This week is dedicated to my sweet parents! This is our Spring Break, and they took our two boys on a lovely vacation so that I could do my best to complete my hours without being too distracted.
They left on Sunday, so that is when I began work. I worked more on the Level 1 Google Educator training. I am learning so much about features I have not ever used before in Google even though I use something in Google almost every day.
I also listened to a webinar from the AASL entitled AASL Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2015. Though the recording of the webinar is a bit glitchy, the information was great and I hope to use some of the apps at school. They have a website with a list of the apps here: http://www.ala.org/aasl/standards/best/apps/2015
On Monday I listened to a webinar on the AASL website which introduced the top websites for teaching and education. The list can be found here: http://www.ala.org/search-results?as_q=best%20websites%20for%20teaching%20and%20learning Another webinar I listened to on Monday was called "Brains Change @ Your Library". It was about making sure that in lessons and helping students you use higher order thinking skills through questioning and projects. One idea presented was that "If a question can be answered on Google, it is not using higher order thinking skills."
Throughout the day I was at Bowling Green High School. I worked at the circulation desk part of the day being available for students and checking in books. The rest of the day I spent "reading" the shelves. I was not familiar with that term, but I learned quickly! We are making sure that all of the books are in order so that the inventory will run more smoothly.
When I came home I spent more time working toward the Google Educator Level 1 certification. Again, I am learning so much about apps that can (and should) be used at school. I will spend some time on Tuesday using these new resources to create lessons to use.
Tuesday morning I stared the day listening to a webinar from AASL again, this time it is called "A School Librarian's Role in Preventing Sexting and Cyberbullying". It was a heavy subject to start the day with, but is was good to understand more about what is happening and get some resources for helping students. NetSmartz is a good resource for educators, parents, and kids. I would like to create some lessons using their videos and other resources, such as e-books.
At school I had a similar day to Monday. I spent time at the circulation desk being available to help students and helping some find the Dewy Decimal number they were in search of. I also spent time "reading the shelves" which is now a finished project!
After school I spent some time working on the Google Educator training and watching another webinar entitled "Building the Learning Environment - 'Engage, Interact, Immerse, Learn'" from AASL. They focused on quite a bit on STEM resources and approaches so that an SLMS can meet the curricular needs of the students.
Wednesday morning I began the day by listening to a webinar called "Changing Lives Through Informal Learning". This webinar was based on the idea of inquiry learning based on interests of the students. The presenter has worked with students who were not digitally literate to help them learn digital skills and find great information through guidance about searching for and evaluating information. She presented their research experience as a model for librarians in schools.
I also spent the day at BGHS again. We were able to weed the reference section, help students, work on day to day activities like circulation, and begin the yearly inventory. The Follett scanner makes doing inventory and weeding very easy! It is a portable scanner that holds the books in a file that is transferred to the computer to Destiny Quest. It works well so far. Amazing also to see that after scanning only 2 1/2 shelves, I had scanned over 600 books!
I began Thursday morning with a short webinar from AASL entitled "Coaching the Leader Within". I was hopeful that it might give some insight on how to collaborate and work with administration to advocate for library needs, but it mostly focused on leadership[ qualities and how to use that with staff or colleagues also in the library. I also listened to "A Space vs. a LEARNING Space". It talked about the space you have available for students - both physical and virtual.
At school I worked on helping students and circulation again. I was also able to attend the Technology Showcase for the school district which was held in the gym. Students from elementary all the way through high school showed their recent technology projects for STLP. We also did inventory. We had a bit of a disaster when the scanner erased the 100 or so books we had just scanned! It was frustrating, but we got it fixed and hope things go better tomorrow.
Friday was a good day beginning with the library Coffee House at 7:15. We worked on the inventory again. Mrs. Butler also bought me lunch which was very nice of her. She has been a great supervisor! I also listened to a webinar called "Coteaching". It was about how effective collaboration and coteaching can be to provide resources, technology, and differentiation.
Overall it has been a good week, and plenty busy!
Friday, April 15, 2016
Friday, April 8, 2016
Week 11
This week I had some fun and did some professional development (which was also fun!)
I had the opportunity to do read alouds for classes this week. We read books such as: Wemberly Worried, Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens, and This is the Teacher. It is so fun to see students really engage with a story, especially if it is funny. They love stories, and it is great to use them for all sorts of literacy activities. This week we used Wemberly Worried to make text-to-self connections. Next year, I think that might be a really good book to read at the beginning of school. I learned several things about what the students might be worried about, and it is valuable to know those things.
One of the CEBS dispositions states: Values professionalism: Commitment to self reflection and growth. Recognizes personal limitations and strengths and uses them to best professional advantage. Actively seeks suggestions and constructive criticism. Regularly practices critical thinking. Regularly engages in learning through self-reflection.
When I reflect on my strengths and areas for improvement related to the profession, I know that current technology, especially its use with students, is an area where I can use a lot of professional development. I spoke to my cooperating practitioner and she agreed that Google Educator training was a wise choice for some of my practicum hours. So, this week I had the opportunity to begin Google Educator Training Level 1. I have completed three of the modules so far. It is amazing the resources that are available, and the ways that I can use resources I am already familiar with to help students.
I had the opportunity to do read alouds for classes this week. We read books such as: Wemberly Worried, Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens, and This is the Teacher. It is so fun to see students really engage with a story, especially if it is funny. They love stories, and it is great to use them for all sorts of literacy activities. This week we used Wemberly Worried to make text-to-self connections. Next year, I think that might be a really good book to read at the beginning of school. I learned several things about what the students might be worried about, and it is valuable to know those things.
One of the CEBS dispositions states: Values professionalism: Commitment to self reflection and growth. Recognizes personal limitations and strengths and uses them to best professional advantage. Actively seeks suggestions and constructive criticism. Regularly practices critical thinking. Regularly engages in learning through self-reflection.
When I reflect on my strengths and areas for improvement related to the profession, I know that current technology, especially its use with students, is an area where I can use a lot of professional development. I spoke to my cooperating practitioner and she agreed that Google Educator training was a wise choice for some of my practicum hours. So, this week I had the opportunity to begin Google Educator Training Level 1. I have completed three of the modules so far. It is amazing the resources that are available, and the ways that I can use resources I am already familiar with to help students.
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Week 10
This week I worked on some literature activities with students. We practiced non-fiction skills with an article about seat-belt safety. We read A Bad Case of Stripes, which is always a crowd favorite. The we worked on adding to a story by creating the problem and solutions when given the characters, setting, and a picture. It was fun to see the variety of ideas the students came up with.
There was one disappointment this week. I set up a time to read Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes with a class. When I arrived at the appointed time, she had changed her mind and scheduled something different. It was a good reminder to stay positive and not worry because the hours will come.
I also worked to complete the students survey that will be given to the middle and high school students at BGCA. It has been a long process getting to the point of completion, but I think we are there. The survey covers several areas of student life and experience, but there is a section devoted to several aspects of the library. I hope we will be able to give the survey this week before Spring Break so I can analyze the results. Here is a list of the questions that will be asked:
Do you visit the BGCA library?
Yes
No
How many times do you visit the library each month?
Five times or more a
month
Three or four times
a month
Two or three times a
month
Once a month
Hardly ever
Find materials for
assignments
Find materials for
pleasure reading
Do homework
Study or do homework
before school starts
Work on projects
Other
If other, please
describe:
Yes
No
Comments:
When you visit, do you usually find the materials you
need?
Yes
No
Are there titles you have looked for that are not in the
BGCA library's collection?
Please list:
Do you use other libraries?
Yes
No
If so, which other
libraries do you use?
Local public library
College library
Other
If other, please
explain:
If there was one thing about the BGCA library you could
improve, what would it be?
Do you use the BGCA library’s online card catalog?
Yes
No
Yes
No
Do you think the library needs to provide more access to
databases for research?
Yes
No
Friday, March 25, 2016
Week 9
This week was great for getting hours!
On Thursday, I spent about two and a half hours working at the book fair again. Our BGCA librarian works at both of our campuses, so the second campus had their book fair this week. I was able to interact with families and children helping them to find books and choose items that were age appropriate.
On Friday, I was able to spend some time at the Bowling Green High School working in their library. Today I helped with circulation by checking in books from the book drop. After I checked them in, I re-shelved several items. I also learned how to put the clear film on a book jacket to help it last longer. The rest of the time was spent being available to help students as they had needs while discussing the PGES system and the evidences Mrs. Butler has to provide for her evaluations.
Here is a view from the circulation desk toward the front doors of the library:
On Thursday, I spent about two and a half hours working at the book fair again. Our BGCA librarian works at both of our campuses, so the second campus had their book fair this week. I was able to interact with families and children helping them to find books and choose items that were age appropriate.
On Friday, I was able to spend some time at the Bowling Green High School working in their library. Today I helped with circulation by checking in books from the book drop. After I checked them in, I re-shelved several items. I also learned how to put the clear film on a book jacket to help it last longer. The rest of the time was spent being available to help students as they had needs while discussing the PGES system and the evidences Mrs. Butler has to provide for her evaluations.
Here is a view from the circulation desk toward the front doors of the library:
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Week 8
This week most of my hours were spent working for our book fair. Each elementary classroom at our school created projects to display during the time that the families would be in the building. I helped the second graders get theirs together and displayed neatly. They all read a Boxcar Children book and created a diorama of the setting. They worked hard and the projects turned out great!
The last thing I began this week was a journey toward becoming a Google Educator. My supervisor and I talked about this and she thought it would be a great way to learn more about technology through professional development. I am looking forward to learning and helping my students further their twenty-first century skills.
I also had the opportunity to spend a considerable amount of time helping with the book fair. The theme for the spring was based on styles from the sixties and seventies. The kids had a lot of fun dressing up in tie dye and fringe this week. Helping in the book fair was fun. I assisted with talking to parents and students to help them find the book or book genre they were looking for. It was so fun to see the students find books that excited them.
The last thing I began this week was a journey toward becoming a Google Educator. My supervisor and I talked about this and she thought it would be a great way to learn more about technology through professional development. I am looking forward to learning and helping my students further their twenty-first century skills.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Week 7
This has been another slow week as far as hours are concerned. There is so much going on at school in the Spring that it is difficult to balance teaching full time, getting hours, working on class work, and having a family. Thankful to be about half way through!
Our school is about to change our software system from RenWeb to Sycamore. So, this week I communicated with our sales representative there to understand more about what their library system will be like and how we are going to be able to make the switch as seamless as possible.
This week I also worked more on cataloging books. It was discovered that there were several more boxes of books in an old storage room that had been donated but never gone through. It is interesting weeding through donated books. There were several volumes from the 1990s about parenting strategies. While some information in these books might be valuable, it does not fit the audience our library is intended for. Much of the same information may also be found online. Our library is so small that it is important for us to make good choices about what items we include.
Next week is our book fair, it will be fun for the students and hopefully make great strides for money for classrooms as well.
Our school is about to change our software system from RenWeb to Sycamore. So, this week I communicated with our sales representative there to understand more about what their library system will be like and how we are going to be able to make the switch as seamless as possible.
This week I also worked more on cataloging books. It was discovered that there were several more boxes of books in an old storage room that had been donated but never gone through. It is interesting weeding through donated books. There were several volumes from the 1990s about parenting strategies. While some information in these books might be valuable, it does not fit the audience our library is intended for. Much of the same information may also be found online. Our library is so small that it is important for us to make good choices about what items we include.
Next week is our book fair, it will be fun for the students and hopefully make great strides for money for classrooms as well.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
Week 6
This week I have had the opportunity to work on a website to help promote our book fair and create a teacher and student survey about library and technology use and needs.
Our book fair will be in two weeks. Our librarian asked me to help her by creating the website. It was not a difficult task since we are using Scholastic for the book fair. It is amazing the tools they provide in order to have a successful week. The website offers a place for people to go to learn more about the book fair such as: special events, dress-up days, volunteer opportunities, and even online ordering. I hope it will encourage more people to come! See it here.
I also had the opportunity to create a survey about library usage and technology for the faculty and upper level students. It was interesting to look online for surveys which have already been created to get ideas for the one I would use. The teacher survey ended up about three pages long. Due to some other surveys the students need to take at our school, the questions I created will be added to the larger one so they only need to complete one large survey rather than several.
Our book fair will be in two weeks. Our librarian asked me to help her by creating the website. It was not a difficult task since we are using Scholastic for the book fair. It is amazing the tools they provide in order to have a successful week. The website offers a place for people to go to learn more about the book fair such as: special events, dress-up days, volunteer opportunities, and even online ordering. I hope it will encourage more people to come! See it here.
I also had the opportunity to create a survey about library usage and technology for the faculty and upper level students. It was interesting to look online for surveys which have already been created to get ideas for the one I would use. The teacher survey ended up about three pages long. Due to some other surveys the students need to take at our school, the questions I created will be added to the larger one so they only need to complete one large survey rather than several.
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