Makerspaces in the Library

This school year we have started creating makerspace areas in our libraries. We have a Primary and Intermediate Libraries. We had the kids color the sign above to decorate our spaces. Our makerspace areas are still a work in progress.


@Intermediate building:

Drawing

• Poetry 
• Origami
• Make your own bookmark/Color a bookmark
• Drawing
• Collaboration Crosswords
• games
• puzzles
• Symbaloo created with Library links and Typing practice links

Poetry Creation Station

Origami and Bookmarks

Bookmarks

Drawing - Notebook Wall

Crossword Collaboration

@Primary building:

• Poetry
• Markerboards
• Drawing
• Puzzles
• Games
• Lite Bright
• Maps with velcro animals and words
• bookmarks
• coloring books
• coloring pages
• legos
• Symbaloo with Typing practice links and Library Links

Connecting and Communicating with Students

These are all great tools you can use in your classroom to connect and communicate with students. 

This gives all students a voice!

Padlet:  a free application to create an online bulletin board that you can use to display information for any topic. You can add images, links, videos, and more.

Ways to Use Padlet with Students

Lino: It is a place where we can interact with students in the classroom and outside of the classroom. It is a sticky note process but pictures and videos can be added as well. Students can use this for themselves too.

Different ways to use Lino in your Classroom

AnswerGarden: It is a feedback tool. Use it in the classroom as an educational tool or brainstorming tool. Post it in a tweet or you can embed it on your website.

Ways to use AnswerGarden with Students in the Classroom

TodaysMeet:

Ways to Use TodaysMeet in the Classroom

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY

Bringing Technology to the Library

Part of my job is to help in the Library. I love to find ways to bring technology into the library. Our students were listening to the book Snowflake Bentley and when they were done they created snowflakes online. They had so much fun and we didn't have any paper mess to clean up. They went to Make-A-Flake & Snow Days to create their online snowflakes.

We are currently getting ready to create some things using IPads and Chromebooks with 4th, 5th and 6th graders.

4th grade will be using iPads & the app Toontastic to create their own stories.
5th grade will be using iPads & the app iMovie to create a book trailer of one of their favorite books.
6th grade will be using their Chromebooks & creating a book trailer using the Powtoon website.

Each group will be planning first and then creating.
I found several planning pages to go with each of these.

Toontastic Planning Pages: 

• Planning the Plot
• Toontastic iPad Activities
• Toontastic Resource 
• Toontastic Storyboard

iMovie Planning pages:

• Book Trailer Planning Pages

Powtoon Planning pages:

• Brainstorming
• Powtoon Planning Sheet
• Powtoon Storyboard

Last Year we created Imovie Book Trailers with 5th and 6th graders. You can view them on my youtube channel

10 Ways to Communicate with Parents

Communicating with Parents is very important in the success of our students plus the teacher & parent relationship. When I taught 1st grade and Computer Technology I really started to realize how important this was because I was a parent myself.

Parents want to know what is going on in the classroom and what there children are learning.
They love receiving positive messages either by phone, email, or a note home.
They like to receive photos of their children working and learning as well as having fun while at school.

How can schools and teachers COMMUNICATE better with parents?

There are so many tools available for us now as teachers and educators to communicate better with parents. There are NO EXCUSES!!

1. Email
2. Write notes home
3. Send notes/letters in the mail
4. Make a phone call (BE POSITIVE)
5. Hand out small rewards and certificates to display what the child has done!
6. Remind (use this to sent quick messages, attach files, voice clips)
7. Bloomz (send quick messages, updates, or photos)
8. Website (create one through the school or another site like weebly or google sites)
9. Symbaloo (create links for students to use at home and share with parents)
10. Using your school's Learning Management System (we use Canvas and Google Classroom)