The George & Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library in The Woodlands, and the rest of the Montgomery County Library System, is sponsoring Virtual Summer Reading 2020 themed “Imagine Your Story.” The program is running June 1st through August 15 and all Summer Reading programs and events will be online this year. The Children’s events will be streamed on the Montgomery County Memorial Library System Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/mcmlsTX/live/ and you do not have to have a Facebook account to watch.
We also have a new Summer Reading app called Beanstack. The entire family can participate and earn badges and prizes by logging your books into the app.
All of our summer Reading information is on the library’s website: www.countylibrary.org
If you would like the app for your phone search for Breanstack then for library enter Montgomery County Memorial Library System. Please remember when you register for a program select George and Cynthia Woods Mitchell Library as your library.
If you need books:
“The lobby area of all of our branches is open on a limited basis with a restriction on building capacity. Everyone can place items on hold through the online catalog or call the Mitchell library branch and request an item. Once you are notified that the item is available for pickup, we would then have it ready for you to retrieve. We can also provide limited reference services during this time. If an item is on our shelf, staff may be able to retrieve the item for you to check out. These are the only services available at this time and access beyond the lobby is unavailable.”
Alexander, Kwame. (2014). THE CROSSOVER. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing: New York, NY. ISBN: 9780544107717
Josh Bell, nicknamed by his dad as Filthy McNasty, is a 13 year old student rapper and basketball player with a twin brother, Jordan, who also likes basketball but becomes a bigger fan of a particular new girl. Their mom, an assistant principal, and their dad, a former professional basketball player, have high expectations for their sons. When Josh and JB begin drifting apart, Josh becomes angry and lonely, longing for the days when his brother was his best friend and basketball partner. When his father collapses during a basketball game, Josh is unsure what the future holds for his family. He has one last chance to visit with his father, but decides to play in the championship game. Throughout the book Josh learns that life is about dealing with the consequences of the decisions he makes.
Kwame Alexander grasps his audience on page one with this incredible poetic masterpiece that is a realistic fiction story told in various styles of verse. The rich and unfamiliar vocabulary become chapter titles that the character explains with multiple sentences in the chapter. For example, the word pulchritudinous is defined and then explained in sentences on page 55. “As in: I’ve never had a girlfriend, but if I did, you better believe she’d be pulchritudinous.”The author has a good balance between thoughts of the protagonist and the dialogue with his family and friends. The mix of font and words read vertically add to the style and rhythm of the poetry. The well-developed characters experience change throughout the book by going through real-life experiences that often affect teenagers and families. The devastating conclusion will leave the reader wishing for an alternative ending, but understanding that authors write to mimic true life. The book is a quick-read and would be most appropriate for ages 11-15.
Reviews
2015 Newbery Honor Book
2015 Coretta Scott King for Author Award
"Alexander has crafted a story that vibrates with energy and heat and begs to be read aloud. A slam dunk." --School Library Journal
"This novel in verse is rich in character and relationships. . . . Poet Alexander deftly reveals the power of the format to pack an emotional punch."—Kirkus
"An accomplished author and poet, Alexander eloquently mashes up concrete poetry, hip-hop, a love of jazz, and a thriving family bond. The effect is poetry in motion."—Booklist
Telgemeier, R., Lamb, B., & Falco, P. (2014). SISTERS. (Pbk.) (Smile #2). New York: Graphix. ISBN: 9780545540605
Raina, along with her mother, sister and brother are setting off on a roadtrip to visit extended family in Colorado. As the family travels Raina experiences memories of her previous years as being the oldest sibling. At first, Raina wanted a little sister and couldn’t wait to help care for the baby. Then Amara was born and was nothing like she imagined; she was cranky, grouchy, and spoiled. The older Amara gets the less they seem to get along and Raina wonders why she ever wanted a little sister. A little brother is born to make them a family of five. The trip includes experiences with rainstorms, dead animals, rush-hour traffic problems, live king snakes in the van, being stranded in the desert, her mom as a hitchhiker and then the admission that her parents needed to spend time apart. Raina realizes that even though they may not always get along, they are still family and experiences create memories of love and support.
Based on the experiences of growing up, Telgemeier writes and draws a humorous story of being an older sister dealing with the conflicts in a family. This graphic novel is engaging and entertaining and holds the attention of the reader in a comic book style format (like the Sunday comics in a newspaper). Through the flashbacks of the main character’s previous years, the struggles of being the oldest sibling shows in pages that are yellow. The present situation is shown in white pages. The author uses a variety of large fonts to display emotions from the characters along with emphasized facial expressions. Tween and younger teenage readers can identify with the trials of being a sibling and a family that is not always perfect. The author includes real pictures at the conclusion of the book of she and her sister to make the real-life connection.
Reviews
"A wonderfully charming tale of family and sisters that anyone can bond with." -- Kirkus Reviews
"Telgemeier's art complements her writing to great effect, offering a cheerful, vivid cartoon simplicity that allows readers to instantly engage even as it leaves room for deeper truths to take hold." -- Booklist
Go check them out today, and let me know if you want more books like this in our library.
Also, if you don't have a Goodreads account, now is a great time to create one. You can plug in the books you have read and Goodreads will give you suggestions based off of your ratings.
Castle Cranshaw has a talent for running. It's what he knows. But can he harness his talent to make it with a track team. Follow Castle-nicknamed Ghost- as he deals with some tough family issues and learns so much about himself.
Inspired by the true story of Ali Fadhil, a young boy living in Iraq, during the first Gulf War in 1991. He and his family live in fear of Saddam Hussein as the US and Iraq engage in a war. A historical fiction novel told from the perspective of a child.
Workers were putting in a sewer line in Albany, New York in 2005 when they dug up a skull. A team of archaeologists determined that the area was a slave cemetery and included 13 skeletons. A fascinating account that tells the story of the enslaved individuals. You won't be able to put this one down until you finish. Only 50 pages with images!
In July of 1944, a large fire broke minutes after the Barnum & Bailey Circus began and 167 people were killed. This is the true story of one of the worst fire disasters in US history.
Awards:
International Literacy Association Award Winner for Intermediate Nonfiction 2016Eureka Children's Book Honor 2016
Hello students and welcome to summer! The heat in Texas has already escalated and I am enjoying a little reading. I received a box of books from a book order that I placed before Spring Break. I also placed an ebook order so you now have access to more than 200 ebooks. Please check them out this summer and let me know what you're reading.
In one of my first graduate courses at SHSU, I created a presentation that features books that received an award. I chose to highlight books from the 2018 winners of the Coretta Scott King Book Awards. You will see more of this on the blog as I highlight book award winners. I will also include links that will lead you to additional information about the award, the books and how you can check out the books from our BBJH library.
This link will take you to Destiny Discover where you can begin looking for ebooks.
From the ALA website: "The Coretta Scott King Book Awards are given annually to outstanding African American authors and illustrators of books for children and young adults that demonstrate an appreciation of African American culture and universal human values. The award commemorates the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and honors his wife, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, for her courage and determination to continue the work for peace and world brotherhood."
Wow! What a semester to be enrolled in Digital Technology for the School Librarian. To have our semester end abruptly due to the shutdown of campuses and initiate remote learning for our students, this was certainly a class with benefits! Each module offered material and information that was immediately applicable to share with students and teachers. There were many things that our district already had in place but to be able to offer additional resources and opportunities to integrate with those platforms was extremely valuable.
THE Blog:
I actually created this blog years ago to show the work for my students when I was teaching ELA. However, I hadn't really updated it until I began the program at SHSU and it was required for a few of the courses. This is my statement of commitment to update once or twice per month as I move into my third year as a school librarian. There are so many technology platforms to review, books to encourage readers, and library information to send to staff, that I think the blog would be a great place to keep it. Blogger has been really easy to use and as I dig more into the settings, I know that I will find out better ways to use it and personalize the pages.
Blog Readers:
This was entirely new for me! Blog readers and subscribing to blogs with Feedly. Out of the reviewed blog readers, this is the one that I found most user friendly. I see it as a "Pinterest Board" of blogs. Once you find the blogs you want to read, you subscribe and only have to visit the blog reader instead of having multiple emails or tabs updating when a blog has been posted.
Facebook, Instagram & Twitter:
Not that I'm happy to say it, but this was the most comfortable area for me. I spend entirely too much time on social media!!! However, using these platforms to advocate for the school library made me feel like I was working instead of wasting time. I think I will always favor Twitter over all other social media platforms but it was good to create an Instagram and Facebook for the library to reach the diverse backgrounds of the learning community.
Infographics:
This is another application that I have some experience but certainly not an expert. I really enjoy making infographics and find them easy to read. I also think they are great visual tools for students. They take more time than some of the other applications but I think they have value to meet the needs of diverse learners. I think they look "easy" to read because of the variety of elements and design but they pack a big punch when it comes to delivering information. I personally like to use Canva but there are so many options out there that are user-friendly.
Screencasts:
I started creating screencasts last August when our campus started limiting staff meetings. I began creating short videos for PD that our teachers could refer to when needing help with our grading program, teacher website creation, and other technology platforms. I created a YouTube channel to house these videos so teachers could easily find them and use them when needed. When we didn't return to the campus after spring break, screencasts became the area that I spent the majority of my time. I created them for students to see how to check out ebooks and use the online databases and I made them for teachers to understand how to work with our online learning platform, Canvas. I recently listened to a podcast about how to make screencasts better, and will begin implementing those strategies for future videos.
YouTube, Animoto, and QR Codes:
I am familiar with YouTube and have a channel that I upload for BBJH Technology but I need to spend some time learning how to edit those videos. I LOVE Animoto for creating book trailers--I really want to make more for the summer to encourage my readers. And, QR codes are a great tool to get information into the hands of my teachers and students quickly. I like that you can scan the code and it is saved to your device so that you can return to review the material. Such an easy concept!
Cartoons & Comics:
I have to say that this was probably the MOST FUN! After looking through all of the sites and playing with the features, I immediately posted the websites and information to my Canvas page for my students to begin creating. What a great way to show creativity and share knowledge. I have always liked Storyboard but thought that the other sites were great. I ended up purchasing a yearly subscription to Fotojet because of the picture collages they make. I look forward to spending more time here and will definitely incorporate it with updating this blog!!
Podcasts:
Podcasts have been great for me as a listener and I've only dabbled a couple of times on making them. They are still an area that is challenging but I am committed to keeping up with finding and creating interesting podcasts that will engage my learning community. I thought that Podbean was the most user-friendly for a beginner but would really like to learn more about Garage Band and all of the features available.
Storyboard Answers:
Using Storyboard, I answer some of the questions to sum up my experiences with Digital Technology! (I meant to supersize it so it can go off the page because the text was too small to read.)
And if you are a speed-reader...enjoy this fun download of the Storyboard story!😏
It has been quite the semester of new experiences and unknowns...but with those challenges I have acquired a new perspective and growth in digital technology. I still have a few more weeks with my students to implement these applications and learn from my community.
Universal Design for Learning is the concept that educators improve and elevate learning for all people in the learning community. UDL is never a finalized product--educators continuously and consistently revise and revamp instruction by looking at all domains to ensure ALL learners have opportunities AND access to meaningful learning. And what better time to consider this research since we are in a global pandemic and the majority of schools in the US have instituted remote learning. No longer are the buildings open, but school has not closed. Educators have been instantly immersed into conversations and construction of online lessons but the access for these lessons are not on the same level for all of our learners. This is where the conversations for UDL need to begin happening. I am fortunate that I work for a district that began this conversation years ago and we are taking the steps to level learning. The following video is a quick overview for UDL.
As a district we are currently providing resources and materials for all members of our learning community by providing Snap&Read and Co:Writer- two product resources from Don Johnston Human Learning Tools. Every student can download these two Google extensions by using their school email that provides them free access. Snap&Read is a reading tool for Google Chrome, ipad, etc that can read both accessible and inaccessible text aloud, level vocabulary and use Google translate for all documents. In addition, it provides study and organization tools and can be used on Google docs, word documents, .pdfs and live websites. Co:Writer uses word prediction, translation support and speech recognition to encourage stress-free writing. The implementation of these tools meet the ACCESS guidelines set forth by the UDL model by recruiting interest for means of engagement, representing multiple means for perception and providing means of action and expression through the use of assisting technologies. Since the shutdown of school buildings, educators have been instating options for expression and communication by using multiple media tools for communication, construction and composition. This has been mostly through trial-and-error, but with the forced online format, it is allowing educators and the leaders of the school to determine where we are failing our learning community. We should be encouraged to add and try new options so that we can understand how our students need us to communicate with them to support their learning. An area of UDL that I would like to explore is the use of rubrics for setting expectations. Getting away from traditional grading has always been a goal of mine, especially at the junior high level, and instead provide feedback through peer and teacher review. This is not a popular idea for many educators since it takes away the "punishment" for not doing well on an assignment. It also takes away the "reward" for a student who is motivated by A's. This is the conversation that I believe should be happening when we consider the UDL guidelines and how we can use flexible grouping and collaborative groups to optimize the needs of all learners. Students are coming into the academic setting with different backgrounds. As educators we cannot equalize the playing field in our students lives, but we can provide balance of access and learning opportunities in a structured setting.
UDL & ASSESSMENT
Looking at grading guidelines with knowledge of UDL will require research and challenging conversations with school leaders. I anticipate there would be strong opposition to removing traditional grading and would likely only be considered where gpa is not a determining factor for class rank. Removing traditional grading at the 8th grade level and below would not affect a students future "grade," however, removing traditional grading from the high school level (9-12) would affect class rank, scholarship, and college applications. The idea would require collaboration with many members of the learning community and a look into model schools. UDL has published information with assessment in mind at UDL On Campus. Implementing rubrics will require thinking and planning ahead for educators to really understand the learning target for each lesson or activity. Robert Marzano has published a book titled Transforming Classroom Grading that clarifies how to use a rubric-based approach to assessment and reporting. My personal goal is to continue to gain understanding and use the UDL guidelines as we move into the future of academics and how that allows everyone in the learning community opportunities for enhanced learning experiences.
Sources
CAST (2018). Universal design for learning guidelines version 2.2 [graphic organizer]. Wakefield, MA: Author.
The UDL Guidelines. (2018, August 31). Retrieved April 28, 2020, from http://udlguidelines.cast.org/
What is Universal Design for Learning (UDL)? (2017, November 2). Retrieved April 27, 2020, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGQ_7K35ysA
Creative Commonsis a nonprofit organization with a mission to build accessible knowledge and culture at the global level. If you visit their website, you will see that now, during a global pandemic, is an important time to provide unrestricted access to scientific research and educational materials. If you have never heard of Creative Commons, please view the Creative Commons infographicthat Emily and I put together to inform you of their 1.6 billion works that are available to explore. You can also follow them on Twitter @creativecommons to stay informed of the latest information for #openaccess.
Podcasts are a great way to reach a large audience and make an impact in the school library. Creating podcasts takes time and can be somewhat intimidating when you first begin. However, with practice and familiarity the advantages far outweigh the obstacles. Three applications that can help you create your podcasts are highlighted below.
Anchor
Anchor makes it easy to get started with your first podcast. It offers unlimited free hosting and covers all FAQ's about making a podcast along with tips and tricks for planning, producing and publishing podcasts. The phone app is simple to use with 5 easy steps that guide you through the podcast experience. You will be able to edit, split into segments and add background music. You can podcast with friends or have guest speakers. Anchor will also help distribute the podcast with Apple and Spotify if you don't want to distribute it manually. Requesting sponsorships is another feature that is easily activated.
Podbean
Podbean is another platform that you can get start podcasting for free. Although, if you want more than 5 hours of storage and 100GB of bandwidth, you will need to opt for a paid plan ranging from $9 to $99 per month. The most popular plan being $29 per month with tons of features. It's easy to use from laptop or smartphone and once published, the podcast is available on Amazon Alexa. With scheduled publishing and audiograms to share on social media, Podbean seems to have everything needed for a school librarian to begin podcasting immediately.This podcast about collaboration in the school library was created with my class colleague, Emily, using Podbean. Collaboration in the Library by Emily & Kara
GarageBand
GarageBandis an application for making music or podcasts with all the tools you will ever need to create and enhance professional sounding podcasts. Buzzsprout offers this tutorial to get started by creating a template and covers recording, editing and exporting your podcast. GarageBand is free and there are tons of videos and articles walking you through the features that are available on this platform. Be sure to check out this linkto hear Book Riot's recommendations for 13 Must-Hear podcasts for librarians. Knowledge Quest also has recommendations for these podcastscreated BY and FOR school librarians. The School Library Journal wrote an articlein 2018 encouraging school librarians to create podcasts and help students create them, as well. This informative write-up outlines tips and tricks for getting started immediately and the benefits of podcasts-both creating and listening.
I love reading comics! And, with graphic novels as popular as they are, I know that my junior high students like reading them, too! I also like the ability to design within a site and easily see changes. Here are four sites that give you the ability to make your own comics along with making design changes seamlessly, and then share them with your students.
Pixton
The first site that I tried was called Pixton. It was my first time to use the site or create a comic strip and I must say that it was very simple. Many features were free, but if you want to get into creating lots of movements, facial expressions and a change of scenery, then you will have to purchase a plan. Plans begin at $9.99 per month and go up to $99 per year. The best part is that all plans include unlimited student enrollment.
Make Beliefs Comix
The second site I visited was Make Beliefs Comix. This site seemed a little dated with less features than the first site. I had a little trouble getting started, but once I explored the site a little more I realized it wasn't very difficult. Obviously, my state of mind at the time was expressed in the comic strip. This site is not just for creating comic strips, but you can also create greeting cards, ebooks and more. There are options for lesson plans, help in special needs, and for students whose first language is not English.
FotoJet
My first impression with FotoJet is that the interface reminded me of the Canva platform. Since I use Canva on a regular basis, it was immediately familiar. I chose one of the collage templates to get started. It's easy to choose a photo that is available within the platform, or you can upload a photo from your computer. The other option is to import a Facebook photo. I chose to use the available photos in the platform since most junior high students do not have a Facebook account. Downloading the project is free but to be able to save your work or access better features, the user will have to purchase a plan at $40 per year if billed annually. I went ahead and purchased a year subscription to continue making more of these. My daughter is really missing volleyball right now so I chose to create a collage using her pictures. I could imagine that students (and teachers) would enjoy making these to highlight moments. This was a fun site to explore.
Storyboard That
The last site that I used to create a comic strip was StoryboardThat. I remember using this site when I previously taught 7th grade ELA and I wanted to create a comic for Edgar Allan Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart. The site has plans from $9.99 per month to a yearly plan for $96. This site was probably the easiest to figure out without a tutorial. All features are simple to find, add, and edit. This would be my favorite site but with a free plan, the user is limited to only two storyboards per week.
All in all, I really enjoyed creating the comics on each site and it gives me a new way to reach students that I normally would not have used. I can't wait to see what the students will be creating when I share these sites with them. I plan on spending some time in the next few days making comic strips to share with students and teachers on my Canvas page. We all need to smile during this time of uncertainty and I also want to pass on the quality of the sites. I will ask my students to share with me their creations so that I can post on the school website. I think this would be a great way to see our students publish their work and feel a sense of accomplishment. I also think teachers will find it an enjoyable site to use for creative lessons.
YouTube is one of the most popular platforms in the United States. I wrote a previous blog post and uploaded an infographic with support for this statement. YouTube is extremely popular in digital education. Users can choose to create channels and upload videos that will be helpful to viewers. Viewers can subscribe to these channels and get automatic updates when videos have been added. YouTube is a great benefit to the school library.
The Norman High School Library:
This video would be helpful for students learning how to navigate the NHS library online.
And students would enjoy seeing their mascot tour the physical spaces of the library.
The Unquiet Library
The Unquiet Library has been uploading videos for 11 years. They have 158 subscribers. Over 300 students have found this video extremely helpful.
And with over 1,000 views, students have enjoyed this video.
Pikesville High School Library
This video with a group of high school seniors performing a skit and dance has the most views.
And this video would be most helpful for students who need help with registering for classes.
BBMS Media
This video from BBMS Media will help students with citation tools.
The BBMS Media site has a variety of student produced videos to encourage returning overdue books. This video with over 3000 views seems to be the most liked video on the channel.
YouTube may sometimes be blocked by the technology filters. However, you have the ability to embed the videos in Canvas and allow students to see them, as needed. This will prevent the ads and suggested videos from coming up when students are logging into YouTube to see your video.
I currently have a YouTube channel BBJH Technology that allows students and teachers to find help with library services and technology platforms.
Animoto & QR Codes
From the critically acclaimed author of Allegedly, Tiffany D. Jackson, comes a gripping new novel perfect for fans of E. Lockhart and Gillian Flynn about the mystery of one teenage girl's disappearance and the traumatic effects of the truth.
Monday Charles is missing, and only Claudia seems to notice. Claudia and Monday have always been inseparable - more sisters than friends. So when Monday doesn't turn up for the first day of school, Claudia's worried.
When she doesn't show for the second day, or second week, Claudia knows that something is wrong. Monday wouldn't just leave her to endure tests and bullies alone. Not after last year's rumors and not with her grades on the line. Now, Claudia needs her best - and only - friend more than ever. But Monday's mother refuses to give Claudia a straight answer, and Monday's sister April is even less help.
As Claudia digs deeper into her friend's disappearance, she discovers that no one seems to remember the last time they saw Monday. How can a teenage girl just vanish without anyone noticing that she's gone?
Using Animoto, I created a book trailer for Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson. Animoto is user-friendly and a great site to create projects for use in the world of digital education. I also used a QR generator to create a QR code for an easy way to access websites that you want to share. QR codes can be used to give students access to book trailers, YouTube videos, book summaries, and more. Scan the QR code below to see the book trailer.
An incredible influencer in the area of digital education, Kathy Schrock shares her suggestions for using QR codes in the classroom. Just click on this link https://www.schrockguide.net/qr-codes-in-the-classroom.html to read her blog and begin using QR codes with your students.
