The children gasped! Brandon shared that it is this feedback makes him a better writer.<br />I was so impressed with the powerful messages he gave to our students today. I feel that his message came from his true passion for wanting children to read and create using their imagination. It was an honor to meet him at what is certainly the beginning of a long creative career.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sa8sLdlFTXI/AAAAAAAAAVg/ruPuLCd3jKo/s1600-h/IMG_3753.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 160px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_n9aoj7r-ntc/Sa8sLdlFTXI/AAAAAAAAAVg/ruPuLCd3jKo/s320/IMG_3753.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309511061123452274" border="0" /></a>Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5340991350084091980.post-20670592679019367562009-03-01T15:23:00.000-08:002009-03-01T15:35:25.704-08:00EBSCO Search Engines for K-5 studentsBy exploring EBSCO’s Searchasaurs, Kids Search and Student Research Center a definite developmental continuum between the three search engines emerged. Not only does the amount of information found increase through each database, but the features grow to meet student’s needs as well. Each search engine layout builds upon the previous site. This guarantees that children will locate information with confidence and a sense of familiarity. Searchasaurus is a great place to begin with second and third grade. Young students are able to navigate through the pages easily and they will be able to read most of the content. The topic search feature helps to further visualize the concept of sub categories. Having children visualize the relationship between topics and subtopics is so important in building a solid searching foundation. The children will click on the animal dinosaur to learn about animals. The screen then reveals several sub topics like birds, mammals and habitats. The children will then be able to choose birds to narrow their search. Once on the bird page several topics are listed. At the top of the screen the pictures of the source choices are shown. Teachers are able to show how to reduce the number of results by asking the students what information they want to know about birds. By selecting animals at the top the results go down to 1,078. The children will also see specific birds listed. With Searchasaurus, teachers are able to begin search strategies such as terms in quotes, and Boolean terms. Third graders will find more information is needed as the year progresses and will find by the end of the year that Kids Search meets their needs more than Searchasaurus. <br /><br />Kids Search contains more advanced searching options to help narrow a topic for fourth and fifth graders. There are now side tabs as well as filters on the top. The Detailed Search option allows the children to see how Boolean terms are added as well as filtering results before hitting the search button. Primary Source documents have been added to the sources as well as folders to save the search results and documents. In this way, children can access the documents from their library, classroom or homes. The Primary Source documents allow for more discussions to take place about the different kinds of sources students come into contact with and how to evaluate those sources. The folder feature takes into account the growth of the searching process. It acknowledges that children at this age need more than one source for their research and provides a tool to help keep the children organized. Students are also able to see the title list of the databases and search exclusively from one periodical if they desire.<br /><br />Right away, Student Research Center looks more grown up. The cartoons have been replaced with photographs and the screen is filled with type rather than pictures. Student Research Center allows students to filter and narrow their topic from the homepage. Their choices are now more reflective of a middle school environment. Title lists reveal that Health Source - Consumer Edition, MAS Ultra - School Edition, Biography Collection Complete, and TOPICsearch have all been added to provide more “grown up” results. The topic of Animals is replaced with a sub-topic Wildlife under the science heading. The topics such as literary criticism, current events, and careers also suggest articles that stimulate discussion and points of view rather than simple fact-finding. Within Student Research Center, students still have access to sharing, printing and saving the information they find. When students save the articles, they are able to choose the proper citation format they need, greatly helping them document their sources properly. Taking the time to view these search engines side by side reveals how powerful searching instruction could be when Searchasaurus, Kids Search and Student Research Center are used as a developmental continuum with students.Amyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07929341166832440347noreply@blogger.com1