Showing posts with label ideas for library classes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ideas for library classes. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 12, 2021

JeopardyLabs- great tool for library & classroom

  You are going to LOVE JeopardyLabs!  The site was created by Matt Johnson, while working on his undergraduate degree at Washington State University, Vancouver. 

  JeopardyLabs makes it easy to create jeopardy games to use with your students. Building one is easy with the template provided. The games can be played online and students will love them!!

  If you don’t want to create your own, you search for games made by others. There are over 2 million games on jeopardylabs. You can also  keep track of points during play, add more than 3 teams if needed, and edit the games to fit your specific needs.

  This is a really useful tool for review, or post/pre testing of  skills, vocabulary, or topics.

  If you go to the site and search for library skills, reading skills, or literature you will find many games that will be useful for you and your students.

https://jeopardylabs.com/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Teaching with Primary Sources: Historical Photographs

 Teaching with photographs( primary sources) motivates and encourages students to ask good questions and will eventually lead to higher order thinking.  Primary Source photographs inspire students to think about the past an relate it to their life today.

  As educators we need to determine questions about each photograph.  Students will need to study and investigate the photograph to locate information and  think of an answer to a question.
 This  will bring an emphasis on inquiry learning with encourages  learns to observe, analyze,  and form their own ideas on the primary source, This also helps them build knowledge.

More information will follow  about the Library Of Congress website - check this out for Primary Sources useful for American History.

https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html

Wednesday, June 1, 2016

It's June! End of year!

     I'm getting ready for the end of school! It's been a long  and interesting year!  7th grade has been a challenge to say the least! I think having the centers was a good idea and I will prepare some  more for next year to have set up for when students visit.   As far as I know, I will not be having 7th grade classes but will be working more closely with the teachers doing student based projects!!  So excited about that!!

      Over the summer I will be checking out some ideas  to get the teachers prepared to collaborate with me when they are doing their projects. This is really the way to run a library and have the students really learn how to use the resources that they need to use.

      I will write more about this over the summer . But I am looking for ideas on how to get teachers to collaborate so please  join in the conversation  of your ideas and suggestions, and what you do if you are in a situation where you have a flexible schedule  for student teacher collaboration.

Sunday, December 13, 2015

Library Centers- Middle School- Survey's

  I am still searching for ideas for Middle school  library centers for my 7th grade classes. I have a few ideas of my own.  One activity I set up was survey.  I had four questions printed up about what they had learned and what activity they had liked.   My first attempt I did as a whole group and then I adjusted it to  a center activity.

  I printed out directions and stuck out post it notes.  On each post it , students were to write the numbers 1 to 4 and answer the questions.  They were supposed to answer in one or two words.   Then they stuck the posts it to the tables.  At the end of the  period, we quickly read most of the responses.

 I am planning to do  more surveys such as this  as a center activity.  The whole group survey was a little chaotic and I did not get  numbered answers,  I was thinking of doing a Family Feud type of thing as a review type of thing  when I do a survey of All the students , but that is for the next time.

Sunday, November 15, 2015

Classroom Management-ClassDojo

     I am trying a classroom behavior management program called ClassDojo.  It is an online tool for teachers to track behavior  and work habits.
   The  app can go on your iphone or android and you can  actually add "Points" to students as you teach lessons and they work on activities.  There is also the option to  take away points or give a (-) to those who need more work regarding staying on task, talking out, and  having unacceptable behavior,

     You plug in your students ( I was actually able to do it from School Tool- our  attendance & grading tool for our district.  I am hoping this will work out well- it is up to me to be consistent with it.  Check it out - I will let you know how it works for me.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Shift Happens-2014

I showed this brief youtube video today and we had some really good discussions about technology and how we should us it. I was surprised that some students thought that too much technology was  not good for health and some even said that it was bad.  All in all most classes were good and  took notes on how technology is changing our lives!

  I gave them a list of topics to look for and they were to take  notes.Some found it hard(these are 7th graders)   I also had them thinking about  what careers would require them to know the latest technology.

Look up Do you Know-shift happens 2014- that is the one I used!

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

FREE Library Lesson!

This lesson will be here FREE for a short time only and then will be for sale on TeacherPayTeachers. Join here at the Organized librarian to be up to date for the next free lesson! Each one I will place for free before I put on TeacherPayTeachers.  

      Library Lessons With The Midnight Librarian


     The Midnight Librarian by Kazuno Kohara (Roaring Book Press, 2014) is a great read aloud for introducing students in Kindergarten and First Grade to the library.   Use it  at the beginning of the year or any time  to review.  


 Read the story  aloud to the students.   Discussion questions can be asked  at the end 0f the story or at occasions where students can use text and illustration cues to answer the questions.


  1. What do the animals do in the library? ( p3-4)
  2. What was the correct behavior in the reading room? (P5-6)
  3. Was there a hole in the roof?
  4. Was it raining in the library?
  5. Why was the wolf crying?
  6. What jobs did the librarian do in the library?
  7. What jobs did the owl assistants do in the library?
  8. How did the little librarian help the tortoise?
  9. How is the library in the book different from our library?
  10. What do you think are some good library manners ?


Answer key:
  1. read books
  1. Correct behavior- being quiet
  2. NO there was not a hole in the roof.
  3. NO it was not raining
  4. The wolf was crying because the book was sad.
  5. help animals pick a perfect book, put away books
  6. she made him a card so he could borrow books.
  7. answers will vary
  8. Answers will vary: be quiet, put books away,


Word Puzzle - The Midnight Librarian


Word Bank:  Librarian, Instruments, Yawn, Rain, Assistant, Read, borrow


1. Person who helps find the perfect book   L _ _ r_ _  _ _ _


2.what the squirrels played                            I _ _ t _ _ m_ _ _ _


3.Tortoise was allow to  take book                b _  _ _ o _


4.What  the animals did  in the library           r _ _ d


5.One who helped the librarian                     a _ _ i _ _ _ _


6.when the wolf cried                                      r _ _ _


7, owls did after story & fell asleep               y _ _ n


Answer Key


  1. Librarian
  2. Instruments
  3. Borrow
  4. Read
  5. Assistant
  6. Rain
  7. Yawn

Matching ( terms and definitions) The Midnight Librarian


Copy  this page  ( Make several copies)  and  cut apart. Glue onto cards Have two  or three students work together to match terms.  This can be also done during  time when there are students who are finished with book check out or are not checking out books. Make a easy check by  placing on the back  books!  on the cards that go together.


          Place where all  the  books are

           reads you good books
                Library assistants

            lets you borrow books
                Library behavior

            being quiet and respectful


                 Librarian
                Library
                Library cards

  take a book home and then bring it back.
                  borrow

      Helps put books away
Answer key on back of
place where all the books are - Library               B
library assistant- helps put books away               o  (1)
library behavior- being quiet and respectful      o ( 2)
Librarian- reads  you good books                            k
library cards- lets you borrow books                       s
borrow -take a book home & bring it back            !

The Midnight Librarian


Sequence  Game  : Students can work in pairs to put the following cards or strips of paper in the right order after listening to the story.  After everyone is done,  you can review as a class or have another pair at the table check work.


Animals  come at night to the library to read
                                                           
                                                                                         
The Tortoise can finish his book.


The Little Librarian reads to the owls as they fall asleep.


Little Librarian & her three owl  assistants help find the perfect book.


The Little librarian asks “Please be quiet in the reading room”


The Little Librarian takes the squirrels to the activity room.


The Little Librarian makes the tortoise a  library card.


It starts to rain inside the library.


The little librarians and her assistants read to the wolf.




Bands of squirrels play music looking for a good song.

Other Books Written and Illustrated  by Kazuno Kohara


Here Comes Jack Frost /Roaring Book Press, 2009


Ghosts in the House/ Roaring Book Press,2012


Little Wizard/Pan Macmillan,, 2011


The Haunted House/ Macmillan Children's Books, 2008


Susan Pierce Couture is a career librarian ,  with experience in both public and school libraries.  Currently , she is a branch manager in a public library system.  You can  connect with her at her blog  : TheOrganizedLibrarian. blogspot.com

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Wired Wednesday- Technology Tools

    Having readers make book trailers  is a great motivator for continued reading among all students. Students promoting books provides skill practice in many areas ( reading, writing, organizing, analyzing, just to name a few).  Book trailers for readers can be in many forms,  many of the sites we have mentioned in this blog can be used to make book trailers, or posts  about favorite books,
  
   One site that is wonderful for this is :  http://www.booktrailersforreaders.com/

   Michelle Harderode, teacher librarian , has developed this  site. On it you can find  book trailers she has produced, and also student produced book trailers.  There are so many great features to this website.  There is a section on readers theater, authors book trailers and tips for making book trailers with students.  You can find trailers on newly released books.

   Under special features there is information on book trailers and the common core, research on the value of making book trailers, battle of the book information, and literacy lessons for school librarians.

  Since the sub title is "Spotlighting Books for Kids and Teens" , you can just start introducing this site to your students to help them find great books that they want to read!

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Technology Tools- Wired Wednesday

         Happy New Year to all!  Is everyone back in the swing of things yet?   I was really sick for almost the whole week of Christmas so I am slowly getting around and getting back to library world.  ( I knew I was sick when I could not even sit in front of the computer!!
        I have found some great  slide shows to use in my classes on Slideshare.net.   Check out this resource and share with your staff.   There are many many slide shows on here that can be used by anyone who has registered.    Comments can also be posted about the slide shows.
        If you have a presentation you want to share you can also place it on here  and the slide show can be seen  and used my many.  Anyone who need the topic you have completed can  use your  presentation  for their students.


SlideShare

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Tech Tools - Wired Wednesday- one day late

          I am a day late- We spent yesterday finishing our Christmas shopping and also doing some grocery shopping. We got home late - it was a tiring day!
           I found a great site that I have used in preparing my genre studies and  other lessons. . I have adapted some lessons from each one for the grades that I had taught the genres to. For the upper grades I like to highlight a different genre each month  with mini lessons and posters and displays.   I also encourage students to write down the genre on their  reading book list as they also have to do this for their teachers so why not keep track of ALL their reading.
          One of the best sites for almost any subject area and grade level is READWRITETHINK . This site is amazing when you take some time to look at all it has to offer.  There are classroom resources , lesson plans, interactive  tasks ,  activities based on the month, and printouts available. 
          There are professional development links to a great many tips and hints, and articles on teaching the different topics.  There are also  parent and after school resources.
    When you share this with your staff, they will treat like a rock start because they will LOVE it!

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Technology Tools- Wired Wednesday

        A new tool is  Tagxedo.  This is very similar to Wordle  , users produce word clouds on a specific subject.  However with  Tagxedo , word clouds are formed into a specific shape selected by the creator.  Words are sized according to the frequency of how often they are used.

     This tool is more fun and users can be more creative, but they also need to be more focused in their creation.  One can chose from standard fonts to use custom fonts. Also there is the capability to change fonts, themes, colors and shape.

     On  the site there are  many assists. One  is  101 ways to use Tagxedo which show many ways to use with with students.   Turning words into art work will appeal to many users.

     Look over the site and see how you might use it with  your students.  Although I have not used it yet I can see using  Tagxedo as a culminating project for research  and  a way to share author studies. another idea would be to have students pair up and do  Dewey clouds  for each of the categories,  and then display each one by each section of the library.


Tagxedo

Monday, November 12, 2012

Promoting Reading- Reading Displays!

     What are the ways that you promote reading?  Do you have reading contests and challenges? Holding Battle of the Books, and Caldecott Challenge are two ways , but there are lots of other ways.  Book displays,  posters are simple ways.
      Have student create displays  and posters for their favorite books. They can work individually or in small groups. I usually like to put two or three friends together and ask them to create a book display. They also make a small poster to tell what their display is about .  I find that when friends work together they can agree on what are their favorites and come up with great displays..
       I also hold this display as a contest and at the end of the specified time  have students vote on their favorite display. Winners are awarded prizes.

Friday, October 26, 2012

School Library Signage & Library Vocabulary

           At the school level, especially the elementary , signage is important.   If you have library vocabulary  for each grade level ( I do- and they are overlapping) then it is a good idea after introducing each term to make the word into some kind of signage.  
     
           After I introduce a term  by the following week, I like to make a sign for it. Depending on the word I may also place it where the items are ( example- Fiction and its defination  by the fiction section)
I make a sign for the word and a separate sign for the definition. This way I will occasionally take the definition down and see if the students knows what the word means.
 
          Other times I will move them around  to different spots in each section, or put them completely in a wrong section. Then we play a game - " What library words/ vocabulary are in the right place?"  This  helps student be more observant of the signs  and gets them to read them.
 
          How does this help? For starters, students see the term and the definition each time they are in the library.  If there is question about the word they can quickly look and see the definition.   I can review  with students by having them notice how many  library vocabulary we have learned each  month and year.

          This also helps to make the library a bright and colorful place to be. I use bright construction paper or colors on black. Sometimes I save the signs from year to year.  Sometimes I make new ones.  The signs also show the staff and administration that in our  learning library  there is always something new to learn and remember.

         I will continue this thread with more ideas on signage and vocabulary.  What do you do about library signs and library vocabulary?