Skip to main content

Texas School Library Journal

Sweet!!

 Texas School Library Journal posted a blip about my program in the library on page 84.  So excited to be a real librarian now.  I love being in the room.  Favorite part of work, is when kids come in and say, "Hey, do you know that book, or have this book about ___"  and I can go find one for them.  It makes my heart dance a little!  Super smiles.  I love that students are really reading things for my library Rounds project.  This Friday, I had 12 pizzas to order, because students had completed 12 (8 books each) Rounds.  They love coming to pick up the pizzas and share with their friends, and they normally come back and get more books to read because NOW they are hooked into a series or reading for fun.  It isn't for the great pizza, it is the idea of sharing.  I love it.  So far since September 15 when I launched it, we have over 28 Rounds completed and that makes more than 224 books read, discussed, & written about.  I know most of these are 7th grade groups who are reading for fun and love that the Jr. High library has more new books for them.  I need to push more on 8th Grade.

I am making some book talks and some qr codes for when they visit this week and see if they find books they like with iPads.  I plan to have 20 or more books on the table with QR codes to their book trailers.  I will set out iPads and let students choose trailers to watch. After I show a sample and give a quick book talk.    Can't Wait until Wednesday - More kids coming!
I read this week:  Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead.  I would recommend this for 5th or 6th grade girls who need help being friends.  She has some nice poetic language intertwined but the resolution was a bit vague.


I also am so excited to become a part of  The North Texas Middle School Librarian's group, we met last week and are in a big Google Hangout and meet once a month.  But I learned a lot from these great ladies.  They recommended Tiger's Curse so I am reading that now.  ;o)  Happy
Reading Friends.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Break Out Your Reading Skills!

 Break Out Your Reading Skills Challenge This challenge will ask our readers to READ a piece of non-fiction.  Then answer 5 questions to get a code.  If they get all 5 answers correct their code should unlock the snack box to BREAK out a snack for you and a friend.  If you get the first 4 answers correct you should have the code to BREAK out one snack for yourself.   So I have three cards of five questions each.  These questions are STAAR formatted to keep it familiar to students, and are based on 7th & 8th Grade reading TEKS. Each question tells you page numbers, so you really don't have to read the whole book but you can read parts of the articles or stories in it to answer the questions.  Like a short article, or quick story, no more than two or three pages each. Students try a story, to see if their code unlocks the lock.  I am using the following non-fiction books: The Queen's Shadow - A Story about How Animals See by C...

I3 - Top Ten Tech Tools to use in your Classroom

Starting this August 2017-2018 school year and I want to share more.  So I have challenged myself to share what I learned this year. I learn a lot every day.  I am an expert at nothing.  I know I learn new things every day about every part of my life. I presented the following presentation for I3 in Everman ISD.  Teachers across the district came to learn new tools to use in the classroom. I learned to work faster.   I forgot like 3 slides, one whole tool.  But we all learn from our mistakes.  I was thinking I wish I could tell them all this. That thought is what made me build this blog.  I need to start sharing my learning with others. Here is my presentation if you want to learn more:  Top 10 Tech Tools to Use in Your Classroom

It's more than a device...it's empowering.

I saw a Tweet today linked to a blog that gave a teacher 4 reasons how technology can help with classroom management. ( I'm trying to find it again to give credit). But I thought about how my students react to having the Chromebooks in their classrooms.  I have watched this happen in my own class, but when you hand a student a computer, iPad, or tech device, you send a message to this child. “You are worth it.” My campus is a title one district, some students deal with survival more than any student should.  But to some, by having their own device, it sends the message you believe in them. They know you want them to be successful, and you can help them learn needed skills for today's world.  It sends the message, you can be professional, you can learn, grow and we care. This is why students armed with technology are suddenly more engaged, they feel valued.  A valued child can then grow confident and safe making learning easier.  Less behavior problems happen wh...