6th Rotation - reflecting

Kindergarten - I read through my stack of new books. Students really liked The Bear Who Shared by Catherine Rayner. The illustrations are fascinating. She outlines the bear and fills it in with different shapes. It might be a good book for teaching patterns and shapes. On a funny note I read a book about Gertrude Stein by Jonah Winter and it was imitating her play on words. It was supposed to be funny and a boy kept saying, "This isn't funny" which of course made me laugh all the more. I know that Jonah Winter's books don't target the wee ones but it was the last book in my pile of newbies and I really wanted to read it.  

Grade 1 - They are doing character studies so I picked books with distinct characters such as Henry and Mudge, Cam Jansen, Mercer Mayer, Ling & Ting, and Fox. The language arts curriculum describes the goals of the character unit as students studying what characters say, do, and how they change; plus, "they will retell to help them hold onto meaning and will make predictions based on the characteristics of the characters in their books." I could enhance this lesson by having students retell the story using the video on the iPad. The only problem is the books above are too long except for some of the Mercer Mayer. I would have to find shorter books like Biscuit, Pup & Hound, etc.

Grade 2 - I read the book, Okay by Amy Krouse Rosenthal, where the narrator says all the things they are okay at doing. Students love that the character is actually made out of the "O" and "K." They asked me to tip the book this way and that so they could spy the character in the illustrations. I wanted students to write things they were okay at but rather than be burdened with pencil and paper I wanted them to use the Dragon Dictation app. It didn't work. The app doesn't type the correct words and they got so distracted by it that they forgot about the task at hand. Some thought it so funny that they started saying all sorts of goofy things. I don't think the lesson was a complete failure. I think next time I'll just use a recorder. They can record on Sound Cloud their thoughts and I can then post it to the library blog... I need to incorporate my blog into more of my lessons as a way for students to post their work done on the iPad and then check out on their own.

Grade 3 - Teachers asked me to show the students Fountas & Pinnell. Do you know I've done this lesson 22 times?! Nuff said. I did email Follett Company and asked for them to add the advanced feature on their mobile app. Students can't search for leveled books on the app at the moment.

Grade 4 - I read Mrs. Harkness and the Panda by Alicia Potter. We had some awesome discussions about it in every class. The first class wanted to know how long panda's live. We looked it up online. The next class wanted to find out how Mr. Harkness died. We looked that up on Wikipedia and the information was incorrect! That sparked a whole discussion on information that is accurate and not accurate and how we can learn the difference. It was a teachable moment and the students were so engaged! I was also happy with myself because I made a conscious effort to ask open-ended questions and praise students for their thinking on the text. I am also trying to think more about letting students turn and talk with a partner about the text. I don't do this enough and it is quite powerful.

Grade 5 - We started our book trailers. I showed students a book trailer I did and one done on a picture book by some 4th graders. Next, I showed the app and gave a short demo on how it works. I gave students a graphic organizer to write a book trailer and told them to get in pairs. There are some threesomes and I'm not sure how this will work. They had to choose a book and write a trailer that focuses on the problem in the story. They can't give away the ending. Those who finished quickly I gave an iPad to and let them begin. This allowed for differentiation and seemed to work well. The students were so excited to use iMovie on the iPad. What an amazing motivator. I had one boy come at recess to ask if he could work on it because he didn't want to wait for the next rotation.

5th Rotation - videos on my videos

We got the online subscription to Fountas & Pinnell that can be used with our Follett catalog system. It doesn't level all the books but it has been really helpful for students getting "just right" books. I find that it is more accurate than the reading levels.  

Kindergarteners came to the library dressed in wedding dresses because they had just learned that "Q" and "U" got married to make "QU." I made an iMovie of the kids and grabbed a new book I had bought called, "Flower Girl." Luckily it had "qu" words in it because the munchkins were on the prowl for them.

With the other classes I gave one student an iPad and they took pictures with it. I told them they could only take 6 (one boy had 6 of my kneecaps... guess that's all he sees when I read). Then I posted them to my library web site. I want kids to use it to post their iPad work.

Grade 1 retold and acted out the Halloween story, "Mrs. McMurphy's Pumpkin," by Rick Walton. An evil pumpkin boasts it will eat Mrs. McMurphy but she gets the best of him in the end. I used iMovie.

Grade 2 was read "The Perfect Pumpkin Pie," by Denys Cazet. It is a fun one to change voices and do a scary moan. It was too long to add an activity afterwards.  

Grade 3 was read "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," by William Joyce, then watched the 15 minute video that won academy award for best short film. We talked about the author's message afterwards. That was hard for the students and I found their varying responses fascinating. I was surprised how much the students liked this wordless short film. They would ask when it was done for me to play it again.

Grade 4 - Classes were shown Fountas & Pinnell and changed their passwords on Follett because kids were hacking into each others Destiny Quest. Developmentally, grade 4 students don't seem to get it when it comes to respecting each others virtual space. One class finished their book trailers. The pappy pig dance is below:

 Grade 5 - I showed them Fountas & Pinnell. They started a nonfiction unit. I also booktalked with kids that teachers felt needed extra attention. Two teachers gave me 7 kids and it was hard getting through that many. Plus it takes me 20 to 30 minutes pulling "just right" books for kids so the prep time is horrendous. Hopefully it helps the teacher.

 Tennis season started and I made a video of tryouts.

4th Rotations: Shipwrecked Lessons

Ever have a week of lessons that seem to bomb? This was my week. The ship didn't always sink to the bottom of the ocean but it came close.

Kindergarten: I spent two hours pulling picture book titles that told a story and then had the kindergarteners act it out. They didn't really get it and didn't learn much so I dropped it. Developmentally it was not "just right." Oh well. Here's the video:

Grade 1: I read the book, Sometimes You Get What You Want by Meredith Gary, and had students use My Story app on the iPad. They were supposed to write something following the pattern but they just played with the app. There is learning in that but it wasn't the objective. Next time I will have them write down what they will use and I think it is better if done later in the year when grade 1 is better at writing.

Grade 2: We read new books. I got boxes of them and just read different ones.

Grade 3: The students used pic collage to find books and then I wanted them to write a reflection and post the pic collage on the school blog. The school blog was down so I created one on blogger but the students didn't really write good reflections. I sat in and watched a grade 3 teachers reflection and I liked how she had the kids turn and talk. I don't give them enough time to process. Plus, I'm hyper and that works against me.

Grade 4: I can't remember what I did with this grade. Oh yeah, one class made book trailers using iMovie. Only one group of 3 finished in 30 minutes. Afterwards I realized that the students should have written down their book trailer. Most didn't make sense. I did make them use picture books which helped simplify the project. Here's the only finished product on a Mo Willems book:

Grade 5: Finished the Overdrive eBook lesson by registering with Adobe and downloading a book. I made this photo with Pic Collage

 

3rd Rotation: Lessons for Grades KA - 5

I lost my library for the week because photos were being taken. At one point there were 4 classes in the library and a bunch of parents. There were probably 100 people and of course I had the grade 3 class with focusing issues. Needless to say they had a tough time doing the lesson. Look below for more on it.

I was using the iPads with grades 3-5 and we were squished in the back. It took me awhile to figure out how to teach in a different space. I used the iPads with the document camera and I also wiped out with an iPad in my arms. Nothing like making a point. I just got done explaining that students had to be careful with them and particularly around me because I am a klutz. I go to sit on my stool and the seat has been moved up two inches. I ended up missing it and falling backwards into the wall with the iPad. Because I didn't want anything to happen to the iPad, I cradled it to my chest and just let myself fall backwards. I hit my head on the stool, bruised both elbows, and cut my ankle. I untangled my limbs, stood up, and said I didn't mean to give students a demonstration. No one laughed. They were perfect little angels the rest of class. I think I scared them.

KA- We read new books. I also put the iPad Story Chimes book, 3 little Pigs, up on the LCD screen. Originally I wanted the KA kids to use the iPads but when I tested it on 2 kids they didn't really get it so I put the story up on the screen. They loved it. I did this at the end when they were looking for books.

K -I read, The Very Greed Bee, by Steve Smallman. Cute story about a bee that eats so much he can't fly back home. Other insects help him along the way. We also read, The Duckling Gets a Cookie!? by Mo Willems. The duckling shares a cookie with the pigeon. Funny twist at the end.

Grade 1 - We read, Ladybug Girl and Bingo, by David Soman.

Grade 2 - We read, Bink & Gollie Two for One, by Kate Dicamillo and Allison McGhee. Just as good as book 1. I laughed so hard at the illustrations. I'll have to review this book. A winner.

Grade 3 - We used the iPads for a book location game. This was really successful. I used the Pic Collage App. Students had a clipboard with 6 call numbers that they had to find in the library. When they found the book they took a picture using the app. Once they had 6 pictures they changed the background and added text with the call number on top of the pictures. The most difficult part is figuring out how the books are in alphabetical order and figuring that out with each letter.

Setup. Show an example of the finished product. They really don't know the term, "call number" and the example shows this. Tell students if they are taking pictures of anything other than books they will lose the use of the iPad and have to do it with paper and pencil. I also give the same warning if they are with friends. They can't be silly or they will be separated.

One class I showed how to use the app and another class I showed it on the screen and sent them off. The second way was quicker and lets the kids who know how to use the iPad the chance to dive in and then I help the others one-on-one.

Last I emailed the collage to me so I can assess if they were able to find books. Each kids name was put in the subject area and I saved them under a folder in Outlook with the teacher's name. There are 6 sections of grade 3 students.

Grade 4 - We used the Destiny Quest app. I showed them how to logon, check book titles, and search. Because they are in pairs each student took turns. This takes up about 15 minutes.

Grade 5 - We used the Destiny Quest app that takes about 10 minutes. Next I show them the Overdrive app so students can download eBooks. They go through all the steps to the part where they download a book. (They can type TAS when they add a library.) Then they stop and the partner does it. This takes about 30 minutes depending on the quirky tech things that go wrong using the Follett catalog. Next lesson they will go to my cart and register for Adobe. Then I'll show the return feature.

Classroom Management

I am always seeking to improve my classroom management. I was yapping with my husband at lunch and he says that when he has his students work in partners, afterwards they have to compliment each other. It helps build community and kindness. Eveything I do in the library involves partners. Great idea!

2nd Rotation: Lessons for Grades KA - 5

The second 10 day rotation has been completed and we've rolled out the iPads and laptops. I have an amazing 24 laptops and 12 iPads that I can use with all the students in the elementary school!

KA - these 4 year old tots are still deers in the headlights with the library and its routines. We read the book, Green by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. Sometimes a book is so gorgeous I want to put it next to my cheek and stroke the cover. The oil illustrations have shades of green I didn't know existed and the thickness of the paint gives the pages a three dimensional look. Sprinkle in a great story line with hidden pictures and voila, you have a very engaging book for adults and younger children.

Kindergarten - We read The Magic Hat by Mem Fox. Actually I sing the repetitive parts and wear my light-up Mickey Mouse Fantasia hat. When done we acted out the book and made a video on the iPad using iMovie. Check it out below:

 Then the KA class came in and several girls were dressed up at princesses. I couldn't resist making another video. Here it is:

 Grade 1 - We read the book, Oh No, by Mac Barnett and made scary faces on the iPad using Photobooth app - I was hoping it would help with them remember the story, especially the students with limited English. When I asked them about the story about 1 out of every 4 students knew what it was about. The next class I talked more about the story more students remembered it. They were really motivated using the app.

Here's the response on what we read:

 Grade 2 - We read Life with Mammoth by Ian Fraser. Two cavemen try to catch a mammoth as a pet. Crack out your caveman voice for this funny book.

Grade 3 - we used the Destiny Quest app on the iPads. Students searched for books. Next week they will do a scavenger hunt on the iPads using the Pic Collage app.

 Grade 4 - Did the laptop questionnaire on google apps. They didn't know the words "considered" "chain mails" ... I have 275 questionnaires to go through to check for understanding. It would appear that grade 4 lacks knowledge and need to learn more skills before they can check out after school. Email me if you want to see the questionnaire.

 Grade 5 students also took the laptop questionnaire and I pulled books for them based on their reading interest survey from last week. Teachers gave me DRA scores so I was able to get "just right" books. It took me 1 1/2 - 2 hours to pull books for each class and with 8 sections it was a beast trying to do it. I did booktalk with each kid and I gave out new books that I had gotten. The students love it when the book is brand new. Next year if the teacher doesn't give me the DRA score I'm not going to pull books for the class. I usually picked books that were too hard or easy and it took me longer than when I had DRA scores - even if the scores were from grade 4 it helped. I should maybe spread this out over two rotations and flip-flop lessons covering the catalog and eBooks with half the classes and handing out books. This will help me with not running out of books and break up the additional 16 hours of prep time. Another thing that would be good if I flip-flopped is that some teachers were in the middle of DRA testing so my timing was off for those who didn't get done in time.    

1st Rotation: Lessons for Grades K to 5

Kindergarten - I read the Magic Hat by Mem Fox and wear my Disney hat that lights up. We work on routines and how to check out books at the circulation desk.

Grade 1 - I read Goldie Socks and the Three Libearians by Jackie Hopkins. Goldie Socks searches the bears house for a "just right" book. After we play a game were I have clues that spell out the sentence "a just right book." The first clue is the letter "A" and it is "the person who writes the book." When the kid gets it right they stand on the stage with the letter "A". Eventually 14 kids are standing and the ones left get to read the story.

Grade 2 - We read and I blogged about it in this post Fox on Wheels. A video of the kids retelling the story using the iTouch and iRig microphone are here.

Grade 3 - We sat in a circle and discussed our favorite summer book we read for the summer. Students used the microphone to practice speaking. We also used accountable talk reviewing how we use good listening skills. Later in the year students make book trailers and they meet in a circle to discuss two things they did well or learned and one thing they would do differently.

Grade 4 - We practiced using the catalog and talked about laptop care. I created a laptop questionnaire for students to take after school. I want them to act more responsibly with the laptops and earn the right to use them. I had one blip with this lesson. The first day of school I tried having students log on and they couldn't because they hadn't gone to computer to use their passwords. I tried to cover too much ground with the catalog by adding reading levels. Next class I'm going to just talk about reading levels and what they mean then once kids know their reading levels I can explain how it is an aid to finding just right books.



I had the kids save to their resource lists and print it to go shopping. They like that phrase, "Go shopping for books." Another grade 4 teacher uses that phrase and I took it from him. I also showed the students how to log on the Follett page. They had 15 minutes left to look for books. The lesson took 30 minutes mainly because they are familiarizing themselves with the computers' interface. During the 15 minutes I was able to help students locate books in the library.

Grade 5 - I talked about my expectations when students have free time to find books. I'm not always good about reminding kids every time they come to the library. I want to work on that this year and talk about finding books and sitting down and reading them.

Students took an online reading interest survey. I then get the results and DRA scores from teachers so that I can pull books based on what they are reading. Hopefully, I can strike up conversations with kids and they'll come to me for recommendations. This is incredibly time-consuming. It takes me hours to hand pick books. We will see if it pays off by the end of the year. If you want to see the survey go to this link. I made the survey in Google Docs and put a link on the Follett Home page.

This is one of the best starts I've had to the school year and it really helps when I can reflect on lessons and jot down what went well and what needs to be improved.