STEM and Libraries

Much has been written about STEM and the classroom and STEM and the library, but I want to share a gem that I accidentally ran across yesterday. Oh my goodness. It's a perfect book for the elementary librarian in October/November. If it's not in the library right how, you should order it on speed delivery. Why is it so good? 

Elementary level, preK-3

Seasonal, but not Halloween or Thanksgiving specific

Good Read-Aloud

STEM-appropriate, without shouting STEM

Skills: Estimation/Prediction, Counting by 2, 5, 10s, Working with Cooperative Groups

Makes a great science experiment or survey question from which statistics or math problems could be generated

Easy to align with Science and/or Math TEKS for each grade level

It's a RIF book with an accompanying webpage. http://bit.ly/1Bz5odl 

If you read my previous post, you'll understand that I think this book would make a fantastic library lesson and so easy to align with TEKS objectives. While librarians for young children like to read seasonal books, this one would be perfect for all the reasons listed above. You might not want to teach or reinforce TEKS objectives, but look how easily it can be done. Easy peasy.

TEKS/STAAR and Librarians

Last week one of my graduate students said her campus was STAAR possessed and data driven, and that she didn't want everything she did in the library to be directly related to the test. My first reaction was, "I agree." But upon reflection, I don't agree. Here's why.

1. This librarian is the first real librarian on this elementary campus in many years. In fact, the library catalog is still a card catalog, and the circulation system still uses cards and pockets. She has convinced the district to buy an automation system, but she must input all the records by hand, meaning she'll have to type everything into the MARC records herself.
2. She is working very hard to prove her worth to the principal by trying to reorganize the room, upgrade the collection, manage AR, provide other reading promotions such as author visits, and see every class in rotation. 
3. Committed to providing more than just book checkout during "library time," she has been reading a lot of stories to her students and talking a lot about the importance of reading and acquiring AR points.
4. Clearly she is working very hard, but what tangible/documentable proof does she have that she is a real part of the STAAR possessed team and that she understands the principal's vision?
5. I'm convinced she needs to tie everything she does to TEKS and STAAR. There's even a TEKS objective that can be aligned with AR. Check out the ELAR TEKS for a specific elementary grade. level. http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/rules/tac/chapter110/index.html Example: 2nd grade ELAR -110.13 (b) (11) Reading/Comprehension of Text/Independent Reading. Students read independently for sustained periods of time and produce evidence of their reading... 
6. And how about last week's author visit? Easy peasy. 2nd grade ELAR - 110.13 (b) 29 Listening and Speaking/Listening. Students use comprehension skills to listen attentively to others in formal and informal settings.... Students are expected to: (A) listen attentively to speakers, ask relevant questions, and make pertinent comments.
7. And for every story read, I would find an appropriate TEKS objective, not limiting myself to ELAR TEKS. Social Studies, Science, and Math provide a gold mine of opportunities for aligning the library to the classroom and the TEKS.
8. Even if the librarian is not required to write formal lesson plans, she/he should create a simple lesson plan template to be used weekly that lists each grade level with a one sentence description of the lesson and the TEKS objective cited as I did in #5 and #6. I don't think citing the number is sufficient.

TweechMe

In my last post, I talked about finding an app (Bloglovin.com) via my Twitter PLN that has really been a time saver. Now I've learned of another. It's TweechMe. What's so great about it? Well, it's a mobile app that works like Remind (aka Remind 101) except it sends automatic text messages to remind me of upcoming twitter chats. Although I've used TweechMe for just a short while, it is well worth the 99 cents it costs, and it's really convenient for those of us who tend to forget chats unless reminded. 

Besides the blogs listed on TweechMe, I think you will also be interested in Richard Byrne's 10 Twitter Chats Every Teacher Should Know. http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/06/10-twitter-chats-every-teacher-should.html  

Serendipitous Learning

The reward of serendipitous learning can be so...well, rewarding. It has been about a week since I looked at my Twitter feed. Luckily last night the first tweet I read was from Jan Hodge, Library Coordinator from Crowley ISD, and a new team member for #txlchat. She was participating in #moedchat, and I decided to lurk for a while and read what Missouri educators had to say about blogging. 

Linda Dougherty @ljdougherty tweeted a blog feeder that I was not familiar with. http://bloglovin.com  Bloglovin works on my iPad, iPhone, and computer. Basically, you create a list of blogs that you want to read, and once a day you receive an email that gives links to the blogs that have been updated. While I've only been a member of this app for about an hour, but I love being able to look at all the updated blogs in one list on 3 different devices.  And the blog feeder is especially important to stay updated on those bloggers (like me) who don't see to post very often. 

I must confess. I also have an a Feedly account that I haven't used in a while. It seems a little more complicated, and I'm pretty sure there is no daily email reminder. Possibly I don't use Feedly because of the lack of the reminder. 

Make it @ the LIbrary

A trend in public libraries and some school libraries is Makerspaces. A makerspace is a place with an atmosphere of problem-solving and possible collaborate learning. There are no "how-to-do-it" Manuals. Librarians just "make" it work based on such factors as space, budget, student/faculty interest, or simply trying something some new library programming. It's project based learning at its best in my opinion.

Source: http://bit.ly/1aRBQKd


While not every library has the space or resources to create Makerspaces, I think it's possible on any level. For example, a high school library in Mesquite, Tx has a crochet club and a movie club that meet once a month. The public library in Tyler, Tx will hold a Lego competition in November and invites kids and parents to participate.

A misconception is that libraries have to provide high end electronic equipment such as 3-D Printers or color printers, or soldering irons and drills or even poster board and markers. You could even have a makespace competition with marshmallows and toothpicks. And who could resist eating a few marshmallows in the process? http://bit.ly/1is7ySB or http://bit.ly/17qZGRV

SLJ announced on October 28, exciting news about a new website just for tinkers. See the entire article here: http://www.slj.com/2013/10/programs/make-it-your-library-launches-maker-space-project-website/

The best feature of this website is that it is completely searchable. makeitatyourlibrary.org The purpose is to "to help librarians realize maker space projects in their own communities at low cost."

Currently...

Each month on the OhBoy! Fourth Grade Blog (http://ohboy3rdgrade.blogspot.com/) Farley provides a poster and invites others to download it and complete the phrases. Is this some sort of sneaky psychological test? It's harder than you might first think, or at least it was for me. Also I had to refresh my Paint Shop Pro skills in order to get the words on a pdf.

But I was thinking that it would be a nifty tool for student feedback about a lesson or unit.

From Idea to Birth in 7 Days

Last week I mentioned to Michelle Cooper  that  a monthly podcast for librarians should be created as another avenue for connecting the school library community. Guess what the incubation period is to be short lived! 

Starting on Monday, September 23 at 7:00 CST (the 3rd Monday) several premier librarians will have host a inaugural Google OnAir Podcast for Librarians. Michelle Cooper @_MichelleCooper, Nikki Robertson @NikkiDRobertson, Elissa Malespina @eMalespina, Matthew Winner @MatthewWinner, Sue Levine @staffdevjnkie are the "management team" and content providers.

Details are being worked out as I write this post. But it will be officially announced on tomorrow's (September 9) TLCafe webinar at 7:00 CST (http://TLvirtualcafe.wikispaces.com) Stay tuned for late breaking news about tlNewsNight.