Library Learners

This Blog is Moving!

2013-11-11T21:48:00.002-06:00

Hi friends!

It's gonna get ugly around here...in fact, it already is. I'm making the leap from Blogger to Wordpress. And right now, I have two ugly blogs. But it will get better soon, I promise.

My new address will be librarylearners.com. If you head over there, you can see all of my posts and all of your comments, but the sidebar and header and background and menu, well, they aren't quite there yet. But I'm working on it!

(I'm also packing for Hartford, Connecticut and AASL 13! B-r-r-r, it looks cold up there!)

Please bear with me as I move our library centers community to a new and better neighborhood. I'll get the landscaping finished soon, I promise!

Book Fair Roundup

2013-11-04T20:27:00.002-06:00

Hi friends!

It's book fair time again in our library!

No sooner did our pumpkin patch leave than those silver cases rolled into the building.

Once I set up the book fair, I snap a photo of each case with my smart phone. That way, when I suddenly see an empty space on a shelf, I can look back at the photo to see what book I need to re-order.

Here are a few things I've learned about book fairs.

1) I sometimes use the Scholastic theme, sometimes choose my own. Last spring, I decorated in a Seuss theme because our book fair fell on Read Across America Day. This week, I'm decorating in a pirate theme, because it fits with my library's ocean decor better than Scholastic's Egyptian focus.

I bought cute (not scary-skull) pirate tablecloths and pennants from Oriental Trading Company, and I'm playing the Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack CD in the background.

2) I always give goodies to my volunteers. This year, I'm wrapping up a thank you note with a five dollar book fair gift certificate, M & M candy bars, and extra gum.

My thank you note says: Thank you for lending an EXTRA hand at our book fair. You helped us make More & More for our school library and our students. And you can download it from my Google Drive, if you'd like.

3) I create shelf talkers to show the reading levels of the books. Parents want to choose an appropriate book for their students. I look the books up on Scholastic Book Wizard or Titlewave and put the reading level on a shelf talker by the book.

4) Buy the coin counter from the Scholastic Resource catalog. It will save your sanity if you encounter as many coin-filled baggies, pockets, and purses as I do!

5) I use the Signup Genius website to schedule volunteers. This is my first time to try it, and it seems to be going well...better than the paper sign-up sheet.

I hope the book fair odds are ever in your favor. If you have great ideas that work for you, please share them in a comment!

Library Centers Organization

2013-10-30T15:31:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

I've had a few questions about how I organize my library center "stuff." It's an ongoing process, but here are a few strategies that work for me.

I use this monthly file folder organizer from Scholastic.

This organizer has a cute, colorful file folder for each month, and a sturdy cardboard box to hold them all. Mine are pretty full, as you can see, and I ~~probably~~ definitely need to throw out a few things.

I keep the signs and printables for centers that I know I'll only use in a certain month in the file folder for that month. For example, Halloween centers in the October file, Thanksgiving centers in the November file, and so forth.

You can order the organizer from Amazon.

Or you can buy it with your Scholastic dollars. Mine has lasted 4 years so far.

There are other centers I could use at any time during the year. I keep those signs in one big red folder on a shelf in my library closet. I also have the acrylic sign holders on this shelf.

After I print a sign on the color printer, I like to save it and re-use it. All of the signs are together in the big red folder. I glance through it as I'm setting up library centers on Friday afternoon for the following week.

I keep all the puzzles together on one shelf, with the puzzle center sign. If I have to grab a center in a hurry, the puzzle center takes about 2 seconds to set up.

I also have all of the supplies for the centers, like markers and pencils and glue. I keep those in plastic bins I ordered from Office Depot. My favorites are called Really Useful Boxes. And of course I labeled the bins with my trusty label maker.

Because everything is better with a label on it, right? Or am I alone in that obsession?

I can pull the items I need from a bin and put them in a small container (typically something colorful from Dollar Tree) for the center. If someone wants to be a library helper, I can have them go through the marker bin and throw out the dry ones, or sharpen all of the pencils.

I also have shelves in my closet labeled with months of the year, and I keep my larger seasonal items, like decorations and estimation stations, on those shelves.

Most of the fall decorations are out in the library right now. That folded up piece of muslin is our teepee, waiting for November. And yes, that is a solar dancing skeleton hanging out on the back of the shelf.

I think my system is pretty simple: put it in a bin or folder and label it.

I hope this helps for those of you just getting started with library centers. Please leave me a comment if you have more questions or if you have great ideas for organizing your library stuff!

Jawsome Readers

2013-10-25T14:51:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

I ~~stole~~ borrowed an idea from our music teacher, and I love it!

You know that I'm always looking for a good way to encourage students to return their books, right? And I don't want to spend a lot of money, because I'd rather spend our budget on MORE BOOKS.

So, here's what's working for me...

When a class comes to the library for their weekly checkout, and every single student has either returned or renewed their books, we do a cheer and put a sign outside their classroom door. I chose "this class is jawsome" because my students are shark-crazy, and it matches our ocean theme.

I write the teacher's name and the date on this card with my trusty black Sharpie, and the teacher posts it in the hall, by the classroom door. It's not fancy at all! But it gets the attention of other students and teachers, and the competitive spirit kicks in!

When the class earns this award, we line up, we chant "our class is jawsome," and we make three big chomping motions (like the Florida Gator chomp) with our arms.

Here's what it sounds like:

(I couldn't video this because of student privacy. So you'll hear us doing our chant, but all you'll see is the jawsome sign.)

Of course I'll give you my sign for free, right here from my Google Drive. You can change it up to match your theme, or whatever your students particularly love. The fun part is celebrating together!

Our music teacher has an award like this that says "This class rocks" that she provides for excellent behavior in music class. When I saw how excited the teachers and students were about posting their music awards, I decided to jump on the bandwagon and create a library award.

This whole-class-reward is in addition to the shelf marker/library card/punch cards that reward individual responsibility. Our punch cards are still going strong, and even the fifth graders have been excited to earn a trip to the treasure chest to get a free pencil, eraser or bookmark!

I hope you are finding ways to make responsibility rewarding in your library! If you've found something that works, please share it in a comment!

Got Time?

2013-10-20T19:45:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

Do you have enough time?

At my recent presentation for the Region 20 Library Resource Roundup, I handed out exit tickets with a survey. I asked my librarian audience what three challenges they face in their libraries. Ninety percent of the librarians listed "time" as a challenge.

What about you? Yep, me, too.

I've been reading the book, 18 Minutes, by Peter Bregman. It's the book choice for the AASL 2013 Conference, and it's all about getting things done.

And I REALLY like it! I checked it out from my public library, and I took notes on my favorite parts so that I could remember them AND share them with you!

Here's a quote that really sums up the focus of the book: "So often we scramble to get a lot accomplished in a day and succeed--only to realize in retrospect that those things we accomplished won't get us where we want to go. It's not a lack of effort. It's a lack of direction and focus." (p. 41) Exactly!

I know that you teacher-librarians are working hard. No doubt about that! Your days are crazy busy like mine. But if you're not accomplishing what you want to, I recommend this book to you.

Here's some of the advice from 18 Minutes, comparing time to an all-you-can-eat buffet: "The secret to surviving a buffet is to eat fewer things. And the secret to thriving in your life is the same: do fewer things." (p. 101) Don't worry; he does explain how to do less.

Here's what Mr. Bregman says about boundaries. "Setting a rule and then letting people break it doesn't make them like you--it just makes them ignore you." (p. 193) Have you discovered that with your students? If you tell them to raise their hand for a turn to talk, but then you respond to someone who didn't raise their hand, suddenly no one raises their hand anymore! It works the same way with adults and boundaries.

If you can't find the book at your library, or you want to highlight in your own copy, you can find the paperback on Amazon.

Here's a two-minute video overview of the book, from the author.

I hope this book will help you as much as it's helped me. I'm really excited about putting these strategies into practice and accomplishing more of my goals!

Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of the book.

Candy Corn Estimation Station

2013-10-15T21:43:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

This week I'm setting up a candy corn estimation station in our school library.

You can click here to get the sign I'm using as a free download from my Google Drive.

I've got my Estimation Station filled with candy corn (enclosed in a zipper bag, away from germs and prying fingers). Whoever has the closest estimate will take home the candy corn.

It's a fun, colorful fall center. The educational part happens in the conversations we have as the students make their estimates. We talk about how they choose their numbers. Usually, different grades have different strategies. The important objective is that they HAVE a strategy for making an estimate, rather than just a wild guess.

I bought this Estimation Station from Amazon. It comes with a clear scoop that you can fill. You can tell your students that if ____ pieces of candy corn fit in the scoop, and 8 scoops fit in the container, how many pieces of candy corn fit in the container?

The container is a four-inch plastic cube (not huge) with a lid. The activity guide has ideas for more math activities to use with this station.

This is my kind of math center...SWEET! And I will NOT snitch pieces of candy corn out of my library center!

Turtle Library Center

2013-10-02T20:54:00.002-05:00

Hi friends!
My turtle arrived today! He was bigger than I expected, and livelier too!

Yesterday I collected all of our turtle books, fiction and non-fiction. I'll display these next to the turtle's tank, and replace them as students check them out.

Then I wrote a prompt on butcher paper, and put it on the table, with markers. Today, our turtle arrived!

Here's what our turtle library center looked like after I set it up.

Simple, right? Turtle tank, markers, and butcher paper. Here's what it looked like once students arrived in the library.

This is the funny part. Although I wrote the prompt inside a turtle shape just to be cute, many of the students assumed that they should write their responses inside turtle shapes, too!

Like this...

They're so funny!

I hope you have the chance to try a live animal center in your library!

October Library Centers

2013-09-30T20:32:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! Are you ready for fall? I'm ready for pumpkins! It's almost time for our storybook pumpkin patch. I blogged about it here last year. And I showed you our video here.

My principal is already asking me if we're having our Storybook Pumpkin Patch again this year. You betcha!

I'm updating my flyer and ordering participation prizes. Check out the blog posts from last year if you want to try this. It's a HUGE hit with everyone on our campus, and it's SO easy to do! I hope you'll try it!

I'm planning our library centers for October. You can check out links to fall library centers here, and Halloween library centers here. For some reason, the rotting pumpkin center really appeals to me. I like the way the seedlings grow alongside the decay! I want to try that center.

My first live animal of the week arrives on Wednesday. I'll post pictures for you as soon as I get that center set up!

Happy fall, y'all!

Library Freebie Friday: Nonfiction

2013-09-20T16:30:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

I follow Loreen Leedy (children's author and illustrator) on Teachers Pay Teachers, so I find out when she creates new products. And today I saw one that I have to share with you!

Here's a cool new freebie that would make a great library center: Nonfiction Reading Response Cards for Any Informational Text.

Here's what you do. Choose non-fiction books about a subject your students are studying: plants, or habitats or history or whatever. Students use the information in the informational texts to complete these cards. Then other students use these cards as a learning game.

I think the game aspect will make it more fun for students. I know my students will enjoy creating a challenge for their classmates. And it makes me smile when I see that they have to write the title of the book, giving credit to their source of information. :D

I appreciate that Loreen Leedy shared this with us for FREE! Check it out, and make sure to leave her some feedback love if you think these cards are great.

Book Baby

2013-09-15T19:24:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

Are you teaching your students how to take care of their library books? I've got a brand new way to talk about book care, and we're loving it! Meet my book baby!

I wrapped up my read-aloud in a baby blanket from the Dollar Tree. I made a poster, a song, and a game.

I know we need to teach our students about taking care of their library books, but I don't like to scold or nag them. I want to make this lesson fun AND memorable. I like to sing songs and play games and laugh as we learn.

I put all of my Book Baby activities together into a printable in my TPT store. It includes the Book Baby song, to the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It," but with gentle pats instead of claps. I also include the Book Baby game, where you flip the pages and ask students questions, like "do I leave my book baby outside?" The students answer "yes" or "no." I also have bookmarks that I send home in the student library books.

I'll go back and review this all year long with pre-K, kindergarten and first grade. As they line up to go back to class, I'll remind them, "hug your library book like a baby!" We can sing our song any time we need a little refresher during the school year.

I put my book pages into a presentation book from Staples, like this.

It cost $3.99, and it already has 12 page protectors bound into it. So I can store it on my office bookshelf, like a book, and take it out whenever I need it! If the papers were in a file folder, I might put them in the file cabinet and forget about them. It's highly likely, in fact.

It's so important to teach our students how to take care of their library books. I never want them to miss a checkout because of a lost or damaged book. I think I've finally found a friendly way to teach this skill.

I hope your school year is off to a great start!

Meet me in San Antonio or Hartford!

2013-09-08T12:01:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

I have two speaking opportunities this fall, and I would love to meet you at one of them!

On Friday, September 20, I'll give a 45-minute presentation about library centers at the Region 20 Librarians Roundup in San Antonio.

If you're in our area, you can register here for the all day conference. It's a great value at $35!

I'll be speaking from 10-10:45 on the second floor in the Pine room. If you live near San Antonio, I'd love to see you there!

And, I'll be traveling across the country to Hartford, Connecticut for the AASL National Conference.

I'm so excited! I've never been to this conference, AND I get to present at the IDEAxCHANGE on Thursday, November 14 from 1:30-3:30 with my blogging colleagues Carolyn Vibbert of Risking Failure and Jessica Lodge of Mrs. Lodge's Library. We'll have informal discussions about library centers with whoever stops by our table to visit. I hope YOU will come see us there!

If you, my blog reader, are at either of these events, please introduce yourself! After getting to know you online, I'd love to meet you in person!

Library Card Shelf Markers

2013-09-01T14:00:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

Meet my super-elastic, fantastic library card/shelf markers/punch cards!

As you know, I used to make shelf markers out of paint stirrers. Several librarians commented that they put student barcodes on their shelf markers, and I really liked that idea. But the vision of painting 900 paint stirrers did NOT appeal to me!

So, I made combination library card/shelf markers on card stock. Then I had the idea to make them into punch cards. We'll punch a circle around the outside edge each time a student checks out or rechecks his books (because his account is current--no bills or overdues). After five circles, there's a star for the sixth punch, and the student will get to choose a-fun-but-not-too-distracting-school supply from the treasure box.

For our first graders, I have a different design: 3 circles before a number 2 on the edge, because I do 3 lessons with our fabulous firsties before I let them check out 2 books. I teach them book care, shelf markers, and choosing a just right book before they start taking 2 books home.

On one side of the library card/shelf marker/punch card, the students will write their first name (or the name they want to be called), and I'll stick the barcode on there. On the other side, I have one of our Leader in Me sayings ("think win-win") with the circles and stars, waiting to be punched.

I bought ocean stickers for students to add to their shelf marker/library card/punch card to personalize it even more. After we have names and bar codes and stickers on, we'll laminate them so they'll last all year.

And because I know my little angels and their wily ways, I bought heart-shaped punches for us to use at the circulation desk, instead of standard hole punches. Just in case they have an idea to try to punch their own card.

You can download my library card/shelf marker/punch card pdf for free right here, from my Google Drive.

I think this will help me to:
-reward the students who return or renew their books responsibly, and
-see at a glance which students haven't checked out for a while due to late or lost books!

I'll keep you posted on how this system works.

And, THANK YOU for helping this blog to reach half a million page views! That's a whole lot of collaboration going on!

Book Care Library Video

2013-08-31T20:54:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

I just have to share this super book care video with you!

Thank you Nancy Jo Lambert from the Borchardt Library for sharing her creation!!

Little Emily shows different things to do with a library book, and the student chorus tells her whether her actions are good ("yay!") or not good ("no!). This will give your students the opportunity to participate as you watch the video together.

I think it's perfect for the littles. In fact, we'll probably show it more than once during the school year. It's about 4 minutes long, and a real treat!

Book Review Banner Pennant

2013-08-16T21:19:00.001-05:00

Hi friends!

I just posted a new library center in my Teachers Pay Teachers store...it's a book review banner or pennant! You know how I love for students to share their book recommendations with each other, especially in a way that I can display all over my library!

This will be one of my first library centers of the school year, and I will leave it out for a few weeks. I have 30 different prompts on the banner pieces. Students can write or draw their responses. This allows all of the various grades and ability levels to participate.

After I've gathered student responses, I'll make a banner, with triangles of scrapbook paper in between the student pages, to make a colorful banner for my library bulletin board.

I find that student peer reviews are wayyyy more powerful than my own suggestions. And sharing book recommendations really helps to build a community of readers.

I hope you find this library center helpful!

p.s.--The 28% off back-to-school sale on Teacher Pay Teachers will be on Sunday August 18-Monday, August 19. Remember to fill up your wish list before the sale for speedier shopping!

Glue Gun Curtains for Library Closet

2013-08-14T18:17:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

Have you ever made curtains with a glue gun? It's a quick and easy way to beautify your library storage area!

I have lots of stuff in my closet, like hats, and decorations for all the seasons, plus supplies for library centers. Even when I used plastic tubs, and organized and labeled each shelf, it still looked so messy.

mess=stress

Curtains made my closet so much more lovely! And it didn't take much time or effort since I used a hot glue gun.

Check out this before and after photo.

You can use butcher paper for your curtains instead of fabric. They'll be cheaper but not as durable.

I used one inch black and white gingham because (a) I love gingham, (b) the one-inch grid pattern made measuring and cutting simple, and (c) I think it will match everything. I ordered the fabric from Warehouse Fabrics because they had the best price per yard at $3.49.

The only supplies you need for this project are fabric, measuring tape, scissors, hot glue gun, and your favorite beverage. And remember the very important rule of the glue gun: DON'T TOUCH THE HOT GLUE!! IT BURNS!

My shelf area is 45 inches long. I added 3 inches for the curtain rod casing at the top, and 1 inch for the hem at the bottom, and I cut the fabric into 49-inch lengths (45+3+1).

I chose to put the selvage of the fabric on the vertical edges of my curtains. The selvage is tightly woven by the manufacturer so that it won't unravel. That means I don't have to finish the side edges.

My fabric is 45 inches wide, and my shelves are 36 inches wide, and that 9-inch difference will allow the curtains to gather a little bit on the curtain rod.

I turned down the top edge to the three-inch mark to make a casing for the curtain rod, put a line of hot glue along that line, and folded the fabric over onto the glue strip.

Ta-da! No sewing!

Next I turned up the bottom edge one inch, and hot glued my hems. This is where the one-inch gingham makes it super easy. I just fold along the stripe, and I have an even one-inch hem.

After I had glued the top and bottom edges, I spent a couple of minutes ironing the edges to make them sharper.

Now I can walk into my library closet and not get stressed out by all the STUFF! All I see is a wall of gingham.

AHHHH!
Sometimes it's the little things that make our days better. This back-to-school project is working for me!

Library Orientation Videos

2013-08-08T20:18:00.001-05:00

Hi friends!

Planning your library orientation lessons? Me, too! Surrounded by the smell of brand new school supplies and freshly waxed floors (at school, not home!), I'm getting ready for a brand new year in the library.

Here are a few of my favorite videos to incorporate in library orientation. Many of these focus on book care for our younger students.

Scaredy Squirrel Goes to the Library

Sammy the Shelf Marker

5 Book Care Rules, starring Skippyjon Jones

What Happens To Your Library Books When You Go Home?

Do you have a favorite that I've missed? Please share the link in a comment!

p.s.--I often use a video as an attention-grabber for a library lesson. I've pinned many of them to my Pinterest board for Library Videos.

Student Engagement in Library Centers

2013-07-31T17:55:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

Student engagement...that's what library centers are all about! My friend and school district colleague Terri Eichholz blogs at Engage Their Minds, and she called my attention to this alphabet.

The 26 keys to Student Engagement...

As we plan for the new school year, this is a great tool for reflection. Which of these 26 aspects of student engagement are already part of your library routine? Which letter is a challenge that you're willing to tackle this year?

I think one area that I haven't focused on is "O" for "Outside." I think that when we talk to students about their outside interests, we can connect with them in more meaningful ways. It's hard to ~~find~~ make time for these conversations, isn't it?

But, overall, the alphabet of student engagement is encouraging. So many of these keys are met with library centers! If you are just beginning to implement learning centers in your school library, begin here on my Getting Started page.

(And, if you're following me on Instagram--myschoollibrary--you know that I'm at Disney World this week, gathering inspiration for my library Environment to be filled with Joy!)

Planning for Library Centers

2013-07-24T16:49:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

I've just read a great blog post by The Book Fairy-Goddess about her library center plans. I encourage you to stop by and read what she has to say about what she tried in her elementary school library last year and what she plans for next year. She also created some really cute supply containers for her work stations. Check them out!

I know you've seen those back-to-school displays popping up everywhere. It's almost that time. Soon, I'll be able to get into the school building to work on my "Dive Into Reading" ocean-themed decorations. (I'm collecting inspiration on my Pinterest board here.) Last year we had a camping theme, and the year before that, a space theme.

But first, I'll enjoy my summer vacation at Disney World, gathering ideas for making my library a place of fun and adventure! And, if you want to see what inspires me at Disney (and everywhere else), you can now follow me on Instagram! My username is: myschoollibrary!

Happy rest-of-the-summer to you!

Texting to Learn!

2013-07-08T20:31:00.002-05:00

Hi friends!

Are you gathering lots of great ideas for next school year? Here's one I want to try...

The website is ifaketext.com. Your students can create a text message conversation, between two characters in a book, for example, or people from history.

I created the dialogue above based on the fun book I just read, The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy. If I were doing this as a project with students, I think I would even allow them to use text spelling and abbreviations.

I saved the graphic as a screenshot, but the site also creates a hyperlink (if you want to post this student work on your class webpage or blog), or you can print the graphic. You don't have to create an account, either!

I like this easy-to-use technology tool, and I think my students will, too! I will also use this opportunity to talk about how ALL texts can be saved and printed...so be careful, little fingers, what you type!

How would YOU use ifaketext with YOUR students?

Mad Lips Biographies

2013-06-26T09:56:00.001-05:00

Hi friends!

Last week at ipadpalooza I learned about a new app that I can't wait to use in a research project next year. The app is called Mad Lips.

Of course I will be using the free version.

When you look at the icon, it doesn't really look like something you want to use in school, does it?

Here's the deal. You start with any image. Then you film your student (using the iPad camera) talking. Then the app puts the student's mouth and voice over the still photo to create a video.

Have you seen the Annoying Orange videos? Where the orange has a moving mouth that talks? That's what this app can do. Here's what I hope to do with it next year.

My third grade teachers told me at the end of last year that they'd like to have a living history museum for their research project. I'm hoping that I can talk them into having the students create something like this.

They can research their famous person, find an image of that person, then video themselves speaking as if they were that famous person. I like the catchy opening used in this one about Vivaldi.

Then we can create a QR code bulletin board, or post these online, and share the students' work with their families. I think this will be a fun way to incorporate technology into our biography research project in a way that will help the students really connect with the person they research.

Have any of you tried this app with your students?

Blog Lovin'

2013-06-20T19:55:00.002-05:00

Hi friends!

Blogs and summer. A creative combination. You have time to think new thoughts when you're not in the hustle and bustle of the school year. That's how it works for me, anyway.

You may have heard that Google Reader is going away on JULY 1!! And I see in my right sidebar that over 200 of you are following me with Google Reader. You need to make a switch, and I recommend Blog Lovin!

I just opened my Blog Lovin account. (I don't get any referral from them. I just want you to have a good alternative to Google Reader.)

The site has a clean look, and it's super easy to set up your account and import your blogs from Google Reader. You'll find a great tutorial at Common Core & So Much More.

So...what are you waiting for? Take a couple of minutes, and make the switch! Make the most of your summer blog reading.

Library Makerspaces

2013-06-16T11:56:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

I am learning about the idea of library makerspaces. I mean, really just beginning to learn. I didn't even know if "makerspace" was one word or two.

Jessica Gilcreast (The Dizzy Librarian) kindly invited me to join this Wiggio group (Library Learning Commons) to share ideas. (Thanks, Jessica!) She defines makerspaces like this: Where students can make and learn alongside adults. Where students can work on their own projects while learning new, unique maker skills through on-going interest-based projects and peer learning.

It might look like this.

Photo is from the Get Your Mess On! blog.

Or like this.

Also from the Get Your Mess On! blog.

What an intriguing idea! Yes, there will be some mess and some noise. There will be some art and some science and some technology. It really could include many subjects. But do your students get time to create anywhere else on campus? Mine don't. Not much, anyway.

This idea intrigues me. I've already joined the Wiggio group, and you are welcome, too. You'll find plenty of links to help you.

I've started a collaborative Pinterest board here so I can learn more about it. If you'd like to pin to this board, just send me a message on the Library Centers Facebook page, or use the Contact button on the right side of the page. I'll add you to the group and we can learn together!

Have any of you tried a makerspace in your school library? I'd love to hear about it!

Pete the Cat Party

2013-06-09T11:44:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

You may remember that I had a reward system to encourage classes to return their library books. I had a picture of Pete the Cat, and we covered a part of Pete each time the whole class returned their books on time. You can read more about that on this post.

Well, I had one class FINALLY earn their Pete the Cat surprise on the very last book return of the year! The other classes had made a gingerbread Pete the Cat ornament months ago, but that was not a great choice for June. So we had a Pete the Cat party!

Here's what we did. We had already read Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes together. And the students had been singing Pete's song all year long. So....

I made a Pete the Cat mask for every student in the class. Just a simple cat face, with the eyes cut out, copied onto blue card stock, with a craft stick hot glued to the chin, and a little Sharpie nose.

(If I had had more time with the class, we would have personalized the mask with eyelashes and whiskers.)

I laid out colorful vinyl tablecloths in a path around the library ending with a silver one. These are tablecloths I've saved from past Scholastic Book Fairs, but you can also find them at the Dollar Tree.

When the students arrived, they held up their mask, and we acted out the story of Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by walking through each of the tablecloth puddles.

When we arrived at each puddle (tablecloth), I asked the students, "what food is that color?" So the yellow tablecloth was a puddle of chicken noodle soup, and the green tablecloth was a puddle of avocado! Then we sang each chorus together, for each different color.

The final, silver tablecloth was the puddle of water that washed our shoes clean again. I gave them one of the Pete the Cat bookmarks that I'd ordered from the ALA store. And of course I let them take their Pete masks home.

That was sooo much fun! Not much expense or preparation time either! I know that when these students come back for first grade in August, they will still remember the fun times we shared, walking through the library, singing, and stepping in tablecloth puddles. I hope this will add another happy memory to build a love of books and reading into their lives.

And I hope that you, too, have the opportunity to celebrate reading with your students!

Library Freebie Friday Shelve It Game

2013-06-02T19:36:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

Do you already know about the great (free) online game Mrs. Lodge shared, called "Shelve-It?"

Right now your students can play Shelve-It from Mrs. Lodge's website. Her clever husband created this game to help students understand fiction call number order. My fingers are crossed that this game makes it to the App Store someday!

You can use this free sign from her TPT shop to set this learning game up as a library center.

I am planning to add this as a link from our library resources page. My students definitely need more practice in learning how to find books on the shelves. And "video game" is a language they speak fluently.

I hope this free game and sign will help YOUR students find great books to read!

(By the way, you may have noticed that today is actually NOT Friday. On Friday, I was busy watching my baby graduate from high school. sniff, sniff. I'm super proud of him and his plans to study commercial music at South Plains College. I could not think about anything else for the past few days!)

I hope all is well in your library, as we countdown to summer!

Take a Day to Remember

2013-05-27T17:26:00.000-05:00

Hi friends!

On this Memorial Day, in addition to honoring our heroes, let's also take a moment to remember why we became teacher-librarians, and why we truly love our jobs.

I know things are tough in different ways for everyone. Many of you have told me about the challenges you face, and the obstacles you overcome every single day. I feel your stress, and I admire the way that you persevere.

At school last week, I saw something that reminded me of why I count myself blessed to be exactly where I am.

I have been teaching fourth and fifth graders to use Animoto to show the results of their research. Every once in a while, I check the videos in our Animoto educational account to make sure nothing crazy is going on in there.

I found this anonymous video, unrelated to any school project.

You can see by the spelling, punctuation and (lack of) capitalization that it was created by a student. And you can feel that the message came straight from this student's heart.

I am so grateful to be working with growing minds and tender hearts. Aren't you?