Auntie Librarian

Here are some things I am excited about this school year.

1. My new orientation video. I was looking for a way to freshen up my sixth grade library orientation spiel, so I made this video. You only get one chance to make a first impression! The response of the students really made me glad I did. You can make your own video at GoAnimate! There is a free version and a paid version. I wanted my library pictures to be in the backgrounds, so I signed up for a paid account. In addition to the students really loving the video, it helped me not to be so tongue tied after repeating myself for four days straight. The video also helped me remember to hit most of the points I needed to and not leave anything out. This is also convenient to use for new students. It's not perfect, and I will be tweaking it to re-use next year. Since the students enjoyed the video so much I may create other videos. Check out Go Animate at http://goanimate.com/

2. The Super Reader Card. Instead of a full page reading log, students will use a business card to record their titles. The reading program last year just did not bring in the participation I want. I think something like this will generate more interest and give the reading program a coolness factor. Plus, I am adding a level-up feature where students who fill up the first card get a new different looking level two card which get more rewards and privileges. Eventually, at the end of the year, our level four card holders will qualify to go on a special field trip to Barnes & Noble and the awesome Spartanburg Public Library where they will have activities waiting for us! I am thinking of more ways to use the card. One of our ELA teachers saw a classroom incentive card and thought the card concept would make a great idea for our reading program. Our students have lanyards and ID badges. Hopefully students will find that these cards will conveniently slip into their ID badge sleeves.

3. Divergent Book Club and Hunger Games Hype. I have plans for a Divergent Book Club for my 8th graders. Although it looks like the movie may be a bit more edgy than the Hunger Games was. I love using the movie trailers to fuel reading hype.

4. School Wide Read Aloud. We are reading The Running Dream as our school wide book. Last year we read Wonder and Schooled and had fantastic response from our students and teachers.

5. Technology Club. Last year we took a group of students to present an iMovie workshop at USC Upstate's Inaugural QEP Technology Symposium. The students got rave reviews and really enjoyed the experience. They were really excited that they were teaching university professors! USC has some amazing things going on taking technology integration to the next level. Many teachers are using social media to meet their students needs. It was awesome to be a part of this symposium. Hopefully we'll be taking our show on the road again this year. Someone once told me that students should be a part of all professional development for teachers. I have always believed in this and tried to involve students in the trainings and presentations I do at school whenever possible. After this experience I am even more convinced that students belong in the PD picture. Where technology is concerned, students are definitely an advantage. Here are some of the Tweets from our day at the QEP Symposium.

Students now showing us @Glogster, a tool for curating, presenting multi-media information about a topic. Very cool. #qepup13
— George Online (@GeorgeOnline) May 14, 2013

Sims Muddle School students continue to impress us presenting http://t.co/NjQVmx1EAm during #qepup13 unconference.
— Tasha Thomas (@tthomasuscu) May 14, 2013

In addition to these five things I am also very excited that I have fixed the "broken" iPad lab which would not sync with Apple Configurator. After hours on the phone with Apple Tech Support I researched the problem and fixed it myself! AND - I successfully loaded that laminator with new film without jamming up the machine.

The year is off to a great start at our school library.

-Last year, I posted something to our SCASL list-serv about our Lyric Cafe. There were so many questions that I decided to make a blog post about it.

Dale Anthony, the former Literacy Coach at our school showed me how to do Lyric Cafe. I have always enjoyed it. And, it has always been held in the library. Here's how it works. Lyric Cafe is a celebration of student writing. What better time to celebrate than the end of the year? After testing is over and you sometimes hear people say, "We took the test, the kids are done. I'm done. Why do we have school for so many days after testing?" we invite students to read at least one piece of their writing from the school year. Some choose poems, some choose short stories. Teachers read too. In order to participate students must agree to get up in front of their fellow students, use the microphone and read their work. Those that do not wish to read cannot attend. Four classes come at once, so students will be reading in front of people who are not in their classes. Scary!

We (8th grade ELA teachers and I) do this with our eighth graders only. Some sixth and seventh grade ELA teachers hold their own lyric cafe event in their rooms. At one time, when our school was just grades seven and eight, we had two days of lyric cafe, one for each grade. We are now home to grades six, seven and eight. With the end of the year being so packed with events, it is almost impossible to find three free days after testing.

We aim for a "coffee house" atmosphere and serve hot cocoa, cappuccino, danishes and cookies. We play music while the students are getting seated and getting their refreshments. It has been challenging to find places in the library that make the best staging area. This past year, however, we came to the conclusion that we didn't need a stage as much as we needed a decent backdrop. Our art teacher uses these black doors connected with hinges to display art in the hallways of our school. These made a perfect backdrop. We draped white twinkle lights over the top, bought balloons and got out the laser lights. Wow! The students loved it.

We turn off the lights, cover the windows and doors and close the blinds. Students come up to the "stage" in groups of four. This is so they don't feel all alone "up there on stage." One of us always gives each group of students "directions" before they start reading. No laughing, no clapping, no negative comments. Instead of clapping, we snap. Cool, man! Cool.

Last year was the first year we had Lyric Cafe without Dale. We weren't sure if we would be able to make it as nice as she always had. We even thought about not having it at all. But my colleague Ruth insisted on carrying on. I am very glad she did. Even though we have been doing this for years I am always surprised and impressed with what our students bring to read. What a great way to end the school year and send students that I have known since they were in sixth grade off to the high school.

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Auntie Librarian

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Testing in the Library? What's a Librarian to Do? The MAP Meltdown.

Let's Get Excited! Big Plans for the New School Year

Snapping Up Lyric Cafe

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