Battle of the Books
On April 1st we have our first round of the Battle! The students did well and had fun. We will have 8 teams advancing to the second round which will be held in May.
The date is not yet determined so keep tuned!All students that participated received a certificate and a cool pen or pencil! Keep reading!
Battle of the books is a national competition that students in grades 3-7 compete in a reading challenge. Check here for the link: battleofthebooks.org/
This is a low cost way to provide a reading incentive for your students. Purchase the lists and questions from the organization. For prizes you can provide medals or prizes. This year I am getting prizes from businesses in the community.Last year I had a big party for all the readers.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Monday, April 4, 2011
Your Library website
Your Library Website
What should you have on your website? As 21st century librarians we need to have a web presence so that students can use some of your resources even when they are not in the actual school library.This is called your Virtual Library.
Hopefully your library website will link up to your schools webpage. By now you may have your blog up and running. So what else should you have on your site?
It is very important is your a link to your online card catalog. This way students can be in the classroom or at home and be checking out what books or resources you have available.
Another item you will want to have will be your online databases and perhaps also links to your statewide resources online that are available
for students to use. If you have links from your local region ( in NY we have area BOCES which provide for us several great databases for teachers and students to use) .
Do you have selected sites that students use in the computer lab or library? These are also great to have on your site so that students can easily connect to them. Most of ours are under a PortaPortal which I as the librarian maintain. This is an easy site to update any where you have internet service.
What is portaportal? A Portaportal is a free, server based bookmarking utility. Watch here for a link ! Using this helps students get to recommended sites quickly!
Selected Sites to Use for your Virtual Library!
1. www.blogger.com/tour- check this out. It will give you a tour and help you get started on your blog.
Copyright 2011- No duplication without permission of author.
What should you have on your website? As 21st century librarians we need to have a web presence so that students can use some of your resources even when they are not in the actual school library.This is called your Virtual Library.
Hopefully your library website will link up to your schools webpage. By now you may have your blog up and running. So what else should you have on your site?
It is very important is your a link to your online card catalog. This way students can be in the classroom or at home and be checking out what books or resources you have available.
Another item you will want to have will be your online databases and perhaps also links to your statewide resources online that are available
for students to use. If you have links from your local region ( in NY we have area BOCES which provide for us several great databases for teachers and students to use) .
Do you have selected sites that students use in the computer lab or library? These are also great to have on your site so that students can easily connect to them. Most of ours are under a PortaPortal which I as the librarian maintain. This is an easy site to update any where you have internet service.
What is portaportal? A Portaportal is a free, server based bookmarking utility. Watch here for a link ! Using this helps students get to recommended sites quickly!
Selected Sites to Use for your Virtual Library!
1. www.blogger.com/tour- check this out. It will give you a tour and help you get started on your blog.
Copyright 2011- No duplication without permission of author.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Battle of the books- round One
Battle of the Books
On April 1st we have our first round of the Battle! The students did well and had fun. We will have 8 teams advancing to the second round which will be held in May.
The date is not yet determined so keep tuned!
All students that participated received a certificate and a cool pen or pencil! Keep reading!
On April 1st we have our first round of the Battle! The students did well and had fun. We will have 8 teams advancing to the second round which will be held in May.
The date is not yet determined so keep tuned!
All students that participated received a certificate and a cool pen or pencil! Keep reading!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Fiction Book pass
My article about Fiction book passes will be published in the October Issue of Library Sparks! I did this same principal using non-fiction books to help students decide on a topic for their reports. MMMMM- another article?? Maybe!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Ideas on Professional reading! -
Well this is different- another snow day! Do you keep track of your reading - both professional and for fun? When I read for fun ( I love historical fiction and biographies ) I don't. I just read for pure enjoyment.
However when I do professional reading ( books, journals) I have my notebook with me.I like to jot down ideas that I gleam that I can use , ideas for lessons, quotes that inspire me, ideas for advocacy, or ideas to share with library colleagues or teachers. I can look back in this notebook and make sure I have the quote or idea correct.
However when I do professional reading ( books, journals) I have my notebook with me.I like to jot down ideas that I gleam that I can use , ideas for lessons, quotes that inspire me, ideas for advocacy, or ideas to share with library colleagues or teachers. I can look back in this notebook and make sure I have the quote or idea correct.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Author Visits -part 2
1. Get the students ready! Go on the internet and look at the authors website / or other resources and get information about the author. Talk to the students about the authors life and read them some of the authors books or chapters from the book if is a longer book. Put up posters around the school announcing the arrival , time and date of the author visit. Maybe you could have some of the older students make posters and place them around for you.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Author visits - Part I
1. Host an Author visit to your school. Contact your PTO / PTA and see if they can help with funding your author visit. Students love when authors visit! You might also contact your local library to see if you could collaborate with their program director to see if they have funding that might be helpful. We had Lindsay Barrett George. Visit her at LindsayBarrettGeorge.com
The first steps are: funding and contacting the author. What funds do you have for payment? Parent group- Assembly funds- other funding perhaps from the community?
Make sure you have resources for payment. You may also need to provide accommodations/ transportation so get that in line also.
Contact the author, and make the arrangements. When will he come? You will want to speak with administration before hand to determine what day and time will be appropriate for you author day. You don't want to be in conflict with another program or a testing
date.
Then we start the promotion: What can you do to promote the program. Firstly, the students. Hopefully you will have ( or can borrow) some of the authors works! Then begin to tell and read to the students ( or have them read) some of the authors works. Put up posters or do a bulletin board about your authors visit. If you are allowed outside visitors - contact your local news media and see if you can send a press release or short article for them to publish/ present.
The first steps are: funding and contacting the author. What funds do you have for payment? Parent group- Assembly funds- other funding perhaps from the community?
Make sure you have resources for payment. You may also need to provide accommodations/ transportation so get that in line also.
Contact the author, and make the arrangements. When will he come? You will want to speak with administration before hand to determine what day and time will be appropriate for you author day. You don't want to be in conflict with another program or a testing
date.
Then we start the promotion: What can you do to promote the program. Firstly, the students. Hopefully you will have ( or can borrow) some of the authors works! Then begin to tell and read to the students ( or have them read) some of the authors works. Put up posters or do a bulletin board about your authors visit. If you are allowed outside visitors - contact your local news media and see if you can send a press release or short article for them to publish/ present.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Another Snow day
We are officially out of snow days at our school - so now we are working on conference days and extra days we had at memorial day. So much for getting back into the swing of school days.
Yesterday was spent finishing up my monthly report where I update the administration about what we have done in the library.
Good News! I will have an article published in Library Sparks in October 2011!
Yesterday was spent finishing up my monthly report where I update the administration about what we have done in the library.
Good News! I will have an article published in Library Sparks in October 2011!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Review
The Collaboration Handbook by Toni Buzzeo
Toni Buzzeo has done it! . This slim volume is the definitive book that provides LMS’s with the tools to develop steps to collaboration in our schools. Every LMS to wants to begin to collaborate should read this book. Her book is also geared to administrators to show them how they can work with their LMS and teachers to promote collaboration.
The different levels of collaboration of LMS and teachers are first defined. Each level is described and expanded upon in the beginning chapters of the book. Each chapter outlays the level, and provides many find examples of the level of collaboration from schools across the US. The examples will give you ideas of how you can apply collaboration in your school. This is a work book, and there are places that you can write in your ideas, and places where you can evaluate your own levels of collaboration.
I was wishing the copy I read was my own. There were places I wanted to underline, and I wanted to fill in the action plans, the putting it to work charts, the discussion charts, and the tool charts for librarian s and administrators. This book (and some action on your part)will get you into the role of collaborator with your staff.
Toni Buzzeo has done it! . This slim volume is the definitive book that provides LMS’s with the tools to develop steps to collaboration in our schools. Every LMS to wants to begin to collaborate should read this book. Her book is also geared to administrators to show them how they can work with their LMS and teachers to promote collaboration.
The different levels of collaboration of LMS and teachers are first defined. Each level is described and expanded upon in the beginning chapters of the book. Each chapter outlays the level, and provides many find examples of the level of collaboration from schools across the US. The examples will give you ideas of how you can apply collaboration in your school. This is a work book, and there are places that you can write in your ideas, and places where you can evaluate your own levels of collaboration.
I was wishing the copy I read was my own. There were places I wanted to underline, and I wanted to fill in the action plans, the putting it to work charts, the discussion charts, and the tool charts for librarian s and administrators. This book (and some action on your part)will get you into the role of collaborator with your staff.
Another snow - ice day
I finished reading The collaboration Handbook ( Buzzeo) . Will be posting a review here ( and at Amazon) Watch for it soon!
Looks like our Easter vacation will be gone if this weather continues!
Looks like our Easter vacation will be gone if this weather continues!
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Snow is Falling
Another snow day !The snow is really coming down! I hope to finish my book and post a review here! I am reading Toni Buzzeo's The Collaboration Handbook. It is extremely interesting .
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