mrctda

World Book Day -they think it’s all over

MRC TDA — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 07:08:20 +0000

and they would be right!

Great Day yesterday?

If you didn’t get the chance to swap you WBD voucher yesterday – don’t worry we still have some of the special WBD books left – so pop into the MRC today or early next week.

So did you manage to identify all four book characters at our “Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner” competition – here are the answers…..

Alice in Wonderland – not Dynamo the magician

Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Winnie the Pooh

Bella Swan from Twilight

Remember the QR code puzzles are still available for you to enter!

World Book Day

MRC TDA — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 15:37:49 +0000

Today has been World Book Day – just in case you have missed it!

The MRC has been as busy as usual but with excitement in the air!

The first student arrived at 7.50 am to use their WBD voucher and swap it for one of the WBD books, it seems that less people are trying to use their ‘friends’ vouchers which is good as they are using them for themselves, and although some of the older students were disappointed with the young choice of titles I have chatted to a few P16 students about using the voucher to get £1 off a book in town.

So what else have we been doing?

Well I tried something new (new to us) with a Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner display/competition – and this has proved to be both popular and head-scratching. I’ll reveal the answers soon!

What has also ‘gone down well’ is the Books Alive App – I’ve demonstrated this free app using my iPad to a chorus of “wows” and “that’s sick” and students were keen to download the App to their own devices.

Sticking with the technology theme I also set 6 WBD puzzles using QR codes and morphed images of the authors of some of the £1 books.

Finally I circulated a book related quiz (on Powerpoint) to all tutors for tomorrow’s DEAR session – but I’ve seen it on some whiteboards already.

The day is almost over, phew!

Roll on next year!

World Book Day 7th March 2013

MRC TDA — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 07:05:27 +0000

Here’s this years’ promotion for World Book Day

Tokens (one per student) will be given out by Tutors, you can use them in the MRC for one of the £1 books OR pop into a book shop in town and get £1 off any book you like.

Book of the Week

MRC TDA — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:42:48 +0000

Check HERE to find the book on Oliver

Drop in on DEAR 4.1 Butterfly Lion

MRC TDA — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 07:28:27 +0000

Click HERE to check if the book is still available from the MRC

PD Sessions (Personal Development)

MRC TDA — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 07:17:10 +0000

Over the past few weeks Tutors have been delivering some PD (Personal Development) sessions that I created about Reading (DEAR) and Independent Learning (Information Literacy).

As part of the first Reading session students were asked to create an A4 landscape poster about the MRC, e.g. how to use it and what you can find there.They could then vote for their favourite.

I have received lots of wonderful examples that I have shared via the Academy screens, but here are some of the ones I liked best!

Summer Reading Challenge 2012 winners!

MRC TDA — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 07:18:39 +0000

Better late than never….. Here is a short extract of some of our students who managed to complete the Public Library’s Summer Reading Challenge last year. It was great that the Public Libraries were able to let us know who finished this time, as they haven’t been able to do this in previous years.

So here is a glimpse of some of our students receiving their certificates, medals and a reward from the MRC.

Summer reading challenge 2012 completers.

What is your attitude to reading?

MRC TDA — Thu, 07 Feb 2013 16:13:00 +0000

If you are in Year 7, you may have noticed something strange going on during your MRC lessons, and no I’m not talking about my dancing!

Some Year 7 students have disappeared…… only to be found with myself or Mrs Bothamley quietly chatting………

You may be wondering “What’s that all about?”

Well I can reveal all…..

As part of our mission to help you all become better readers we are attempting to meet with each of you over the next term, or so. This may take a little bit of time as there is rather a lot of you! (350+)

The chat, I hope, isn’t too scary, and so far I’ve had lots of interesting conversations with many of you.

Here are two things I can share with you that

come up repeatedly.

1. To improve your reading (making it easier) doesn’t take 5 hours or more each day as many of you think! But only 10-15 minutes. So grab your book before you go to bed and read a chapter or two. That’s it. Simples.

Do this everyday, or most days, and abracadabra over a month or so you should see/feel a difference. Keep it up and over many months and you’ll notice a huge difference. Promise!

2. If you can’t find something “good” to read, then do not fear! It can be a bit difficult walking into the MRC and being surrounded by all those books – where to start? If only there was an expert around to help….. Oh yeah! there is!

All you have to do is be a little bit brave and ask one of us. Mrs Bothamley and I are especially keen to suggest books we think you might like. Plus we won’t get upset if you reject some of the books we show you. No really – come and give it a try. We won’t bite! (Well it hasn’t happened yet!)

So if you haven’t had a chat yet, be patient, and we’ll get to you soon!

Carnegie Long List – the challenge to read them all 2012/13

MRC TDA — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 08:05:31 +0000

Shock, horror….. Robert Swindells has written a book about World War Two. Sigh! Still this one is set just after the end of the war, rationing is still in place, the ‘yanks’ are still hanging around, and ghosts haunt the empty house at the end of a shadowy lane. Or do they? A very easy book to read, short chapters of 3 or 4 pages long. I ended up playing, spot the chapter title whilst I read. Not a great deal of detail -but it is a simple read, and a slightly different approach to…. No can’t say anymore as I’d give the game away. So is it a War story or a school story? Not sure – but it’s definitely not a ghost story.

Carnegie – the Challenge to read all of the long list 2012/13

MRC TDA — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 08:05:37 +0000

I like Unrest. It was different and sophisticated and obviously for the young adult market. 17 year old Elliot is struggling with life after his brush with death in hit and run accident. He can, apparently see, hear and feel ghosts during his sleep and periods of sleep paralysis. He takes matters into his own hands by getting a job at a haunted museum, meets a girl there, and discovers more than he bargained for. A good page turner, with some unexpected twists, and a grisly but satisfying ending.