#DLDay 2016

Digital Learning Day (#DLDay) is February 17, 2016. So, what is Digital Learning Day? Read the following exerpt from Digital Learning Day's Website to learn more...

What do we mean by digital learning? 

Digital learning is any instructional practice that effectively uses technology to strengthen a student’s learning experience. It emphasizes high-quality instruction and provides access to challenging content, feedback through formative assessment, opportunities for learning anytime and anywhere, and individualized instruction to ensure all students reach their full potential to succeed in college and a career.
Digital learning encompasses many different facets, tools, and applications to support and empower teachers and students, including online courses, blended or hybrid learning, or digital content and resources. Additionally, digital learning can be used for professional learning opportunities for teachers and to provide personalized learning experiences for students.
Digital learning advances school reform by increasing equity and access to educational opportunities, improving effectiveness and productivity of teachers and administrators, providing student-centered learning to ensure college and career readiness for all students, and recognizing teachers as education designers.

Why celebrate Digital Learning Day? 

With so many new types of digital devices, educational software and mobile apps continuously developed, it’s hard to keep up with the latest and greatest advancements in educational technology. In some classrooms and out-of-school programs across the country, educators are doing some pretty amazing things with technology. Yet, these pockets of innovation are confined to a small number of schools and communities. Digital Learning Day was started as a way to actively spread innovative practices and ensure that all youth have access to high-quality digital learning opportunities no matter where they live.
Started in 2012, Digital Learning Day has provided a powerful venue for education leaders to highlight great teaching practice and showcase innovative teachers, leaders, and instructional technology programs that are improving student outcomes. This grassroots effort blossomed into a massive nationwide celebration as teachers realized that Digital Learning Day is not about technology, it’s about learning. It’s not about laying off teachers for laptops, it’s about enhancing the role of the teacher in America’s classrooms. Digital Learning Day promotes the effective use of modern day tools afforded to every other industry to improve the learning experience in K-12 public schools.
- See more at: http://www.digitallearningday.org//site/Default.aspx?PageID=71#sthash.c7ZFketm.dpuf

To celebrate here at West, I've created a video of some of the amazing things we have done in the Media Center and through collaboration with classroom teachers to create digital learners.

Enjoy!

Read Aloud with Arkansas Diamond

Each year, our kindergartners through third graders read books that have been nominated for the Arkansas Diamond Children's Book Award. It is inevitable that some students will miss hearing one or more of the books if they are absent. This year, I decided to create a playlist of the books so that students can go back and listen to those stories that they miss. This has also been helpful for students needing to reread a book before taking the AR quiz.



Our students are proficient at navigating to our school's website, particularly the Computer Lab and Media Center pages. We utilize that virtual space often to host our lessons and utilize our online subscriptions.

I've been adding books to the playlist as we read them in the library, computer lab, or art class! I'm happy to work in such a collaborative teaching community that assists me with the reading and voting process of the Arkansas Diamond Award.

I have been able to find some read alouds on YouTube; however, some have not been available, so I have created a video for those. My new document camera records (yay for new technology)!

You can also find the presentation for the Charlie May Simon nominees, as well as, my favorite books and other trailers by clicking on the link embedded in the above picture!

No Limit

Why I've thrown away my circulation limit....

Well, it started last year when an adorable, overly competitive classroom of second graders were vying for the AR Most Words Read Trophy for their classroom. Prior to this event, Kindergarten through third graders were only allowed to circulate one book at a time. Well....one book was NOT enough for these kiddos. I was seeing most of their faces every day, sometimes twice a day. They were reading animals. It opened up a great discussion between me and their classroom teacher.

Did these students truly need to circulate multiple books at a time? Were they responsible enough to keep track of more than one book? And the biggest question, were they actually reading all of the books that they circulated?
The answer was, yes. They were.

The teacher and I decided on a trial run. We chose the most responsible students, who were also the most advanced readers, to check out two books at a time. It was a total success. As word spread of the magical second graders with more than one library book, I began to have the same conversations with other students' teachers.

It was amazing the amount of students that began to circulate more than one library book successfully. Did I still lose a few? Of course. Who doesn't? I want to meet a librarian that doesn't lose a book here and there! I believe she will have some goddess-like name and be cloaked in magical fairy dust that enchants the kids into bringing back their books without question, loss, or damage. (In other words, that person doesn't exist.)

I still use this practice of no limit for students who show the need for accommodations. Isn't that what teaching is all about? Making accommodations and adjusting to student need?

I love having upper elementary students come to me before a long weekend and request to check out 3 or 4 books because they "might get bored". No joke. Happened the Friday before the 3-day MLK weekend, and she joyfully marched into the library Tuesday morning to return two of the books.

I have one class of first grade students this year that are circulating their books at home. This is the first time I have ever had first graders ask to take their library books home!* I was so excited last week (and also very nervous). Again, I discussed the possibility with their classroom teacher, and we decided that there were a handful of students that were not ready for that responsibility. However, it has given those students something to work toward! I love seeing students set their own goals!

What's your circulation limit? Do you have one? Is it hard-fast and set in stone? Why? Think about your students. Are those hard and fast limits really necessary?

*Kindergarten through third grade students utilize guided reading books. Those books go home on a regular basis. As a group, we decided that K-1 should keep library books at school to read while taking home guided readers for practice since they work on the skills with the GR books in small group. Having library books in classroom book boxes adds a little variety during independent reading time.

File Cabinet: 10 Things We've Done This Year

We have had a busy year so far. Working with a new program design within the library and performing arts program at our school has put me behind on posting (typical...I'm also a procrastinator).

Here's a little recap of some of the marvelousness we have done so far this year.

(side note: Google says that "marvelousness" isn't a word, but I say "what does Google know?")

1. Learned how a computer works by tearing stuff up! 
So much fun! Who doesn't love a good deconstruction project?

2. Learned genre identification by playing "I have....who has...?"

3. Began some maker-space time during Lunch in the Library. 
Students loved making necklaces and bracelets with leather strips and beads. Our art teacher even joined in on the fun (thanks Miss Kate). Students also made good use of old CD's and DVDs by creating scratch art. We now have a maker-cart that is full of craft supplies and games. Students utilize the supplies on the cart any time they come in during lunch.

               

4. Began a hidden treasure hunt. 
Treasure tickets are hidden in approximately 50 books throughout the library. All directions to play are on the ticket. Students have been so excited to cash in their ticket for free books!

5. Learned shelf order with these really cool cards. 
One side is fiction (alphabetical) and the other is Dewey Decimal (numerical). Classroom teachers appreciated that these lessons reinforced classroom learning, such as, place value, alphabetical order, numerical order, etc.

6. Won a Fitbit at the Arkansas Association of School Librarians Conference! 

7. Had visitors! 
Author Maria Hoskins came to speak to Kindergarten through second graders about her published works and the inspiration a writer can find in their everyday life. Also, Santa made a pit-stop on his way to the gym to visit our kiddos.

     

8. Started a new program design. 
Students in 5th and 6th grades are part of our new program design. Co-teaching technology classes in the computer lab with our *fabulous* computer lab instructor has truly allowed these students to focus and hone their technology skills, preparing them to be valuable members of our society. Check out the cool internet safety poster that was created. This is just ONE of the many, many great projects these students have created.

 9. Said NO to bullying.
We participated in an anti-bully campaign with t-shirts designed by a student in our district.

10. Explored working in a Learning Commons
We have explored the Library Media Center as a Learning Commons area: a place where students and teachers can come to learn together, utilizing the space for large group presentations, small group work, and independent study/research. Students in third grade presented information about Christmas celebrations in other countries. It was so much fun to see the entire third grade sharing with all of their classmates and presenting their information.

 BONUS: I was attacked by a G.I.Joe and a triceratops....or they were found laying in the floor. Whichever you choose to believe.

I promise to elaborate more on some of these fantastic activities and keep you all up-to-date on our new activities and shenanigans in our library.

By the way, today is International Kiss a Ginger Day. So *MWAH* from this ginger librarian!

From Plan A to...Plan Z

Teachers monitor and adjust. It's just what we do. Second nature. Something goes wrong? That's ok...we can just fly by the seat of our pants like nobody's business! I saw an e-card a few days ago that reminded me of all teachers.

Last week, during our Input Technology classes, students were supposed to create an info graphic. Fifth grade would use tagxedo.com to create their digital footprint (five rules of internet safety and social media sites they frequently use). Sixth graders were to create an info graphic in Microsoft Word.

During the first class of the week, we discovered that despite checking tagxedo the previous week, it was not working. An update occurred over the weekend and had not yet been pushed through the district network. While students sat idly in their chairs, Miss Denise and I both got to work on figuring out a way to continue the assignment. Quickly, I searched clip art on Microsoft Word for footprints; it was saved to the U-drive and students could then access it. Our easy lesson using a website students had used several times turned into a much more complicated lesson on inserting clip art and word art; arranging both by either selecting to place in front of text or behind text; and how to change shape fills to no fill.

Talk about MONITOR and ADJUST. We completely reworked a lesson in a matter of minutes. That doesn't include the one student computer that did have Microsoft Office loaded. That student logged into her Google account and began working in Docs. When I asked her why she had chosen to do that, she replied, "you guys figured out how to keep us working, so I figured I could try using Docs to do the same thing."

Students watch teacher reactions during a lesson fail...I'm glad we were able to use that opportunity to set the atmosphere to one where students weren't afraid to try something on their own.

When plan A doesn't work, there are still 25 more letters of the alphabet left to try.

It's Time for a Change

When I inherited my library, there were many great decorations and paintings. However, I felt that the "Animal Wall" needed an update. I've been so excited to search for new wall decor, paintings, and art. Our new art teacher has been fantastic and has agreed to help me repaint the wall.

Our school is a Music & Performance Magnet, incorporating dance, piano and string music classes, drama, and a select choir. I pursued Pinterest for ideas and have found what I think will be the perfect incorporation of literacy, library, and the arts!

The caption for the wall will say "Reading. It's in everything you do."

Now for a painting party and deciding what colors to use! Oh, the choices!!!

I'm excited to update the wall and add a few new artistic and literary pieces to our library. This framed art space will become home to a literacy word cloud. I'm hoping that our Tech Club can create some samples for me to use for the word cloud.

I'm off to Pinterest to find more inspiration. Follow my board...or me for library inspiration, lessons, & technology ideas!

First Week Jitters

The first week of school is always full of stress, tiredness, and fit-throwing...even for the students. One of my most favorite things about starting back to school are the comments I hear from students. Here's a little snippet of what has taken place this week in the library...

Student: You have a LOT of hair! I mean it's pretty, but there sure is a bunch of it.
**I was bending over speaking to a student in line about behavior and my hair apparently fell over the student's face who was standing in front of us.**

Student: Olaf is here! Olaf is here! Can he come down? How did he get up there? Where is Ana and Elsa? Why is Olaf in the library? Can he read?
**I have a fairly large stuffed Olaf on top of a book shelf.**

Girls: (giggling) Miss Ashley you're being extra funny today. You're always funny, but are you ok?

Almost every student: Her makeup is so bad!

Student: Love this one! I hate paper soup.
Other student: Yeah...I did that last year. Except it was Kool Aide. Those pages were super colorful.

I've been so happy to see all of our students and new kinder kids! I cannot wait to get our lessons started for the year. Fifth and 6th grade students also watched book care videos about mixing food with books and keeping books safe from the weather. Check them out below. Happy reading, everyone!