Makerspace Steering Committee

Last summer, the library applied for a grant for a makerspace with our local education foundation. We were awarded the grant, and now have all the items we asked for and are ready to start creating our Curtis Makerspace. Several 6th graders have been asking when we were going to get started with it, so they have been made the "Makerspace Steering Committee" and they met for the first time last Friday. 

This is what the space looked like before we moved the items into it. It was the copy room for several years, and has been a storage space this year. You can see the wonderful peach tint to the walls. ;) It is definitely not an inviting work space right now.

After talking with Nate, Julian and Jett about some ideas for the walls, including a whiteboard wall, a magnetic wall, and a green wall for video opportunities, they were turned loose to brainstorm other components they would like to see in the makerspace.

We are saving all kinds of items for our makerspace, like cardboard boxes and broken electronic equipment. 

It was great to see their thoughts as they brainstormed. We decided to put it on chart paper so everyone could see it and add ideas.

And thanks to some handy 6th graders, our makerspace cart was put together! It was wonderful to see them reading the instructions & working together to assemble the cart.

 The next step is to have a work day to paint the room and get everything organized. The plan is to do that the weekend we get out for Spring Break. 

Friday was a day that the library was functioning just the way I wanted it to. There were classes coming in for checkout, teachers were in there adding Skype to their computers so that they can begin connecting with others, the Digital Bookworms came in to have lunch with me and to help with the WRAD Blogging Challenge post, and the Makerspace Steering Committee was meeting in their future space. It was loud and a little messy, admittedly a little chaotic, but students were making decisions and, as my Twitter friend Shannon Miller has modeled so well, letting their voices be heard. It was a good day! 

If you have a makerspace at your school, please share what types of items are included. 

WRAD14 Week 2 Blogging Challenge

I'm joining Matthew Winner and others in the World Read Aloud Day Blogging Challenge. It is not too late to join us! And certainly join in Lit World's World Read Aloud Day celebration on March 5th!

Week 2: February 17 - 23

Adult & Child

Answering the following questions with a child. The child can be a student or your own. Age does not matter. Make sure to exchange and enjoy answers with one another before sharing them with us.
I had a lot of fun answering these questions with some of my Digital Bookworm members! They came in during lunch and shared their thoughts.


1. I think everyone in the world should read…

Me: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume. Maybe because I taught 4th grade for so long, and this was the book I always started the year with. The students always wanted to read more about Fudge & Peter!

Reagan: Percy Jackson books (she has read ALL of them MULTIPLE times! :))


2. If I could listen to anyone in the world read aloud to me it would be…

Me: my grandmother because she loved to share stories. When she would read a book, she couldn't wait to share parts of it with other readers. 

Alyssa: the author who wrote the book because then you hear his/her voice reading his/her words too.


3. When I read aloud, my favorite character to impersonate is…

Me: a character from the south. I loved reading the voice of Dovey in Dovey Coe by Frances O'Roark Dowell. What an opening paragraph... "My name is Dovey Coe and I reckon it don't matter whether you like me or not.... I hated Parnell Caraway as much as the next person, but I didn't kill him."

Kayla: Gil from The Gollywhopper Games because he is so funny.

4. The genre or author that takes up the most room on my bookshelf (or e-reader) is…

Me: realistic fiction. I like finding characters to identify with. I am branching out though, so who knows in the future! 

Sierra: Suzanne Collins- her books have a lot of action, and there is always something happening!

5. My favorite part about reading aloud or being read to is...

Me: getting so involved in the story that no one wants to stop reading. I love when my students beg me not to stop, just one more chapter!

Jeffrey: When someone reads aloud to me it makes understanding the book and story easier because I don't have to figure out the hard words. 

I loved sharing these questions with my Digital Bookworms club! They had some really great answers! 

Getting Ready for WRAD14- Blogging Challenge

Last year Curtis Elementary students participated in LitWorld's World Read Aloud Day, (well WEEK actually for us!) and the students had a great time connecting and reading with others!

A great description of the purpose of this event is found on the LitWorld's website:

"World Read Aloud Day is about taking action to show the world that the right to read and write belongs to all people. World Read Aloud Day motivates children, teens, and adults worldwide to celebrate the power of words, especially those words that are shared from one person to another, and creates a community of readers advocating for every child’s right to a safe education and access to books and technology."

 We are preparing for this year's event and I have decided to join Matthew Winner in a blog challenge this year. You can read his posts HERE.  

Week 1 writing prompt is: 

What is your earliest or fondest memory in which someone read aloud to you?

Photo from http://quixoticbibliophile.blogspot.com/ 

As much as I love to read, I know my mom must have read a lot to me. The older I get, the foggier the memories become, but one memory I clearly have is owning a set of Childcraft encyclopedia, much like these

and I remember my mom reading the different stories from Stories and Fables volume. My favorite was the story about the monkeys swinging in the tree. Mom would change her voice for the different monkeys, and I'm sure I would have her read it multiple times. We held onto the encyclopedia set for many years, and then I took them with me once I had children. The information was outdated, and the books definitely had a musty smell about them, but still I took them. Later, I got rid of all of the volumes except the Stories and Fables one, which I still have. 

Teachers also have the ability to create reading memories for their students.  As a librarian, I soon learned the favorite authors of our teachers because their students would rush to check-out the books by that author once their teacher started a read aloud. Students and adults alike have shared with me their memories of a teacher reading aloud to them, and I also have a similar memory.  The favorite part of the day for me as a 3rd grader was right after lunch when Mrs. Franklin would perch on the top of her desk and read to us. Oftentimes the only light was the sunlight streaming through the dusty metal blinds.

 Charlotte's Web was one of my favorite books that she read to us that year. I remember anxiously awaiting each day's reading to find out what would happen next. I remember it being peaceful, and losing myself in the story. It was a time I looked forward to!



This year, we will celebrate World Read Aloud Day throughout the week of March 3-7. We will connect with students all around our country, and we will connect with authors who are so generous with their time. You can read about what we did last year in this Scholastic article  written by Natalie Lorenzi about Read Across America Day (which is why we celebrate all week!) We are so excited about this week and "celebrating the power of words"! Join us!

What are your plans for WRAD14? 

Book Fair is Here!

We have had a crazy winter, with several missed days! In fact, it was snowing the day our Scholastic Book Fair was delivered.

The books were unpacked on Thursday, and then a "Snow Day" was called for Friday. We went back to school on Monday, and then a "Ice Day" was called for Tuesday. So, schedule adjustments have been made, Family Night has been moved to next Tuesday night, Breakfast & Books will still be on Friday morning, and we will stay open every day after school! We are ready to get books in readers' hands!

Shopping online is an option for families through February 22nd. Just click on the link below. Books will be shipped to school, free of charge, and delivered to classrooms.




With proceeds from this years' book fairs, we will begin transforming our library into a learning space that encourages collaboration, creativity and connections! We will soon be sending out a survey, seeking input from students, staff and families about things they would like to see in this environment.

If you are a librarian, I would love any thoughts you have about creating a space such as this! Please leave a comment of any ideas you might have! Furniture ideas would be great!

Kate Klise Author Visit

Curtis students were treated to a "real-live, in person" author visit this week, and it was an AWESOME experience! Back in the fall, PTA came to me to see if there was a program or author we would like to have for the students that they could help provide. I had not hosted an author before, and it had been many years since one had visited Curtis, so I wasn't sure where to begin.  As usual, I went to my Twitter PLN and the name Kate Klise came up more than once. I checked out HER WEBSITE  and then emailed her. Klise was able to add us to an already planned trip to Texas, so the planning began!  

To get ready for her visit, we read books by Klise, we listened to audio of her reading books, we made signs to welcome her and we even ordered a super fun cake with the covers of some of her books!

                                      

AND THEN SHE ARRIVED!!

Ms. Klise started off the day with 5th & 6th graders. She shared about her childhood and the beginning of her life as a writer. We loved the stories of how her mom did not believe in sugar, potato chips, Barbies or children having money! Gasps could be heard from the audience! She had us laughing out loud as she told us about wanting a haircut like Farrah Fawcett! And then she showed us the haircut she ended up with! As if on cue, one student said, "Oh, I'm so sorry!" :)

Next up were 3rd & 4th graders, and they were so entertained and engaged by her presentation. Students learned about how "writing is messy" and were even able to see some of the drafts of Ms. Klise's writing. As she explained the elements that a good story needs and the writing process she uses, she drew a clock to help students visualize. She wanted students to understand how to make their writing more interesting. This made the writing process easy for even the youngest writer to understand!

With each presentation, she would have volunteers come up to help create a story. Students would come up with the main character, the problem and what the main character wanted. They would then have to come up with a problem and solution. They LOVED this part and it was fun to watch as Ms. Klise guided them into creating some very interesting stories! 

Students enjoyed being able to visit with Klise before and after the presentations, and she made sure to talk to them and answer questions as they were leaving or as they were waiting. The smiles were priceless as she interacted with our students!

Curtis students had the opportunity to pre-order different titles by Kate Klise and were then invited to the library to meet her in person and have them signed. They were in awe of her and so polite as they introduced themselves! Hopefully it will be a special memory for them!

One of the parts of Klise's visit was a writing workshop with 30 students. Classes were invited to write persuasive letters to me, telling me why their class should be chosen to have this opportunity. Mrs. Palmatier's class won, and since there were only 17 students here that day, 13 students from Mrs. Shaw's class joined them. It was an incredible experience for them to get writing advice from a published author! 

                                     

Students began working on stories immediately and were so anxious to share their writing with Klise and the teachers in the room! There was so much energy in the room!

 There was even time for some volunteers to share their story with the whole group! It was awesome to watch students who were usually reluctant to write come up with creative stories AND volunteer to share! 

Kate Klise ended the day with our K-2nd grade students. If you have ever spent much time with this age group, you know that traditionally it is hard to keep them engaged at 2:00 PM, especially since most had already been to PE/Music/Art class! Well, this was not a problem for our visitor! These students were so engaged and attentive! 

AND they couldn't wait to write books!! I got this one FIRST thing this morning from a KINDERGARTEN student! 

I would definitely call this a success! We are already thinking about next year and who we can invite to visit Curtis. Have you had an author visit your school that you have really enjoyed? Any suggestions for our next author? I'd love to hear about successes you have had with author visits!

Remember the Alamo!

Curtis 4th graders were given a wonderful opportunity this morning- visiting the Alamo without leaving Weatherford! A couple of months ago, Nancy Jo Lambert, a librarian in Frisco and a member of my Twitter PLN, asked if we would be interested in participating in a Google Hangout with other schools and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas Library director and archivist. We said, YES! of course! Today was the day, so Curtis students, along with several other schools in North Texas AND a school in Bryn Mawr, PA took part in the first Google Hangout by the DRT Librarians!

Students in 4th grade focus on Texas history, so this was a perfect extension of their classroom instruction. Since their teachers had already covered the Battle of the Alamo, students were definitely prepared for our Google Hangout today! We were fortunate to also have WISD School Board Member Dave Cowley and State Board of Education Member Pat Hardy in attendance with us.

 

Leslie Stapleton is the DRT Library Director and Jaime Espensen-Sturges is the DRT Library Interim Archivist and they shared with the students various artifacts that are held at the Alamo in San Antonio. One item students were able to see was a  hand-drawn map by Stephen F. Austin. We learned that in addition to being the Father of Texas, he was also an excellent map maker.

 

There was an audible gasp when Mrs. Stapleton showed us clothes worn by Susanna Dickinson. Students were familiar with the historical people that Mrs. Stapleton spoke about, which I know made their teachers very proud!

 

During the Google Hangout, students were able to submit questions to www.todaysmeet.com/alamogho and have them answered by the DRT librarians. Mrs. Varhola typed the questions that students had created before they came to the library. After the GHO, students could go to the site and see if their questions were answered.

This was a wonderful opportunity for our students and we are so appreciative of the time and energy it took to organize this event!

Read Nancy Jo Lambert's blog post about our Alamo Hangout here: http://borchardtlibrary.edublogs.org/2014/01/14/4th-grade-alamo-google-hangout/

 



Voting is Open for the 2013 Edublog Awards

Last night I got a text from Nancy Jo Lambert, a fellow librarian and member of my Twitter PLN. She wanted me to know that the Curtis Library blog, which she had nominated for Best Library/Librarian Blog, had made the shortlist for finalists in the 2013 Edublog Awards. When I went to look, I was excited to see many of the people I had nominated in different categories had also made the shortlist, including Nancy Jo and her library blog, Ruth Borchardt Elementary Library.

There are so many incredible people that have been nominated in many different categories, that it is sometimes difficult to decide who to vote for! The good news is that you can vote for more than one in each category! 

Voting closes December 18th at 11:59 EST, so go vote at The Edublog Awards!

The Beginning of Coding for Curtis Students

Ok, I have jumped off the ledge and into coding, thanks to the gentle nudge from a few of my Twitter friends! A week or two ago, Andy Plemmons, a librarian in Georgia, asked who was doing the Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week.


It all started with a tweet!

I have wanted to learn about coding so that I could teach my students, but had not done anything yet. I replied that I was interested in planning some activities for Hour of Code, which is an event that is taking place December 9-13th encouraging students to participate in an introduction to computer coding.

A Google Hangout was planned to brainstorm ideas and we met on Monday. Here is the recording of our planning session:



Librarians from Maine, Georgia, Iowa,  Indiana and Texas met together, along with technology people from Cathy Potter's district in Maine. They brought a wealth of information, which was shared with all of us. 

Most everyone will celebrate next week, but we got started this week due to our Lattes in the Library next week. I briefly introduced it to 5th graders on Monday, since I was excited after the Google Hangout!

Today I introduced coding to 6th graders & 2nd graders and they both did really well! We began by viewing one of the videos from the Computer Science Education Week site. Sixth graders were intrigued with the work environment that they should on the video! There are several  different videos featuring Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and NBA star, Chris Bosh sharing the importance of learning computer coding. It was interesting to hear the statistics about the number of jobs that will require computer programming and the lack of qualified people to fill those jobs. Hopefully some of our students will be interested in learning computer programming and fill some of those jobs in the future!

While they were going through the tutorials that are provided on the CSED Week website with me,  they started working on creating a holiday card using Scratch. They were so focused that I didn't want to stop them! It was very exciting to watch their excitement and hear them work with their partners to figure out how to do things!

Sixth grade was able to continue working on coding when they went to the computer lab after library, and our computer teacher said that they were completely engaged!

Second graders came in during the afternoon and I scrapped my lesson plans and jumped in with them! I think they could sense how excited I was about sharing this with them, and of course their excitement rose. After introducing the concept of computer programming and sharing with them that I know very little about the subject, we watched the introduction video. I chose the 1 minute video for them. I liked having the option of a 1, 5 or 9 minute video to introduce the Hour of Code. With the different grade levels I am working with, it is nice to be able to pick the one that is just right for that group.

After we talked for a few minutes, we went through so of the tutorials for Code.org. They explain the basics of computer programming, using Angry Bird, in such a way that even the youngest students can understand!  

And then off they went with their partners to practice what we had learned! Again, it was so exciting to listen to them try to problem solve when they would get stuck.

I can't wait to see how this goes with the rest of the classes! On Tuesday of next week, I will have 4 different classes come in for 1 hour each of coding. They will earn their Hour of Code certificate and hopefully create something that we will be able to share in the "Coding Smackdown" with our friends in Georgia, Iowa, Maine & Indiana.

Are you participating in Hour of Code? I would love to hear how others are using coding in their library programs or classrooms!