MakerSpace, part 2

Hello,

This week I am going back to the MakerSpace information. I had asked you to send me what you are doing in your school for this. Many of you (and me) are not doing anything in the library, but I did find an article that talks about this throughout the curriculum. If you are interested in reading it, here is the URL. https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/09/04/integrating-makerspaces-throughout-the-curriculum.aspx?s=the_in_070918

I did get one response and I thought that her experience would be beneficial to us all. Here is what she is doing in her library at her school.

She has a ‘station day’ about once a month where the students choose a creative or STEM activity to do either on their own or in small groups. Station ideas include Legos, build a marble run, snap circuits, laser maze game, brain teasers, puzzles, string art, origami, geometry blocks, Knex, and more. Many of the games she has are either from garage sales or from her personal stash.

This year she will be adding Madedos (cardboard construction) and is looking for some coding-based games or activities that aren’t too expensive. The school is adding tablets and Kindles this year. Some of the activities she wants to implement are coding, green screen production, and stop-motion animation.

She is starting STEM maker boxes this year and plans to use them in this manner. When students come in to the room, they will sit in small groups. Each group will have a box. In the box will be some items such as cotton balls, straws, string, tape, popsicle sticks, pipe cleaners, etc. There will be a suggested activity such as “Use the materials to design and build a marble maze”, or “Design and build a parachute” to complete with the materials in the box. Since this idea is new this year she is planning to experiment and find which grade levels this will work best for.

The article above suggests using MakerSpace ideas in the classroom curriculum such as science, history, and more. That actually seems like a great place to do this and probably many of you are already doing this. I know that our junior high science teachers has students build a marble maze and completes other activities that correspond with the curriculum. We also often have classes team together to work on something like Ozobots together.

Have fun with this kind of activity this year.

Audrey

Grandparents' Day books

Hello!

You probably have some kind of celebration for Grandparents’ Day at your school. At my school, grandparents come visit and each classroom has something special for them. In a couple of classrooms, the teachers check out a number of books about grandparents and the grandparents read to their grandchildren.

So, last year I was weeding out books and discarded a number of them that were almost in tatters. The comment came, “You can’t get rid of these! We don’t have enough grandparent books as it is!” I decided to get rid of them anyway and replace them with new grandparent books. Here are some of my selections.

Grandpa’s Face by Eloise Greenfield. A young girl sees her grandfather’s face as he looks at her as very loving. One day he is practicing lines for a stage play and twists his face into an angry, mean face. She sees this and is afraid that he might look at her with that mad, angry face. Grandfather talks with her and explains that he will always love her no matter what.

I Already Know I Love You by Billy Crystal. When Billy Crystal’s daughter was expecting, he wrote this poem/book to welcome the new grandchild. The artwork is soft and beautiful. I bought this in paperback, but I wish I had known how beautiful it was so I could have chosen hard cover. Be warned; you may tear up while reading this.

How to Babysit a Grandpa and How to Babysit a Grandma by Jean Reagan. These books are just perfect for kids. The first couple of pages of the ‘grandpa’ one has these lines. “When your mom and dad leave, pat your grandpa’s hand and say, “Don’t worry. They always come back.” Then right away, ask him if he’s hungry. Snacks for a Grandpa: Ice cream topped with cookies, Olives served in fingertips, Anything dipped in ketchup, cookies topped with ice cream.” The end pages give tips on how to say goodbye to a grandpa: Surprise him with a picture, give him a hug and a kiss, a hug and an kiss, a hug and a kiss. Then ask, “When can I babysit you again?” You will enjoy these two titles.

Because Your Grandparents Love You by Andrew Clements. The children visit their grandparents on a farm in this story. The first few pages say, “When you run into the pasture and step right into a big cowpie, and you yell GRANDMA! Your grandmother could say, I’m pretty sure I told you we have to watch where we walk around here! But she doesn’t. She gets the hose and sprays off your shoes. You put them on the fence to dry, and then go back inside for some clean socks . . . and your boots! That is the basic format. You (do something) and your grandparent could say . . . but he or she doesn’t. They (do something very helpful or kind) and the children are happy.

Sometimes It’s Grandmas and Grandpas, Not Mommies and Daddies by Gayle Byrne. I am so glad I happened upon this book. It is the story of a little girl who is being raised by her grandparents, not her parents. There are many families who are in this particular situation and it is really nice to read a book that helps them know that they aren’t the only ones. If you only can get one of these books, I highly recommend this one.

I Loved You Before You Were Born by Anne Bowen. This is similar to the Billy Crystal book above. A grandmother recounts the waiting for her grandchild to be born and when she finally gets to hold the baby, she says, “I am your grandma and I love you. I loved you before you were born.”

My Nana and Me by Irene Smalls. A young child tells what she and her Nana do. “My Nana and Me had a tea party and all my dolls came. We had tea and cake and ate and ate bread pudding and apple pie.” The illustrations are very sweet.

Bless Our Gramps and Gran by Mike Berenstain. If you like Berenstain Bears books, and they are very popular here, you will like this one about Gramps and Gran. This is the only book that actually talks about the official Grandparents’ Day in September. The cups decide to celebrate Grandparents’ Day with their Gramps and Gran. The family discusses the special day and reminisce about activities and special things they enjoy doing with their grandparents. The toy Noah’s Ark set that Gramps made for the cups brings a Biblical reference in the book. They talk about Noah and his family and the fact that Noah became a grandparent. The family researches in the Bible how many children and grandchildren Noah had. The cubs make a family tree of Noah’s family for their grandparents.

Have a great weekend!
Audrey

Currently Reading:

Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris (Privately, I am a little bit of a spelling and grammar snob. I hate to see errors in writing, and if something is published, I feel I have a right to expect things to be spelled and punctuated correctly. The author was or is an editor who is paid to look for errors, and she tells about her experiences in a funny way.

Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J. MacLeod

How to Be A Person in the World: Ask Polly’s Guide Through the Paradoxes of Modern Life by Heather Havrilesky (This is a modern type of ‘Dear Abby’ where the questions that are sent in are answered by the author. She often uses bad language, but so far I have found it interesting to read the problems and her take on them. It was the title that intrigued me!)

MakerSpaces: Yes or No?

Hello, Everyone! Welcome back!

To start of the new school year, I want to talk about something that I don’t know much about. MakerSpaces. I have seen articles, and ideas galore in library magazines and catalogs, but I don’t have any experience with this at all. However, I got a question about this from one of you, and it is quite a hot topic, so I thought we would discuss this. I will be the moderator.

First, a definition of MakerSpace. It is a “movement that allows students to be creative, innovative, independent, and technologically literate.” http://www.makerspaceforeducation.com/why-makerspace.html In real life, it is a place, or a space where students can go to do something creative, use their inventive juices, or just explore something. I have seen ideas that include Legos, computer games, coding, robotics, coloring station, puzzles, board games, junk creations, and much, much more.

Second, I am not doing any of this currently. I don’t have space or anyone to supervise this kind of activity. I love the idea, but the logistics of putting it into practice is just not an option for me in my library. At least, I don’t think so. However, I am willing to be convinced otherwise.

Do YOU have a MakerSpace or some kind of similar venture at your school? How does it operate? What activities do you have? What are the pros and cons you have experienced? Please send in your comments and answers to these questions. I will collect them and send them out to all of us to be inspired by you and what you do in your schools and classrooms.

The website I cited above has a lot of information for anyone. You can check it out and find out a lot more.
I hope you have a great weekend. Rest, relax, and rejuvenate!

Audrey

Currently Reading:
Between You and Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris (Privately, I am a little bit of a spelling and grammar snob. I hate to see errors in writing, and if something is published, I feel I have a right to expect things to be spelled and punctuated correctly. The author was or is an editor who is paid to look for errors, and she tells about her experiences in a funny way.)
Call the Nurse: True Stories of a Country Nurse on a Scottish Isle by Mary J. MacLeod
How to Be A Person in the World: Ask Polly’s Guide Through the Paradoxes of Modern Life by Heather Havrilesky (This is a modern type of ‘Dear Abby’ where the questions that are sent in are answered by the author. She often uses bad language, but so far I have found it interesting to read the problems and her take on them. It was the title that intrigued me!)

Sustainability Books

Hello,

I have a new book that looks really interesting. It is titled Pedal Power: How One Community Became the Bicycle Capital of the World by Allan Drummond. I recognized the artwork and pulled out another book by Allan Drummond that I believe I mentioned a few years ago. It is titled Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed their World by Allan Drummond. Since I wanted to share Pedal Power with you and remind you of Energy Island, I wondered if Drummond wrote any other books. A quick search on Amazon brought Green City: How One Community Survived a Tornado and Rebuilt for a Sustainable Future. It looked familiar to me and I realized that I had that book in my library, as well.

Allan Drummond wrote and illustrated these three books about communities that had problems and solved them sustainably. In the author’s note of Green City, he tells that while he was writing Green City, his own family lost their home due to a fire. They questioned if they should move or rebuild. They chose to rebuild and to include as much as possible to make their home ‘green’. He says that he found himself living through many of the same challenges that the community that he was writing and illustrating at the time. Everything became real as they built their home for the future.

Pedal Power: How One Community Became the Bicycle Capital of the World by Allan Drummond. Farrar Straus Giroux, New York, 2017.

Pedal Power is about the city of Amsterdam and how they became the bicycle capital of the world. The traffic was so dangerous for cyclists. Many people, including children going to school, were killed while riding their bikes. Some people decided that there needed to be a change and did something about it. Laws were changed, bike lanes were established, and now although cars and trucks are allowed on the streets, bikes rule the road.

Green City: How One Community Survived a Tornado and Rebuilt for a Sustainable Future by Allan Drummond. Farrar Straus Giroux, New York, 2016.

Green City is about a community in Greensburg, Kansas and the tornado that struck in 2007. The small town was nearly destroyed. Citizens of the town decided that they would rebuild and rebuild better this time. They decided to go green. They used reclaimed and recycled materials; the school has a wind turbine to generate electricity and a special heat-pump system which keeps the school warm without having to use fuel for heating. The classrooms are positioned so they get light and warmth from the sun. Rain is collected on the roof and is used to water the landscape. There is a lot more, but you get the idea. They are now really “Greens”burg!

Energy Island: How One Community Harnessed the Wind and Changed their World by Allan Drummond. Farrar Straus Giroux, New York, 2011.

Energy Island tells about SamsØ, an island in the middle of Denmark. It is a very windy place. The book describes how people used to use energy without thinking about saving it. The Danish Ministry of Environment and Energy chose SamsØ to be a place where they could be independent of nonrenewable energy. One of the teachers tried to get people excited about the project. He talked to everyone. People liked the idea, but still nothing happened. Finally one businessman decided to put up a small second-hand wind turbine for his family and one farmer decided to put up a huge one. The project had begun, but few people were ready to make such a change until one night when the island went dark from a storm that cut out all the electricity. Well, all, but the two men who put up wind turbines! After that, then everyone began to ask about how they could be more energy efficient. Some put up wind turbines, some put up solar panels, one built a biomass furnace, one makes tractor fuel oil from his canola crop, some use electric cars or bicycles. The island is so energy efficient that some days they actually supply electricity for other parts of Denmark.

I hope you like these books. The information is great for students in all grades. I am currently using Energy Island and Pedal Power for the fifth and sixth grade classes as they study Europe in their Social Studies classes.

Have a great week.

Audrey

New Books

Hello,

I have a couple of great new books for you this week.

First, one of my favorite authors for students in grades 3 – 6 – Andrew Clements. I first read his book “Frindle” about 20 years ago. My son and I went to the public library in Cleburne, Texas and stocked up on reading material. I saw a book on display titled “Frindle” with a hand holding a pen. It looked interesting, so I put it with my pile. On the way home, my son picked up that book and asked about it. I told him to start reading it out loud so we both would know. The library was less than 20 minutes away from home, but by the time we got home, we were both loving this story and laughing. We had a play argument about who would get to read it first, and decided that we would only read it together. While I fixed supper, John read to me, then later on I read to him. It is still a favorite.

Andrew Clements comes out with a new book every couple of years. Most of them are school stories about children that are usually in 5th or 6th grade. This year his book is titled “The Losers Club”. I thought it was going to be a book about bullying. Although there is a little bit of bullying, it is not about bullying, but about reading and the bullying resolves itself.

The Loser’s Club by Andrew Clements. Random House, 2017.

Alec is a reader. He reads so much that he has a reputation with all the teachers at his school. Alex pretends to be doing his work, but instead is hiding a book and ignoring the teacher. He is sent to the principal on a regular basis, but this year, things are different. Alec’s parents and the principal have laid down the law. If he is sent to the office for reading instead of doing his assignments, he will be required to attend a special study skills program in the summer. This means he cannot visit his grandparents at their lake cabin with all the lake activities he enjoys. Also, this year Alec and his younger brother will be attending the after school activities program. Each student must sign up for a club and participate. All Alec wants to do is read, especially since he cannot do this in class anymore. He starts a club of his own that is just for reading. He names it “The Loser’s Club” hoping by that name no one will want to join. This way he can just read alone. Things turn out a bit differently than Alec plans, but they end up working out in a great way.

The Year of the Garden by Andrea Cheng. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing 2017.

Thought this book is new, it is actually a prequel to the other books. This is the story of Anna Wang, a Chinese American girl and her friends and family. Anna gets a copy of The Secret Garden and that inspires her to grow a garden.

School Library Journal says that the Anna Wang series “deals deftly with a range of thorny adoption and ethnic stereotyping issues.” This series is a great start for younger readers that are ready for chapter books. The font is slightly larger than most, illustrations are scattered throughout, and the books are a slightly smaller size. There are four other books about Anna. The Year of the Book, The Year of the Baby, The Year of the Fortune Cookie, and The Year of the Three Sisters. I highly recommend all of them.

I hope you enjoy these books. I’ll have more for you next week.

Audrey

Books about Latin America

Hello,
This year our 5th and 6th graders are learning about countries in the world. I decided to find picture books in our library that support this particular study. I have a few books on Latin America to share with you today.

One book is called Biblioburro by Jeanette Winter. This is a true story from Columbia about Luis Soriano who lives in a remote town in northern Columbia. He decided to share his personal library with others who didn’t have books to read. He built carriers and packed up books, then took his two burros into the isolated villages and acted as a ‘bookmobile’. A week or so later, he returns and exchanges books. His lending library has grown from 70 books into nearly 5,000 books.
The artwork is Columbian folkart with many colorful pictures. It is actually quite simple, but the students who are studying this part of the world enjoyed it.

A follow-up book is Waiting for the Biblioburro by Monica Brown. This also has many colorful pictures and isn’t difficult. Again, this is the story of Luis Soriano, but from the perspective of a young girl who is looking forward to the next visit of the biblioburro so she can have another book to read.


Eight Days: A Story of Haiti by Edwidge Danticat is about an eight-year-old boy who was rescued after being trapped for eight days after the Port-au-Prince earthquake on January 12, 2010. The story is written from the young boy’s perspective as he is trapped. He uses his imagination to help him escape from his immediate surroundings. The pictures are large and colorful and cheerful.


Hope for Haiti by Jesse Joshua Watson is another book about the devastation of the same Port-au-Prince earthquake in 2010. In this story, people have lost their homes and are being sheltered in the soccer stadium. They are building small shelters for their families with whatever they can find. Some children make a ‘ball’ out of rags and begin to play. Others join in and an older gentleman comes by and stops to watch. A bit later he comes back and gives the children a real soccer ball to take the place of the ball of rags. It turns out that the man was a famous soccer player years before. The story is quite moving. Pictures are realistic drawings with lots of color and action.


I’ve saved my favorite book for last. Ada’s Violin by Susan Hood is the story of the now famous Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay. Children who live in Cateura, Paraguay, one of the poorest slums in South America, live beside a mountain of garbage consisting of tons of trash. Most of the adults and older children make a small amount of money by picking through the garbage and finding items to sell or recycle. This is the story of a musician, Favio Chavez, who worried about the children and decided to offer music lessons to them. A problem arose when the children could not or would not take the instruments home to practice because they were too valuable and would be stolen. Favio Chavez decided to make instruments out of recycled materials and his orchestra began. Now the Recycled Orchestra plays to sold-out venues all over the world.

After you read this book, have one or more of the websites ready and also a YouTube video ready to show.


I hope you have a great week. I’ll share more next week on another section of the world.

Audrey

Welcome Back!

Greetings!

I hope you all had a wonderful summer break. We are now back to school and hoping that soon our students catch on to the classroom procedures. One of our aides mentioned to me in the hall today that the first few weeks is really just teaching procedures! I nodded that it was true. My favorite time begins in October when things are all settled, everyone knows what they SHOULD be doing and the year is running fairly smoothly.

I do want you to know that I really appreciate when I meet you in person and can talk with you face to face. Just a couple of weeks ago I was in an in-service and the person behind me that I had paired up with looked at my name tag and asked if I was the librarian. (I saw her question in my mind like this,”Are you THE LIBRARIAN?”) I was proud to acknowledge that I was THE LIBRARIAN. She commented that she enjoys my emails each week. Some people have told me that they print them out and keep them in a binder. I’m glad that you are doing what works for you, but I also hope that you know that there is a place that they are all kept. I post them on my blog. I actually set up the blog expressly for that purpose; to have a place to keep all the posts. I would love you to check it out. Go to sdalibrarian.blogspot.com and you will find every post that I have sent since January of 2009. I have some duplicates there. Either the subject came up again or it had been a long time since I had talked about it, so I did another post.

I would like for you to please send me any questions that you may have concerning the library or books. If you have a question about where to catalog something, I am happy to help. One thing that may save you some time is to access our Rogers Adventist School online catalog. Go to library.rschool.org and you will be able to access my library and the catalog. Click on ‘Researcher’. Type in the name of a book or a subject and press ‘Enter’ or ‘Search’. You will see the title of the books in blue with the author’s name below. The middle column has the Dewey number followed by a cutter number. (Most of your school will probably have three letters for the author, but our library started a different way so we continue that.)

If you were looking for the number for ‘Frogs’, you will see that I have ‘rainforest frogs’ in 574.54 and other frogs in 597.8. The 574 is rainforest, and the 597 is where amphibians are. That may be enough to answer any cataloging question for you. If it isn’t, please contact me and I will help.

I hope you have a great week and relaxing and fun Labor Day.

Audrey

“Do not confine your children to your own learning, for they were born in another time.” (Chinese Proverb)