Friday, August 26, 2016

Draper Elementary



Library Behavior (PBIS)



As we discussed in our meeting, explaining what appropriate behavior looks like in the library is key to students understanding how to behave.  We not only explain it, but we have a poster that reminds students what it looks like. It has helped out students.  We used our three school rules (Safe, Respectful, Responsible) to set our expectations.

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

 For the month of March we combed Pinterest and found this bulletin board that we had the students help us with. 




We have each Brain Booster for one hour.  We have plenty of time for various activities.  They were excited to help create the rainbow with these fun paper chains.  




We found St. Patrick's Day celebration music that we will have the kids listen to.  
For the older kids we will read a book by Gail Gibbons that explains the origin of St. Patrick's Day.  
For the younger student's we will  read St. Patrick's Day from the Black Lagoon.  
We will also be playing a memory game.  We will place multiple green items on a table and let the students look at them for one minute.  We then will cover it with a cloth again and the students  will try to recall on a piece of paper what they remember.  
 


 HARRY HOUDINI
MAGIC WEEK


These Amazing Magic Trick books by Norman Barnhart were a hit with the students. There are lots of fun magic tricks the kids were excited to try out.  We did several with the kids and they loved it!

 

   Can you fit your body through this piece of paper?
we asked the students to fold the paper in half and cut ONLY on the black lines.  After doing this, and unfolding the paper it comes out as a giant circle that the kids can pull over their bodies.  

                       
We had the kids tear a strip of paper that had a carrot, bunny and a top hat printed on it. (it's important to print the bunny in the middle )  When torn, the only picture that will have two torn edges is the bunny.  When placed in the magician's hat, you can easily pick the bunny picture every time by feeling the edges!  The kids could NOT figure that out!  It was quite a crack up.               








Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Sprucewood Elementary

Have Books Will Travel

This school year keeping track of library books has been challenging.  Our classes are coming and going from different locations in the building and not returning directly to their classrooms.  We have tried with great success a new process for our library books.  We are using library markers (a cross between a library card and a bookmark).  The library marker, as seen below, has a barcode label with the student name and number on it and can be used as a library card.  However, it can also be placed inside a book that is then placed in a cart. The carts can transport library books without the risk of losing or damaging books. 

Example of library markers
Book with library marker inside placed in cart.
 










 
The process goes as follows:


Classes going to Library 1st
Returning and Renewing books
  • Place library books to be returned into cart. The cart is returned to media center first thing in the morning after announcements
  • Books to be renewed are brought with the student to the library.
Checking Out Books
  • Students use library marker(s) to check out book(s) and the markers are placed in each book(s) and then books are placed in the cart.
  • The cart is taken with the class to “Playworks” and then back to their classroom.
  • Teachers remove the book(s) from the cart and remove the marker(s). Teachers hand the appropriate book to the appropriate student.
  
  Classes going to Playworks 1st
Returning and Renewing books
  • Place library books to be returned into cart. Place a library marker in any book to be renewed and then place the book in the cart. The cart is returned to media center first thing in the morning after announcements
Checking Out Books
  • Students check out books as normal and carry their books with them as they return to class.
  • All books from the cart that were to be renewed are placed on the counter next to the staff desk where they can be picked up by students and renewed.

Example of cart



Sprucewood Elementary




May someone grant all of your wishes!

If you are interested in writing a grant for resources for your library, there are a number of helps to get you started.  Demco offers webinars on a variety of topics including grant writing.  The link is   http://ideas.demco.com/webinar/anyone-can-write-grant/ There are also books at your public library that are great resources. 
Purdue University offers an online writing lab that has a section on grant writing that is very helpful.  The link is https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/981/1/

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Sprucewood Elementary

 
 Computer "Tip Sheet"
 Who hasn't sat down at the computer and forgot how to spell a word.  Lucky for us and our students there is a way around it.  We have placed these handy computer "tip sheets" next to our student station computers.  They remind our students what they can do, if they don't remember how to spell a word.  To introduce the "tip sheet", we do an actual live demonstration on the computer and then show the students where to find the "tip sheets".   It has helped us and helped our students too.  If you would like copies of the "tip sheets' contact us at Sprucewood Elementary Media Center. 

Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Dewey Decimal Fun

I found this fun interactive game for teaching the Dewey Decimal System.  I used it for the
4th and 5th grades.  The game is like Jeopardy.  I let the students use the information sheet from the
lessons on Dewey and they could help each other to answer the questions.  The website is www.quia.com/cb/415196.html.  If this doesn't work I typed in Google "Dewey Decimal Fun"  and this website came up.  The students really enjoyed this fun way to learn the Dewey Decimal System.